The number of new coronavirus cases confirmed across Devon and Cornwall last week has nearly doubled.

A total of 1,615 new cases were confirmed across the two counties – the highest since the week ending November 13 – in a week that saw the Devon County Council area reach 10,000 confirmed cases and the two counties combined reach 20,000.

Cases increased in every single region of Devon and Cornwall – with more than doublings occurring in North Devon, Teignbridge, Torridge, West Devon, Cornwall and the South Hams – although the latter two are still in bottom five local authorities for infections rates.

Government statistics show that 1,615 new cases have been confirmed across the region in the past seven days in both pillar 1 data, from tests carried out by the NHS and pillar 2 data, from commercial partners, compared to 869 new cases confirmed the previous week.

Of the 1,615 new cases confirmed since December 11, a total of 343 were in Cornwall, 238 in East Devon, 132 in Exeter, 100 in Mid Devon, 176 in North Devon, 216 in Plymouth, 60 in the South Hams, 123 in Teignbridge, 73 in Torbay, 66 in Torridge and 95 in West Devon.

This compared to the 869 new cases confirmed between December 4 and 10, of which, a total of 103 were in Cornwall, 154 in East Devon, 111 in Exeter, 64 in Mid Devon, 92 in North Devon, 154 in Plymouth, 16 in South Hams, 56 in Teignbridge, 48 in Torbay, 30 in Torridge and 41 in West Devon.

Of the 1,615 new cases, 1,435 had a specimen date between December 11 and 17, with 324 in Cornwall, 199 in East Devon, 112 in Exeter, 90 in Mid Devon, 152 in North Devon, 195 in Plymouth, 50 in South Hams, 108 in Teignbridge, 66 in Torbay, 56 in Torridge and 83 in West Devon.

By specimen date, cases are rising everywhere except Exeter and Torbay – although the rise in Plymouth is very shallow.

Positivity rates in Cornwall are 1.4 per cent, 5.1 in East Devon, 4.2 in Exeter, 3.5 in Mid Devon, 4.7 in North Devon, 2.3 in Plymouth, 1.7 in the South Hams, 2.5 in Teignbridge, 1.2 in Torbay (and falling, the only region to do so), 2.4 in Torridge, and 3.4 in West Devon.

As of Wednesday morning, there were 249 patients in hospital across Devon and Cornwall following a positive COVID-19 test, with 114 at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, 35 at the Nightingale Exeter, 30 in North Devon, 29 at Royal Cornwall Trust Hospitals, 20 at Derriford Hospital, 12 at Torbay Hospital, and 9 at Cornish Partnership Trust Hospitals.

There were seven patients in Mechanical Ventilation beds, with five at the RD&E and two at Derriford Hospital.

The figures show the amount of patients in hospital following a positive COVID-19 test who are currently occupying a bed. But not every patient would necessarily have been admitted to hospital due to COVID-19, with a number of patients either contracting the virus inside the hospital, or being admitted for unrelated reasons but subsequently testing positive asymptotically when given routine tests.

Last week, there were 28 deaths within hospitals in Devon and Cornwall within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 death, with 20 in Exeter, six in North Devon, one in Plymouth, and one in Cornwall. No deaths occurred in Torbay during this period.

And while NHS 111 data for Cornwall is unchanged in the last week, Devon's has fallen by 25 per cent, but the R-Rate for the South West has risen slightly from 0.8-1.0 to 0.9-1.2

Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon (Designate) added:  "While we saw a decline in cases in November as a result of the national lockdown, over the last week, we have seen that decline stop and a start of a rise in some of this cases.

"What this means is now more than ever we need to do our bit to stop those rates from rising sharply over the next week. The government informed us we will stay in Tier 2. I urge you all to adhere to the Tier 2 guidance over the coming weeks."

Current COVID-19 case numbers for East Devon areas:

Exmouth Brixington - 25

Honiton North & East - 17

Feniton & Whimple - 19

Sidbury, Offwell & Beer - 11

Exmouth Littleham - 15

Poppleford, Otterton & Woodbury - 11

Exmouth Town - 11

Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh - 11

Ottery St Mary & West Hill - 12

Seaton - 10

Cranbrook, Broadclyst & Stoke Canon - 15

Honiton South & West - 6

Exmouth Halsdon - 6

Dunkesewell, Upottery & Stockland - 5

Sidmouth Sidford - 6

Budleigh Salterton - 5

Sidmouth Town - 4

Clyst, Exton & Lympstone - 5

Axminster - 6

Kilmington, Colyton & Uplyme - 3