The government has announced that Devon, including Torbay will stay in Tier 2 of the local COVID restrictions. This is to help tackle the spread of coronavirus in Torbay.

Dr Caroline Dimond, Torbay’s Director of Public Health, said:

“The actions of all of us in the Bay and across Devon, help decide when restrictions can be safely eased. During Lockdown in November, the number of local people contracting the virus dropped significantly but there is still a lot of pressure in our NHS and it is important we remain vigilant.

“At home we must not have people outside our support bubble visit and must only socialise, for example, go for out for a meal, with people we live with or who are in our support bubble. Outdoors, we can meet with other households in groups of no more than six and always make space - keeping two metres apart if possible.”

Councillor Steve Darling, Leader of Torbay Council, said:

“Our communities have worked very hard to bring the level of infection down and we all need to keep pulling in the same direction. As we approach Christmas, a time where we want to spend time with our families and friends, it is even more important to be careful and remember hands, face space. Together we can make the difference needed to protect our communities and NHS, and to enjoy lower restrictions.

“If you are in need, or you want to volunteer, you can call Torbay’s Community Helpline. The contact number for Torquay and Paignton is 01803 446022, and for Brixham it is 01803 857727”

Councillor Darren Cowell, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “We know the restrictions are particularly hard on businesses, especially those in hospitality, with rules and loss of income the pressure is enormous. Everyone can make a huge difference to help our economy recover by helping reduce the spread of the virus by following the guidelines and remembering hands, face, space.

“So far we have distributed over £1.6 million in funding from the latest grant schemes to local businesses and I urge businesses that haven’t done so, to check on our Business Support webpages if they qualify for the latest round of Government COVID-19 business grants and submit their application.

Further local information, support and guidance can be found on our Coronavirus web pages, and on our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn social media accounts. You can also get the latest news from Torbay Council by signing up for the One Torbay email newsletter.