NOW we’re back into the regular tick-tock of Parliament, my week has been spent partly in Westminster and partly here in Furness.

And no matter how interesting and varied my meetings have been this week one subject has dominated.

It will come as no surprise that this is the growth in cases of Coronavirus (Covid-19) here in the borough of Barrow.

Cumbria’s Director of Public Health, Colin Cox, has warned that the situation is an increasing cause for concern, with rates of infection increasing at a rapid pace.

After a long period with little to no new cases locally, that trend has reversed, leaving us balancing on a precipice.

Most worrying, testing is picking up cases that are un-related to each other in the community.

We cannot sit on our hands and hope for a miracle.

We need to take action, not only to protect ourselves, but also to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

So on Thursday, following recommendations from public health officials, we agreed at a meeting of the Local Area Outbreak Board to introduce, for the next two weeks, new guidance to stem the rise in cases:

• Restrictions on visiting Furness Hospital and care homes

• Reductions in non-essential visits to schools

• Continue to follow the ‘Rule of 6’ AND restrict social gatherings to a maximum of two households at any one time, indoors and out.

All of us have a duty to step up and to help stop the spread of the virus.

This isn’t simply about young people, or old people - it’s about all of us doing what we have to in order to break the chain of infection.

While it is completely understandable that a certain amount of ‘virus fatigue’ is creeping in, if we give in to those feelings, the consequences will be catastrophic.

No matter where we go, who we meet, or where we work, we must all remember the rules about washing our hands, social distancing, wearing masks, and observing the Government's new 'Rule of 6' measure - which is there to limit social contact.

The last thing we need is to be forced into a full local lockdown.

Our economy is already struggling to recover from the national lockdown in March with aftershocks continuing to be felt by so many.