THE numbers of new coronavirus cases confirmed across Devon and Cornwall in the last week has risen for the second week running – but infection rates remain among the lowest in England.

A total of 231 new cases were confirmed across the two counties in the last week – with the total since the start of the pandemic at 47,905 – with the numbers up by an average of two extra cases a day across the two counties compared to the previous week.

Numbers in Cornwall, North Devon, Teignbridge and West Devon are down on the last week, with East Devon unchanged, while only Plymouth of those areas seeing a rise an averaging more than one extra case per day.

Infection rates in Torbay at an upper tier authority level are the lowest in England – for the second successive week, with Cornwall third lowest and Devon fifth lowest,

Government stats show that 231 new cases have been confirmed across the region in the past seven days in both pillar 1 data from tests carried out by the NHS and pillar 2 data from commercial partners, compared to 214 new cases confirmed last week.

Of the 231 new cases confirmed since April 23, 52 were in Cornwall, with 16 in East Devon, 21 in Exeter, 18 in Mid Devon, 15 in North Devon, 50 in Plymouth, 17 in South Hams, 15 in Teignbridge, 13 in Torbay, 9 in Torridge and 5 in West Devon.

This compares to the 214 new cases confirmed between April 17 and 23, of which 65 were in Cornwall, 16 in East Devon, 17 in Exeter, 17 in Mid Devon, 16 in North Devon, 33 in Plymouth, 9 in South Hams, 18 in Teignbridge, 9 in Torbay, 6 in Torridge and 8 in West Devon.

And while the numbers of cases confirmed has risen slightly, the number of tests carried out across the region rose by 10 per cent in the last week, with positivity levels falling from 0.3 per cent to 0.2 per cent across Devon and Cornwall.

Infection rates are highest in the 0-19s across Devon and Cornwall – although lower than this time same week – with the lowest rate 80+s.

At a district level, infection rates in North Devon, Teignbridge and West Devon are highest in the 0-19s, in Torbay and East Devon in the 20-39s, in Exeter, Mid Devon, South Hams and Torridge in the 40-59s, and in Plymouth in the 60-79s.

No cases in the 40-59s in Teignbridge, or in the over 80s in Torbay, Plymouth, East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Torridge or West Devon were recorded from specimens from April 18-24.

Steve Brown, Devon’s Director of Public Health, said: ‘One in three people with coronavirus show no symptoms. So even if you feel fine, make it a habit to get tested twice a week so you can help prevent the spread of coronavirus in our communities.

‘Together with getting vaccinated when invited to, and remembering hands, face, space and fresh air, regular symptom-free testing is a vital part of being able to ease restrictions and life returning to normal as safely as possible.’

A Public Health Devon spokesman added: ‘With a long bank holiday weekend ahead of us, we are urging everyone to stay safe and continue to follow the COVID-19 restrictions while enjoying more of the freedoms we have missed during lockdown.’

It comes as the latest figures show that more than one million people across Devon and Cornwall have had their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The statistics, which provide the position as of April 25, show that there have been 1,417,398 vaccines delivered in the two counties, with 1,008,542 of them being the first dose.

In Devon, 683,712 people have had their first dose, with 271,135 of them having had a second dose.