Covid 19 cases at Exeter Uni "falling"
The number of new coronavirus cases linked to the Pennsylvania and University area of Exeter has fallen, raising hopes that the measures taken to reduce the spread are working.
The latest Government MSOA cluster maps, which cover the period of September 19 to 25, show 48 cases have been confirmed within the Pennsylvania and University area with a specimen date in that period, down from 50 the previous day between September 18 and 24.
A further 11 cases have so far been confirmed in the Exeter area from September 26-27, in comparison to the 18 confirmed cases from September 19-20 – with not all of the cases necessarily being linked to the University.
As well as the cluster of 48 in Pennsylvania and University, there are currently seven cases in the St James’s Park & Hoopern area, with three in Middlemoor and Sowton, and three in St Leonard’s, with the clusters accounting for 61 of the 74 cases in Exeter from that period. A cluster is only recorded when three or more cases in a seven day period have been confirmed.
For the 14 days leading up to Sunday, October 11, university students living within the city are being asked not to meet indoors with anyone not part of their households.
The University of Exeter has 25,000 students, and it has been confirmed the number of students isolating on campus and halls residence are around 100 on the Exeter campuses.
Across the rest of Devon, there are currently a further five clusters of three of more cases – three in Dawlish North in Teignbridge, five in Totnes Town in the South Hams, four in Roundswell and Landkey in North Devon, three in Shiphay and the Willows and four in Upton and Hele in Torbay.
Clusters in Cockington, Chelston and Livermead, and Ivybridge, both fell off the map yesterday when cases from September 18 were removed.
Between September 19-25, 128 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Devon County Council area, with a further 17 in Torbay.
Dr Virginia Pearson, Director of Public Health Devon, said: “Overall, the county of Devon still has relatively low case numbers in comparison with many other counties.
“These cases are contained – they remain predominantly in the student population and centred around a small number of households in a small area of the city – and we see no evidence at this stage of the infection spreading within the community.