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

A petition has been set up calling for Bauer Media to reverse its decision to replace Stray FM with a national radio station.

Launched by the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate and Knaresborough, the petition says the loss of the service will be “a huge blow to our local communities”.

As announced this week, the 26-year-old Harrogate station is set to be replaced by Greatest Hits Radio, with three hours a day of regional presenting covering Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Lib Dem spokesperson Judith Rogerson told The Stray Ferret:

“For me, it came as a bit of a shock. During the week, I was talking to one of my friend from outside Harrogate and saying we’re lucky to have local radio, and then this news was announced.

“Stray FM is such a huge part of the community. So many of us just have it on in the background. It always sticks with me how good they are at what they do – in emergencies, like floods and snow, but also the fun stuff like the bed race. You see people around and recognise them and it’s a brand that everyone knows and likes.”

Ms Rogerson said she was concerned about the impact on community groups and events which are supported by Stray FM. Some of them have already spoken to The Stray Ferret about the imminent loss of help from local presenters, journalists and others at the station.

Stray FM entered and supported the Knaresborough Bed Race, among other community events

With the new station offering mostly national content and a small amount of regional programming, she said she fears its reflection of the unique nature of the Harrogate district will be lost.

She also expressed support for the Stray FM team, whose roles are currently under consultation for redundancy.

“It’s dreadful it has come at this time. Everyone’s life is so uncertain at the moment and the community has been really strong during the pandemic. To lose such an important bit of that community is awful, and I really feel for the people who work there too.”

The petition, which she said is for the community rather than a political statement, has already attracted more than 400 signatures in just a few hours. While she doesn’t know whether it will be enough to persuade Bauer to change their minds, she added: “It’s really important that someone speaks up to gather that strength of feeling.”

The Stray Ferret has approached Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, for his views on the changes at Stray FM but has not received a response.

To view or sign the petition, click here.

Yorkshire Water has again urged people to stay away from reservoirs this weekend as its sites have already seen an influx of visitors since lockdown restrictions were eased.

It’s the third week in a row the company has pleaded for people not to visit its reservoirs as it continues to put plans in place to protect its key workers.

Car parks at Swinsty, Fewston and Thruscross are currently open after lockdown measures were relaxed and allowed people to travel to visit parks and other attractions for exercise.

It comes as people have flocked to reservoirs in the Harrogate district in the past couple of weeks to make the most of the sunshine. More than 50 cars were parked outside Swinsty reservoir in the first week of restrictions being relaxed.

Cars parked outside Swinsty reservoir in the first week of lockdown restrictions being eased.

But bosses at Yorkshire Water have urged people to only visit if they are in walking distance after incidents where cars have been parked inappropriately on nearby roads.

Emily Brady, marketing and content manager at Yorkshire Water, said reservoirs in the county had been busy since restrictions were eased and urged people to stay away.

She said: “Since the government guidelines have changed, we’ve been working hard to devise a plan to keep everyone safe while enjoying our beautiful reservoirs. 

“Our key workers visit our reservoirs regularly to do vital engineering checks so we’re putting plans in place to help protect them.

“While we do this, we want to remind everyone to not visit our reservoirs this weekend unless you live within walking distance. Unfortunately, lots of people are still visiting our reservoirs and they’re very busy at the moment. 

“We’ve had several incidences of people parking inappropriately on roads nearby causing traffic issues too and this has caused issues for emergency services so please don’t visit this weekend and hopefully we’ll be back to normal soon.”

The Mayor and Mayoress of Harrogate were at Harrogate district hospital last night to pay their thanks to staff in what could be the final clap for carers.

April Martin, was in intensive care at Harrogate hospital with coronavirus.  She told the Stray Ferret that she would not be here today if it wasn’t for the treatment she received.

 It’s very emotional, some of the nurses have come up to me saying I know you won’t recognise me but it is great to see you.

The Mayor described what could be the final clap as very moving:

I didn’t think we would see this day if I’m honest… I was very worried when they put April in the ambulance and asked if I wanted to come and say bye, I thought to myself this could be the last time I see my wife… It’s very emotional here at the hospital tonight.

North Yorkshire Police have issued a warning to residents and businesses after a high volume of bank fraud cases in the county, including £55,000 stolen from victims in Harrogate.

“Courier fraud” is when a victim receives a phone call from someone claiming to be from the police or their bank’s fraud team and who asks for money to be handed over to be used in an investigation.

They usually tell the victim they are investigating the bank due to allegations of theft from customers.

Police have issued the warning after three incidents were reported in Harrogate. One case saw a 65-year-old woman lose £50,000 to fraudsters after she was persuaded to withdraw money from her bank and to buy gold as a safer investment before it was placed into safe storage.

A further case saw a 60-year-old man conned out of £5,000. He refused to travel to London to hand the money over in person, but he agreed to pass it to a courier.

Meanwhile, an 80-year-old woman almost lost £6,500 back in March until she contacted her bank’s for fraud advice. The suspect did not contact her again.

Police continue to investigate these incidents.

Detective Detective Constable Neil Brodhurst, a fraud investigator, urged anyone who has been a victim of a courier fraud to come forward.

He said: “Courier fraud is clearly a despicable and malicious crime which preys upon vulnerable people who are genuinely frightened that their life savings are at risk.

“It is vitally important for residents to know that the police or a bank would never contact people in this way. They would also never ask for highly personal information such as PINs and bank account numbers over the phone.

“If you or someone you know receives such a call out of the blue, the best advice is to end the call straight away and report it to the police and the bank for investigation..

“Please do not feel foolish in any way. We are here to help and support victims and we will do everything in our power to bring suspects to justice.”

Harrogate businesses have been urged not to leave disabled shoppers behind as they gear up to reopen in the coming weeks.

Disability Action Yorkshire has called on companies to put in place measures to help disabled people shop safely and published guidance to follow.

It comes as car showrooms will be able to reopen on Monday and other non-essential stores, including clothes shops and electronics outlets, will open on June 15.

Among the measures suggested by the charity include widening aisles, clear signage at a height for wheelchair users and discretion on the limited people in a shop rule for those who need a companion to support them.

The charity has also suggested putting chairs out for queues at stores where there is likely to be a long wait.

Jackie Snape, chief executive at Disability Action Yorkshire.

Jackie Snape, chief executive at Disability Action Yorkshire, called on businesses to bear disabled customers in mind when they put plans in place.

She said:

“As we gently ease through lockdown many businesses, shops and hospitality venues are thinking about making the necessary adjustments to make their premises, routes and spaces as safe for as many people as possible.

“We are asking that, when making those vital plans, you consider disabled customers. ‘Shop local’ is a message we hear a lot and we want to ensure that when disabled people cone into town they can do so in comfort and safety.

“Whilst it’s not an exhaustive list, we hope businesses find these suggestions both useful and beneficial.

“We would also ask disabled people to get in touch with us if they have other suggestions, as we know there’s going to be a lot of things worrying people that we haven’t considered.”

A total of 109 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have recovered and been discharged from Harrogate District Hospital – and increase of five since last week.

The latest news, announced this afternoon, comes as the hospital also reports no new deaths in patients with Covid-19, in today’s NHS figures.

It means the total number of deaths at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust remains at 64.

#teamHDFT #ThankYouNHS pic.twitter.com/tHE24r6oMU

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) May 28, 2020

Meanwhile, the NHS has reported a further 185 patients in England who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in hospital. Patients were between 28 and 99 years old, and five of those who died had no known underlying health conditions.

The figures mean the number of deaths in hospitals nationally has increased to 26,234.

News that local radio station Stray FM will be coming off the air later this year has been met with dismay.

The station, based at Hornbeam Park, has been serving the district for 26 years, but owner Bauer Media, which purchased Stray FM from UKRD last March has announced it will become part of a national network with “nationally known presenters” and will continue to provide news, travel, weather and other local information under the Greatest Hits Radio brand.

The change is a particularly heavy blow to Knaresborough Lions, which has been running Knaresborough Bed Race for many years with Stray FM as its media partner.

Kevin Lloyd, who is the Lions’ Bed Race Chairman, told the Stray Ferret:

“This is terrible news for us and other charities and organisations across the district, as a community-focused radio station, they have been fantastic advocates for all kinds of causes from their local heroes awards to the incredible support that they have given us over the years in making the Bed Race the highly successful and much-enjoyed event that it is today.”

The Knaresborough Bed Race draws in lots of visitors. Photo: Andrew Hawkes/Knaresborough Bed Race

Mr Lloyd, says that lines of communication are being kept open with Bauer Media, which has supported the development of the Virtual Bed Race to be held in place of the real event on Saturday 13th June. However, he doesn’t know if there will be a continuing relationship beyond this year, as Stray FM becomes Greatest Hits Radio.

John Fox, chair of Harrogate at Christmas, said he was devastated by Bauer’s announcement, which affects Stray FM and nine other local radio stations in the UK.

He, said:

“Stray FM is deeply-rooted in the Harrogate Community. In times of flooding, or disruptive weather, we could count on Stray FM to keep us informed, to get us safely to work or home. They are always there to promote and support community events.”

One such event, was the annual switch on ceremony for the Christmas lights in Harrogate at which Stray FM’s team were ever-present to support and cover the official start of the festive season in the town.

Mr Fox, pointed out: “Audiences grew from around 300 to thousands.”

Mark Smith, managing direction of the Ripley-based HACS construction group has been a listener for many years and said:

“Stray FM  have been a great asset to the local community, supporting many events across the locality from Knaresborough Bed Race to the Great Yorkshire Show, as well as many charities – they will be sorely missed.”

Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to give its commercial tenants three months rent free is set to land local taxpayers with a £200,000 bill.

A report to council leader, Richard Cooper, and Cllr Graham Swift, executive member for economy, at the authority’s urgent cabinet meeting in March detailed the cost of the decision before it was approved by senior councillors.

Since then, the authority has seen its debt from the coronavirus outbreak spiral from an estimated £10 million to £15 million and is now considering furloughing staff to address the shortfall.

While most local authorities decided to defer rents for local companies, the borough council opted to wave them completely for its tenants.

Unlike other businesses, council tenants have had a double dose of public money with many applying for emergency government grants on top of a rent free period. It leaves the authority facing questions over whether the decision was a good use of taxpayer money or not when the cost of the pandemic is revealed.

One council tenant, who did not wish to be named, said that they knew of at least one fellow council tenant which was still operating and that most of the smaller businesses will have applied for the government’s £10,000 grant.

They said they were given no advanced notice of the decision until they received an e-mail to inform them of the rent free period.

They said: “I was shocked and could not believe it, nobody asked for it.

“Obviously I am pleased, but I wonder if it might have been better if they found out those businesses who cannot get the grant and supported them.”

At the time of the decision, a joint statement from Cllr Cooper and chief executive Wallace Sampson said the authority wanted to encourage others to offer support.

It said: “Our commercial tenants will be offered three months’ rent free and we’ll be doing all that we can to encourage other landlords in the district to consider what support they can offer their tenants.”

Earlier this month, some landlords described the decision as “unnecessary” at a time when the council is considering furloughing some of its staff in the future to help make ends meet.

Meanwhile, Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats group on the council, said she felt the decision was rushed.

“I think in hindsight it was maybe a decision which should have been tempered,” she said.

“For me, I think it was a bit of a rushed decision that I wish I had given more thought.”

Harrogate Borough Council has been asked whether it intends to extend the rent free period, but had not responded at the time of publication.

The closure of the St George Hotel is symptomatic of the huge challenges facing the hospitality industry, according to the leader of the group representing the largest hotels in the Harrogate district.

Peter Banks, chairman of Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association, told The Stray Ferret: “They will be the first of many in the country. It’s going to be carnage. The high street will be changed for good.”

With Harrogate Convention Centre still set up as a Nightingale hospital and remaining on stand-by for an indefinite period, Mr Banks, who is general manager at Rudding Park, said there is a large question mark hanging over the viability of the industry in the district.

“What about all the bedrooms that go hand-in-hand with the convention centre? If it’s a hospital for a year, all of those big shows won’t be going on and all their attendees and delegates will not be staying in the hotel bedrooms.

“Only about three per cent of the bedrooms I sell are related to the convention centre, but there are other hotels that are much more like 30, 40, 50 per cent. Where’s that business going to come from?”

Sitting opposite the convention centre, the St George was likely to have been more affected than most by it being out of use for events. But Mr Banks said being part of a business which also operated coach tours put it at greater risk than many of the district’s other hotels.

Peter Banks, chairman of Harorgate Hospitality and Tourism Association

While quarantine restrictions are in place for overseas travel, Harrogate is likely to get a boost from UK tourists. However, Mr Banks said HHTA’s thoughts haven’t yet turned to how the district can capitalise on this and market itself effectively:

“Right now, everybody is just trying to work out how the hell we’re going to operate. We’re that far away from creating any marketing plans. If you can’t work out how people are going to go to the loo safely, it might be putting the cart before the horse.”

Weight of responsibility

He criticised the guidance from the government as “about as clear as mud”, saying they had left businesses to try to work out how to operate safely without straightforward rules. Hotel owners, he said, felt an enormous weight of responsibility to protect staff and visitors from the risk of catching Covid-19 and were constantly re-writing their plans as government guidance changed.

For example, he said reducing the number of staff in hotel kitchens means overhauling menus – and putting those menus onto apps instead of passing them between staff and customers. Even simple things like passing in corridors and using toilets will have to be considered and controlled. He added:

“My hotel manager said it’s going to be like re-opening a new hotel. It’s going to be like opening a new hotel on Mars. The rules are going to be entirely different and we’re going to have to change things day by day while we work out how it works.”

Peter Banks says re-opening Rudding Park will be ‘like opening a new hotel on Mars’

Mr Banks said he expects most of the hotels in Harrogate to be large enough to sustain themselves through the current turmoil. For restaurants, however, he said even if they are able to reopen in the coming weeks, social distancing may make it impossible for them to break even, let alone make a profit.

“The furlough scheme has been a life-saver, but frankly all it’s doing is kicking the can down the road. We’re all going to have to cope without the support of the government at some point. It’s delaying the inevitable when a lot of smaller businesses will not be able to make a profit.

“If they have to get 70 per cent occupancy to break even in restaurants, what’s the point? They just won’t open.

The hospitality industry is extremely worried. Everyone is getting ready to open in July at some point but everyone is worried about what it’s going to look like.”

Short-term ‘bounce’

As well as the hotel receptionists, cleaners, kitchen porters, accountants and others who lose their jobs when a hotel closes, Mr Banks said there is a ripple effect to others such as food suppliers. Even the move to cashless systems to reduce the risk of infection will result in job losses, as cashing up is no longer needed and couriers won’t be required to take money to the bank.

The result could be further redundancies being made across all industries, leaving people with less cash in their pockets. While Mr Banks said he expects a short-term “bounce” for many hotels and restaurants soon after reopening, he said the winter could be very quiet as people run out of money they have saved during lockdown, or more job losses hit across the UK.

However, he sounded a note of optimism for the Harrogate district.

“Harrogate is an awful lot more fortunate than a lot of other places. We have a great natural resource, a really beautiful built environment, unlike so many other places. We will be less affected than others.”