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In numbers: rapidly growing covid infection rate in Harrogate district

A total of 973 coronavirus cases were recorded throughout December in the Harrogate district as the country headed for a national lockdown.

The number represents fewer cases than in October and the second lockdown, but the month saw some of the highest daily infections as the new year approached.

The district’s spiking numbers were among those contributing to this week’s decision to introduce a new national lockdown, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday evening.

Fewer cases, but higher daily numbers in December

December saw 973 cases in the Harrogate District, fewer than the 1,119 during the November lockdown and 1,353 in October.

But, while there were fewer positive tests, the daily cases hit record highs towards the end of the month.

The number of cases of coronavirus and reported hospital patient deaths for December in the Harrogate district. Data: Public Health England/NHS. Graph: the Stray Ferret.

On December 29, 103 cases were reported – which was an all time high in the district until Monday’s figure of 141.

The lowest daily number was 10 new cases on December 10.

While daily cases in the district started out low at the start of December, the numbers began to rise as the month wore on.

Case rate increase

The seven-day case rate in the district also steadily increased throughout the month.

The rate was the lowest in North Yorkshire for much of December. However, Harrogate’s average rate increased, along with the other six districts, throughout December.

On December 10, the rate hit a low of 79 per 100,000 people. By the end of the month, it was 269.

Meanwhile, nine deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus were recorded at Harrogate District Hospital in December.

New variant of coronavirus

Much of the rise in cases in the south of England has been put down to the new variant of coronavirus, which experts say spreads more easily.

At a press briefing of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, a partnership of emergency agencies, public health bosses said the new variant of coronavirus was almost certainly in the county.

Officials 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.”

Harrogate district’s R number increases amid third lockdown

The Harrogate district’s R number has increased to 2.1 as the country enters another national lockdown.

It means the virus is spreading more in the district and for every 10 people infected, it spreads to 21 more.

The number, which refers to the reproduction rate, has increased over the past three weeks as cases continue to rise.

On December 15, the figure was just 0.6 – meaning the number of new cases was falling – but it now stands at 2.1 today.

It comes as today’s figures revealed a further 95 cases of coronavirus in the district, taking the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 4,883.

Meanwhile, the district no longer has the lowest seven-day case rate in North Yorkshire. The average increased to 359 per 100,000 people. Ryedale is now the lowest with 320, while Richmondshire remains the highest at 480.

Public health bosses in North Yorkshire today warned that cases will likely worsen in the county in the coming weeks until the lockdown begins to take effect.

The daily cases in the Harrogate District hit a record high yesterday after 141 were confirmed. Officials said today the new variant of coronavirus was almost certainly in the county.

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.

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.”

Oxford vaccine ‘arriving this week’ – but Harrogate centre closed again today

The Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine will arrive in North Yorkshire by the end of the week – but Harrogate’s vaccine centre remains closed today.

Health leaders in the county hailed the arrival of the new vaccine today in an emergency coronavirus press briefing to reflect the latest national lockdown.

More care home residents will be able to access the vaccine as it is easier to transport, they promised in the meeting.

With coronavirus cases rising rapidly and the test positivity rate more than three times what it was before Christmas, they think the new vaccine is a “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Harrogate District Hospital also started vaccinating yesterday, with 700 staff understood to have booked for vaccine this week.

Good news about the new vaccine seems to be contrasted by an empty Yorkshire Event Centre, which has reportedly been closed for multiple days over Christmas and the new year.

Amanda Bloor, accountable officer for the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)in North Yorkshire, did not say why Harrogate’s vaccine centre remains closed today. However, she said:

“I know quite rightly that there is an enormous amount of hope from the vaccine and the opportunity to roll that out as soon as possible.

“Deployment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine started yesterday and we anticipate delivery of that vaccine in North Yorkshire towards the end of the week.”

The Stray Ferret has pressed North Yorkshire CCG for further answers about the Harrogate vaccine centre, after being contacted by numerous concerned residents. We asked which days it had been open, how many vaccines had been delivered there and when it was likely to reopen.

In response, a spokesperson for the CCGs said today:

“Health professionals have been working tirelessly over the festive period to offer the coronavirus vaccine to priority groups where supplies have allowed.

“The showground has been taking deliveries of the vaccine and staff have vaccinated many vulnerable patients, including care home residents and staff over the festive period.

“Our message to everyone is to ask them to please be patient. You will be contacted when the time is right.

“Please do not ring your surgery to ask about the vaccine – there is lots of information on the NHS website.

“Our surgeries need to keep their phone lines free for patients requiring urgent care.”

Harrogate district prepares as national lockdown announced

The Harrogate district will see its schools and non-essential shops closed with immediate effect as a new national lockdown begins.

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

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

The late announcement of school closures, though not unexpected, is likely to cause concern for parents who once again find themselves supporting home schooling and juggling work with childcare.

Mr Johnson said:

“We have been doing everything in our power to keep the schools open because we know how important each day in education is to children’s life chances…

“I want to stress that the problem isn’t that schools are unsafe for children. The problem is that schools may nonetheless act as vectors for transmission, causing the virus to spread between households.”

MPs will be recalled to Parliament on Wednesday to vote on the measures. The Prime Minister said they would come into force from the early hours of the morning, leaving MPs to vote retrospectively. He added:

“Now, more than ever, we must pull together. You must follow the new rules.”

Mr Johnson 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.”

It comes as cases across the country have soared along with hospital admissions in parts of the south.

Last week, daily cases in the Harrogate district hit a record high as more than 100 infections were confirmed. That high was beaten by today’s announcement of 141 new cases.

Meanwhile, residents are raising concerns about whether the vaccine is being delivered in the district, after the vaccination centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground remained closed for much of the Christmas and new year break.

Are you ready for the new lockdown? What will the impact be on your family, work or business? Send your views to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Growing concern in Harrogate district over lack of communication on covid vaccine

Vulnerable residents in Harrogate have raised concerns over the lack of communication for the coronavirus vaccine, as the centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground appears to have been closed over Christmas.

Several concerned residents contacted the Stray Ferret and reported the centre being closed for multiple days over Christmas and New Year. It remained closed on Sunday and had not reopened this morning.

Some of those who got in touch are in their 80s and said they have not heard anything on when they may get the jab, which they should be eligible for in the first round of vaccinations.

David Hill, 82, a local resident who is expecting to be notified about his vaccination, said his friends were becoming frustrated with the process.

He said most of those aged over 80 have yet to be contacted about their first dose.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“They are not going outside much, they are scared about going out. They are watching the news all day long and waiting for a text for the jab and they are not getting it.

“I do feel that they are getting stressed out beyond words.”

The centre was first opened on December 22, with 83-year-old Anne among the first to be vaccinated and a couple from Bilton receiving the jab a week after their 60th wedding anniversary.

It followed the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was rolled out at hospitals and local vaccination sites across the country.

The site appealed for volunteers to help marshal the car park and signpost patients. It opened with a morning session from 8.30am until 1.15pm and afternoon vaccinations from 2.30pm to 6.15pm.

But it appears to have been closed over several days at Christmas, with residents reporting the gates shut and no activity at the site. Residents have been contacting the Stray Ferret to ask when and how they will be notified about the jab, and why the vaccination centre appears to be closed.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group to confirm how many days it had been in use over Christmas and why it had been closed, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The group has yet to comment publicly at all on the vaccination centre, even to confirm its location – despite extensive signage around the site and some people having been invited for appointments last month.

The vaccine centre at the Great Yorkshire Showground, which opened on December 22.

Last month, local health bosses appealed for people to be patient over the rollout of the vaccine and the lack of information.

Richard Webb, North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services, said the NHS was working “as quickly as possible” to administer the vaccine and that residents should wait to be contacted by their GP or local NHS trust.

Mr Webb added:

“Our colleagues in the NHS are working around the clock to prepare to receive the latest batches of vaccines. Please be patient, it’s a massive logistical issue.

“They are moving as quickly as possible to get people vaccinated.”

Despite the reassurances, the apparent closure of the centre during the Christmas break has led more people to contact the Stray Ferret. We will continue to ask the CCG for information about what is happening at the site.

NHS England figures up to December 31 show a total of 786,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

However, the data does not include a breakdown by region. It remains unclear how many have been vaccinated in the Harrogate district.

Meanwhile, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said this morning that 530,000 does of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will be rolled out at six hospitals this week.

The government has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine and is planning on delivering two million a week by the middle of January.

Harrogate district daily coronavirus cases hit another record high

The number of daily coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district has reached another record high with 141 positive tests confirmed in the last 24 hours.

The figure is an increase on the previous high reported on December 31, when 101 were recorded across the district by Public Health England.

It takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 4,788.

The seven-day rate of infection in the district has also increased to 297 per 100,000 people. However, it remains the lowest rate in North Yorkshire, with Richmondshire the highest on 465.

Meanwhile, a further patient who tested positive for coronavirus has died at Harrogate District Hospital.

The latest death, which took place yesterday, January 3, takes the total number of deaths reported at the hospital since March up to 110.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to make an announcement tonight on a further restrictions for England.

District braced for new restrictions ahead of PM’s announcement tonight

Speculation is mounting that schools and non-essential retail will be closed across the Harrogate district as the Prime Minister prepares to make an announcement tonight.

Local families, businesses and individuals must now wait until Boris Johnson’s 8pm briefing to hear if the country will face tighter restrictions once again.

One business organisation has said that further restrictions are inevitable. Sandra Doherty, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said:

“Looking at the sharp rise in the number of people with Covid, it is inevitable that we are facing tougher restrictions.

“The tier system has clearly not worked, and this was evident by the number of ‘Tier 3 and 4 tourists’ coming to Harrogate during December. And there are those who think because Covid has not personally affected them it’s a myth, and personally ignore all the rules designed to curb the infection rate.

“Regrettably, the only way we can halt this rise is to put the whole country back into lockdown, only coming out of it until a sufficient number of people have been vaccinated.”

It is expected that tougher rules will be announced tonight, with growing concern surrounding the reopening of schools in the coming weeks and the effect on the growing covid infection rate.

Currently, guidance is in place for schools to stagger their reopening, but this decision has caused controversy with some who believe schools should be closed completely. Teachers’ unions have called for a total closure, advising their members not to return to work in person if they do not believe it is safe to do so.

The Harrogate district moved into tier three last week forcing hospitality venues to close, except for takeaway food. If the district moves up to tier four, non-essential retail would close and a strong “stay at home” message would be enforced.

However, there is widespread expectation that the Prime Minister will announce a full lockdown, as has already been confirmed for Scotland. It could mean the closure of all schools and non-essential retail, if it follows the same pattern as the first lockdown last March.

Harrogate woman: my nine-month long covid battle

A Harrogate woman whose sense of taste and smell has not recovered since she caught covid in March has said the creation of a long covid clinic in Harrogate offers “light at the end of the tunnel”.

Daniela Stockmann believes she caught covid the week before lockdown in March. Ms Stockmann is a young and active woman but says covid left her breathless.

At first, it felt like flu but then she lost her sense of taste and smell and began to struggle breathing.

In March she experienced severe pain, which she says “felt like my senses burnt away”.

Almost nine months on, Miss Stockmann still hasn’t fully regained her senses or energy. She can’t smell candles and a variety of foods are either tasteless or have a “rotten and chemical” taste. She added:

“It can be really frustrating. I start to smell and taste some things again then I discover I can’t with some things anymore.

“This week, for example, I had a hot chocolate with a piece of dark chocolate on top and it tasted vile. Anything burnt, even slightly, as well is really difficult for me to eat.”

Simple ingredients, such as garlic, onions and peppers have been removed from Ms Stockmann’s diet as she tries to learn more about her long-lasting symptoms.

Miss Stockmann also suffers from irritable bowel syndrome and says coronavirus has added to the list of foods she cannot eat, which has caused her to lose weight.

She said:

“I have tried to speak to my doctor but they couldn’t do anything. They didn’t know how to help because no one has been through it properly. It left me quite isolated.”

Ms Stockmann says she can still be left out of breath after a dog walk and can’t do as much at the gym anymore.

The news of a long covid clinic coming to Harrogate came as a relief to Ms Stockmann, who is hopeful it will help her understand why she has yet to fully regain her senses.

“I’m hesitant to keep ringing my doctors because I feel like I am wasting their time. I just suffer in silence.”

She is a member of several online forums and has discovered other long covid sufferers with similar symptoms. She hopes her story will encourage others to speak out and understand how serious coronavirus can be for all ages.

Ms Stockmann doesn’t know how long her symptoms will last but hopes if she is referred to the clinic by her GP she will find answers.

Seventy-two further coronavirus cases as district’s rate rises

A further 72 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases up to 4,647.

The district’s seven-day case rate has increased to 235 per 100,000 people, but remains the lowest in North Yorkshire.

Richmondshire is now the district with the highest rate at 357, followed by Hambleton on 343 and Scarborough on 293.

The county-wide average stands at 286 per 100,000, below the national rate of 481.

Meanwhile, no further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital.

Since March, 109 patients diagnosed with coronavirus have died at the hospital; the last of these was recorded on December 28.

Fewer cases, but higher daily numbers in December

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