See-sawing cases in city

PLYMOUTH’S health chief has warned that a recent rise in Covid cases in Plymouth can be put down to the end of lockdown.

Plymouth is currently in Tier 2, which means that people from other households must not mix indoors and all pubs must shut unless they are serving food.

Dr Ruth Harrell, director of Public Health for Plymouth said: “The number of cases has steadily declined since the middle of last month”. But she noted there has been a rise in cases in recent days, which is thought to be linked to the end of lockdown.

She praised “the huge effort everyone in Plymouth has been making” which has been reflected in a fall in the case numbers.

“The number of cases has steadily declined since the middle of last month and we are now in a similar position to where we were at the beginning of October,” she said.

But she said the recent rise was a reminder that there is absolutely no room for complacency and that everyone must continue to be careful.