You will have heard from Government briefings and in the media that the Covid-19 R number, one component determining the reproduction rate of the virus, has risen in the South West region as a whole. However, it is important to take into account the low numbers of cases and deaths, particularly in Devon which remains among the lowest in England.

This is what the Director of Public Health for Public Health Devon, Dr Virginia Pearson has said about the rise in R number.

“The R value is an important regional barometer based on modelling data, but while it provides an estimate of ongoing transmission, it alone cannot determine the rate of growth of coronavirus and does not accurately reflect Devon’s local data on the ground. As such it should be treated with a little caution.

“The South West R value spans from Isles of Scilly to Bristol, and while there have been hotspots in other parts of the region that increase the R value, Devon’s figures have remained low.

“We have the fifth lowest number of recorded cases when comparing Devon to all 150 upper tier local authorities and the consistency of the numbers suggest that levels have plateaued recently. That’s in part due to our residents adhering to lockdown, and heeding national guidance around staying home and social distancing. We have done well in that regard and need to keep that up.

“We continue to work closely with our Public Health and NHS colleagues to ensure the safety of our Devon residents, and we wait to hear the Government’s response to this latest R rate announcement.”

Devon County Council which is the South West region’s lead authority (Beacon Council) for Covid-19 Local Outbreak Management has published a news briefingwith authoritative commentary from Dr Pearson, Dr Yvonne Doyle, Medical Director for Public Health England and Prof Debra Lapthorne, Regional Director for Public Health England South West and Regional Director for NHS Public Health England South West.

Please feel free to share this briefing with constituents and contacts who may be concerned by the news.