The South Hams has seen six new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the week up to September 3, official figures show.

However, two of those cases do not relate to tests carried out in that period, as they are delayed results added to the statistics.

Government statistics show that 96 new cases have been confirmed across the region in the past seven days, compared to 102 new cases confirmed last week.

Nearly half of the new cases were in Plymouth, where cases have almost doubled from 21 to 40 – as the track and trace operation catches those who had been in contact with the ‘Zante 11’.

The number of people in hospital in the whole of the South West has fallen to just 10 – the lowest number since figures began to be recorded in April.

Of the 96 new cases, 16 were in Cornwall, with eight in East Devon, seven in Exeter, seven in Mid Devon, two in North Devon, 40 in Plymouth, six in the South Hams, five  in Teignbridge, four in Torbay, and one in Torridge. No new cases were confirmed in West Devon.

However, not all of the 96 cases related to specimen dates from the last week, with 78 of the cases having a specimen date of between August 28 and September 3.

By specimen date, the most recent case in Cornwall, Plymouth, East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon Torbay, Torridge, and the South Hams, is September 2, from September 1 in Exeter and Teignbridge, and August 10 in West Devon.

And based on cases by specimen date, the number is falling in Plymouth as well. After 14 cases occurred on August 29, subsequent days have so far seen five, three, five, two and zero cases.

Of the cases with a specimen date of between August 25 and 31, there are currently eight clusters where three of more cases have been confirmed in a Middle Super Output Area (around 7,200 population), with two of those in the South Hams, in Loddiswell and Dartington area and Ivybridge.

Plymouth currently has a cluster of five cases in Plympton Underwood and Plymstock Hooe and Oreston, and four cases in North Prospect and Mannamead and Hartley.

The majority of the cases confirmed in the most recent week in the Devon County Council area, as was the week before, were from groups of people travelled abroad on holiday, some of them returned with coronavirus, who were picked up immediately by NHS Test and Trace on their return and they and their contacts advised to self-isolate.

A spokesman for Devon County Council added: “The numbers currently stand at around 30 cases in Devon, about the same last week. As those earlier returns come out of self-isolation, we’ve got equal numbers going in. With August behind us, we expect the numbers will start to fall again.

“We’ll continue to monitor the data really closely, so we’re able to respond immediately to any significant rise. But it’s a reminder that we’ve all still got to play our part and take care when travelling abroad and at home. Remember the precautions and continue to heed the advice.

“The numbers though are still comparatively very low compared to elsewhere in the country, and the risk of spread within communities in Devon is also still very low.“

The number of people in hospital with coronavirus has continued to fall, and in the South West, the figure has dropped from 13 last Friday, to 10 today – the lowest figure since April when numbers began to be collated.

The R Rate for the South West is now being estimated as between 0.8 and 1.1, down from 0.9 to 1.1 as of last week, but it covers a large geographical area and low case numbers mean the estimates are insufficiently robust to inform policy decisions.

In total, 116 cases have been recorded in the South Hams, meaning it sits seventh-lowest out of the local authority areas in England in terms of cases per 100,000 population.