This week has certainly been concerning for Oxfordshire’s residents, with coronavirus cases rising across the county.

Let me start by thanking all of my constituents who have written to me with their worries, problems and thoughts on the present situation.

It’s down to each and every one of us to do what we can to control the virus.

That includes following the rules – keep to the rule of six, wear a face covering and socially distance. Wash your hands frequently. If we all take action, we can help prevent our community from facing further restrictions in the coming weeks.

At the time of writing, Oxford is on high alert, just as students return for the new term and face incredible uncertainty.

This steep rise in cases is justifiably concerning for our community. What we need is clarity and competency from the Government.

The many problems with the test and trace system haven’t helped this situation.

Thousands of tests went unreported in the daily statistics due to a technical hitch, with agencies seemingly blaming each other for the problem.

We don’t need a blame game –

we just need to get the basics right.

And I’m really worried for the people in my constituency who can’t access the test and trace app, often because their phone is ‘too old’.

I’m asking the Government about this now and will update constituents who’ve written to me about it when I hear more.

There have been well-documented, major faults with the testing system that still haven’t been fully resolved.

People in our community are being asked to go to far-flung places. This is getting more and more urgent by the day.

Frankly, to get a hold of this crisis the Government must fix test and trace. Continued issues will only prolong this crisis, which also means the economy will continue to be hit when we need to begin a recovery.

As chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, I’m all too aware of the lessons the Government needs to learn quickly.

I’ll continue to constructively hold them to account, both as your local MP and as the chair of the cross-party inquiry.

Our aim is to help the Government save lives. But they need to be open to listening.

Despite these failures, it’s also down to all of us to take action to avoid local restrictions being imposed in Oxfordshire.

We can do our bit even if the Government fail to do theirs.

Both of the universities in Oxford have said they will be putting in further measures to prevent spread of the virus, which I welcome.

We must follow the local rules. Please keep your distance, wash your hands, wear a face covering and follow the rule of six. If we pull together as a community, we can bring down infections.

Through the strength of our community, we can find a way through the coronavirus crisis.