The peak of the coronavirus crisis has not yet hit North Yorkshire, but irregular and unreliable supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) are putting front line workers at risk.

North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services, Richard Webb, told The Stray Ferret that constantly changing government guidelines on the use of PPE are making it hard to predict how much is needed – and he doesn’t yet know when the next supplies will be delivered.

While gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser are all needed, the most urgent problem is finding face masks offering the right grade of protection. The type IIR face masks are in high demand around the country because they prevent fluids from passing through when staff are caring for patients.

Richard Webb

Mr Webb said: “We are asking anyone who is a producer of the right type of PPE to get in touch. We are asking businesses or schools who might be able to produce PPE, can they begin to mobilise their production. That would be really appreciated.

“That’s across the board: it’s for us, it’s for the wider care sector, it’s for the hospitals and community health service and GPs. If people are able to produce what’s required to the right spec, we would really welcome them to get in touch.”

A new PPE plan was announced by the government on Friday, with additional guidance issued over the Easter weekend. These constantly changing requirements make it even harder for the council to know how long supplies will last.

Mr Webb said the local resilience forum, which is a combination of councils, the NHS, the military and police, has been working to try to find supplies and get them to the right places. With the peak of the crisis still to come in North Yorkshire, demand will only grow.

“The figures nationally and in Yorkshire are increasing so we are still not yet at the peak date. We will expect to see an increase in cases over the coming weeks.”

NYCC’s chief executive, Richard Flinton, had previously issued a call to suppliers to help get products to the front line, while community groups have been working together to source equipment. Mr Webb thanked everyone who has contributed supplies so far, as well as reiterating advice to stay at home and follow hand-washing guidelines in order to reduce the spread of the virus.

He added:

“What we really want is a regular supply of this equipment and at the moment that’s not coming through in the way that the NHS and councils and care providers need it. The government have given it a really top priority on Friday night when they announced their new plan. We need to see during the coming week much more regular supplies of the right kit.”

Anyone who can help supply equipment should email procurement@northyorks.gov.uk.

The ever-changing challenge of the crisis

Less than 10 days ago, North Yorkshire County Council said it was well supplied with PPE.

This new appeal shows just how quickly the situation is changing: demand grows by the day, with added pressure as the government issues further guidance on the use of PPE across medical and social settings.

Evidence from those on the front line confirms that supplies aren’t reaching where they’re most needed. Over the weekend, care home operator MHA confirmed a number of its residents had died after displaying symptoms of coronavirus, and said it was desperately short of PPE across its 133 homes.

Hundreds of thousands of people up and down the country are using the same kit. While visors are being produced by schools and hand sanitiser made by businesses, it is the high-grade protective equipment, such as masks, which are harder to procure from alternative sources.

Usual supplies have been depleted, with manufacturers struggling to meet demand coming not just from the UK but internationally. With the peak of the crisis expected to hit North Yorkshire in the coming weeks, front line workers will be more desperate than ever to have access to the equipment they need to reduce the risks they are taking while caring for the most vulnerable people in society.

There has been one more coronavirus-related death at Harrogate NHS Foundation Trust in the latest information released by the NHS.

The patient died yesterday, Friday April 10th, bringing the total number of deaths at the hospital to 21. Of those, 12 have been in the last week, with the first death on March 16th.

Nationally, NHS England has confirmed a further 823 fatalities today, with patients aged between 11 and 102. Thirty-three of those, aged between 29 and 94, had no known underlying health conditions.

The number of confirmed deaths only covers those in hospital. Any in the community, including care homes, are not counted.

No statistics have been released about the number of patients who have tested positive for coronavirus before recovering and being discharged from hospital.

Law firms across the Harrogate district are collaborating in an unprecedented way in order to meet changing demands during the coronavirus crisis.

Harrogate and District Law Society has reported a rise in demand for wills and powers of attorney, as people see the worrying news of more deaths each day.

Solicitors are also trying to keep routine work moving during the crisis, including dealing with emergency applications to family courts and processing house purchases.

Georgina Parkin, president of The Harrogate and District Law Society and managing director of Truth Legal Solicitors, said: “Over the years, lawyers in this area have always collaborated.

“During these unprecedented times, I am pleased to report that lawyers are collaborating to far higher level than I have known, all in the best interests of their clients. Once coronavirus is defeated, my hope – and my expectation – is that this collegiate attitude will continue.”

As the coronavirus has unfolded, lawyers have been sharing useful updates, such as changing court opening hours or ways of working, including hearings using video conferencing software.

On behalf of the society, Ms Parkin thanked staff and judges at Harrogate Justice Centre, which is continuing to deal with cases, as well as to police, prison officers, social workers, and postal and delivery staff who are keeping the process of justice going. Meanwhile, a litigation trial was held by video conference for the first time last week, while family courts are responding quickly to emergency applications during the crisis.

With many solicitors working from home and juggling the pressures of balancing home life and casework, especially with clients distressed by the situation, Ms Parkin said the law society was offering additional support for members’ mental health.

She added: “In Harrogate and district, the rule of law is alive and well even during these trying times. The solicitors in our region are adapting to these challenging times and continue to provide their clients with an excellent level of service.”

Doctors’ surgeries across the Harrogate district will be offering bank holiday appointments as the NHS continues to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said appointments will be available on Good Friday and Easter Monday, and some practices will be working together as a ‘hub’.

Anyone needing an urgent appointment should call their GP practice, rather than visit in person, and they will be advised over the phone or asked to come in to the surgery.

On Saturday and Sunday, the usual weekend arrangements will be in place, with anyone needing medical advice asked to call NHS 111.

Meanwhile, community pharmacies will be open for a minimum of three hours from 2-5pm on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with some open for longer. Saturday’s opening hours will be the same as normal, while the usual Easter Day opening hours will apply on Sunday.

Parents across the Harrogate district are being offered a helping hand to keep children of all ages entertained. 

From pre-school groups sending out video activities to school children gaining skills from new sources, generous local professionals are offering free support to parents struggling to fill the days with something educational. 

Photographer Charlotte Hedgecock is usually at her busiest in the spring and summer months, capturing people’s wedding days on camera. During the week, her work is mostly commercial, including photographing client homes for a kitchen company. Under social distancing rules, however, her diary is completely empty. 

“Two weeks ago was meant to be the first wedding of the season,” she said. “I’ve had five rescheduled so far, some for later this year and some for next year. 

“I’ve still got four booked in for May, then four or five in June, and the same in July and August. I don’t know what will happen with those yet.” 

Charlotte Hedgecock, right, usually spends her summers capturing wedding days on camera

Rather than worrying, Charlotte decided to fill her time by setting up a series of free online classes for budding young photographers. Each week, she will release one lesson via her Facebook page, challenging students to improve their skills in different ways. The whole course will last for ten weeks. She said: 

“I thought this could help people if they’ve got children at home. Everybody’s got a camera phone. It’s good to get them thinking about something more creative and learning about the technology.” 

Music online

For Karen Allen, who has run Singamajigs classes for pre-schoolers for the last 15 years, the move online didn’t come naturally. 

Used to running her music classes in village halls or at the Kidzplay soft play centre in Harrogate, the idea of trying to recreate something professional for people to join at home was at first daunting. 

Singamajigs classes usually involve a lot of interaction for children and parents

“I wasn’t going to do anything,” she said. “You see all these people on the television who are so good at it – how do I compete with that? 

“Then I was talking to one of my mums and she said, ‘we just want you, because my daughter knows you’.”

Karen has opted not to charge for the classes she has run so far, but may introduce a pay-as-you-feel system in the coming weeks. She recognises that many people are in financial difficulty, but still need to have access to activities for their children. Her priority is keeping a sense of community, even from a distance. 

“Parents are connecting with me because they just want to know it’s OK,” she said. “Some are really struggling and you can hear it.  

“For me, as long as we survive financially, it’s not about charging, it’s about keeping the community I’ve had for many years together. It’s about staying safe and staying connected with the families I know.” 

A reminder has been issued to cyclists to follow social distancing guidelines as more and more people take to two wheels for exercise.

A combination of lighter nights and improved weather has seen the number of cyclists increase significantly over the last fortnight. That has also been boosted by the number of vehicles on the roads falling to 1955 levels, according to data released last week.

Some cyclists have come under fire for leaving their local area, with a sign being put up in Huby this week warning cyclists not to risk spreading the virus. North Yorkshire Police said cycling is still acceptable even during the coronavirus lockdown, but said precautions still need to be taken.

A sign put up in Huby warning cyclists to stay away. Picture by Thomas Barrett

Major Collision Investigation Sergeant Karen Aldridge said: “As long as people follow the government’s rules about how they exercise and observe social distancing while they do it, we want to give people the knowledge they need to ride safely.

“North Yorkshire is a beautiful county with a strong cycling scene and 6,000 miles of roads. That’s plenty of road for everyone if all road users stick to the law, take sensible precautions and look out for one another.”

The force’s advice includes:

• planning routes and telling someone where you’re going and your expected return time, especially if you are cycling in a remote location
• using dedicated cycle paths, especially when riding with children, as HGVs are still on the roads delivering essential supplies
• checking the bike is roadworthy before setting off, especially if it hasn’t been used for a while
• wearing reflective clothing and using lights and reflective discs, as well as riding towards the centre of the lane where you are most visible to other road users
• ensuring any face protection does not restrict your head movement
• using hand signals when turning
• making eye contact with drivers and pedestrians to ensure they have seen you
• helping motorists to pass at a safe distance by filtering down to single file.

Sgt Aldridge said officers are working hard to enforce speed limits, after reports that some drivers are using excessive speeds on quieter roads. She reminded drivers to “expect the unexpected around each corner” and to pass cyclists when safe to do so, at a minimum distance of 1.5m.

She added: “The government measures make it clear that cyclists need to practise social distancing and should only ride alone or with people from the same household. Please remember that, as our officers are out on patrol ensuring people follow these rules.”

Politicians from across parties have praised the efforts of everyone working to create a Nightingale hospital in Harrogate.

From calling for greater funding for the NHS to looking ahead to the way the country works once the crisis is over, each party has given its own perspective.

The Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Green Party all expressed gratitude for the hard work being done to set up the hospital at Harrogate Convention Centre, as well as to the doctors, nurses and other staff already treating patients at Harrogate District Hospital.

‘Enormous debt of gratitude’

The Liberal Democrats’ 2019 prospective parliamentary candidate Judith Rogerson said: ”We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the people who have been working so hard this week to transform the Convention Centre into a Nightingale Hospital.

“To put together such a major project in such a short space of time is hugely impressive. This is an incredibly difficult time for everyone which makes it all the more wonderful that so many people in our community are pulling together to look after each other in so many different ways.”

‘Value our public services’

News of the hospital was welcomed by the Labour Party in the Harrogate district.

A spokesman said: “We salute all the frontline workers and their tireless efforts to keep us safe. We call on the government to ensure that they in turn are kept safe, and that they get all the personal protective equipment, testing and support that they need. 

“This pandemic has exposed the fragility in the system caused by ten years of chronic under-investment. This must be a wake-up call for our region and country in how we value our public services and the staff of those services in the future.” 

‘Selfless approach’

The Green Party also recognised the hard work of NHS staff and called for greater recognition and support of the vital roles played by many people in society.

A spokesman added: “What we all need to do now is continue to support our amazing health service by doing everything we can to avoid contracting or spreading the virus, but also start to think about the direction we want to take after this global crisis: it is now crystal-clear that going back to wasteful and damaging ‘business as usual’ is not an option.

“After this wake-up call, we will surely work for a world where we continue to support each other, by resolving to further develop the benevolent and selfless approaches we have seen so much of recently.” 

The Stray Ferret asked Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, for a comment, but has not received a response.

Debenhams could be missing from Harrogate town centre once it re-opens following the coronavirus crisis, after the national chain filed for administration.

It is the second time that the company has called in administrators, and it said the move was designed to get it through the current challenges in order to re-open stores once restrictions are lifted.

However, it is unclear how many and which of its branches will re-open, with 50 permanent store closures already announced. One Harrogate business leader said he was unsurprised by the news, as the chain had been in trouble for some time, and he did not expect the Harrogate store to re-open.

Bob Kennedy, chairman of Harrogate BID, said: “I’m sure there will be a Debenhams that comes out of administration. I would be very surprised if the Harrogate store was part of their plans.”

Mr Kennedy said he felt it was more likely the building would be split into smaller retail units on the ground floor and residential above. Such a large building was not likely to be appealing to many retailers, he said, as changes on the high street continue to affect brands’ needs.

The size of the Debenhams store makes it unlikely to appeal to a single retailer, according to Bob Kennedy

Regarding the pressures on other town centre businesses while the coronavirus continues, Mr Kennedy said the BID is doing all it can to ensure they make a strong start once trading is possible again.

“While nothing can be done physically at the moment, the board members are trying to put things in place so when we do all get re-open we are in the best possible position to try and catch up on some trade we’ve lost,” he said.

 “One of the main priorities is to make sure the town has had a good deep clean. Then to focus on the autumn and the run up to Christmas and making sure we try to have plans in place to make that as good as it can possibly be.

“For all these businesses that have lost an absolute fortune, hopefully it’s a chance to catch up and pull at least some money back.”

The future of one of Harrogate’s leading cultural programmes is in the balance after coronavirus forced organisers to cancel an entire season of events. 

Harrogate International Festivals has called off its renowned Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and popular Spiegeltent, as well as numerous outdoor theatre and community events set to run through the summer. 

Instead, it is setting up an online resource to share some of its work with people at home. 

In a statement, the organisation said: “As a not-for-profit arts charity, we are reliant on our events programme and ticket income, alongside sponsor support and donor philanthropy, and so the cancellation of our main season has huge financial implications that place the future of our Festivals at risk.  

“But despite the unprecedented challenge we now face, our mission to bring immersive and moving cultural experiences to as many people as possible remains unchanged.” 

Although the festivals will not be going ahead, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award will still be announced in July, with nominated authors set to give online interviews. HIF Player, meanwhile, will be a free online hub of archive performances, educational material and activities for families to use at home. 

The statement concluded:

“Art and culture help us understand what it means to be human and how to make sense of life, and festivals are a vital part of this ecology. When this troubling time passes, we will need – more than ever – the transformative power of the arts to bring communities together, to inspire hope, to lift spirits and change lives.”

Two more people have died at Harrogate District Hospital after contracting coronavirus, bringing the total to eight.

The two patients both died on Friday, April 3. No further details have been released, but NHS England said they were among the 637 deaths confirmed today around the UK – including a five-year-old child.

The number of confirmed cases in North Yorkshire has risen to 218 in figures released today, with more than 33,000 across the country. The total number of fatalities in the UK now stands at 3,939.

Meanwhile, work has continued today at Harrogate Convention Centre, which is being turned into a 500-bed Nightingale hospital.

Activity continues at Harrogate Convention Centre as it is transformed into a Nightingale hospital

Construction work continues today around the Royal Hall at Harrogate Convention Centre

An amubulance outside Harrogate Convention Centre today

Construction work continued today at Harrogate Convention Centre