Minister’s plea as virus cases climb

THE number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the South West has reached 22 as a church, doctors’ surgeries and schools were closed because of the risk of further infection.

Yesterday saw the biggest one-day rise in cases with the national total jumping by 48 to 163, Public Health England (PHE) said.

The health secretary, Matt Hancock, said the Government was working with supermarkets to ensure food supplies amid panic buying in some areas.

He said he was “absolutely confident” there would not be a problem with food supply and implored people to listen to expert advice. “The very, very strong advice from the scientists, from the medics, is that people should not go buying more than they need,” said Mr Hancock.

In Devon, St Mary’s Church in Churston Ferrers, Brixham, closed on the advice of PHE after a person who attended a service last Sunday tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

A deep clean was being carried out and people who were at the Holy Communion have been informed and asked to contact PHE for advice, said the Diocese of Exeter.

Two doctors’ surgeries in Torquay remain closed after it was reported that two staff had tested positive for the virus. Two schools in Torbay are also shut after one confirmed case at each. The headquarters of East Devon District Council in Honiton closed after a suspected case in a member of staff.

In Cornwall, PHE is getting in touch with people who had close contact with a person in the county who became infected while in northern Italy.

ACHURCH, doctors’ surgeries and schools remain closed as the fight goes on to stop further spread of the coronavirus in the South West, where the number of cases has reached 22.

St Mary’s in Churston Ferrers near Brixham in south Devon shut on the advice of Public Health England (PHE) after a person who attended a service there last weekend tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

A deep clean is being carried out and members of the congregation present at the Holy Communion last Sunday have been informed and asked to contact PHE for advice, said a spokesperson for the Diocese of Exeter.

Churston Hall surgery and its branch site, Barton, both in Torquay will be closed until at least March 16. The BBC said this was after two staff were confirmed as having the virus.

Churston Ferrers Grammar School closed at the start of the week after a pupil tested positive, and St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary in Brixham remains shut after one person there was confirmed with the virus.

In Cornwall, PHE is getting in touch with people who had close contact with a person in the county who became infected while in northern Italy. The headquarters of East Devon District Council, in Honiton, closed as a precaution following a suspected coronavirus case in a member of staff, recently returned from a “high-risk country”, a spokesperson said.

The number of cases nationally jumped 48 to 163 yesterday, the largest one-day increase. The total of confirmed cases in the government region of the South West rose to 22, seven more than on Thursday.

A spokesperson for Torbay Council and for Devon County Council said: “There are several confirmed cases in the Devon and Torbay areas. These will be updated regularly on the gov.uk website, and on the Devon County Council and Torbay Council websites.

“On Public Health England advice, we are not providing any further information that could potentially identify individuals, as this could compromise both their safety and their privacy. However, when a case is identified, Public Health England will undertake thorough tracing of any contacts and ensure that they are all contacted personally and provided with advice and guidelines to ensure they and those around them, are best protected.”

The Churston Ferrers church is believed to be the first in the country to be involved in a case.

The Reverend Professor Gina Radford, who is a vicar in South Devon was the deputy chief medical officer for England until 2019 and has been advising the Church of England on its coronavirus guidance.

She said “We as a church are here to support people both spiritually and practically, to listen to concerns if they are worried and to affirm and confirm the official health guidance.”

The CoE’s advice has been updated to tell priests that, in the event of increased community transmission of the coronavirus, they should “take a view whether it is necessary to withdraw the Common Cup” (in which the chalice is shared).

If that is the case, priests should also consider suspending handshaking or other direct physical contact while “sharing of the peace” during services, consider suspending direct physical contact as part of a blessing or “laying on of hands”, the new advice says.

A doctor at Yealm Medical in

Yealmpton near Plymouth is self-isolating after they had what the surgery said was “potential” exposure to Covid19 while working in Torbay. The surgery is using phone consultations for appointments but is continuing to see patients if there is a clinical need.

Steve Brown, Cornwall Council’s deputy director of public health said: “I’d like to reassure people the risk to the general public remains low and Cornwall Council is working with health colleagues to do everything we can to stop the virus spreading and ensure the people of Cornwall are protected.”

Professor Debra Lapthorne, centre director, Public Health England South West, said close contacts of those with the virus were given advice on symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell within 14 days. “This... will ensure we are able to minimise any risk to them and the public.”

I’d like to reassure people the risk to the public remains low

STEVE BROWN, CORNWALL COUNCIL

Luciana Guerra