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Devon covid drops sharply

Wednesday, 19 January 2022 07:15

By Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter

Cases down a third this week

Covid cases have fallen sharply across Devon, the first big reduction since the emergence of Omicron.

Figures for the week to Thursday 13 January show the rates in Plymouth and the Devon County Council area both fell by just under 40 per cent, with a smaller fall of around a quarter in Torbay.

It comes after rates began to decline across some other parts of the UK in the last couple of weeks, most notably London, indicating that the Omicron wave may have peaked.

As with recent weeks, infections in most parts of the county remain below the current national average of 986 cases per 100,000 people. Devon’s is 751, Plymouth’s is just under at 944, but in Torbay the rate is now higher at 1,061.

At a district level, cases in all areas fell by at least 30 per cent. East Devon now marginally has the lowest infection rate in the county at 648, closely followed by West Devon at 657.

Despite the positive trend, Devon’s director of public health last week urged caution when addressing the health and wellbeing board, saying there is a lag between the rate in cases and people then being hospitalised and, in some circumstances, dying from the virus.

“Even if we have reached the peak expectation from a modelling perspective, it might be a week or two before we see that peak in terms of hospitalisations and then maybe a week or two later before we see the peak in terms of deaths,” Mr Brown said.

Further updates will be made when a monthly meeting of the Team Devon local outbreak engagement board is held on Wednesday.

HOSPITALISATIONS

As of the most recent data from Tuesday 11 January, 218 patients were in Devon’s hospitals with covid, an increase of over 40 from a week ago. Like last week, more than half (121) are being treated in Plymouth.

Elsewhere, 44 are at the RD&E in Exeter, 34 in Torbay, 11 in North Devon and eight at Devon Partnership mental health trust sites. Of the total number of patients, seven are in ventilation beds, down six on last week.

DEATHS

Thirteen more people died in the county within 28 days of testing positive for covid in the latest complete weekly period (up to Thursday 13 January). Five were in the Devon County Council area, three in Torbay and five in Plymouth.

A total of 1,498 people in Devon (including Plymouth and Torbay) have died within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic began.

VACCINATIONS

The number of people aged over 12 who have received their booster (third) covid vaccination is 69 per cent in the Devon County Council area, 64 per cent in Torbay and 57 per cent in Plymouth.

Take-up for at least one dose of a vaccine is 88 per cent in the Devon County Council area, 86 per cent in Torbay and 85 per cent in Plymouth.

The proportion of people who have had two jabs is 83 per cent in Devon, 80 per cent in Torbay and 78 per cent in Plymouth.

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