A CORONAVIRUS support group helping people in the Okehampton community is being kept busy as the lockdown enters its fourth week.

Okehampton county and borough councillor Kevin Ball was manning the Okehampton Covid-19 Support Group phoneline yesterday (Tuesday).

He is one of 11 volunteer organisers for the group who take it in turns to offer support at the end of the phone.

They in turn are calling on more than 130 volunteers who are delivering prescriptions and doing shopping for those who are confined to their homes. Anyone needing help can call them on 07707 565612.

Cllr Ball said: ‘It has been very busy, I have had about ten to 12 calls this morning.

‘We are averaging between 15 and 25 calls on the normal week days, although it has been quieter over the weekend.

‘The majority of the calls are requests for prescription pick ups from the pharmacies or deliveries to people’s home as well as shopping for essentials.

‘We have got 137 volunteers who we can call on, which is great. Some of them are in Okehampton and some live further out.

‘If we get a request from North Tawton, Hatherleigh or Halwill, which have their own support groups, we direct them to the group nearest to them.’

He said the support group was working with the local pharmacies as well as the Lions Club of Okehampton, who are collecting people’s prescriptions and delivering them to people in their homes.

He added: ‘We are also ensuring that vulnerable families are connected with the right agencies.’

Following an Easter weekend in which people were largely following advice, the Government is urging people to continue following its guidance to ‘stay at home’ to avoid spreading coronavirus, which continues to claim lives particularly among the elderly and those vulnerable to respiratory infections.

The lockdown remains in place countrywide with the UK death toll from Covid-19 standing at 11,329 at the start of the week. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Monday: ‘Amidst this sobering death toll, there are also some positive signs from the data that we are starting to win this struggle but we have still got a long way to go.’