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15
Oct 2020
Last Updated: 15/10/2020
Covid infections rise sharply in Harrogate district
Today's Public Health England figures show the biggest increase in confirmed coronavirus cases in Harrogate since October 5. Building work on the new full-time covid testing site in town began today.
Coronavirus testing centre under construction on Dragon Road in Harrogate.
A further 58 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, the highest daily increase in over a week.
It takes the total number of cases since the pandemic started to 1,558, according to Public Health England figures.
The figure is the highest daily increase since October 5 when 67 cases were confirmed. However, this was put down to an IT error which left thousands of cases across England unreported.
The number of deaths in care homes from coronavirus in the district has also increased.
Read more:
- Harrogate covid group ‘still here to help’, says co-founder
- New Harrogate site will test 300 people a day
According to Office for National Statistics data, one death was recorded in the week to October 10 taking the total to 112.
However, no covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital since September 29.
Harrogate has the highest rate of infections in the seven districts in North Yorkshire.
Latest weekly figures showed 154 cases per 100,000 people in the district. This compares with 151 in Selby, 147 in Craven and 138 in Hambleton. Richmondshire recorded 104, Scarborough had 94 and Ryedale 89.
Building work on a new full-time covid testing site in Harrogate, in the Dragon Road car park, began today. It is due to open next week.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons this week the government would consider a district-by-district approach to its new tier system.
Meanwhile, Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health for North Yorkshire, said the main cause of spread of coronavirus in the county was between households.
He said he supported the new tier system as it would help to tackle the spread in the county.
Dr Sargeant added that there were “very few instances” of infection in hospitality.
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