Council receives £389,000 grant to transport key workers

North Yorkshire County Council is set to support local bus companies to continue to transport key workers as part of a £389,000 government grant.

The authority claimed the money for 17 companies from the government’s Covid-19 Bus Service Support Grant which was designed to support services which have seen reduced passengers and an increase in costs due to the pandemic.

Around £167 million was made available by the Department for Transport and 92 bus services have been supported.

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The county council has also claimed £23,000 to reimburse bus companies for covid-19 costs such as personal protective equipment, hand sanitiser and dispensers, and the introduction of barriers and screens on vehicles.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said: 

“Bus operators have provided a much-needed service to key workers and other passengers making essential journeys across the county throughout lockdown and the covid-19 pandemic.

“For many people, journeys by bus are the only way to get to work and to connect one rural location to another.

“Key workers have helped keep the county running during these unprecedented times, and bus services have supported them in turn. I’m delighted that North Yorkshire County Council was able to access this grant to help operators.”

Ripon care home praised for no coronavirus cases

Residents and staff at a care home in Ripon have been praised by the mayor of Harrogate for their response to coronavirus.

Borrage House was visited on Friday by the mayor and mayoress of Harrogate, Cllr Stuart Martin and his wife April, to say well done on having no cases of covid-19 so far.

Cllr Martin told the Stray Ferret it was “a real privilege” to visit a care home in Ripon that had such a good record in keeping residents safe.

Borrage House manager Sarah Aitken thanked residents and staff for their perseverance during these difficult times.

Sarah told the Stray Ferret:

“Without wanting to jinx it, we’ve had no cases of covid-19 or any suspected cases. When everyone feels like the world’s ending in care homes it’s nice to have a bit of good news.”

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Residents were also given a boost earlier this week when opera singer Katherine Jenkins performed a live stream direct to four care homes across the UK, including Borrage House.

Sarah said song and music have been key to keeping residents upbeat and occupied.

Agnes, a resident at the care home who will soon be 100, loves Katherine Jenkins and the performance brought back happy memories.

Sarah said:

“Katherine sang ‘We’ll meet again’. That has a lot of memories for Agnes. She met her husband during the war when she was working at a munitions factory.”

Although the country is opening up, care homes are still vulnerable. Sarah said the 40 residents at Borrage House have embraced technology to keep in touch with family members, even though it might be confusing for some because they are used to having regular in-person visits.

She said:

“We have to support them and that’s up to us to keep things positive and happy. They are aware, we’re not hiding anything from them.

“We’ve got laptops, families have been doing FaceTime. That’s been fabulous. They’ve been brilliant. They’ve adapted brilliantly to it and understand that this is the way it is for now.”

Strong indication Harrogate’s Nightingale will stay in place over winter

The Chief Executive of the NHS Sir Simon Stevens has given a strong indication that Harrogate’s NHS Nightingale at the Harrogate Convention Centre will stay in place for the winter.

The 500 bed Nightingale Yorkshire and Humber has yet to treat a single coronavirus patient. Its CT scans have recently started to be used for regular NHS patients.

Sir Simon Stevens appeared on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show this morning. He was asked about the use of the Nightingale hospitals in the future.  His response was the strongest indication yet that the Harrogate Nightingale will stay beyond its existing contract with Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the HCC,  that runs until the end of July.

“We are going to use them in two ways, first of all as we’re doing in Harrogate and Exeter, we want Nightingale type diagnostic care to ensure people can get tests and check ups and also we need to sustain a significant part of that capacity going into the winter, given the concerns of a resurgence of the virus.”

“We’ve seen in other countries in Australia, Spain and Germany that local lockdowns are required because coronavirus will be with us for months if not years to come.”

Harrogate convention centre lit up blue.

Harrogate Nightingale Hospital was lit up blue yesterday evening to celebrate the 72nd birthday of the NHS.

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Sir Simon has said that this virus could be “with us for months if not years”. His comments will have been closely watched by the hospitality industry in Harrogate as events at the HCC bring in millions of pounds of businesses.

The Stray Ferret previously reported that the borough council was preparing to reopen the convention centre in the autumn if the NHS did not renew its contract.

 

No coronavirus deaths for two weeks at Harrogate hospital

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any coronavirus deaths for two weeks.

It is the longest time since lockdown that the hospital has gone without reporting that at least one of their patients with COVID-19 has died.

So far, the hospital has reported 80 coronavirus deaths. The last coronavirus death happened on June 18.

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A further 39 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England’s hospitals, taking the total up to 28,871.

Patients were aged between 45 and 99 years old. All patients had known underlying health conditions.

Harrogate’s hairdressers and barbers set for action

Hair cuts are in high demand and the hairdressers and barbers of Harrogate are ready to serve their clients but the experience will have changed.

Many will reopen today with all members of staff wearing visors. Chairs have been placed within a one metre distance or screens have been put in between stations to maintain safety for staff and customers. The usual expectations that accompany a hair cut such as drinks and magazines won’t be available.

The new experience could see clients being asked to wear masks, their coats and bags placed in paper bags to combat cross-contamination and one barber shop said they won’t be offering bear trims or hair washing.

Michael Mackinnon is the owner of the Barber & Mack in Harrogate, said:

“We filled up the first two weeks within the first 24 hours we have split day shifts with three barbers at a time to ensure we are all spaced out. Each of the barbers has their own equipment and products that are kept in individual boxes.

“We aren’t offering hair washing but are asking clients to come with clean hair and we will just spray it down. We will be asking people to wear masks for the first two weeks for extra safety.”

Barber wearing a visor ready to reopen.

Wearing visors is within the government guidelines to prevent transmission as salons reopen.

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Hairdressers are having to work hard to change their habits to limit the amount of contact with their clients.

Gerri Dangerfield Keane owns Dangerfield and Keane salon in Harrogate, he said:

“We are trying to limit our contact points so nothing is being transferred when clients enter the shop. The way we’re approaching this is it’s not short term its for two years everything we have put in such as the screens can be lowered and raised as and when they are needed.

“We have to adjust to it but it will be very different for all of us, it’s what I’ve always done but I’m going to have to do it so differently.”

Jenny Addyman recently won the regional finals of the prestigious hairdressing competition, “Trend Vision Award” and will now compete at the national finals. She spoke of her excitement to return to work:

“I am excited to see my clients as its been a long time. I’m already fully booked until the middle August, of course it’ll be a little different with visors and fewer stylists. But im excited to be back its the longest I’ve not worked since I was about 15.”

Super Saturday boost for Harrogate BID levy payers

Harrogate BID has given a Super Saturday boost to its levy payers with a match-funded grant of up to £750.

It means that the business can spend up to £750 on signage, barriers, and screens or any other equipment and get a matched contribution towards the cost.

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All levy-paying businesses within the Harrogate BID area are eligible to receive the grant. But it does not include PPE equipment or employee costs.

Harrogate BID Interim Manager Simon Kent said:

“We are acutely aware that many businesses have had to incur costs to enable them to comply with legislation in order for them to reopen safely. To assist with this financial burden, we have set aside £20,000 to provide match-funding.”

The BID gets its funds from levy payers in the town. This will mean that levy payers will get some of that cash back to support their specific needs to reopen.

Last month, Harrogate BID produced packs of social distancing floor stickers and window posters for. It also bought outdoor tables and chairs for pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants.

Harrogate hospital reaches 13 days without coronavirus deaths

For the last 13 days, Harrogate District Hospital has not recorded any coronavirus deaths.

It is, once again, the longest time since lockdown that the hospital has gone without reporting that at least one of their patients with COVID-19 has died.

So far, the hospital has reported 80 coronavirus deaths. The last coronavirus death happened on June 18.

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A further 38 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England’s hospitals, taking the total up to 28,832.

Patients were aged between 33 and 96 years old. Two patients, aged 50 and 69, had no known underlying health conditions.

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.

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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:

“This reporting change does increase the figures and may make it look as though there has been a big rise in infection rates. This is not the case. It is linked solely to a change in reporting. New cases in North Yorkshire continue to decline, but we must not be complacent. We all need to play our part to maintain this progress.

“People should stay two metres apart, if possible, or at least one metre and if it is just one metre they should take additional precautions. You should also wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. Everyone in North Yorkshire can play their part in helping us return to normality safely by taking these simple steps.”

County council ‘can avoid bankruptcy’, says leader

North Yorkshire County Council may have to use funds reserved for major projects in order to balance its books amid the coronavirus pandemic but can avoid bankruptcy, says the authority’s leader.

Speaking to The Stray Ferret, Carl Les said the county council had enough reserves to see it through the pandemic if no funding was forthcoming from government.

However, it could mean major projects – such as improving broadband across North Yorkshire – have to be put on hold.

Cllr Les said the council has around £50 million held over for a “rainy day” and faces a deficit of £42 million due to coronavirus.

Both the county council and Harrogate Borough Council face combined shortfalls of £57 million as a result of responding to the outbreak and loss of income.

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The authority had reserves, both emergency and investment, that could cover its costs from responding to the outbreak. But, Cllr Les said, some of that cash was earmarked for major projects such as improving broadband in the county.

North Yorkshire County Council leader, Carl Les.

North Yorkshire County Council leader, Carl Les

He added the authority would not need to issue a section 114 notice, which is tabled by finance officers in dire financial circumstances, nor would it need an emergency budget. He said:

“The county council has been very prudent in putting money aside for a rainy day.

“But what worries me is using the development costs.”

It comes as the government announced a further £500 million support package for local councils today to help with spending pressures.

The County Council Network had previously called on ministers to provide further financial support for councils who may need to use up reserves to cover coronavirus shortfalls.

Funding allocations have yet to be revealed, but the scheme is expected to reimburse authorities for lost income and allow council tax and business rates deficits to be paid over three years instead of one.

Simon Clarke, local government minister, said today:

“Since the start of this pandemic, local councils have been at the forefront of our national effort to tackle the virus, and they will continue to play a significant role as we look towards our recovery.

“We are more committed than ever to unite and level up this country and this package will ensure councils have access to vital, additional funding so they can continue to serve their communities as they so admirably have done to date.”

No coronavirus deaths for 12 days at Harrogate hospital

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any coronavirus deaths for 12 days in a row.

That news comes after the hospital discharged one more patient – taking its total of recoveries up to 136.

So far, the hospital has reported 80 coronavirus deaths. The last coronavirus death happened on June 18.

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A further 35 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England’s hospitals, taking the total up to 28,794.

Patients were aged between 54 and 92 years old. Two patients, aged 54 and 84, had no known underlying health conditions.