The number of positive covid cases in the district has risen by 55 in the past 24 hours. The district has recorded 253 positive cases in the past week.

Whilst other parts of England moved to higher restrictions over the weekend, Harrogate remains in the lowest category of the government’s  three-tier local lockdown system.

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Strayside Sunday is our weekly political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. 

Try as I might, my rudimentary internet research skills have not yet uncovered the criteria for Harrogate currently residing in Covid-19 Medium Tier Alert.  With some application I can discern the do’s and don’ts of the category: 10pm curfew, the Rule of 6, non-attendance at the monthly swingers club, that sort of thing.  It’s just that, for the life of me, I can’t uncover the triggers that would mean Harrogate might be promoted to High Alert, alongside near neighbours Leeds, or even catapulted into Very High Alert, there to rub shoulders with Liverpool.

I think the alert level might be something to do with the R-rate, the number of positive Covid-19 tests, the size of the city or town’s student population, relative levels of social deprivation, areas of health inequality, the proportion of people over the age of 60, ethnicity and pre-existing and underlying health conditions.  No one is able to say for sure.  In fact the alert level decision is of course about all of these things and more.  Myriad factors discussed and negotiated between a national government (the authority of which has lost its wax and found its wane) and local government leaders, in full voice, newly ‘bold as Beauchamp.’  Or, should I say, given I write this in Yorkshire about the North’s crop of elected Mayors, ‘bold as brass.’

What’s going on?  The Conservative government is, of course, in a terrible stew.  The decisions it faces hour-by-hour must balance the ongoing threat to our health with further damage to our already grievously wounded economy.  It is making life or death decisions, affecting health or wealth, in real-time, with only instinct and imperfect information as a guide.  But, as the number of clangers, screeching hand-break turns and misfires mounts up, even those, like me, sympathetically minded toward the government, are beginning to lose patience.  It’s not only about poor decision making and obvious political incompetence, it’s about the glaring lack of a guiding principle, a north star, so to speak.

By backing Brexit (opportunistically and at the last moment) and, through the good offices of Dominic “The Brainiac” Cummins, by turning it into a conversation about immigration, Boris earned a hearing from the white working-class north of Watford Gap.  So, when Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson won his stonking parliamentary majority in December 2019, he did so with what seemed a strong, if, from Boris, counterintuitive promise to “level up” the North.  No longer the posh London metropolitan  ‘hug-a-hoodie’ Tory party of Dave and Sam Cam, the Conservatives were striking out beyond the M25, prioritising the forgotten industrial waste lands of post-post-Thatcherite Britain and, BBC-like, placing new emphasis on regional accents.  Man of the people BoJo promised us investment in jobs, skills, infrastructure, a brave and bold future grown rich on newly minted international trade deals.  But, then, Covid, only Covid.

We know that people in the North of England went into this crisis earning, owning and saving less than those in the South.  Nothing new to see here.  We also know now that Covid hits hardest in densely populated urban areas with high levels of social deprivation.  And we know that Covid seeks out and punishes those in ill health.  We know too that Covid disproportionately impacts BAME nationals.  All these matter more in the urban multi-cultural north.

The northern mayors have a point; Covid, and the government’s developing economic response to it, are widening the gap between north and south.  Its hitting hardest those who can least afford it, whether they are working in low paid jobs, or not working at all.  Yes, the mayors are being politically partisan, they scent a real opportunity to regain lost ground and build again in red brick.  But they are most certainly representing the feelings of their constituents, secondary modern kids snubbed once more by their betters in gowns and mortarboards.

It was announced during the Conservatives’ virtual conference last week that it was going to open a northern party headquarters in Leeds.  This the better to emphasise its un-swingeing commitment to the region.  But unless the Conservative Party genuinely hears and urgently acts upon the grievances being aired now by mayors like Andy Burnham from Greater Manchester, Steve Rotheram from the Liverpool City Region and Jamie Driscoll from North Tyne, it won’t just receive a cool welcome when it opens for business in Leeds (Labour Leader Judith Blake is said to be spitting at the prospect), it will surely lose the north at the next election.

So I propose that Boris doubles down on levelling up, to counterpoint my metaphors.  If he doesn’t, he leaves the Conservatives open to the easy charge that they don’t care about the north after all.  It’s not too late for him to tack and change course.  As St. Augustine said, “repentant tears wash out the stain of guilt.”

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

A coffee shop in Hampsthwaite will reopen this weekend after being forced to close due to covid.

Sophie’s Coffee Shop and Bistro closed on Sunday after a relative of a member of staff tested positive for the virus.

But the shop announced on its Facebook page yesterday that all staff concerned had tested negative.

It added that although the results were negative, it had decided to hire a professional deep cleaning team to deep clean the entire inside and outside of the building.

The clean will also include a new marquee, which has been purchased to allow more space for customers. The cafe had to halve its capacity to follow social distancing rules and said the marquee would allow it to seat more customers safely.

Sophie Jacob, owner of the shop, said:

“We’re excited to reopen, we have taken all the necessary precautions. On Wednesday a cleaning company will come and spray the marquee and inside to disinfect the premises. We chose to do this.

“This week we’re setting up the new marquee. We had people waiting in their cars sometimes to come in so we wanted to set this up to have more space.”

The team is hopeful that its measures will ensure customers feel confident to return this weekend.

A further 33 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to the latest Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic to 1,370

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Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, has urged people to stick to the rules in order to keep cases down this weekend.

He said:

“I know that many people are making a concerted effort and I am grateful for their sacrifices but unfortunately not everyone is sticking to the guidance that we know makes the difference.

“This is not about blaming or finger wagging. This is about fighting the virus, supporting our businesses, keeping our schools open and saving lives. I want to be very clear that while many people experience minor symptoms, for some residents who become infected they will sadly not recover. We will see more lives lost and I appeal again for everyone to show real restraint to help avoid that.

“This weekend people may be tempted to get together or meet at pubs and other places in larger groups to socialise. covid-19 thrives on a crowd and is easily transmitted when your guard is down. Please play your part and protect your friends and family.”

Harrogate High School has become the latest school in the district to report a positive case of coronavirus.

It is the eighth local school the Stray Ferret has reported as having a positive result since pupils went back this month.

In a letter to parents yesterday, Harrogate High School said a “small number” of students were identified as being within close contact of the infected pupil,

They have been sent home to self-isolate for 14 days.

In the letter, the headteacher Ms Charlotte Clarke said:

“We have been advised by Public Health England that there has been a confirmed case of Covid within the school.

“The small number of children who have been in close contact with the individual have been informed that their child must stay at home for 14 days.”

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The school declined to provide any further information.

Yesterday, a further 19 cases of Covid were reported in the district, which was the highest daily increase in three weeks.

The letter contains advice from Public Health England saying if a child develops symptoms of Covid, they should remain at home for at least 10 days.

To a further 19 positive coronavirus cases have been reported in the Harrogate district, which is the highest increase in three weeks.

Today’s number is the highest since 21 new infections were reported on September 7.

Harrogate District Hospital recorded its first coronavirus death in 72 days today. The total is now at 83 since March.

The infection figures released by Public Health England today take the district’s total since March to 1,021.

In recent weeks the cases have been increasing following low numbers during the summer months. Yesterday, the number of cases in the district exceeded 1000 since the beginning of the pandemic.

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Rossett School in Harrogate has confirmed one of its sixth form students has tested positive for coronavirus.

The year 12 student will now isolate at home for 14 days. A further 30 year 12 students have been identified as being in close, prolonged contact with the student and have also been asked to isolate.

The school said its sixth form centre has had a “deep enhanced” clean after being identified as the only area used by the student concerned.

The school added all other pupils could return to school.

Parents and guardians received a letter from the school this weekend to remind them of the protocol if a child develops symptoms.

Helen Woodcock, the headteacher, said:

“In our preparation for reopening we planned for a variety of scenarios, we were well-rehearsed and prepared for it. We followed all the necessary national guidance and protocols.

“We have checked that the child is safe at home with their family. The last three weeks have been a fantastic reminder of the importance of education in the lives of our young people.

“We have reinforced with the students the need for them to consider what they do outside of school, where they go and who they see, and how they can contribute to limiting the spread of the virus.”

Ms Woodcock added staff training and school hygiene rules were also in place to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Yesterday, a further 11 cases of Covid were reported in the Harrogate district.

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Coronavirus figures released today show a further 11 positive cases in the Harrogate district.

This number takes the total since the beginning of the pandemic to 993. Today’s numbers are an increase on the eight confirmed cases yesterday.

These further cases will be monitored by North Yorkshire County Council, it recently announced it was reinstating its “major incident status”.

A mobile testing site was in place in Harrogate on Friday and will return again tomorrow. The testing site operates on Dragon Road car park from 11am to 3pm.

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Ripon Grammar School has confirmed one of its sixth form students has tested positive coronavirus.

It makes it the sixth school in the district to have reported a case, and the first outside of Harrogate.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb sent a letter to parents today saying a “small” number of pupils would be sent home to self-isolate. The precise figure has not been revealed.

The letter said:

“We know that you may find this concerning but we are continuing to monitor the situation. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus will be a mild illness.

“The small number of children who have been in direct, prolonged contact with the confirmed case will be staying at home for 14 days.”

Harrogate Ladies’ College has confirmed one of its students has tested positive for coronavirus.

Other pupils, identified as being in close contact, have also been sent home to isolate.

It is the second time in 24 hours that a Harrogate school has been affected by covid.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that Harrogate Grammar School had reported a positive case. The school sent 45 students home to isolate for 14 days.

Harrogate Ladies’ College did not say how many pupils had been affected. A spokeswoman said:

“We can confirm that one pupil at Harrogate Ladies’ College has tested positively for covid. The pupil is well, and isolating at home.

“We are working closely with Public Health England and the NHS track and trace system, and any pupils who have been in close contact with this particular student are now also self-isolating in line with government guidance.”

Despite the two incidents in local schools. coronavirus levels in North Yorkshire county are below the national average.

County council bosses have urged residents to remain vigilant and “avoid unnecessary interactions”.

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