Coronavirus cases rise overall in Devon and decline in Cornwall

The total number of new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past seven days in Devon has risen, but with drops in Plymouth and Cornwall.

Government statistics show 381 new cases have been confirmed across the region in the past seven days, both in Pillar 1 data from NHS testing and Pillar 2 data from trading partners, compared to the 365 new cases confirmed last week.

The number of new confirmed cases in Cornwall has dropped, from 179 to 132 in the past seven days, while Plymouth has seen more than half cases, from 74 to 36.

But in Torbay, the cases have more than doubled, from 18 to 39, in part related to an outbreak in a nursing home. And in the Devon County Council area, they have nearly doubled, from 96 to 178, though 60 percent of those cases are in Exeter, mostly linked to the University.

Of the 381 new cases, 132 were in Cornwall, 11 in East Devon, 107 in Exeter, 8 in Mid Devon, 13 in North Devon, 36 in Plymouth, 9 in South Hams, 20 in Teignbridge, 39 in Torbay, 5 in Torridge and 4 in West Devon.

Cases in Cornwall, South Hams and Plymouth are down compared to the previous week, and East Devon remains the same

Of the 381 new confirmed cases, 280 of the cases have a sample date between September 25 and October 1, and most of the other 101 cases date from September 21 to 24, although some date back to early September. month.

Of the 303 cases that had a sample date of between September 25 and October 1, 91 cases from Cornwall occurred in that period, with 10 in East Devon, 72 in Exeter, 5 in Mid Devon, 12 in North Devon , 17 in South Hams, 14 in Teignbridge, 31 in Plymouth, 32 in Torbay, 2 in Torridge and 4 in West Devon.

By sample date, most recent case at Teignbridge is October 1, for Cornwall, Exeter, North Devon, Mid Devon, Plymouth, South Hams, Torbay and West Devon is September 30, it is September 29 for East Devon and September 28 for Torridge.

While the number of cases in Devon has increased significantly, more than half of the cases are related to students at the University of Exeter.

At least 60 homes within the city are understood to self-isolate and follow public health advice, and there is no evidence at this stage that the virus spreads to the wider community, public health teams say.

But as the demand for testing increases at the University, they have invited the national Testing and Tracking scheme to establish a temporary Testing Center on the Streatham campus dedicated to Exeter students and staff, allowing them to focus their resources of Halo in some tests, and to develop a process that allows familiar tests of personnel.

Of the cases with a sample date of September 22-28, there are currently 33 clusters where three or more cases have been confirmed in an intermediate super production area: seven in Devon, five in Torbay, five in Plymouth and 16 in Cornwall. .

There is a cluster of three cases at Ivybridge in South Hams and four at Roundswell and Landkey in North Devon, with five clusters at Exeter: St Leonard’s with four, Central Exeter with five, St James Park and Hoopern with nine, Middlemoor and Sowton with seven and 52 in Pennsylvania and the University.

In Torbay, Shiphay & the Willows, Babbacombe & Plainmoor, Upton & Hele, Chelston, Cockington & Livermead and Clifton & Maidenway have groups of three.

In Plymouth, Mutley and Plymstock Elburton have a group of three, Honicknowle & Manadon four, Plymstock Hooe & Oreston five and Keyham seven.

In Cornwall, there is a group of three in Newquay East and Penzance North, Penzance Quay, Bodmin North, Illogan & Portreath and St Columb Minor & Porth of four, Redruth North and St Agnes & Mount Hawke of five, Redruth South six, Camborne Al south of seven, Lanreath, Pelynt & Polraun of nine, Camborne West and Roche & Goss Moor of 11, Camborne East of 14, Kingsand, Antony & Maryfield of 16 and Pool & Illogan Highway of 26.

And while there has been an increase in cases across the region from previous figures, the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus has remained relatively low compared to the rest of the country, and has even decreased in the Southwest.

In the Southwest, there are currently 33 people hospitalized and two on ventilation, compared with 34 and three respectively last Friday. There hasn’t been a hospital death since Sept. 20, and there were only three deaths in the Southwest at the hospital in September.

The R rate for the Southwest is now estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.4, the same figures as last week, and the ONS survey estimates that 0.08% of the Southwest population would test positive at any time, compared to 0.07 percent last week.

NHS 111 data for both Devon and Cornwall have dropped significantly in the past seven days, down 50 percent last Friday.

In total, Torridge has had 76 positive cases, West Devon 87, with 151 in South Hams, 168 in North Devon, 249 in Mid Devon, 272 in Teignbridge, 305 in East Devon, 377 in Torbay, 460 in Exeter, 948 in Plymouth and 1397 in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

COVID-19 cases are identified by taking samples from people and sending these samples to laboratories across the UK for analysis. If the test is positive, it is a laboratory confirmed case.

Confirmed positive cases are matched against ONS geographic area codes using the home zip code of the person tested.

Cases received from labs before 12:30 am are included in the counts published that day. While new cases of coronavirus or people who have tested positive may have been confirmed, test results have not yet reached PHE to add to the dataset or were not received in time for the latest daily figures to be released. .

The latest figures available show that 10,900 tests (Pillar 2) were carried out in Devon during the week ending 25 September, a significant increase from 7,600 tests carried out during the previous week.

Steve Brown, Deputy Director of Public Health for Devon, said: “The latest figures show another increase in the number of tests done in Devon, and we are hearing fewer reports of delays or having to travel distances to attend a test.

“Overall, the county is still comparatively far down the table in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases. We have the immediate increase in cases in Exeter for which there is no evidence of spread within the community, but confirmed cases in our other seven areas of the District remain low.

“Testing resources are generally keeping up with demand in Devon, and I ask anyone showing symptoms (high temperature, new and ongoing cough, or changes in sense of taste or smell) to isolate themselves immediately and book a test. “