Devon covid cases: Exeter doubles; Plymouth halves

Exeter University is hot spot

The total number of new coronavirus cases confirmed in the last seven days in Devon has risen, although in Plymouth numbers have more than halved, from 74 to 36 and in Torbay cases have doubled, from 18 to 39, partly because of an outbreak at a care home. In the Devon County Council area, cases are up from 96 to 178. Sixty per cent of those cases are in Exeter, primarily linked to the university.

Across Devon and Cornwall the number is up slightly, from 365 to 381. 

Of the 381 new cases, 132 were in Cornwall, with 11 in East Devon, 107 in Exeter, 8 in Mid Devon, 13 in North Devon, 36 in Plymouth, 9 in the South Hams, 20 in Teignbridge, 39 in Torbay, 5 in Torridge, and 4 in West Devon.

Cases in Cornwall, the South Hams, Plymouth have fallen compared to the previous week, with East Devon remaining the same.

It is understood that at least 60 households in Exeter linked to the university are self-isolating and following public health advice, and there is no evidence at this stage of the virus spreading into the wider community. But as demand for tests is rising at the university, they have invited the national Test and Trace scheme to set up a temporary testing centre on the Streatham campus.

There is a cluster of three cases in Ivybridge in the South Hams and four in Roundswell and Landkey in North Devon, with five clusters in Exeter – St Leonard’s with four, central Exeter with five, St James Park and Hoopern with nine, Middlemoor and Sowton with seven, and 52 in Pennsylvania and university.

In Torbay, Shiphay & the Willows, Babbacombe & Plainmoor, Upton & Hele, Chelston, Cockington & Livermead and Clifton & Maidenway all have clusters of three.

In Plymouth, Mutley and Plymstock Elburton have a cluster of three, Honicknowle & Manadon four, Plymstock Hooe & Oreston five, and Keyham seven.

While there has been a rise in cases across the region from previous figures, the number of people in hospital with coronavirus has continued to remain relatively low compared to the rest of the country, and has even fallen in the south west. Currently 33 people are in hospital and two on ventilation. There has not been a hospital death since September 20, and were only three deaths in South West hospitals in September.

The R Rate for the South West is now being estimated as between 1.1 and 1.4, the same figures as last week, with the ONS estimating that 0.08 per cent of the population in the south west would test positive at any one time, up from 0.07 per cent last week.

Steve Brown, deputy director for public health Devon, said: “Overall, the county is still comparably very low down the table for the number of confirmed coronavirus cases. We have the immediate increase in cases in Exeter for which there is no evidence of spread within the community, but confirmed cases in our seven other District areas are still low, Testing resources in the main are keeping up with demand in Devon, and I ask anyone who is showing symptoms – the high temperature, new and continuous cough, or change in their sense of taste or smell – to self-isolate immediately and book a test.”