The Stroud MP's weekly column

As a country we are now at a Covid crossroads.

Infections are rising and there is a real fear the virus will get out of control and cost more lives.

In Stroud and Gloucestershire generally, we have all worked hard as the situation is under control.

The message from the experts is this will not continue unless, as a country not just as a county, we start to lessen our social contacts, keep to the rule of six and make sure we wash our hands and socially distance.

The Chief Medical Officer says cases could rise exponentially to nearly 50,000 infections a day by mid-October.

At the moment, it is at about 6,000 a day.

Nobody wants to see families suffer loss again, nor the NHS lose capacity for cancer treatments, heart attacks and strokes. That will cost more lives.

The message you will receive nationally and locally is that we must now knuckle down once again and do all we can to stop this virus.

National testing issues have concerned many people, myself included, in the last few weeks. I have made those concerns known to the health secretary directly and raised another mobile testing unit being in Stroud.

Autumn and winter are likely to be tough but as I refuse to only see bad news - it is worth remembering that we can treat the virus now better with drugs and there are promising trials heading in the right direction for a vaccine too.

We also know our incredible communities work together to support vulnerable people and we have learned how to live with the delicate balance of making sure we do not stop our lives completely and support our local businesses to keep the economy going. Lives depend on this too.

Issues relating to the virus continue to take up most of my time but work is continuing at pace in a number of areas.