Eight Devon covid hospital deaths

But infections up and down by area

Eight death in hospital from covid-19 in Devon have been announced, bringing the total for the county to 247.

It comes as figures for a full week to last Tuesday show the number of new coronavirus cases fell in the week to last Tuesday. 

Across Devon and Cornwall combined, more than 2,000 new cases have been confirmed, the highest weekly number yet, taking the total since the beginning of the pandemic to 14,071. Cases in Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, the South Hams, Teignbridge and Torbay have fallen week-on-week. Plymouth, Torridge, West Devon, and East Devon – the latter the worst area in the Devon County Council area - have risen.

Any cases confirmed in the last week almost certainly relate to infections caught prior to the second lockdown beginning, with any effect of that not likely to be seen until the start of next week.Last week saw 217 in East Devon, 189 in Exeter, 67 in Mid Devon, 108 in North Devon, 496 in Plymouth, 73 in the South Hams, 100 in Teignbridge, 270 in Torbay, 52 in Torridge and 56 in West Devon.

The number of people in hospital in the South West has risen to 759 from 514 from last week, but admissions data has stopped rising, and the most recent day of data available was the lowest since October 30, while there are currently 58 people on a mechanical ventilator, down from 67 as of last Friday.