Six more die – but vaccinations rise

SIX more people have died in hospitals across Devon and Cornwall after testing positive for coronavirus, the latest NHS England data shows.

Of those deaths, four were confirmed at Royal Cornwall Hospital. Three people passed away on the 16 February with one person passing away on the 17 February.

One person died at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital on February 16. Another person died in Torbay hospital on the same date.

Across hospitals in England, a further 315 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died.

The figures come as it emerged more than a third of the adult population of Devon have now had their first Covid-19 vaccine.

There have been 355,271 vaccines administered in the county, with 342,397 of them being the first dose. More than 70,000 vaccinations were carried out in the last week. Cornwall has seen 163,549 vaccine first doses given – also more than a third of its adult population – a total of 34.4%.

Of the 283 older peoples’ care homes in Devon, eight are still waiting for a vaccination visit .

In the majority of cases those homes not yet visited have had significant coronavirus outbreaks which has forced a delay to vaccinations.