Covid cases in Newquay are now double the Cornwall average
Holiday hotspot Newquay has some of the highest rates of Covid-19 in the South West - and double the average rate in Cornwall.
The latest figures - which are from the seven-day period ending on Tuesday 3 August - show Newquay had a rate of 577.1 cases per 100,000 people.
The rate in Cornwall as a whole is 233.1 per 100,000.
Public Health Cornwall says this spike in community transmission has come from the lifting of national restrictions, the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant, and the huge numbers heading to the town as a holiday destination.
During the summer months, the number of people staying in the Newquay grows from 22,000 to 100,000.
Next week, 48,000 people will arrive in the area for Boardmasters Festival.
Deputy Director for Public Health Ruth Goldstein says the town is popular with young people, who have not had as much time to get their first and second vaccines.
"Newquay has got all the right ingredients unfortunately for the Delta variant to keep spreading," she said.
She said a number of other surfing holiday destinations, such as Perranporth, are also seeing higher rates in transmission.
Dr Goldstein says these places bring with them lots of socialising and hospitality venues, adding Covid likes big groups of unvaccinated people.
"The cases in Newquay are coming down, but they are not coming down in the same rate as anywhere else."
The majority of cases in Cornwall are among younger people, specifically the under-40s who have had only one or no vaccination.
Access to Boardmasters to be 'highly Covid-controlled'
Dr Ruth Goldstein said the Covid measures put in place by Boardmasters festival are going above and beyond most festivals in the UK.
A pop-up vaccination station at the Watergate Bay site is also being considered.
Dr Goldstein said: "Clearly vaccinating younger people who will be within the audience is an absolute target but we need to make sure that is the right use of our resource.
"That is still working progress and it is a joint process between public health and the NHS as to whether that will happen or not. Watch this space."
Boardmasters Covid-19 rules
People going to Boardmasters Festival will be asked to show their coronavirus status via the NHS COVID Pass upon arrival at the festival gates before entering.
That pass will demonstrate at least one of these:
Proof of a negative Lateral Flow Test taken within 24 hours of arrival at the festival gates
Proof of being vaccinated with both doses (with the second dose being received at least 14 days before the festival)
Proof of natural immunity following a positive PCR test (providing it has been at least 10 days since your PCR test and up to 180 days after taking the test)
Camping ticket-holders will also be required to bring NHS Lateral Flow Tests with them to the festival and take a second test during the event on Friday 13th August and log their results in the NHS Covid Pass.
Face masks are not compulsory but organisers are encouraging people to wear them.