Police posters warn of covid fines in beauty spots

Police have put up posters at Harrogate district beauty spots telling people they could be fined if they don’t have a reasonable excuse for being there.

A new batch of North Yorkshire Police posters appeared this week during school half-term at various locations, including the one pictured on Nidderdale Greenway in Ripley.

The posters say covid patrols are taking place in the area and officers will engage with people to ensure they are complying with the rules. They add:

“However, you could get a fixed penalty notice if you are away from home without a reasonable excuse, or are deliberately flouting the rules.”

Nidderdale Greenway, along with other beauty spots, is popular with dog walkers and people exercising. Many people drive there with their dogs.

There has been widespread confusion about how far people can travel to exercise during lockdown.

A Harrogate Borough Council newsletter last month warned people they “run the risk of a fine” if they drove to into the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which includes Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs.

But some people commented that the law does not state how far you can travel to exercise.

Read more:

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman told the Stray Ferret the posters had been placed in popular walking sports as part of the effort to limit the spread of the virus. He added:

“Residents in the district can drive to such locations to take exercise, which is an exemption under the health protection regulations.

“The posters and the patrols are there to protect local people from those who travel considerable distances from outside their own area.”

Ripon hospital patients moved after covid outbreak

Patients at Ripon Community Hospital have been transferred to Harrogate District Hospital after an outbreak of covid.

The Ripon hospital, which is part of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, has one 16-bed ward, called Trinity Ward.

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We can confirm that following positive covid tests for some patients on the ward at Ripon Community Hospital, the ward has been closed for cleaning and covid-positive patients moved to Harrogate District Hospital to continue receiving care on dedicated covid wards.

“As we always do, appropriate actions have been taken and we are carrying out an investigation into the root cause.”

Harrogate District Hospital has also suffered from an increase in covid transmissions acquired in the hospital since Christmas.

Read more:

The trust has instigated extra measures, including more regular testing and ensuring windows are open for 10 minutes every hour, in response to the increase.

Harrogate hospital covid levels remain stubbornly high: North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents the agencies leading the fight against the pandemic, revealed at a press briefing yesterday it currently has 65 patients with the virus.

This is as high as at any point during the pandemic, even though the average rate of infection in the Harrogate district has been falling since January 8.

‘We were told the vaccine was the way out’

A Harrogate man has spoken of his despair at being one of 1.7 million people told to shield again for another five weeks.

Scott Lambert, 35, has a rare autoimmune disease called behçets syndrome and is classed as clinically extremely vulnerable.

He received an email from the government yesterday advising him to extend shielding from February 21 to March 31.

Mr Lambert told the Stray Ferret he was vaccinated three weeks ago at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground and, after spending much of last year shielding and all of this year, thought the end was in sight.

So to receive the news out of the blue yesterday was “beyond unfair”, he said, adding:

“We were told the vaccine was the way out of this. Yet a week before the review date we have been told it’s a further five weeks minimum.

Read more:

He said shielders were “the forgotten people in the pandemic” and he wanted to highlight their situation. He added:

“We have been locked away far more than many people over the coronavirus pandemic. It’s taking a huge strain on each and every one of us.

“Being a shielder isn’t lockdown. It’s next level lockdown. You’re constantly thinking of how transmission could occur and make you seriously ill. Yet an email is all the government felt was enough to put us through this for a further five weeks.

“We thought the vaccine was the way out. The government achieved the target of vaccinating all of the clinically extremely vulnerable and we thought we would be able to rejoin society in the new normal.”

Mr Lambert, who lives in Jennyfields, said the showground vaccination programme was well run. He added a Facebook group called Shielders Support had been extremely helpful to local shielders. But yesterday’s news came as a “shock to all”.

The email urged him to “stay at home as much as possible”, adding:

“Whilst the national lockdown has been effective and cases of covid are now falling, the levels of infection in the community remain high and the virus continues to pose a high risk to people across the country.

“The risk remains particularly high for those considered clinically extremely vulnerable. Therefore, the government strongly advises you to continue to follow the shielding measures that were introduced in January to help you protect yourself.”

School with only six pupils set to close in August

Formal moves have begun to close a primary school in the Harrogate district that has just six pupils.

Kell Bank Church of England Primary School, Healey, near Masham, can accommodate up to 50 pupils aged four to 11.

The number of pupils fell to 15 in September 2019 and is now six, five of whom are girls.

North Yorkshire County Council has now given the go-ahead for publication of a closure notice with a view to the school closing on August 31.

Stuart Carlton, director of children’s services at the council, said the proposal was being done with a “heavy heart”. He added:

“We know the value of village schools but such low numbers cannot financially sustain a school and can have a negative impact on the social and educational interests of children remaining.”

A council consultation on the closure proposal runs until March 5.

Read more:

Mr Carlton said responses so far “appear to indicate an acceptance of the situation here given only six pupils remain on roll”.

He added the council welcomed any further views before a final decision is made.

The remaining six pupils will have to transfer to other schools.

According to the council, seven other primary schools within reasonable travelling distance have places available.

Anyone who wishes to view the closure proposals or make a representation can visit the council’s consultations page here.

Penny Pot Lane near Harrogate reopens after serious collision

Penny Pot Lane near Harrogate has reopened after a serious traffic accident this afternoon.

A woman in her 60s who was driving a car was taken to Leeds General Infirmary with serious injuries, although they are not thought to be life-threatening.

Emergency services were called to the scene near New Acre Farm shortly after 1pm.

Fire, ambulance and police vehicles were all in attendance.

North Yorkshire Police urged drivers to avoid the road in a tweet at 2.17pm this afternoon.

Harrogate traffic sergeant Paul Cording also used his Twitter account to alert people to the situation.

Penny Pot Lane in #Harrogate remains closed whilst we deal with a serious RTC. Please avoid the area whilst emergency services deal #JESIP pic.twitter.com/F6DhuMQV4I

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) February 16, 2021

Sgt Cording later alerted the Stray Ferret to the road reopening at about 3pm.

Penny Pot Lane is a popular route for people in Harrogate travelling to Fewston and Swinsty reservoirs.

It is also the location of the West Harrogate Household Waste Recycling Centre run by North Yorkshire County Council, and traffic queueing to enter the site frequently backs up.

Witnesses can contact North Yorkshire Police by dialling 101, pressing 1 and speaking to the force control room. Quote reference number 0148 of 16 February.

Read more:

 

Harrogate district covid rate below 100 for first time since Christmas

The covid rate of infection in the Harrogate district has fallen below 100 people per 100,000 for the first time since before Christmas.

Public Health England confirmed another 22 cases today, reducing the seven-day average rate of infection to 98.

It has not been this low since December 21.

Rates shot up after Christmas, peaking at 498 on January 7.

The current overall average for North Yorkshire is 101 and the England figure is 148.

Killinghalll and Hampsthwaite is still the sub-district with the most cases, having recorded 22 in the last seven days.

Starbeck is second with 17.

Read more:

Two sub-districts — Harrogate West and Pannal and Dishthorpe, Baldersby and Markington — have not had any infections in the last seven days.

No further covid deaths at Harrogate District Hospital were reported today.

Harrogate district emerges from the deep freeze

The Harrogate district is finally emerging from weeks of sub-zero conditions, as temperatures begin to rise.

The Met Office forecasts 11 degrees centigrade tomorrow, which will feel balmy after the recent freeze.

Temperatures failed to reach double figures throughout January, and February has seen little improvement with Met Office weather warnings for snow and ice almost constantly in place.

Professional photographer Lissa Peakman captured these amazing images of ice forming on land and fences near Ross Bridge, on Darley Road in Birstwith on Friday.

Any lingering snow and ice is likely to vanish soon as warmer air moves in.

Temperatures could be as high as 14 degrees next weekend as winter begins to give way for spring.

Read more:

 

59 care home residents and staff vaccinated in 45 minutes

Fifty-nine residents and staff at a charity-run Harrogate care home have received covid inoculations in just 45 minutes.

Disability Action Yorkshire’s Claro Road home, which has 20 residents, were given the Oxford vaccine. Three staff declined it.

Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said there was a ‘party atmosphere’ during the session, adding:

“This is the first stage in getting back to some form of normality and I’m happy to say the light at the end of the tunnel has just got a little bit brighter.

“Many of our customers have been isolating for almost a year and it’s not been easy for them, their family and friends.”

The home, which cares for younger adults with physical disabilities, has only allowed window visits since November.

The jabs took place 10 days ago and the window visiting policy remains in place.

Read more:

Ms Snape said:

“Despite the vaccinations, we won’t be taking any undue and unnecessary risks.

“We will continue to follow guidelines and only begin to relax when we are told we can do, and ultimately feel safe to do so.”

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer at North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a press briefing today that just one care home in North Yorkshire and York had not had residents vaccinated. This was due to an ongoing outbreak, she added.

 

Six covid deaths at Killinghall nursing home

A Killinghall nursing home has confirmed it suffered six covid-related deaths in the final fortnight of January.

Westfield House Nursing Home remained almost covid-free until the new fast-acting strain struck around Christmas.

The outbreak had a devastating impact on residents and staff, culminating in the recent spate of deaths.

Many other care homes have also been badly affected by covid in recent weeks.

Tracey Holroyd, chairman of Warmest Welcome, which owns Westfield House and eight other homes, including The Crest Care Home in Harrogate, said:

“We have had six deaths that appeared to be related to covid since January 17.

“We now have just one resident who has to finish the remainder of their isolation period, which ends tomorrow.

‘Currently we don’t have any residents who are ill — or more ill than one would expect given that they already require 24-hour nursing care.

“The staff are all now back to work with the exception of the last two, who will be returning to work on February 5.”

Ms Holroyd said all residents and staff at Westfield able to have covid inoculations had now done so.

But the recent outbreak of the virus has meant delaying jabs for some people.

Read more:

 

‘Snow by dawn’ – Met Office warns of travel disruption

After one of the coldest Januarys of recent years in the Harrogate district, February is set to usher in more snow.

A Met Office weather warning for snow and ice is in force from 10pm tonight until 23.59pm tomorrow.

Snow is due to start falling in the Harrogate district at about 4am and is expected to last until afternoon, when it turns to rain.

The Met Office says the conditions are likely to lead to ‘difficult travelling conditions’.

The Stray Ferret will keep readers up to date with the latest weather and travel news tomorrow.

The covid vaccination sites in Harrogate and Ripon have already postponed morning appointments in anticipation of difficult travel conditions.

Read more:

Some schools have also warned parents their plans to open on time may be affected.

The temperature did not rise into double figures at all in Harrogate during January.

Judging by the two-week forecast, that may not change for the first half of February at least.

Send us your weather updates and images tomorrow to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.