Harrogate district records 73 further covid infections

The Harrogate district has recorded a further 73 covid cases in the latest daily figures from Public Health England.

The seven-day average is now 317 people per 100,000, which is slightly up on yesterday but well down on the record high of 498 on January 7.

No further covid hospital deaths were announced today.

Meanwhile, NHS England figures show that more than 3.5 million people nationally have now received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

The figure, which is data for up to yesterday, also revealed that 610,684 people have had the first dose in North East and Yorkshire.

There is currently no data available on how many people specifically in the district have been vaccinated.

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It comes as the government has said those aged 70 and over will be invited to be vaccinated this week.

According to the latest census data, 26,278 people in the Harrogate district are aged between 65 and 84 – which is 16% of the local population.

 

Could you volunteer to drive people to vaccination appointments?

A Harrogate charity is calling for more volunteers to come forward to drive patients to coronavirus vaccine appointments.

Harrogate and District Community Action has a small team of volunteers helping people who would otherwise struggle to get to their appointments.

The volunteers work with Harrogate Easier Living Project, which is part of HADCA, to offer the service.

Frances Elliot, chief executive at HADCA, said the team now needed more volunteers after huge interest in the programme.

She said:

“We urgently require more volunteer drivers to join our small team. Applicants would need to be in possession of a DBS check less than two years old.

“All volunteers are being trained in the new covid guidelines to ensure we can offer a safe and trusted service.”

It comes as the government’s covid vaccination programme is set to offer jabs to over 70s this week. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set a target of February 15 to offer all those in the top four priority vulnerable groups the vaccine.

Vaccinations in the Harrogate district are being administered at the Great Yorkshire Showground. However, a mass vaccination hub has opened today in York, which offers jabs to those within a 45 minute distance.

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HADCA’s appeal for volunteers comes as the charity celebrates carrying out 5,000 tasks in the community to help people stay safe at home during the pandemic.

The HELP team has offered practical and emotional help to people since the coronavirus crisis began in March.

HELP team members celebrate the milestone of completing 5,000 tasks for those in need in the Harrogate community and appeal for more volunteer drivers.

HELP team members celebrate the milestone of completing 5,000 tasks for those in need in the Harrogate community.

Nadine Bleasby, one of the volunteers, said it felt important to help her community, no matter how small the task. She said:

“It was the first time I’d done something like this, but I figured I could easily manage a couple of extra supermarket trips a week to help out people currently not able to do so and I think I’ve taken in all of Harrogate’s supermarkets over the last nine months. 

“I’ve met some lovely people, some on an ad-hoc basis, and others I’ve got to know a little better as I’ve shopped more regularly for them.

“It’s not really about the shopping though, it’s about human contact and taking the time for a conversation and seeing how people are coping. That has been the unexpected but heart-warming element, simply having a chat.”

To volunteer for HADCA’s driving force and other services, contact help@hadca.org.uk or call 01423 813096. 

£2 billion devolution negotiations kickstart as councils submit proposals

North Yorkshire and York council leaders have kick-started negotiations over a £2.4 billion devolution deal with government after submitting proposals.

Authority bosses in the county have formally tabled a list of “asks” to government which outline billions of pounds worth of spending power in areas like transport, housing and skills.

The deal, should it be agreed, would also see a directly elected mayor for the county.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that council leaders agreed to submit the requests, but without support from Hambleton District Council.

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Hambleton had previously refused to support the proposals until a government white paper on devolution was published. However, the paper has yet to be published by ministers.

But, Cllr Les said councils could not longer delay submitting the proposals.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, who has ruled himself out of being a future Mayor of North Yorkshire.

Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire County Council. Picture: North Yorkshire County Council.

He said:

“The leaders decided that they were going to submit without unanimous agreement.

“Every day we delay on the asks, we delay on the negotiations of the asks. It would have been better with an unanimous decision, but it was best we got a majority.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the government was considering the proposals and would respond “in due course”.

The “asks” document is intended to start negotiations with government over what the county wants from a devolution deal. It is separate from the proposals for local government reorganisation and how the new authority or authorities would be structured.

It comes as ministers made it a requirement for councils who want devolved powers to scrap the two tier system in their areas.

£2 billion in spending power

Following initial discussions with ministers in in early 2020, council bosses have written up a 140-page document which outlines £2.4 billion worth of spending and proposals to take back further powers from Westminster.

More powers over transport, skills, regeneration and energy are included in the submission, as well as a mayoral funding pot worth £750 million over 25 years.

Further funding proposals include a five-year transport settlement worth £250 million, £520 million of devolved funding for fibre connectivity, and a £230 million fund for the new mayor to share between the county’s towns.

A directly elected mayor, who would have powers over areas such as transport planning, transport budget and bus franchising, is also included in the proposals.

What happens now?

Council leaders will now discuss the proposals for more spending and powers with ministers from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Treasury.

A deal will then be put forward by the government at a later date. This will go back before councils to be agreed.

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.