Harrogate district covid rate soars past 300 people per 100,000

The seven-day rolling average rate of covid infections for the Harrogate district has risen above 300 people per 100,000 for the first time.

The rate, which was 160 just over a fortnight ago, is now 307, which is above the England average of 254.

The figure adds to recent data suggesting North Yorkshire, and the Harrogate district in particular, is currently faring worse than many other parts of the country in the fight against coronavirus.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, acknowledged the county was now in a “very different place” to pre-lockdown little more than a week ago. He said:

“Infection rates are soaring in many areas.

“We had been doing very well and we went into the current lockdown in the lowest tier of intervention. Sadly, our current rates put us in a very different place.

“Our economy is also suffering. Our hospitality sector, famous the world over for its hearty welcome and high-quality food and drink, is in lockdown again. And although we have generally good levels of employment across the county, we also struggle with low wages and high house prices in many areas.”

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The rise has sparked fears that Harrogate may be placed in a higher tier of restrictions when lockdown is due to end on December 2.

It was revealed yesterday that the number of patients being treated for coronavirus in Harrogate District Hospital has nearly doubled in a week, from 15 to 28.

Figures were also released showing the new covid testing site in Harrogate is testing 200 people a day.

2021 Tour de Yorkshire cancelled

The 2021 Tour de Yorkshire has been cancelled, it was announced today.

The sixth edition of the event was due to take place from April 30 to May 3.

The 2020 race which was due to pass through Pateley Bridge, Kirkby Malzeard, Masham, Summerbridge and Beckwithshaw was also cancelled.

It means for the first time in years there will be no major cycling event in the Harrogate district.

James Mason, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said the organisation could not financially commit to it. He said:

“During these uncertain times Welcome to Yorkshire needs to focus on the immediate needs of the industry without committing both financial and human resources towards any activity or event that we cannot be certain of.

“Cycling has become synonymous with Yorkshire and the Tour de Yorkshire has become a firm fixture on the world cycling calendar due to the reception the riders and teams receive in our county.

“Whilst it is very disappointing that we will be bereft of this wonderful race for another year the decision we have made is the right one and perhaps the only one we could make.”

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The Tour de Yorkshire has provided significant economic benefits to the county since it was created in the wake of the success of the 2014 Tour de France’s Grand Départ in Yorkshire.

It attracted four million roadside spectators.

Mason said the decision had been made after discussions with race organisers, French company the Amaury Sport Organisation.

Yann Le Moenner, director general of the ASO, said:

“We will collectively do our best to relaunch the event in 2022 and give the chance to the world’s best riders to be on the Yorkshire roads in front of one of the most enthusiastic audiences the cycling world has ever seen.”

Harrogate solicitor succeeds Greg Clarke as chair of Football Association

Peter McCormick, a senior partner of Harrogate law firm McCormicks Solicitors, has been appointed interim chairman of the Football Association.

The news was announced yesterday following the sudden resignation of Greg Clarke for describing black players as “coloured” and other comments he made about gay and female players.

The Football Association, which was formed in 1863, is the governing body of football in England and Wales.

A Leeds United fan, Mr McCormick is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment lawyers.

He is now the first person to have been chairman of both the Premier League and the FA.

McCormicks Solicitors, which is based on East Parade, describes itself as a ‘fearless law firm with a fearless reputation’.

Mr McCormick, who was awarded an OBE for services to charity in 2000, was elected vice-chairman of the FA in 2017.

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An FA statement yesterday said:

“Peter McCormick will step into the role as interim FA chairman with immediate effect and the FA board will begin the process of identifying and appointing a new chair in due course.

“We would also like to reaffirm that as an organisation, we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to promote diversity, address inequality, and tackle all forms of discrimination in the game.”

Clarke said in a statement:

“I am deeply saddened that I have offended those diverse communities in football that I and others worked so hard to include.

 

The Harrogate district areas with the most and least covid infections

The Harrogate district has suffered a worrying increase in the rate of covid infections in recent weeks.

The rolling seven-day average of new cases per day has risen from 160 per 100,000 a fortnight ago to 287 today.

The R number, which refers to the virus’ reproduction rate, has gone up from 1.4 last week to 1.6.

Another 68 infections were confirmed today, taking the total since the start of the pandemic past 3,000.

But the spread of the virus is uneven. Some parts of the district have been hit harder than others.

Unsurprisingly, the more densely populated areas are suffering most.

Here are the five local community areas to have experienced the highest and lowest number of infections over the last seven days, according to government figures.

Highest

1 Harrogate East 45

2 Killinghall and Hampsthwaite 41

3 Harrogate West and Pannal 35

4 Central Harrogate 26

5 Hookstone 25

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Lowest

1 Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley 7

2 Masham, Kirkby Malzeard & North Stainley 9

3 Boroughbridge & Marton-cum-Grafton 11

4 Ouseburn, Hammerton & Tockwith 13

5 Ripon North & West 14

3 pupils test positive for covid at Harrogate’s Rossett School

Three pupils have tested positive for coronavirus at Rossett School in Harrogate.

Parents were informed of the news yesterday in a letter from headteacher Helen Woodcock, which described the infections as ‘single, unconnected confirmed cases’.

It is believed about 60 pupils are isolating as a result of the infections.

The letter says:

“We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England.

“The students who have been in direct prolonged contact with the confirmed cases will also have received an additional letter and will be self-isolating for the allocated period.

“The school remains open and your child should continue to attend as normal if they remain well.”

The letter urges any children that develop covid symptoms to isolate for at least 10 days. It adds other household members, or members of support bubbles, should also not leave the house.

Nobody at Rossett School, which has 1,400 pupils, was available for comment.

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Greens petition against Harrogate Spring Water’s Pinewoods plans

The Harrogate and District Green Party has started a petition opposing Harrogate Spring Water’s plans to extend its bottling plant in the Pinewoods.

Harrogate Borough Council will next month consider an application by the water company to expand its existing site from 0.77 hectares to 0.94 hectares in the area of Pinewoods known as Rotary Wood.

Rebecca Maunder, a Green Party member and Pinewoods dog walker, said people were “shocked and dismayed” at the prospect of trees being felled.

Her petition to save Rotary Wood, which has so far generated more than 700 signatures since it began at the end of last week, says the proposal would destroy acres of woodland planted by children, damage wildlife and biodiversity and lead to the creation of more plastic bottles.

The petition adds:

“Harrogate district has 8% woodland cover compared to a national average of 12% and a European average of 36%.”

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Harrogate Spring Water, which was bought last year by multinational firm Danone, has had outline planning permission since 2016 to expand to the west of its existing site.

The company is due to consult online with interested parties next week to discuss the proposal.

Nicky Cain, brand manager for Harrogate Spring Water, said it was “working towards presenting our application to the planning committee on December 8”. She added:

“The environmental aspects of our application remain top of our agenda and shall ensure any ecological impact is offset and provide commitment towards a local planting scheme.

“We shall continue to engage with stakeholders, both prior to planning and ahead of any future reserved matters scheme, providing opportunities to hear their views on planting and landscaping.”

The council has received more than 300 letters of objection since the plans were submitted, including from the Rotary Club of Harrogate, the Pinewoods Conservation Group and Harrogate Civic Society.

A report from the council’s arboricultural manager, Paul Casey, said the loss of 2.8 acres of woodland floor would remove the “green corridor” link between the north and south of the site. He said:

“There are no proposals put forward that would mitigate for the loss of this woodland.”

 

 

Covid R number rises to 1.6 in Harrogate district

The rate of covid infections in the Harrogate district is rising sharply and is now well above the national average.

The R number, which refers to the reproduction rate, was 1.4 last week and is 1.6 today. This means every 10 people that test positive in the district will infect another 16.

The latest R number for the UK is 1.1 to 1.3.

The seven-day rolling average rate of infection for the Harrogate district was 160 cases per 100,000 people two weeks ago; last week it was 251 and today it is 279.

The England average is 241.

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North Yorkshire as a whole appears to be struggling. Four of the county’s seven district and borough council areas — Scarborough, Harrogate, Selby and Hambleton — now have higher rates of infection than the England average.

For many months North Yorkshire fared better than many parts of the country.

Although widely accepted that lockdown will take time to bring down infections, these are worrying figures for county health officials.

Local covid hotspots

The Harrogate district accounts for three of the top 10 covid hotspots in North Yorkshire, according to a breakdown of positive test results in the last seven days by local community area.

Harrogate east is third on the list with 42 infections, one place ahead of Killinghall and Hampsthwaite, which has 41. Harrogate west and Pannal is eighth with 36.

Catterick Garrison and Colburn in Richmondshire tops the list with 52.

The only local area in the bottom 10 is Pateley Bridge and Nidd Valley, which has recorded just seven positive tests.

 

 

 

North Yorkshire libraries offer book collection service

Libraries in North Yorkshire have closed again for lockdown — but people can still order books and collect them from the entrances of the buildings.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed yesterday it would operate its select and collect service, which began this year.

The service enables library members to call or email libraries to order books and then pick them up.

Select and collect is available at council-managed libraries in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon. Some community libraries will also offer the service.

Computers available

It is no longer possible to browse libraries but members can book computers for essential use only. A council statement said:

“Workstations will be cleaned between each use and hand sanitiser and wipes will be available.”

The home library service and mobile library will continue to operate during lockdown, although books from the mobile vehicle must be pre-ordered online.

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Library membership grew during the first lockdown.

Current loans extended

All books issued before the current lockdown have had their loan period extended to January 11.

County Councillor Greg White, executive member for library services, said:

“Libraries can be of significant benefit to people’s wellbeing, and it was clear from the last lockdown how much people relied on and missed library services, so I am pleased that has been recognised and that some services will be able to continue.”

Harrogate hospital ends routine visits to patients

Harrogate District Hospital has confirmed it will no longer allow patient visits, except in a few limited circumstances.

The restriction came into force today as part of lockdown measures.

The only exceptions are for visits to patients at end of life; instances where difficult conversations need to take place; patients with physical or cognitive impairment; long-stay patients.

A hospital statement said ‘all of these exceptions will be at the discretion of the shift lead’.

Visitors must wear masks and visors, which the ward will provide.

Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, told the Stray Ferret it had been a difficult decision that had been debated this week.

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The hospital has also limited the number of visitors to maternity wards to one.

Visiting slots between either 10am-12pm or 2pm-4pm will be allocated in the morning by the midwife in charge. Hospital guidance adds:

“If you are attending for an induction of labour your partner can attend with you.

“This is a decision we’ve taken reluctantly because we know how important visitors are and we know how much it means for partners to be present at key stages of pregnancy and birth.

“However, we have to play our part in reducing contacts and minimising potential spread of covid. We hope you understand why we’re doing this.”

Harrogate hospital coping well with covid, says chief executive

Preventing the NHS from being overwhelmed is one of the main reasons for today’s lockdown.

There have been some worrying stories about hospitals running out of beds in the coming weeks but Harrogate District Hospital is in a better position than most, according to the man in charge.

Steve Russell, chief executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, told the Stray Ferret there was less pressure on critical care at the hospital than in the first wave and so far it was “managing reasonably well”.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Russell highlighted how relatively few covid patients the hospital has despite the Harrogate district’s soaring infection rate that is now above the England average. He said:

“Our wonderful staff in the hospital and community are doing a brilliant job. Other parts of the county have had more cases of us.

“We have had a lower increase in covid than areas around us and we are still running many routine services.”

Covid wards

Harrogate District Hospital has about 320 beds in total, and about 85 per cent are currently occupied.

There are two red wards — designated wards for confirmed or suspected coronavirus. The wards have about 60 staff. When one ward has more than 15 patients the second one is used. “We chose wards with the highest number of side rooms,” said Mr Russell.

He added that as part of the hospital’s surge plans, it would reduce other activities if the number of covid patients grew significantly and staff had to be redeployed. He said staff with the closest skill set for critical care, such as theatre staff, would be the first to be moved.

Mr Russell said the point at which this happened would be determined by a range of factors, including the overall pressure on critical care rather than a set number of covid patients and so far during the second wave the hospital had not reached it.

It currently has about 15 covid patients compared with 50 to 60 at the peak of the first wave. He said:

“The most important thing is how we are coping overall. And at the moment we are coping well.”

Critical care

The hospital’s base critical care capacity is seven. This can ‘flex’ to 10 and has the capacity for another six to eight patients.

Although there were far more covid patients at the peak of the first wave than there are currently, there were more beds available in spring because the hospital had cancelled most other activities. Mr Russell said:

“We didn’t know as much about the disease during the first wave. We now have new drugs, we manage patients better, we have non-invasive ventilators that allow patients to stay awake as well as mechanical ventilators. We have enough ventilators to cope.”

The hospital hasn’t redeployed any staff to treat covid patients during the second wave. Mr Russell said it ran training sessions to prepare staff for this during the first wave and it planned to run refresher sessions.

‘Right to lockdown’

Mr Russell described the decision as ‘a logical and understandable step’, adding:

“If we look at what’s happening across the NHS more broadly and the growth of pressure other hospitals are experiencing, I think it was a wise decision. The measures that we had in place didn’t seem to be slowing the pressure on hospitals as much as needed.”

Staff under pressure

The trust employs about 4,500 staff, of which about half are based in the hospital. Mr Russell said it had been one hell of a difficult year but he had never been prouder of being part of the NHS. He said:

“There is quite understandably a sense of anxiety. People are tired; they are anxious about what might come because winter is generally a busier time for the NHS. It doesn’t matter how well you prepare you can’t predict the future.”

He said the trust had put in place health and wellbeing support for staff. Currently absenteeism was only about 1.5 percentage points higher than usual, and six staff were off yesterday due to test and trace. Staff are only tested for covid when they display symptoms. Mr Russell said:

“Healthcare professionals are sociable animals. Lunchtime has always been a sociable affair. But staff now have to sit further apart, wearing face masks and goggles. It is’n’t nice. It’s uncomfortable. But they know it’s necessary.”

Visiting restrictions

The hospital is ending routine visits today. The only exceptions will be around vulnerable groups.  Mr Russell said this had been a difficult decision that had been debated this week, and the biggest dilemma was about allowing visits to terminally ill patients. He said:

“People find it distressing not being able to visit people at the end of life and so they will be one of the exceptions.”

Nightingale staff

Mr Russell is also chief executive of the Harrogate Nightingale hospital, which he describes as “an insurance policy we hope we never need”.

But if it is, Harrogate District Hospital may have to redeploy staff. Mr Russell said it had identified 10 or 11 staff of 12 or 13 that could be redeployed. Other hospitals in the region would have to do the same. He said this was part of the hospital’s escalation measures and could result in it having to pause routine work.

‘Difficult to switch off’

Many of us think we have stressful jobs but being in charge of a hospital during a pandemic is something else. “Switching off has been difficult,” Mr Russell admits. He had booked a family holiday to Africa next week. This changed to a trip to the New Forest when overseas travel became difficult. Now, with lockdown, he will be staying at home in Harrogate. He said:

“I get a lot of resilience from friends and family, and I’m lucky to have such a fabulous team around me.”