Devon's covid rate halves in a week

Numbers in hospital roughly static

The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed across Devon and Cornwall have nearly halved in the previous seven days – with cases falling everywhere - by more than 50 per cent in Plymouth, Torbay and the South Hams. The number of patients in hospital in the two counties following a positive covid-19 test has stayed roughly the same.

A total of 1,266 new cases have been confirmed across the two counties – the lowest for six weeks and a dramatic falls from the 2,367 cases last week. And the figure for Friday of 97 cases is the first single-day number ‘to drop below 100 since 2 October.

Of the 1,266 new cases confirmed since November 20, 232 were in Cornwall, with 180 in East Devon, 141 in Exeter, 59 in Mid Devon, 104 in North Devon, 231 in Plymouth, 33 in South Hams, 73 in Teignbridge, 119 in Torbay, 51 in Torridge and 43 in West Devon.

The number of people in hospital in the wider south west region hasn't changed much: 942 people this week compared with 938 last week. Sixty-seven patients are in mechanical ventilation beds, up two on the previous week.

In the latest figures to Tuesday 24 November, 272 patients across Devon and Cornwall were in hospital having tested positive for covid-18, up seven on the previous week. But while the number of patients in the Royal Devon and Exeter, North Devon and Cornish hospitals has increased, Torbay Hospital has seen a decrease for the second week running, while Derriford Hospital has seen its number drop by more than 40 per cent - from 90 to 53.

In the last week,  21 people died in hospital in the two counties within 28 days of a positive covid-19 test: nine in Exeter, two in Torbay, six in Plymouth, three in North Devon, and one in Cornwall.

This week, the NHS Nightingale Hospital at Sowton Exeter received coronavirus patients for the first time, admitting people from hospitals from across the region. About 24 of the 116-beds are expected to be in use this weekend.