New coronavirus variant ‘certainly’ in North Yorkshire

Local health leaders believe that the new coronavirus variant is in North Yorkshire as the country heads into a national lockdown.

While they have no concrete evidence, they say cases have spiked locally in line with the variant’s fast-spreading nature.

The seven-day rate of infection in North Yorkshire has risen from 189 per 100,000 people on December 30, to 346 today.

In the Harrogate district, the seven-day rate has risen to 297 per 100,000 people.

However, all districts in North Yorkshire remain below the England average seven-day rate of 560 per 100,000.

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In a coronavirus press briefing today, local health bosses warned that the coronavirus case rates will likely worsen over the next two weeks.

Dr Victoria Turner, a public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“We have talked for the last couple of weeks about the new variant that has been spreading from the south east of England.

“I mean we will certainly have cases of this in North Yorkshire.

“Now we have to act as if this is the predominant form of the virus across the country. We should treat every cases as the new variant.”

National lockdown hits Harrogate district

The Harrogate district’s streets were quiet this morning on the first full day of the third national lockdown.

In response to an “alarming” rise in coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new restrictions yesterday evening.

Mr Johnson said that people across England will be asked to stay at home, only leaving for essential shopping, medical needs, work where it cannot be done from home, and to escape domestic violence.

He concluded his announcement with the same message as he gave when last March’s first lockdown was announced: “Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.”

31 coronavirus cases as Harrogate district ‘braces for new variant’

The Harrogate district has recorded a further 31 coronavirus cases today, according to Public Health England figures.

It brings the total cases in the district so far up to 3,998. That is around 2.5% of the local population but only reflects the number of people who have been tested which increased considerably around September.

Harrogate District Hospital has not recorded any further coronavirus deaths in more than a week and remains at 106 deaths.

There are currently 14 coronavirus patients at the hospital, down from 21 last week.

In the local coronavirus press briefing today there were real concerns around the new coronavirus variant, which spreads faster but is not more deadly.

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Richard Webb, the corporate director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“We do not have any confirmed cases of the new coronavirus variant yet but I imagine at the rate at which it spreads it will be heading north at some speed.

“So therefore we have to brace ourselves for the fact that the new strain will reach North Yorkshire very soon.

“We will then have to deal with the consequences of that.”

Local health leaders also highlighted rising coronavirus cases in Scarborough at the press briefing this morning.

The seaside town’s seven-day average rate of infection shot up to 254 per 100,000 people from about 150 a week ago.

It also has the highest positive rates in the north east of England.

With all of those factors coming into play it could mean that the whole of North Yorkshire may either need to move up into tier three or split into different tiers.