All council areas of Devon now have a higher rate of Covid infections than the UK average, according to the most recent Government data.

Cases increased by almost 2,000 across the county council area, which excludes Torbay and Plymouth, in the seven days to Thursday August 19, an increase of over 60 per cent on the previous week.

Rates also went up by 35 per cent in Torbay and 18 per cent in Plymouth.

The biggest rise has been reported in West Devon. Here, the number of cases almost tripled to a case rate of 666, meaning it now has the highest rate in the county and double the national average of 335.

West Devon and Torridge, which saw cases rise by over 80 per cent, both border Cornwall, where the Boardmasters Festival in Newquay took place between 11 and 15 August. Cornwall Council claims almost 5,000 infections could be linked to the event, with around 800 of those people living in Cornwall. Many people from Devon also attended the festival.

Incoming tourists are also adding to the mix. Always one of the UK's top destinations, Devon is even more popular this year staycation year, as people decide they don't want to go abroad in light of the pandemic.

Devon's public health director Steve Brown believes what we're seeing now is 'not unexpected'. Mr Brown said: "With the removal of most restrictions and the opening up of opportunities for socialisation, positive cases were going to rise. Case rates are similarly high in other parts of the country that are popular to visit and where there's a lot of socialisations, such as Blackpool, Isle of White, Bournemouth and Brighton."

Elsewhere in Devon, the South Hams had the second highest increase with cases more than doubling, while the number of cases in Teignbridge, East Devon and Mid Devon all went up by just under 70 per cent.

The latest number of hospitalisations

As well as cases rising, the number of people in hospital with Covid in the county has risen in the last week – up by 31.

The latest figures for Tuesday, August 17 show 120 patients with the virus in Devon's hospitals. However this remains some way below the number of patients being treated for Covid during last winter's peak.

Of those 120 patients, 48 are at Derriford Hospital, 34 are at the RD&E, 24 are in Torbay and 14 are being cared for in North Devon. Eighteen people are on mechanical ventilation beds.

The number of Covid deaths in Devon

Ten further people died in the county within 28 days of testing positive for Covid in the latest complete seven-day period (August 13 – 19). Eight were in the Devon County Council area and two in Plymouth.

A total of 1,089 people in Devon have died within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic began. This includes 218 in Plymouth and 165 in Torbay. Across the UK, 131,815 people have died within four weeks of testing positive.

A high rate of vaccinations in Devon

The number of adults aged 18 or over who have received at least one dose of a vaccine is now 88 per cent in the Devon County Council area, 86 per cent in Torbay and 84 per cent in Plymouth.

The proportion of people who are now fully vaccinated with both jabs is now 79 per cent in Devon, 78 per cent in Torbay and 73 per cent in Plymouth.