Killinghall school reopens after coronavirus case

Killinghall CE Primary School has welcomed students back today after someone at the school tested positive for coronavirus.

The school, on Otley Road in Killinghall, said today its hot lunch service is not available due to reduced staffing.

Headteacher Sarah Bassitt also thanked parents for collecting their children at short notice yesterday lunchtime. She reiterated that the coronavirus case is not connected to any of the pupils.

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The headteacher’s letter from yesterday said the school had identified a “very small” number of staff who had “close contact” with the individual concerned.

Stuart Carlton, the corporate director of children and young people’s services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“There are no other cases within the school and we hope the person affected enjoys a speedy recovery. Our schools remain very safe places.

“Killinghall is only one of four schools that have closed since the beginning of this school year out of hundreds of education settings which we are supporting in North Yorkshire.

Mr Carlton added that the council takes rapid and timely action whenever there are coronavirus cases in schools and said “we are working with 44 settings”.

Another 19 coronavirus cases in Harrogate

A further 19 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district.

Daily figures from Public Health England show the increase takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 1,056.

A total of 56 cases were confirmed across the whole of North Yorkshire today.

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The weekly rate of infections county-wide up to September 28 stands at 55.2 people per 100,000 population, according to NHS figures.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, has said the authority did not expect Harrogate to be added to the government’s covid watchlist this week.

However, he added that it does not mean the situation could change in the coming weeks.

Second Covid case at Rossett School

Rossett School in Harrogate has confirmed a second year 12 pupil has tested positive for coronavirus.

A further 24 students in the year who were in prolonged contact with the pupil will self-isolate.

In an e-mail to parents, headteacher Helen Woodcock said the school remained open and other pupils should attend as normal.

Ms Woodcock said a “deep enhanced cleaning” of the sixth form centre had taken place.

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Her email added:

“In line with national guidance I have today contacted the Department for Education and North Yorkshire County Council and we are following their guidance, along with that provided by Public Health England.

“A risk assessment has been completed to identify all individuals who have been in close prolonged contact with the student (24 Year 12 students) and they have received a phone call and a letter home today to inform them of the period of self-isolation.”

Another year 12 pupil at the school was confirmed to have Covid on Monday.

Meanwhile, 16 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the Harrogate district yesterday.

No plans to add Harrogate to Covid watchlist

Harrogate is not expected to be added to the government’s Covid watchlist this week, according to North Yorkshire’s public health bosses.

However, they said the situation could change if the number of infections is not brought under control.

Scarborough and Selby districts are currently on the watchlist as “areas of concern” and neighbouring Leeds was put into local lockdown last week.

Further restrictions were announced elsewhere in the north today, including Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Warrington and Liverpool.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, said the county had asked for a cautious approach to putting districts on the watchlist after Scarborough and Selby were added to it even though other districts that are not on the list have higher infections rates.

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He added:

“As the national system is revised in terms of where the whole country is, we will probably get some more detailed guidance about how the watchlist system will work in the future. That may or may not come out this week.

“But we have no expectations that Harrogate will be added this week. That does not mean that situation may not change for next week.”

Meanwhile, Richard Flinton, chief executive of the county council, said yesterday in a council newsletter that the transmission of infections was mainly between households.

Latest Public Health England data shows 519 new cases in the county in the past two weeks at a weekly rate of 36 per day.

Harrogate saw 16 new coronavirus cases yesterday and hit a three-week daily high of 19 on Tuesday.

Mr Flinton said the county’s infection increase was in line with the national picture.

He said:

“We are studying the data carefully and can clearly see that the majority of cases can be linked back to household and social transmission. 

“This is important, because what it also tells us is that our schools are safe places to be. That, in turn, is testament to all the hard work schools, colleges and childcare setting have put in to plan for a safe return for pupils.”

Killinghall school closes after positive coronavirus case

Killinghall CE Primary School is set to close today after someone at the school tested positive for coronavirus.

The school, on Otley Road in Killinghall, sent a letter to parents this morning asking them to pick up their children at staggered times according to year groups, starting at noon.

The letter, written by headteacher Sarah Bassitt, said the school will open again tomorrow and all children are expected to attend unless they develop Covid symptoms.

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The letter said the school, which has just over 100 pupils, had identified a “very small” number of staff who had “close contact” with the individual concerned. It says:

“We have been advised by Public Health England that there has been a confirmed case of Covid within the school community. I appreciate that you may be concerned by this information.”

The Stray Ferret approached the school and North Yorkshire County Council for further information. The school declined to comment but the council has not yet responded.

16 more coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

16 further cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate District, according to latest Public Health England figures.

The daily increase takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 1,037.

The district saw its highest daily increase for three weeks yesterday as 19 cases were confirmed.

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Meanwhile, the weekly rate for infections county-wide up to September 27 stands at 52.6 per 100,000 population according to NHS figures.

Health bosses at Harrogate District Hospital said yesterday that they were prepared for a second wave of coronavirus this winter.

Hospital officials have set aside 100 beds for infected patients. They added that the hospital currently has four coronavirus patients.

It comes as the first death of a patient who tested positive for covid for two months was reported at the hospital on Tuesday.

Harrogate High School reports covid case

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.

No face mask fines, but police pledge to tackle Covid breaches

North Yorkshire Police warned today it will take action against people who break new coronavirus restrictions – even though so far it hasn’t issued any fines for breaches of rules on face masks and gatherings.

Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for NYP’s response to Covid, told a press briefing that demand for policing had returned to pre-lockdown levels.

He told the briefing by North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of agencies that tackles emergencies, officers would use enforcement as a last resort.

Superintendent Mike Walker said the force hasn’t issued any fines for breaches of rules on face masks and gatherings.

But it has issued 1,151 coronavirus penalties, including five for people failing to self-isolate. The vast majority were for non-essential journeys at the start of lockdown.

Under coronavirus legislation, police have the power to issue £60 fixed penalty notices to anyone breaching restrictions. The sum is reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.

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Superintendent Walker said officers would expect the public to understand the latest restrictions, including the rule of six.

He said:

“It is important to note that this [new restrictions] does place additional pressure on us when our demand has returned to pre-Covid levels.

“The police will enforce as a last resort. But we expect the public to understand what the restrictions are and to abide by those restrictions.

“Those who choose not to abide by the restrictions should expect police action.”

It comes as the number of coronavirus infections in the Harrogate district has increased in recent weeks in line with the national trend.

The number of cases hit a three-week high yesterday, with 19 positive cases in 24 hours.

North Yorkshire County Council has asked care homes to restrict visits for the month of October in an effort to protect residents.

 

Harrogate hospital prepares for winter with 100 coronavirus beds

Harrogate District Hospital has prepared for a second wave of coronavirus this winter by setting aside up to 100 beds for infected patients.

The annual members meeting of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust last night heard the hospital currently has four coronavirus patients.

This is far below the 60 patients at the peak of the pandemic but the trend is heading back in the wrong direction – there were no coronavirus patients at the end of July.

Rising coronavirus cases locally – yesterday’s figure of 19 new infections was the highest daily increase for three weeks – has fuelled fears of a second peak.

But trust bosses are more confident of coping this time.

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Tim Gold, chief operating officer at the trust, said at last night’s meeting:

“We are a long way short of the first peak. We know for winter we will need extra beds. We have a really clear plan to open up wards and create up to 100 coronavirus beds. The most important thing is that we know so much more about managing coronavirus than we did.”

Dr Jackie Andrews, medical director at the trust, added it prepared over summer for the “inevitable” next wave of the pandemic:

“It feels very different this time. That is not to say we are being complacent but with the first wave there will be a lot of confusion and chaos. We needed to learn on the go. But the NHS now has proven treatments which can manage the effect of coronavirus on the body.”

The meeting also revealed the trust is currently spending £1 million a month on staffing, testing and PPE to combat coronavirus.

The government has covered this cost retrospectively and has set aside £24 million for the region from October.

Daily covid cases reach three-week high in Harrogate district

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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