THE number of weekly number of coronavirus cases confirmed across Devon and Cornwall has dropped by 25 per cent and down to the lowest levels since the start of October.

A total of 650 new cases were confirmed across the two counties in the last week – the lowest since the week ending October 2 – with the total since the start of the pandemic at 45,589.

Cornwall has the lowest infection rates of any upper tier authority in England, with Devon second and Plymouth third, and at a lower tier level, the four lowest infection rates are all in Devon.

Government statistics show that 650 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 835 new cases confirmed last week.

Of the 650 new cases confirmed since February 19, 174 were in Cornwall, with 65 in East Devon, 70 in Exeter, 47 in Mid Devon, 22 in North Devon, 104 in Plymouth, 12 in South Hams, 37 in Teignbridge, 103 in Torbay, 10 in Torridge and 6 in West Devon.

This compares to the 835 cases confirmed between February 13 and 18, of which 241 were in Cornwall, with 81 in East Devon, 92 in Exeter, 57 in Mid Devon, 23 in North Devon, 127 in Plymouth, 13 in South Hams, 65 in Teignbridge, 119 in Torbay, 11 in Torridge and 6 in West Devon.

A total of 496 of the cases in the past week have a specimen date between February 19 and 25, with 129 in Cornwall, 53 in East Devon, 55 in Exeter, 35 in Mid Devon, 16 in North Devon, 77 in Plymouth, 10 in South Hams, 25 in Teignbridge, 82 in Torbay, 10 in Torridge and 4 in West Devon.