Harrogate to get permanent Covid testing site

A permanent coronavirus testing centre for winter is to be built in Harrogate in the next few weeks.

A mobile testing site at the Dragon Road car park near Asda currently operates in the town, usually for four hours twice a week,

But with the number of infections rising, the same site will be upgraded to host a permanent testing centre over winter.

Advance bookings will still be required.

Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of public agencies, confirmed at a briefing today construction will begin on Thursday next week. It is hoped the site will be open by October 22.

Read more:

Currently, the Department of Health and Social Care runs mobile testing units in different areas of the county every week.

The new Harrogate site is expected to be similar to the one at the University of York, which opened last week and operates seven days a week.

What will happen to the facility beyond winter remains unclear,

Richard Webb, director of adult social care at North Yorkshire County Council, said the authority had worked hard to retain the testing capacity it has and to lobby the government for further sites.

He told the resilience forum briefing:

“We have been fortunate to retain our testing capacity when other parts of Yorkshire have seen it stretched.”

Use Harrogate’s Nightingale for other services, says councillor

Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital could be used for routine operations, flu jabs and patient recuperation, a local councillor has suggested.

Cllr Jim Clark, who represents North Yorkshire on the West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Panel, suggested the 500-bed hospital could be used to relieve pressure on other health services.

The contract for the Nightingale was extended in August until March 2021.

A report to the panel said the hospital is currently on stand-by for any patients that need to be admitted amid the second wave of coronavirus infections.

Read more:

The hospital has been used for outpatient CT scans since June but Cllr Clark suggested it could be used for wider purposes.

Cllr Jim Clark, North Yorkshire county councillor and Harrogate borough councillor.

The Conservative, who represents Harrogate Harlow on North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret it was a pity the hospital could not be used for other medical purposes besides coronavirus:

“It could be used for other things, such as flu vaccinations, routine operations or to give opportunities for people to recuperate.”

Cllr Clark added he had been assured the Nightingale would be ready for any patients that needed care during the second wave of the pandemic.

A report before scrutiny councillors last week said the hospital “could be reactivated at short notice” if critical care was needed.

NHS England took over Harrogate’s Convention Centre in April but so far the hospital has not been used to treat coronavirus patients.

Government figures last month showed the Nightingale cost £27 million to set up, the third highest of the seven hospitals set up during the pandemic.

The total cost of the seven hospitals stands at £220 million.

Harrogate Borough Council has not charged the NHS any rent for the town’s Nightingale.

But, figures published in August showed the authority had billed £126,000 a month for gas, electric and water.

34 new coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

The number of coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district since the started of the pandemic passed 1,200 today.

Pubic Health England figures from today show a daily increase of 34 cases in the district.

It takes the total number to 1,230.

Daily figures from across North Yorkshire show an increase of 137. NHS data shows the weekly case rate county-wide stands at 97 per 100,000 population.

Read more:

However, no deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital since September 29.

Hospital bosses have prepared for a second wave of coronavirus this winter by setting aside up to 100 beds for infected patients.

County council bosses have also restricted visits to care homes throughout October in an effort to protect residents.

However, officials have now set up a working group to come up with solutions to allow visitors into care homes to see loved ones.

Call for citizens’ assembly to tackle climate change

Local Liberal Democrats have proposed setting up a citizens’ assembly to tackle climate change.

A motion before Harrogate Borough Council’s full council next week will propose it declares a climate emergency and sets up an assembly within three months to look into the issue.

It follows the creation of the first UK-wide citizens’ assembly to discuss measures to tackle climate change. 

The national citizens’ assembly last month submitted its views to six House of Commons select committees, including the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee and Environmental Audit Committee.

Read more:

The motion submitted by Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, which will go before the borough council, says:

“That this council declares a climate emergency not a climate change. To make sure this is dealt with as an emergency the council agrees to setting up a local, ‘citizens climate assembly’, within the next three months to discuss the issue, just as the government has done.”

Councillors will vote on the motion at a full council meeting on October 14.

Last year, the council rejected declaring a climate emergency and instead set out a plan to cut carbon emissions over the next two decades.

The local authority has also created a dedicated cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability, which is currently Cllr Phil Ireland.

What does a climate emergency mean?

“Climate emergency” was the Oxford English Dictionary word of last year and over two-thirds of all UK councils have now made the declaration.

It derives from the green movement created by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and the Extinction Rebellion group.

Although largely symbolic, councils have used declarations of climate emergency to drive environmental policy and give some green momentum to issues such as housing, energy and education.

Another 35 coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

A further 35 coronavirus cases have been reported in the Harrogate district in the last 24 hours.

Latest Public Health England figures released today show the total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic has increased to 1,196.

Across North Yorkshire as a whole, 115 daily cases were also confirmed today.

Read More: 

The weekly case rate county-wide stands at 88.7 per 100,000 people, according to the public body NHS Digital.

It comes as an IT error left 15,841 cases between September 25 and October 2 unreported across the UK.

The technical issue meant daily figures were higher than first reported. In Harrogate, 67 cases were confirmed on Sunday after the error was fixed.

Public Health England said those who tested positive had been informed. But those who had come into close contact with them were not.

A notice on the PHE coronavirus statistics page added:

“This means the total reported over the coming days will include some additional cases from the period between September 24 and October 1.”

Have you had experience of track and trace? Have you been contacted through the app or experienced delays related to the computer errors this weekend? We would like to hear from you. Contact us on Facebook or e-mail contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate district records 67 coronavirus cases after IT error

The Harrogate district recorded 67 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday after a Public Health England technical issue saw nearly 16,000 cases go unreported.

The number is considerably higher than any reported daily figure for the district since the pandemic began.

However, it is difficult to read too much into the number considering the technical error meant many cases were not reported for a week.

It takes the total number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic up to 1,161.

Read More: 

Over the weekend, Public Health England said an IT issue meant 15,841 cases nationally between September 25 and October 2 went unreported.

The organisation said those who tested positive had been informed informed. But those who came into close contact with them were not.

A notice on the PHE coronavirus statistics page added:

“This means the total reported over the coming days will include some additional cases from the period between September 24 and October 1.”

Plea for people in North Yorkshire to return home after curfew

People across North Yorkshire have been called upon to return home safely after pubs and restaurants close this weekend in an effort to avoid crowds.

North Yorkshire’s Resilience Forum, a partnership between public agencies including police and NHS, have made the plea following crowds on the streets in York last weekend.

Officials said they want to avoid further incidents of people gathering on the streets after the 10pm curfew.

Read more:

Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for North Yorkshire Police’s response to covid 19, and the chair of the North Yorkshire strategic coordination group, said:

“I am sure that people enjoying the freedom to go out and about in North Yorkshire this weekend do not want to see the enforced interventions being seen in many other northern areas being imposed on the county.

“We must all do what we can to stem the tide of infection and this means that people wanting to enjoy a night out in the pub or restaurant take all the necessary steps to make sure they can get home safely and quickly.”

Supt Walker said police were working with other organisations, including councils, to do all they could to help slow the spread of the virus.

He added:

“However, it’s not just down to police, partners, business owners and licensees to stop the spread of this deadly virus, it’s also down to the public to make the right decisions and abide by the regulations.

“We have been living with covid-19 for some time now and we all know the devastating impact it could have on our loved-ones, families, businesses and our NHS. We also know what we have to do to halt the spread – think hands, face, space, wear a face covering and try to limit contact as much as possible.

“North Yorkshire Police will continue to do everything within our power to keep the people of North Yorkshire safe. We know the majority of the public will join us and follow the rules. Those who do not, and who put the vulnerable among us at risk, should fully expect police to take action against them.

“So my advice to anyone who is thinking of enjoying a night out this weekend is to follow the regulations, otherwise your night could suddenly become a very expensive one.”

Meanwhile, Richard Flinton, chair of the resilience forum, said the county was at “tipping point” and urged people to follow social distancing guidelines.

Mr Flinton added that most infections are linked to households and social interaction.

He said: 

“Rather than wait for government intervention and the imposition of more serious lockdown measures being faced by people in many parts of the north of England, we are appealing to people to take the necessary precautions now.”

Fifteen more coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

A further 15 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district in the last 24 hours.

Latest Public Health England figures take the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 1,071.

Meanwhile, 49 more cases have been confirmed county-wide today.

Read more:

It comes as North Yorkshire’s Local Resilience Forum, a partnership between public agencies, has called for people to go home safely this weekend following the 10pm curfew at pubs and restaurants.

The forum made the call in an effort to avoid crowds in towns across the county.

Pictures from York last weekend showed crowds gathered in the city centre streets following the 10pm closures.

Lib Dems call for ‘secret devolution report’ to be published

Liberal Democrats have called on Harrogate Borough Council to release a “secret report” into the district’s devolution bid and council reorganisation.

The seven district councils commissioned KPMG to produce a report into council reorganisation in the county ahead of a submission to government.

Council leaders announced their preference for two authorities, split between east and west, in August, and showcased the proposal at online consultation events with businesses and residents.

Local Lib Dems said they have asked “several times” for the document – funded with taxpayers’ money – to be made public.

Read more:

Cllr Pat Marsh, Lib Dem leader of the opposition on the borough council, called on the authority to release the document.

She said:

“Liberal Democrats have called on Harrogate Borough Council to release its KPMG report several times now. If Conservatives aren’t going to consult with residents on the future of local services, the very least they can do is be transparent about how decisions are being made.

“Unfortunately this is typical of our Conservative-run council. It won’t speak to residents or their elected representatives about huge issues like this, and when it does it is telling them what is happening at the eleventh hour, rather allowing any input. It would appear that Richard Cooper would rather rule by decree than risk hearing a differing view.”

A spokesman on behalf of the district and borough council leaders said:

“The leaders of the seven district and borough councils in North Yorkshire commissioned KPMG to support the development of a business case for local government reorganisation should we be required to respond to government to submit a proposal.

“When completed the report will need to be agreed by elected members within all seven councils before it is submitted to government and full details will be published.”

It comes as the government had been due to publish its devolution white paper in the Autumn, which would have outlined its plans to devolve further powers to local areas and scrap district councils.

However, ministers have since appeared to have delayed publishing the plans until next year, according to the Financial Times.

Last week, Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, wrote to Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick, urging the government for clarity on the white paper.

But, district leaders said there was “no worse time” to reorganise local government. The seven district council leaders, including Richard Cooper, wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging him to focus on fighting the covid-19 crisis.

County council postpones James Street pedestrianisation

North Yorkshire County Council has decided to postpone a temporary pedestrianisation of James Street in Harrogate.

In an email to businesses, David Bowe, director of business and environmental services at the county council, said the authority will not pedestrianise the street before Christmas.

It comes as the authority had planned a trial pedestrianisation which would have blocked off the street to cars for up to six months.

Read more:

Business managers, landlords, Harrogate BID and Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce met virtually with the the council earlier this week where some raised concerns over the issue. They said the timing was poor, as the run-up to Christmas will be particularly vital for them this year after losing trade through lockdown for several months.

Now, Mr Bowe has told traders that their concerns were heard “loud and clear”.

He said in an email:

“In conclusion having discussed the matter with Cllr Don MacKenzie, the leader of the council and the chief executive I would make the following proposal. That we agree not to introduce the experimental order before Christmas and that NYCC officers will engage with representatives of your group to develop a detailed proposal for an experimental part closure of James Street to best advantage.

“I recognise that you may still have reservations about the plan and they will be taken into account when a report for a decision is subsequently presented.

“I believe the response above demonstrates that we have listened to the points you have raised and have noted them. Whilst the final decision on this has yet to be taken, we do now offer you assurance that any experimental closure will not be implemented before the New Year.”

The temporary closure of the street to traffic was requested by Harrogate Borough Council for “social distancing and safety purposes”. Cllr Don Mackenzie, NYCC’s executive member for highways, backed a temporary, partial pedestrianisation, saying such moves had proved popular with residents and businesses elsewhere in the country.

However, landlords and businesses on the street continued to voice concerns about the potential impact on trade.