Exeter is NOT in the territory for any local lockdown, Devon’s Director of Public Health has said, despite the recent rise in cases within the city.

Exeter has been propelled into the top 20 areas of England in terms of infection rates, with its rate jumping from 56.3 per 100,000 people to 262.5 in just seven days.

But with the overwhelming majority of cases linked to the University – and having not spread into the community yet – Dr Virginia Pearson, Director of Public Health for Devon, said that the city is not yet facing any wider lockdown measures but has once again urged people to stick to the rules.

University students have been asked to not mix indoors with anyone who is not part of their household – the only exceptions to this are for study, work, organised sport, or in an emergency situation where people are in danger – and extra testing capacity has been organised on campus.

The Pennsylvania and University area of Exeter has leapt into the top ten of areas in England with positive cases of Covid-19 with a rise from 127 to 223 cases in the latest figures showing the country’s largest coronavirus clusters, with a further 55 cases in Central Exeter and 30 in St James’s Park & Hoopern.

More cases have been confirmed in last week in Exeter that have in each of Mid Devon, North Devon, the South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon throughout the entire pandemic, although yesterday’s 35 new cases was the lowest for a week and by while additional cases are likely to be added, specimen date cases over the last few days are trending down again.

The University say that continue to assess the situation daily and that by working closely with PHE colleagues, they know that most of those cases in Exeter are from the University and that to date there is still no evidence of transmission to the wider community.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the number of tests being requested by University students has also reduced this week compared to the end of last week.

Dr Pearson said: “Exeter has seen a recent sharp spike in cases, most of which are in the University student population.  The outbreak is currently contained, and so Exeter is not in the territory for broad lockdown within the city at this time.

“What’s happening in Exeter is not unexpected and has been planned for. Exeter is now experiencing what is being seen elsewhere in universities across the country.

“We are tracking positive cases constantly to be able to respond quickly, through daily meetings with the University of Exeter, Exeter College, Public Health England, Exeter City Council and the Police.

“The University has a comprehensive set of measures in place to reduce transmission among its student and staff population, and their planning has enabled early visibility of the issue and enabled a swift response.

“Other partner agencies are also working hard in the city and in communities across the county to support local businesses to continue to meet the national restrictions.

“More broadly, the county of Devon has been very successful so far in keeping the number of confirmed cases low, with levels remaining quite steady despite the cases in Exeter.

“However, it is a changing situation and we cannot for one moment become complacent.

“Now is the time for renewed effort by all of us to make sure that we follow the guidance.  To avoid far tighter restrictions on our movements, we must all play our part:

keep a safe distance from others, 2 metres is preferable

wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water and use hand sanitiser where it is provided

wear a face covering when indoors in public spaces with other people from outside your household or bubble; and when in enclosed public spaces such as on public transport

“If you have symptoms – high temperature, new and continuous cough, or change in your sense of smell or taste – you must self-isolate straight away. Do that, then arrange the test.

“If a person in your household tests positive, all members of the household must self-isolate for the full 14 days. Other members of the household do not need to be tested unless they develop symptoms.

“If you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace because you have been in close contact with a confirmed case, advising you to self-isolate for 14 days, do so for the full duration. Self-isolation properly is vital to reducing the risk of infection spreading. There must not be short cuts.

“These rules require us all to pay attention and to take individual and collective responsibility. The sooner we control the spread of the infection, the sooner we can expect restrictions to loosen.”

Mike Shore-Nye, Registrar at the University of Exeter said: “Over the past seven days we have seen a continuing rise in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in our university community and we have taken targeted action. Our rapid testing system means that we have been able to identify the positive cases and ensure individual isolation and support immediately. PHE has confirmed that to date there is still no evidence of transmission to the wider community.

“Devon County Council (DCC) provide a comprehensive dashboard of Covid-19 information for Devon and Cornwall. This shows the verified data from Public Health England. The dashboards provide daily information on the number of positive cases and rolling 7-day totals. The DCC website provides data for Exeter and by working closely with PHE colleagues we know that most of those cases are from the University.

“We continue to assess the situation daily and work alongside PHE, Exeter City Council, Devon County Council and Cornwall Council on any further actions required. Over the past 7 days we have seen a significant commitment from students in both following the Covid-19 guidance and the additional measures we have put in place. Alongside the rapid test and trace system this is how we, as a community, will fight the spread of this virus.”

He added: “We are keeping our approach to teaching under constant review and, in the continued absence of any evidence to date of onward transmission associated with face-to-face teaching, we are maintaining our blended learning model. To keep everyone safe in our teaching spaces, please do ensure that you follow the hands-face-space protocols and the measures we have in place for your protection.”