Health bosses urge patience on covid vaccine as 76 further cases confirmed
by
Jan 8, 2021
The vaccine centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground.
The vaccine centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Health bosses have urged people to be patient on the covid vaccine as a further 76 cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district.

The number takes the total number of coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic up to 5,236, according to Public Health England figures.

The district’s seven-day coronavirus rate stands at 471 per 100,000 people and is the fourth highest in North Yorkshire.

Meanwhile, health bosses in North Yorkshire have urged people to be patient over the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine.

It comes after vulnerable residents told the Stray Ferret earlier this week that they were frustrated at the lack of information on the vaccine locally.


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The jab is currently being offered to the over 80s, frontline health staff and care home workers and residents. Those over 75, over 70, as well as clinically and extremely vulnerable patients, will follow.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set a target to vaccinate those four priority groups by February 15 following the country being placed into another national lockdown.

But local health officials have asked people to be patient and wait to be invited by their GP for their vaccine appointment as the programme is ramped up nationally.

Amanda Bloor, NHS North Yorkshire CCG accountable officer and chair of the North Yorkshire and York group of NHS and local government chief executives, said: 

“It’s heartening to see patients’ enthusiasm to have the covid vaccine, but it’s important those at most risk of falling seriously ill and dying from coronavirus are vaccinated first.

“Your GP surgery is following the necessary guidance and will be in touch with you when it’s your turn to be vaccinated – please do not contact them.”

Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital is currently treating 24 patients who tested positive for coronavirus.

The number is an increase on the 16 which the trust reported last week.

According to NHS England figures, a further patient who tested positive for covid died at the hospital on January 6. It takes the total number of deaths at the hospital since March up to 111.

The hospital has treated and discharged 335 people diagnosed with covid – 11 of these since last week – but its current number of in-patients with covid has risen from 16 on New Year’s Eve to 28 yesterday.