Newsletters - February 2021

People’s attitude towards coronavirus, and the parts we all play in getting through this pandemic, are changing as we look ahead to a time without restrictions. The vaccine roll out to priority groups is helping people see a way out of the pandemic, and a return to normality. But please remember we’re not there yet. Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon, is concerned that people are thinking measures like local community testing are no longer necessary, when they really are still vital.

The Prime Minister has announced a 4-step plan to ease lockdown in England. The news has been met with a cautious welcome by Steve Brown, Devon’s Director of Public Health. He said: “While all of us look forward to a relaxation of the national regulations, it’s vital that we continue to exercise caution. “COVID-19 is an extremely infectious virus, and is still very much present in the community. Cases in Devon have remained relatively low compared to elsewhere in the country and we do not want to see cases rising again.”

Cases of COVID-19 are generally continuing to fall across Devon, but that decline has slowed and we are seeing a levelling off of numbers. Rates are currently highest among the 20 to 39 year old age group. This week we set our budget for the next financial year, with more money for those who have been most badly effected by the coronavirus pandemic. We want to support the most disadvantaged and some 73 per cent of the budget spend is on the most vulnerable. We’ve not only been thinking about the short-term pandemic but the longer term issues as well, in addition to how we are going to lead the economic recovery in Devon.

Devon has the lowest case rates of all upper tier council authorities in the country, with six of the county’s eight District areas among those with fewest cases of coronavirus. While that is good news, Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon, says it is too soon for celebration.

We’re launching a community testing programme to identify people with coronavirus (COVID-19) who are not showing any symptoms, and who are not already accessing regular testing. It’s using the rapid tests that give results in around 30 minutes. Tests are aimed particularly at critical workers and those in high-risk occupations who have to leave home to attend work, such as taxi and bus drivers or retail workers. They are also for people who are in contact with others who are vulnerable, such as carers. The testing is to identify any such people with the virus, so that they can be asked to self-isolate immediately, to prevent others from catching it.