North Devon is England's covid hotspot

Nowhere else is more infectious

North Devon is the most infectious area for covid in England, the latest government figures show.

Data for the week to last Thursday [24 March] reveals the widespread increase in the virus has continued across Devon – albeit at a slower rate than recent weeks.

Cases in Plymouth went up by just under a quarter, with smaller increases of under 10 per cent in both the county council area and Torbay.

It means Devon remains well above the national covid rate, which is now 902 cases per 100,000 people compared to 1,445 in Plymouth, 1,363 in Torbay and 1,339 in the county council area.

At a district level, the biggest rises were again in the north of the county. Cases in Torridge and North Devon both went up by around 20 per cent, with the latter now having the highest infection rate in England at 1,649 per 100,000.

West Devon and the South Hams also had double figure increases, but East Devon recorded a small drop of just under three per cent – the first such fall in three weeks.

The rise in cases in most areas has continued since all covid restrictions ended in England at the end of February, including the legal requirement to self-isolate with the virus. Free mass testing will also stop from Friday [1 April].

While there will no longer be access to free lateral flow tests from then, Public Health Devon hopes that people will continue to use up the tests they currently have, ‘to greatest effect.’

Steve Brown, Devon’s director of public health, recently said: “If you have a supply of tests at home, please consider taking a test before visiting older or vulnerable friends or relatives, or before visits to GP surgeries or to hospital.

Lateral flow tests will be available to buy from local pharmacies and online, while PCR tests will continue to be free for care home residents, hospital patients and other vulnerable groups, if they have symptoms of coronavirus.

HOSPITALISATIONS

A record 416 people with covid were in Devon’s hospitals on Thursday [24 March], the county council’s chief executive revealed last week – 30 per cent higher than any other point during the pandemic. Official government figures are only correct up to Tuesday 22 March.

Forty per cent of those infected were admitted to hospital for other conditions and then tested positive, Dr Phil Norrey said, with six in intensive care.

DEATHS

Twenty-five more people died in the county within 28 days of testing positive for covid in the latest complete weekly period (up to Wednesday 23 March). Eleven were in the Devon County Council area, eight in Torbay and six in Plymouth.

A total of 1,708 people in Devon (including Plymouth and Torbay) have died within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic began (as of 27 March).

VACCINATIONS

The number of people aged over 12 who have received their booster (third) covid vaccination is 72 per cent in the Devon County Council area, 66 per cent in Torbay and 61 per cent in Plymouth.

Take-up for at least one dose of a vaccine is 89 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 85 per cent in Devon, 82 per cent in Torbay and 80 per cent in Plymouth.

The national rates are 92, 86 and 67 per cent respectively.