Exeter covid higher than Leicester and Birmingham

It's almost double England average

The number of people confirmed with covid-19 in Exeter has trebled in a week and the city now has proportionately more sufferers than Birmingham, Darlington or Leicester where stricter restrictions are now in place.

In the seven days to Thursday 1 October, 214 new cases were reported in Exeter, compared with 68 the previous week. The infection rate is now 163 cases per 100,000 people. The average in England is 91. 

Many more tests are now being carried out across the country than earlier in the pandemic, and Exeter University students have a dedicated testing facility on the Streatham campus in Exeter. Nevertheless the rise is said to be concerning, and Exeter city councillors are receiving a briefing on the matter from public health specialists on Monday,

The infection rate has risen dramatically over the weekend when the government announced that some tests previously carried out hadn't been added to the figures. Accordingly, previously the figures were under-reported, followed by a short period of over-reporting. It also mean the track and trace system was compromised.

Figures in the rest of Devon are well below the national average, although there's been a rise in Torbay to 44 confirmed cases.

Exeter's NHS Nightingale Hospital at Sowton is recruiting 500 volunteers to test a covid-19 vaccine, starting later this week. Details in this report:

https://www.radioexe.co.uk/news-and-features/local-news/devon-volunteers-for-covid-vaccine-needed/