[ad_1]
Several staff members have tested for the coronavirus at Brixham Community Hospital, confirmed by Torbay and the South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.
It comes as Torbay and specifically Brixham is seeing the highest virus infection rate in Devon and Cornwall.
In Torbay, the seven-day moving rate through November 7 is 252.5 and in Higher Brixham it was 651.3.
The seven-day rolling rate for Devon County is 106.2 cases per week and for Plymouth it is 187.7.
Brixham Town has had 56 new cases in the weekly moving figures and Higher Brixham has 49 cases.
A spokesperson for the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said: “We have a detailed plan for our response to Covid-19, which has evolved from our experiences and what we learned earlier in the pandemic.
“Ensuring that all of our patients and staff are kept safe is our absolute focus and we have a number of measures, which are reviewed regularly, to support this.
“Unfortunately, some staff members have tested positive for Covid-19 and are isolating themselves as a result. We make sure they are fully supported during the time they have to be away from work. “
Do you want to know more about Devon Live? Subscribe to our newsletters here
Brixham Ward Councilor and Torbay Council Cabinet Member Mike Morey told DevonLive: “Through track and trace, we can see that Brixham was busy for half the term, as elsewhere.
“But through Track and Trace we can see that there was an increase after special events like the Exeter Chiefs game where people watched the game in ordinary settings.
“The other increase that we can see is that people are letting their guard down and different households have been reuniting and forgetting about social distance. Families have been reuniting with other families. I understand why it can be difficult for people sometimes. , but these are the two main themes.
“There is also an increase in cases around the port. We had a detailed map of the two neighborhoods and it clearly identifies that it has now spread throughout the city.
“People became complacent. Devon felt safe for a while, but it was a false sense of security.
“Yesterday we held a meeting with healthcare professionals and community leaders in Brixham to see how we can address that.”
The meeting included the principal of Brixham College, which has 1,000 students. Torbay now has coronavirus in 14 nursing homes and 35 schools and Morey said schools are being asked to help educate the public.
“The message is to keep your distance and not lower your guard and we have to spread it.”
In a moving public statement posted on YouTube, Torbay Public Health Director Dr Caroline Dimond revealed that there is now coronavirus in 14 residences and 35 schools as the death toll continues to rise at Torbay Hospital.
Figures show that Torbay has the highest virus infection rate in Devon and a high proportion of elderly and frail residents, who are at increased risk of serious complications from the disease.
Do you think Devon children should get free school meals over the Christmas holidays? Click here to give your opinions
DevonLive took to the streets of Brixham to ask residents for their opinions on the reasons behind the sudden increase, with many pointing to a “Grockle invasion” during the last week of October.
Last week, NHS Executive Director Sir Simon Stevens, explaining the pressure on health services before the shutdown, said there were more patients with the virus at Torbay Hospital than at the height of the first wave.
[ad_2]
