COVID cases have soared across Devon, with a health chief urging people to stay at home if they feel unwell.

Figures for the week to last Thursday [March 10] show the rate in the Devon County Council area rose by 74 per cent, compared to 81 per cent in Teignbridge 66 per cent in Plymouth and 43 per cent in Torbay.

Although cases have also gone up substantially elsewhere, Devon remains above the national covid rate. The UK average is 612 cases per 100,000 people, compared to 758 in the county council area, 730 in Plymouth and 753 in Torbay.

At a district level, the biggest increase is in North Devon where cases more than doubled. Torridge, West Devon and Teignbridge recorded rises of over 80 per cent.

Torridge remains the least prevalent area for the virus in Devon at 557 cases per 100,000. East Devon still has the highest rate of 873, closely followed by Teignbridge on 801.

The latest figures for Teignbridge howthat between March 9 and 15, 1,428 people had a confirmed positive test result. This shows an increase of 81.2 per cent compared to the previous seven days.

Between March 9 and 15 there have been no deaths in Teignbridge.

The rise in cases comes after all covid restrictions ended in England at the end of February, while free mass testing will stop from Friday 1 April.

However, Steve Brown, Devon’s director of public health, is still urging people to stay at home if they feel ill with coronavirus or symptoms of other illnesses that could be infectious.

HOSPITALISATIONS

As of the most recent government data from Tuesday 8 March, 217 patients were  in Devon’s hospitals with covid, a increase of 45 from a week ago. The biggest number – 106 – are being treated in Plymouth.

Elsewhere, 62 patients were at the RD&E in Exeter, 31 in Torbay, 17 in North Devon and one in Devon Partnership mental health trust sites. Of the total, five people were in intensive care with covid.

However on Tuesday, Dr Paul Johnson of the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group revealed the hospital figure had since risen to 230.

DEATHS

Sixteen more people died in the county within 28 days of testing positive for covid in the latest complete weekly period (up to Wednesday 9 March). Eleven were in the Devon County Council area, two in Torbay and three in Plymouth.

A total of 1,657 people in Devon (including Plymouth and Torbay) have died within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic began (as of 13 March).

VACCINATIONS

The number of people aged over 12 who have received their booster (third) covid vaccination is 71 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 84 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.