THE lowest weekly number of coronavirus cases confirmed across Devon and Cornwall since the start of October has been recorded – with West Devon averaging less than one case a day.

A total of 835 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 44,939.

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

Government statistics show that 835 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 1,169 new cases confirmed last week.

Of the 835 new cases confirmed since February 12, 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.

This compares of the 1,169 cases confirmed between February 6 and 12, of which, were in Cornwall, with 90 in East Devon, 68 in Exeter, 101 in Mid Devon, 24 in North Devon, 145 in Plymouth, 39 in South Hams, 105 in Teignbridge, 149 in Torbay, 11 in Torridge and 12 in West Devon

While the numbers in Exeter have risen slightly, this is almost entirely down to an outbreak at Exeter Prison, with roughly half the cases attributed to this one setting.

A total of 626 of the  cases in the past week have a specimen date between February 12 and 18, with 184 in Cornwall, 59 in East Devon, 64 in Exeter, 40 in Mid Devon, 18 in North Devon, 101 in Plymouth, 13 in South Hams, 53 in Teignbridge, 83 in Torbay, 8 in Torridge and 3 in West Devon.

For specimens from between February 8 and 14, Torridge is the area in England with the lowest infection rate (14.6/100,000), with West Devon second (19.7/100,000), South Hams third (21.8/100,000), North Devon fourth (27.8/100,000) and Plymouth eighth (46.9/100,000). Teignbridge is at 50.7/100,000, with Cornwall at 52.6/100,000, East Devon at 60.8/100,000, Mid Devon at 68/100,000, Exeter at 68.5/100,000 and Torbay at 90.3/100,000.

At upper tier level, Devon has the lowest infection rate in England at 46.1/100,000, and is the lowest since September 30, with Plymouth having the second lowest and Cornwall third.

The latest positivity rates for tests carried out at 2.2 per cent in Cornwall, 2.1 per cent in East Devon, 2.9 per cent in Exeter, 3.1 per cent in Mid Devon, 0.9 per cent in North Devon, 1.7 per cent in Plymouth, 0.9 per cent in South Hams, 1.7 per cent in Teignbridge, 2.5 per cent in Torbay, 0.5 per cent in Torridge and 0.9 per cent in West Devon. Every single area has seen positivity rates fall since last Friday except East Devon and Exeter.