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03
Jul 2020
Mass testing reveals higher coronavirus cases in Harrogate district
The number of coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district has doubled overnight after the way in which they were recorded changed.
It was a big shift in numbers as a result of the government adding data from its mass testing programme. Previously it had just included tests in NHS laboratories.
That means that the total cases in the Harrogate district jumped from 325 yesterday to 694 today - an increase of 113%.
Not only that but the rate of coronavirus cases in the district also rose sharply to 432. The rate accounts for population sizes in areas to give a more accurate reading.
The count for each area is divided by the total population and multiplied by 100,000.
Coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire as a whole, in the same period, rose from 1,356 to 2,504.
Read more:
- Why the Harrogate district has second-highest coronavirus death rate in county
- There have been no coronavirus deaths for 12 days at Harrogate District Hospital
With the attention turning to more local lockdowns this data will play an important role in the decisions of officials.
Looking at the Harrogate district in comparison with other areas it is by no means the worst affected area but it is also not completely out of the woods.
Nearby places like Bradford and Barnsley have much higher rates than the Harrogate district. Find the government's coronavirus map by clicking or tapping here.
North Yorkshire’s Director of Public Health, Dr Lincoln Sargeant, said:
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