Large groups of young people have gathered on the Stray in the hot weather – breaking existing lockdown restrictions and new the rules that are due come into force.

From Monday, people can meet in groups of up to 6 people in outdoor spaces like parks or private gardens – as long as they remain two metres apart.

The Stray Ferret witnessed many groups of up to 11 young people on the Stray yesterday evening and today who were lying or sitting close together.  There was no police presence at the time these pictures were taken.

North Yorkshire Police have said their officers would be out and about today and

“continue to engage with members of the public, explain the regulations and encourage people to adhere to them, using enforcement as a last resort”.

What’s your experience of being out in the sunshine today? Have you felt people are abiding by the lockdown rules and staying 2m apart? Get in touch: contact@thestrayferret.co.uk  or follow us and comment on social media @TheStrayFerret

For the fourth consecutive day there have been no reported deaths at Harrogate District Hospital of patients who tested positive for covid-19. A total of 64 patients have died at the hospital of the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Across England a further 146 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 26,529.

Patients were aged between 46 and 97 years old.  Six of the 146 patients had no known underlying health condition.

WATCH:  A moving video of the 10 weeks of Clap for our Carers in the Harrogate District .

On Thursday the hospital reported a total of 109 patients, who tested positive for coronavirus, had recovered and been discharged – an increase of five on the previous week.

There have been no new recorded deaths of patients who tested positive for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital.

Yesterday the hospital said a total of 109 patients who tested positive for coronavirus had recovered and been discharged – an increase of five since last week.

Today’s figures showed a further 149 people, who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 26,383.

Patients were aged between 35 and 101 years old. 11 of the 149 patients had no known underlying health condition.

WATCH: Harrogate’s Lady Mayoress pays tribute to the staff at Harrogate District Hospital who saved her life

This column is written for The Stray Ferret by Kate Simpson, who’s 16 year old daughter, Tess,  graduated from Henshaws College a few years and is now able to live independently in a assisted living home. Kate is a fundraiser for Henshaws charity.

Our daughter Tess is Autistic. At the age of sixteen, as if her plate were not already full enough, a rare brain tumour left her with a severe visual impairment and an array of complex medical conditions we had never even heard the names of.

So, in the very beginning of all this strangeness, I felt my heart begin to quicken, to skip the odd beat and send hurtling, through my whole body, an all too familiar and  overwhelming sense of dread and a very specific kind of fear. How was I going to protect her from, explain to her about, and minimise the impact of this brand-new imposter in her life? Throughout her diagnosis, illness, operations, and treatments we had made all the decisions for her. We did the research, we had the conversations, we set the time scales and we made the plans. Most importantly, we were able to defend her world and keep it as comfortable, and as safe as was humanly possible.

This was going to be hugely different. This was completely outside of our control.

Peculiarly, that substance called Adrenalin, which seemed to be almost bursting from my every vein is one of the things which Tessa’s body is no longer able to produce, and a main reason for her highly compromised immune system. We knew the letter was coming.

How could I possibly begin to shelter this independent young woman, no longer under our roof and happily going about her daily life in her assisted living accommodation?

Of course, her physical safety has been a huge concern. For Tess, contracting Covid would be truly life threatening.  Fortunately, I learnt incredibly early in her journey along the path to independence that unless I could let go and employ the “trust” factor, that journey would be short and unfulfilled. This situation was calling for a whole different level of trust.

Should we bring her home, tear her away from the place and the people she now felt so secure with. If we did, could we keep her safer. Would we be setting her back; would she ever want to go through the process of leaving us again. Could we even cope with working from home and a full time Tessa. Could she cope with a full time Mum and Dad?

When the letter landed on the door mat, we were told that we would not even be able to visit her for twelve long weeks. The one thing I knew with absolute certainty was that Tess would never be able to understand this. Her life, overnight, had been stripped of all routine and security. There were no outings or external activities. No trips, even to McDonalds, and familiar smiles had been covered with anonymous blue face masks.

Because we were both self-isolating, we were able to successfully challenge the decision. For someone with an adrenal insufficiency, increased levels of stress can be just as detrimental to physical health as any external virus or resulting illness. We have been incredibly lucky. Our girl has been able to come home every Saturday for love and cuddles and a slice of normality. We have been able to give her our own brand of emotional support, as well as support her staff and carers to deliver theirs. I cannot begin to imagine how life during this time could have been for us, has been, for so many others.

Tess is fit and well and coping brilliantly. We have found ways to overcome some of the challenges and to live alongside the others.

My heartbeat, along with the rest of the population’s, is as regular as current circumstances allow, because once a week, I get to hear hers. To feel hers and to see it radiate out in her smile.

Kate’s experiences of Tess’ care at Henshaws have resulted in her being a fundraiser for them. Want to help support those – likes Tess – living with disability? You can donate online at www.henshaws.org.uk

The death of the patient who tested positive for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital was recorded on Bank Holiday Monday. It bring the total number of hospital deaths in the district to 64.

A further 183 people, who tested positive for the coronavirus have died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 26,049- 24 were in the North East and Yorkshire region.

Yesterday figures released showed Harrogate’s care homes have reported 60 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic.

It was an increase from last week’s figures of nine more deaths in the town’s care homes.

The latest numbers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the care home deaths are from the week ending May 15.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a “significant drop” in the number of people in the Harrogate district going to their GP with cancer symptoms.

The situation was “extremely worrying” said the district’s health professionals who urged the public to always see a doctor about any symptoms that may be cancer.

All patients with suspected cancer are referred by their doctors for an urgent appointment at Harrogate District Hospital, which can either rule out  the disease or pick it up early and allow for urgent investigations and treatment.

The hospital said it would normally expect to see 190-200 such urgent cancer referrals a week but during the past couple of months that had dropped to as low as 60 patients per week.

The numbers of patients being referred for appointments has started to rise again, but the concern is that not everyone is getting in touch with their GP.

Dr Charles Parker, NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s Clinical Chair, said:

“Finding cancer early offers the best chance to cure it. Ignoring potential problems can have serious consequences for people, something that nobody wants. Please, if you’re concerned, make an appointment with your GP. We are doing all we can to care for patients safely.”

People who are referred into Harrogate District Hospital for investigation or treatment, or who are already on a course of treatment, can expect the same quality of care; the way that care is delivered however may have changed in response to the pandemic.”

Noreen Hawkshaw, Macmillian Lead Nurse for Cancer and Matron for the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at the hospital, said:

“Here in Harrogate district, the NHS is continuing to work hard to manage the coronavirus pandemic, but we’re also working hard to ensure patients can safely access essential services such as cancer investigation and treatments if needed.

“The NHS has had to change significantly to manage the impact of the pandemic but we want to reassure patients who are referred to Harrogate District Hospital for investigation that we are still providing the same high quality of care, just in a different way, ensuring all the appropriate measures in line with Government guidance are in place to keep you safe when accessing our services.”

The Liberal Democrats have written to the Chief Executive of Harrogate Borough Council,  Wallace Sampson, calling on the council to set up what it called  ‘Coronavirus Response Teams’ to help the district’s economy recover from the pandemic.

The Lib Dems said the teams should be made up of a cross-section of representatives from each of the borough’s communities, including business leaders, community groups, and politicians, irrespective of their party colours.

In the letter councillor Pat Marsh, Leader of the Opposition on Harrogate Council, said:

“It will be important that we bring together businesses, community groups, and elected representatives at every level across the district, irrespective of political colours so that coordinated efforts can help to bring about a swift recovery.”

The call comes after the operator of the St George Hotel collapsed on Friday blaming the pandemic- the first sign of how deeply the coronavirus crisis has hit the hospitality industry in the town.

Councillor Pat Marsh continued:

“If we are to prevent yet more businesses collapsing and residents suffering we will need to work together and work to bring together coordinated plans specific to each community in our district. This needs to be done quickly so that we are prepared as we come out of lockdown.”

Yesterday the government announced that all “non-essential” retail could open from June 15th. Outdoor markets and car showrooms will be able to reopen from Monday.

Figures today released by the NHS show one more patient who tested positive for coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital has died. The death was recorded yesterday and brings the total number of hospital deaths in the district to 62.

A further 59 people, who tested positive for the covid-19 have died, according to the NHS. It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 25,750.

However, the NHS warned that the Covid Patient Notification System did not operate between 0455 and 1500 yesterday due to “a connectivity issue experienced by an external supplier” which would affect the figures.

Patients were aged between 44 and 98 years old.  4 of the patients had no known underlying health condition.

Harrogate District Hospital has discharged a total of 104 patients after treatment for coronavirus since the start of the crisis. Outside the hospital, there have been 51 deaths from coronavirus in care homes in the district.

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Did you contact your MP demanding Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s top aide, to be sacked?

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has reportedly called for Mr Cummings to resign or be sacked saying he broke the guidelines- the Stray Ferret cannot remember a time when Mr Jones went against the government whip like this. Was he reacting to the demands of his constituents and his inbox bombarded?

There has been no word from Ripon and Skipton MP, Julian Smith. He was appointed Chief Whip in Theresa May’s government from 2017 to July 2019.

Mr Cummings is the centre of a political storm after it was revealed that he travelled from London to Durham with his wife and four year old child during lockdown, when his wife had covid symptoms. One report alleges a witness saw Mr Cummings in Barnard Castle, more than 25 miles from Durham on 12 April.

The prime minister said yesterday at the 5pm coronavirus briefing that he held “extensive” discussions on Sunday with Mr Cummings, who he said “followed the instincts of every father and every parent – and I do not mark him down for that”.

But despite Boris Johnson’s briefing and senior cabinet members publicly supporting Mr Cummings – a number of backbench MPs have started to call for him to resign. A reflection perhaps of the public mood in their constituencies.

“I’ve had enough” Ali Farr told the Stray Ferret after her wedding plans have been left in ruins.

Ali, a community nurse in Knaresborough and Boroughbridge, and her partner, Ben Cross, a paramedic, had planned to hold their wedding reception at the St George Hotel on May 1st.  More than a hundred guests were due to arrive from as far away as Singapore and Australia. Then lockdown struck and the date was cancelled.

So Ali and Ben re-arranged the whole thing -on the anniversary of day they got together 12 years ago, New Years Eve.  It meant moving everything, it was more expensive and they had to sacrifice the wedding ceremony at St John’s Church. Then a few days ago, Ali  heard the St George had gone into administration:

“I’ve had no correspondence from anybody. We’ve already paid £5,000 – most on credit cards but I think the £800 deposit will be lost because we booked it on a debit card two years ago.

“My dress is at the seamstress, I’ve got the bridesmaid’s dresses, the boy’s suits, I’ve paid a lot of money for the entertainment, the photographer, the videographer and a car.

“I’ve had enough. You don’t know what’s going to happen do you? It’s just tough.”

Throughout the crisis Ali and Ben have been working on the front line of healthcare.

“I am a nurse, Ben’s a paramedic, we’ve got a little girl. We’ve worked throughout the crisis as key workers.

My would-be guests have been lovely – on May 1st they made a video for us. On the day we had a cake to cut, we gave each other a present on the morning and my little girl threw some petals around – she was supposed to be our flower girl. “

Ali and Ben’s guests held a zoom celebration for them to cheer them up

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