Two further covid patient deaths at Harrogate Hospital

Two further patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died at Harrogate District Hospital.

According to NHS England figures, the deaths were reported on January 13. It takes the death toll at the hospital since March up to 119.

Meanwhile, a further 84 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the Harrogate district.

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Figures today from Public Health England show the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic has now increased up to 5,855.

York vaccination site to offer jabs to people within 45 minutes travel

A national mass vaccination hub is set to open in York which will offer coronavirus vaccines for people who live within a 45 minute travel time of the city.

The centre will be opened at Moor Lane car park in the city and first vaccinations are set to be given on Monday.

Nimbuscare, an organisation representing 11 GP practices in York, will run the centre. The NHS will send out letters to invite people for appointments.

The site will become the latest vaccine site to open near Harrogate, with another due to set up at Elland Road stadium in Leeds.

Currently, vaccines are being offered to people in the Harrogate district at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

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Professor Mike Holmes, a GP in York, told a City of York Council Executive meeting yesterday that the new centre will offer up to 8,000 extra appointments in its first phase of the expansion of the site.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson set a target for all the high priority groups to be offered a vaccine by February 15.

The rollout of the programme will see mass vaccination centres set up across the country.

But, a local care boss in Harrogate said the lack of communication on the programme has left her “frustrated”.

Health officials have urged people in the Harrogate district and across North Yorkshire to be patient as they rollout the vaccine.

Harrogate district records 77 further covid cases

A further 77 cases of coronavirus were recorded in the Harrogate district yesterday.

It takes the total number of cases since the started of the pandemic up to 5,771.

The figures from Public Health England were delayed last night over the processing of deaths data.

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The seven-day case rate for the district has fallen to 354 per 100,000 people. Currently, the national rate stands at 498, while the North Yorkshire average is 344.

Meanwhile, figures from Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust show a further 32 covid patients were discharged from hospital this week.

A total of 367 patients have been discharged since the start of the pandemic.

Lockdown fear needs to be restored, says senior police officer

Fear needs to be put back into the public to bring coronavirus rates down during lockdown, the police officer leading North Yorkshire’s response to covid said yesterday.

Superintendent Mike Walker said there was less compliance and fear among people under current restrictions compared with the first lockdown last year, which saw streets empty and more businesses close.

His comments came after North Yorkshire Police said it will come down harder on covid rule breakers. The force also revealed it had issued 107 fines in the first week of the third lockdown — more than double the amount in the first week of the first lockdown.

Superintendent Walker told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel that the force has had to “put back that fear” into communities for them to understand the risk of flouting covid rules.

He said:

“Unfortunately, that fear needs to be put back into the public for them to understand there is a reason why this lockdown is here because of the rates, the excess deaths and the number of people going into hospital on a daily basis.

“Until we see the impact of the national lockdown, you will not see that curve flattening and going down again.

“It’s not ideal that we want to put fear into the communities, but they need to understand the risk that is associated to them.”

Superintendent Walker said the messaging was not scaremongering as the figures in the county are so high. Currently, the North Yorkshire seven-day covid rate is 380 people per 100,000.

He added it was “sad to see” a lack of compliance when North Yorkshire had some of the highest rates in all of Yorkshire.

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Of the 107 fixed penalty notices issued in North Yorkshire during the third lockdown, 57 were to people from outside the county and 50 were to those living in the county. Harrogate police issued 10 fines.

Superintendent Walker said on Wednesday (January 13) officers would “no longer waste time” reasoning with people who flout the rules and “have no regard for the safety of others”.

Meanwhile, Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the rules of the lockdown were clear.

She said:

“The rules and regulations are already very clear but there is a significant minority who seem to think they don’t apply to them. 

“The message is simple – stay at home apart from for very specific reasons. Those reasons do not include taking a day trip to North Yorkshire from elsewhere, or travelling to a different part of North Yorkshire if you live here.

“Exercise should be taken close to your home, not close to other people’s homes far from yours in communities who are doing all they can to stop the spread.”

Harrogate hospital covid death total reaches 117

Another patient who tested positive for coronavirus has died at Harrogate District Hospital, it was revealed today.

According to NHS England, the death was reported on January 13. It takes the total number of deaths at the hospital since March up to 117.

Currently, 47 patients are being treated for coronavirus at the district hospital.

Figures from the NHS also show a total of 433,045 vaccinations have been carried out in North East and Yorkshire up to January 10.

In that time, 370,694 people have received the first dose of the vaccine in the region.

Public Health England’s daily figure for the number of new coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district was delayed today, and was still not available at the time of publication.

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Harrogate care boss ‘frustrated’ at vaccine rollout

The chief executive of a care charity in the Harrogate district has spoken of her frustration over the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.

Care home residents and staff are classed as high risk groups and are among the first to be vaccinated as part of the national programme.

The government has set a target of February 15 to offer the vaccine to all vulnerable groups.

But Sue Cawthray, chief executive of Harrogate Neighbours, which provides accommodation for older people, has said so far no residents or staff at its premises have been vaccinated.

Harrogate Neighbours operates Heath Lodge on Pannal Ash Road and the Cuttings on Station View. 

Ms Cawthray told the Stray Ferret she understood GPs were under pressure but the lack of communication was frustrating.

She said:

“Personally, I think the whole vaccine thing is a bit of a nightmare. None of us have had it yet. We’ve got a handful of people at the Cuttings who have got appointments at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

“The vaccine only arrived in Yorkshire on Thursday so I’ve got to give them a chance. I’ve been told they’re giving it to the larger care homes first. When they had the first vaccine, they did that because of the way it came in quantities and had to be used quickly or it was thrown away.

“The GPs are under so much pressure anyway. People are still ill with other bugs. They’ve just finished doing flu vaccines and now they’ve got this to do. Part of me feels sorry for them because it’s such a big undertaking for them.

“The communication is really bad still. Everything comes out late. We’re just finding it frustrating. We were asked way before Christmas for lists and forms ready to receive the vaccine. Now here we are in mid-January and we’ve not even had a phone call.”

According to North Yorkshire County Council figures today, 79 out of 235 North Yorkshire care settings, which includes care homes and extra care facilities, has one or more covid cases among residents of staff.

Health chiefs have urged care homes to be vigilant over visits from family and friends, even with the vaccine rollout.

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Richard Webb, director of health and adult care at the authority, said:

“Though it’s hard with a new lockdown, the vaccines have arrived and in the coming weeks and months more and more people in our settings will have much greater protection against the virus.

“But for now, we have to assume that the new, more transmissible variant of covid is in our county so, although everybody is tired, we must redouble our efforts to stay safe and to protect our care home residents and staff. Above all we must all stay vigilant with facemasks, hand washing and social distancing.”

Mr Webb added he has also asked care homes to be patient on the rollout of the vaccine.

“My main message to providers today is please be patient. The vaccination will be made available to people using your services and to your staff and this will happen in the coming weeks as more doses of the different vaccines become available. It is better that the vaccination programme is implemented in a safe way, than rushed.

“Local NHS colleagues are working around the clock and, as soon as the national distribution system delivers new vaccine batches to North Yorkshire, they will be contacting people to vaccinate them. In most cases, GPs and their teams will be contacting you. However, in some cases, your local hospital may also offer vaccinations to staff and to people using services.”

 

Harrogate district covid cases increase again as 145 reported

A further 145 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today, according to Public Health England figures.

The number takes the total cases since the start of the pandemic to 5,694.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day rate of infection currently stands at 411 people per 100,000.

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The rate for North Yorkshire is 380 and the national figure is 582.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

Earlier today, North Yorkshire Police said officers would get tougher on covid rule breakers.

Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for the police response in the county to covid, said officers had dealt with cases of people coming from outside the county to beauty spots and others holding birthday parties.

 

North Yorkshire Police pledge to get tougher on covid rule breakers

North Yorkshire Police has today pledged to get tougher on people breaking lockdown rules and “no longer waste time” with covid rule breakers.

Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for the police response in the county to covid, said officers had dealt with cases of people coming from outside the county to beauty spots and others holding birthday parties.

He said while those flouting lockdown rules were in the minority, police would come down harder on those found breaking restrictions.

Superintendent Walker told a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of emergency agencies:

“We will no longer waste time reasoning with people who do not have regard for the safety of others.

“This is not just down to the police, this is a matter of personal responsibility. Everyone should ask themselves ‘do I need to make this journey’. If the answer is no, then stay at home.”

Since the start of the new national lockdown, police have issued a total of 107 fixed penalty notices – more than double that in the first week of the lockdown in March when 46 were handed out.

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Of the amount handed out so far, 57 were to people outside North Yorkshire and 50 were to those living in the county.

Police issued 58 fines for people being outside with no reasonable excuse and 49 for indoor gatherings.

A total of 10 have so far been handed out by Harrogate police — all for being outside without good reason.

Yesterday, Mark Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs Council, said he “made no apology” for the almost 45,000 fixed penalty notices for covid breaches with have been handed out nationally.

He said:

“It is very clear that we are now at the most dangerous stage of the pandemic.

“There is a real and present risk that our health service could be overwhelmed and people – our friends and family – could die needlessly from this virus.

“So, we must all play a part in stopping that from happening.”

70 further covid cases as hospital postpones surgeries

A further 70 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district today, as hospital bosses postpone some non-emergency surgeries to deal with the increase in covid patients.

It takes the total amount of cases since the start of the pandemic to 5,549.

The district’s seven-day case rate stands at 426 people per 100,000. The county average is 401 and the national rate is 609.

All three figures are down on yesterday.

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One further death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus has been confirmed today at Harrogate District Hospital.

It takes the total number of deaths since March to 116.

According to NHS England data, the death was reported on January 10.

Earlier today, the hospital announced it is to postpone some elective surgeries to deal with the rising number of coronavirus patients.

The number of coronavirus patients in the hospital has more than doubled from 19 to 46 in the past week.

Schools to be banned from releasing helium balloons and sky lanterns

Schools look set to be banned from releasing helium balloons and sky lanterns under a new charter adopted by North Yorkshire County Council.

The charter will forbid the activities amid fears they pose a “significant risk of harm to animals and the environment”.

The ban will apply on all county council owned land, including schools and care homes.

Lanterns and balloons are often released at charity events and celebratory occasions, such as weddings.

But fears over the impact on animals and the environment led charities and unions, including the Marine Conservation Society, National Farmers’ Union and the Countryside Alliance to campaign on the issue.

As there is no national policy on the issue, councils have had to adopt their own positions on the matter.

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North Yorkshire County Council passed a motion in November calling on the authority to prohibit the release of lanterns and balloons.

Now councillors will formalise this when they discuss the wording of the charter at a corporate and partnership overview and scrutiny meeting on January 18 before the full council votes.

According to a council report, the charter is expected to say:

“North Yorkshire County Council has banned the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons on any property and land which North Yorkshire County Council own or lease or have any interest in or control over.

“We are committed to encouraging businesses, communities, landowners, schools, residential homes and individuals to switch to alternative ways of celebrating and commemorating events.”

The county council will also call on town and parish councils to adopt a similar ban.

Hundreds of other local authorities have already introduced bans.

In January last year, South Kesteven District Council prohibited the release of lanterns and balloons in council-owned parks and open spaces.

Nottinghamshire County Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Lancashire County Council are among others that have adopted bans.

Although the move has not given authorities the power to enforce the ban, some use it to promote and “educate the public” on alternative ways to mark special occasions.