Devon is bracing itself for an influx of visitors over the bank holiday weekend as a leading NHS South West warns “Covid-19 has not gone on holiday.”

Earlier this week Mike Wade, deputy regional director and NHS regional director of public health at Public Health England South West urged tourists to take lateral flow tests before arriving, and implored them to stay at home if they have covid symptoms. 

He asked holidaymakers to plan ahead and avoid queues where possible by pre-booking activities and restaurants, warning that entertainment, hospitality and recreational settings are the places at which infections are most commonly spread.

With fewer people travelling abroad this year, Devon is enjoying a bumper summer – which is simultaneously a curse. It is feared incomers will drive up cases at a time when Devon is already experiencing some of the highest rates of infection in the country. 

The latest data shows that the average rate of infection for the UK is 345 per 100,000 of the population. In contrast, in the seven days to Sautrday 21 August Devon had an average infection rate of 600 per 100,000 – that’s 59 per cent higher than the national average.

The recent Boardmasters music festival in Cornwall has been linked to more than 5,000 infections, leading some to question whether it is sensible for large public events to go ahead over this bank holiday weekend.

Torbay now has the second-highest rate of infection in England at 636 per 100,000 of the population, a figure attributed in large part to Boardmasters, with the virus most prevalent in the under 30s in the Bay.

Earlier this week  Bruce Bell, acting consultant in Public Health, Torbay said that Torbay Hospital’s covid ward was reaching its maximum capacity. Fifteen people were admitted with covid in the week ending Sunday 22 August.

Meanwhile, Derriford Hospital announced a critical incident on Thursday [16 August] because of bed shortages. The hospital is now looking after more people with covid than at any time during the third wave and expects occupancy to rise further in the coming days.

Mr Wade defended the policy of allowing large festivals such as Boardmasters to continue, citing the mental health benefits for people who have been kept apart for much of the past 18 months. He said that events bringing people to the south west should not be cancelled if appropriate safety measures are in place.

He encouraged people to get double jabbed and use face masks whilst on public transport and in indoor settings and to meet other people outdoors when possible. 

Among attractions in the county this weekend, a two-day festival in Tavistock Tavifest gets underway tonight, Powderham Castle is hosting Bear Grylls’ Gone Wild Festival. And it’s the Sidmouth Air Show.