The NHS figures this lunchtime show that a third patient has died at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust whilst the number of positive coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire has risen to 75 – up 6 from Friday. The patient died yesterday.

At present, most patients are only tested if they are admitted to hospital with severe symptoms, so figures do not include people who have symptoms but are able to stay at home.

An NHS England statement which released today said of all the deaths:

Patients were aged between 39 and 105 years old and all but 4 patients (aged between 57 and 87 years old) had underlying health conditions.

Their families have been informed.

The Spirit of Masham has tweeted an urgent call for plastic bottles after it switched production from gin to hand sanitiser to help prevent the spread of  coronavirus.

https://twitter.com/spiritofmasham/status/1243942655584763904

The Masham distillery is not the only gin company in the district that has turned from making gin to hand sanitiser. Harrogate Tipple in Ripley which makes Harrogate Gin lobbied the Treasury to remove duty from alcohol so it could make the sanitiser cheaply and provide it at-cost to health workers, the emergency services and community care organisations. It too has struggled to source plastic bottles.

The Harrogate Tipple distillery production manager Andrea Natiello and co-founder Sally Green, Ripon

For a little light relief this Sunday here are two Harrogate residents who have tried online shopping for the first time.

As many people will experience as they start to get to grips with online deliveries, they didn’t quite receive what they thought they’d ordered……

Staff from the day surgery unit at Harrogate District Hospital have recorded an emotional video message in response to the clap for carers phenomenon.

In the video, they give a poignant rendition of the song I’ll Stand By You with the following message:

“Harrogate day surgery unit will stand by you. Stay in, stay home, stay safe.”

That message comes after people right across the Harrogate district stepped outside their doors at 8pm on Thursday evening to “clap for our carers.”

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in North Yorkshire has risen by almost 40 per cent in one day, according to Public Health England.

The organisation reported there were 69 cases in the county on Friday, compared to 50 the day before.

At present, most patients are only tested if they are admitted to hospital with severe symptoms, so figures do not include people who have symptoms but are able to stay at home. There are no specific figures for the Harrogate district, but two people have died at Harrogate District Hospital after testing positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, local authorities, police and other landowners including Yorkshire Water have asked the public to stay at home and not travel to popular tourism destinations and beauty spots this weekend.

It follows large crowds seen at locations including Swinsty, Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs last weekend. Good weather on Mother’s Day is believed to have contributed to people looking for places to meet family outdoors, leading to further curbs on activities by the government from last Monday evening.

North Yorkshire Police have now set up check-points to ensure anyone travelling is only doing so for essential reasons, such as key workers going to work or individuals going to buy food. They say they will be issuing fines of up to £1,000 for anyone caught flouting the rules.

A Harrogate woman who has spent the past month trekking in Nepal claims the locals have treated her with disgust since the country went into coronavirus lockdown.

Holly Bellerby and her partner Matthew Helliwell had just finished the 100 mile long Annapurna Circuit when the local government cancelled all climbing permits.

Even though Holly and Matthew haven’t been back to the UK for a year and have no symptoms of coronavirus, they say not wearing masks has proved controversial.

Along with 15 other British nationals, the couple was stuck in the village of Jomsom where restaurant and hotel staff have refused them entry.

“We needed to get a copy of our passport and asked a local internet cafe to help,” Holly told the Stray Ferret.

“They refused to take money from us and handed us the papers by asking us to move back from the property and putting the papers under a rock for us.

 

“At the moment we aren’t too hopeful that there’s going to be a flight arranged for the British nationals. We have heard things about French and German embassies organising something for them.

 

“We actually didn’t have a flight booked home which is a blessing and a curse – it’s almost too risky to book anything or assume the government will organise something for us at the moment.”

Since speaking to the Stray Ferret, Holly has been sent a generic email from the British embassy but it does not guarantee a way out of Nepal.

It says that the embassy is not yet able to “confirm flight availability or cost. If a commercial flight is scheduled at short notice we will need you to be in close proximity.”

Holly Bellerby in Old Bagan, Myanmar.

A local news website in the Himalayas reported today that the “137 foreigners stranded on trekking trails will be rescued in two days” but Holly has not yet been told about any flights.

Even when Holly does get back to the UK, she has no idea what to do about jobs or where to stay.

“My family all still live in Harrogate and after quarantine I will be heading there to stay with my sister. My parents are both high risk so have been advised to stay isolated for three months.

 

“We were planning on moving to London after a few weeks with family up north but now our plans are completely up in the air and we don’t have an endless pit of money.”

North Yorkshire Police clearly do not want a repeat of last weekend which saw almost record numbers of people driving to popular walking destinations in the Harrogate district.

RHS Harlow Carr in Harrogate shut its doors on Sunday after it was unable to control social distancing measures and Yorkshire Water had to close its reservoir car parks due to large numbers of visitors.

Ahead of this weekend, the force told people not to drive to the North York Moors, Dales or coast for exercise or any other non-essential reason.

Chief Inspector Ed Haywood-Noble, said:

“We do not want to see people travelling to beauty spots in rural areas for exercise or any other reason. In particular, do not arrange to meet up with family or friends. Instead, take your exercise near your home, with members of your household. And whether you’re in a car or on a motorcycle, do not go out ‘just for a drive’ or a ride in the countryside – if you break down, or have a crash you’re putting lives at risk.”

A police coronavirus checkpoint in action. Photo: Sgt Paul Cording

This weekend, officers will be stopping vehicles and asking motorists where they’re going, why they are going there, and reminding them of the message to “stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives”.

People ignoring these tougher restrictions on movement could be fined £60 fine initially and another for £120 for a second offence.

Louise Pullan, who owns a farm and runs a cafe called The Flock and Fold near Thruscross Reservoir, sent a video to the Stray Ferret earlier this week she was so upset at the crowds that turned up last Sunday. She said:

“There has not been as many walkers as there was at the weekend since the original Tour de Yorkshire in 2015. There was literally hundreds of people treading the footpaths of Thurscross, it’s totally unacceptable.”

Cars parked along the lane by Louise Pullan’s farm near Thruscross on Sunday.

Main image: Thurscross Reservoir photo:Geograph/Matthew Hatton

Olivia Grigoras is a Maternity Support Worker at Harrogate Hospital. She told the Stray Ferret that she was ‘In tears’ last night when she heard the applause and cheers for healthcare workers on the street outside her house. She then had an ‘even more tearful’ experience this morning, when she woke up to a lovely surprise from her 6 year old daughter, Iris.

Harrogate Borough Council has scrapped all fees at its off-street car parks to help NHS staff and other key workers.

In Harrogate, it will mean that it is now free to park at West Park Long Stay Multi-Storey, Victoria and Jubilee car parks.

But there are over 33 car parks across the Harrogate district which will all be affected by the move.

The council has warned motorists to still follow parking restrictions to ensure they do not create a hazard.

It comes as the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust scrapped parking fees for its staff.

The government will cover the cost of scrapping parking fees after a petition calling for the move reached over 400,000 signatures.

However, with a surge of volunteers signing up to help at hospitals there were fears that there would not be enough car parking spaces.

This move to scrap off-street parking charges should help relieve some pressure on hospital car parks but government ministers have also called on some private parking firms to follow suit.

Fire fighters from Harrogate’s Blue Watch joined people from all over the district this evening saluting NHS workers and “Clap for our Carers”.  Across the district people clapped from windows, front doors  and balconies.

The fire fighters parked outside Harrogate District Hospital — their fire engine lights flashed and sirens sounded.  Hospital staff came outside to clap and cheer too.

If you took some pictures or video of your family thanking the NHS please send them to us at contact@thestrayferret . We’d love to publish  them.