Coronavirus cases in Sidmouth area updated

The number of new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the last seven days across Devon and Cornwall has fallen in the most recent data.

Government statistics show that 1,113 new cases have been confirmed across the region in the past seven days, compared to 1,369 new cases confirmed last week.

Of the 1,113 new cases, 69 were in East Devon.

However, the fall is partly down to the Public Health England database issues two weekends ago that meant thousands of cases were not added to figures when they should have been.

Below are the list of clusters in the Sidmouth area - the figures are as of October 15, covering October 5-11.

Ottery St Mary and West Hill: 5

Sidmouth Sidford: 0-2

Poppleford, Otterton and Woodbury: 0-2

The number of people in hospital in the South West has risen to 151 from 77 as of last week, and there are currently 17 people on a mechanical ventilator.

NHS 111 data for both Devon and Cornwall has fallen - although only slightly - in the past seven days.

In total, East Devon has had 466 positive cases.

Devon's Director of Public Health has warned of the need for residents to be vigilant as coronavirus cases in the community continue to be identified.

While the rolling average of new cases in the county has been dropping in recent days, the drop is mainly related to the fall in cases being confirmed in students at the University of Exeter.

Dr Virginia Pearson, Director of Public Health for Devon has today welcomed the continued reduction in student cases in Exeter but had warned of the need for extra vigilance across Devon as wider community cases rise.

"We are now seeing more community cases in Exeter and across Devon, in line with the rise in the rest of the country, particularly in the working age population, and we expect cases to increase over the next few weeks," she said.

"These cases cannot be linked to university students and the coronavirus appears to be passing between people outside of Covid-secure settings, which suggests that community spread is now occurring.

"Obviously, we want to limit the impact on people in older age groups and on to those who are particularly vulnerable so the time to act is now.

"Everyone - and particularly those people of working age - must be extra vigilant about maintaining social distancing, hand washing, wearing face coverings and avoiding social mixing if they can."