Highest Devon covid deaths since April

December shows upswing

December was the second deadliest month of the coronavirus pandemic for deaths in Devon and Cornwall – but saw less than half the deaths from April.

Official figures from the Office of National Statistics where Covid-19 was the underlying cause of death, show that between March and December, 810 deaths in the two counties were recorded.

The figures for December saw 163 deaths recorded with covid on the death certificate within 28 days of a positive test, nearly double the 87 in November, but less than half the 345 in April.

Of the deaths, 13 were in Plymouth, with nine in Torbay, 19 in Cornwall, and 122 across the Devon County Council area,

Nearly half of the deaths in the Devon County Council area were in East Devon (54), with Exeter (15), Mid Devon (18), North Devon (13), South Hams (3), Teignbridge (7), Torridge (7) and West Devon (5).

It means that in December, 8.9 per cent of the total deaths recorded (163 out of 1,828) in the two counties were due to covid. Since March, 810 of the 16,497 deaths in Devon and Cornwall (4.9 per cent) were because of covid.

In December, Budleigh Salterton was the area of Devon and Cornwall that saw the highest number of deaths due to covid-19, with 13 registered, the only area in the two counties in double figures.

Callington & Pensilva (6), Axminster (8), Wonford and St Loye’s (5), and Crediton (5) were the other areas to have recoreded five or more deaths.

In Plymouth, the worst hit areas was Millbay and Stonehouse (3 deaths), with Wellswood (4) for Torbay, Bratton Fleming, Goodleigh & Kings Heanton (3) for North Devon, Totnes Town, Marldon, Stoke Gabriel & Kingswear and Loddiswell & Dartington (all 1) for South Hams, Newton Abbot, Highweek (2) for Teignbridge, Appledore & Northam North and Bideford South & East (both 2) for Torridge, and Hatherleigh, Exbourne & North Tawton and Tavistock (both 2) in West Devon.

No one died of covid in the following areas in 2020: Tamerton Foilot, Preston & Shorton, Mid Saltash, Torpoint, Kingsand, Antony & Maryfield, Grampound Road, St Newlyn East and Cubert, Redruth North, St Day & Lanner, Crackington & Tintagel, Padstow & St Issey, Dunkesewell, Upottery & Stockland, Ilfracombe East, Barnstaple Sticklepath, Fremington & Instow, South Brent & Cornwood, Dartmouth, Wembury, Brixton & Newton Ferrers, Salcombe, Malborough & Thurlestone, Tedburn, Shillingford & Higher Ashton, Heathfield & Liverton, Teignmouth North, Newton Abbot, Town Centre, Hartland Coast, Great Torrington and Bere Alston, Buckland Monachorum & Yelverton.