THERE were 588 Covid cases recorded across Teignbridge in the latest weekly official figures.

The figure stood at 543 in the previous set.

This means the case rate per 100,000 people in Teignbridge stands at 435.4

There were 3,907 cases across the whole of Devon and 14 deaths across the county with one in Teignbridge, according to figures that cover the week up to October 17.

This comes at a time when a Devon health chief raised concerns about the low uptake of the Covid booster vaccination, with less than half of people eligible for it having received it so far.

Dr Paul Johnson, clinical chair of NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, revealed that of the 163,000 people in Devon now due their booster, having had their second jab six months or more ago, only 42 per cent have come forward for it.

Presenting health data to a virtual meeting of the Team Devon local outbreak engagement board, Dr Johnson said almost 100,000 eligible people were being asked to book and that it’s proving ‘more difficult’ than the initial vaccination programme.

‘It doesn’t mean that those people have missed their chance because actually the six months [between second jab and booster] is the minimum of six months,’ Dr Johnson said.

Locations offering boosters include the Riviera International Centre in Torquay, Home Park football stadium in Plymouth, Exeter’s Greendale on the Sidmouth Roard, Newton Abbot Racecourse and Barnstaple Leisure Centre.

The NHS says people offered appointments should take them up as soon as possible.