Pubs and restaurants have been responsible for hardly any covid outbreaks in North Yorkshire, according to the county’s public health director.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant said there had been “very few instances” of coronavirus spreading between customers in the hospitality sector.

He also said schools and workplaces had been responsible for few transmissions. The main source of spread, he said, was households.

Speaking today at a press briefing of North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of agencies that tackle emergencies, Dr Sargeant said:

“We have had very, very few instances of pubs where there has been outbreaks and spread to customers. It has largely been staff members that we have picked up.

“The predominant spread in North Yorkshire is between households.

“Our school heads and the teams supporting them have done a brilliant job of keeping schools safe from spread of covid. We are in contact with our care homes on a daily basis.”

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Harrogate has the highest weekly rate of infection of the seven districts in North Yorkshire, with 116 cases per 100,000 people. It also has the highest cumulative number of cases, which stands at 1,473, mainly because of its size.

Dr Sargeant said this could partly be due to the district’s high number of care homes.

North Yorkshire is currently classed in the lowest of the three tiers that were introduced this week, which means it continues to follow only national measures, such as the rule of six and 10pm curfew.

But neighbouring West Yorkshire is in the second tier, which bans different households mixing and socialising indoors.

This has led to fears some people may decide to cross the border into North Yorkshire if pub closures are imposed in West Yorkshire.

Superintendent Mike Walker, gold command for North Yorkshire Police’s response to covid, said the force would be prepared to police those coming into the county.

He said:

“We will just have to see what the impact is of other areas being in the higher tiers and what impact it will have on us.

“It is the minority who decide to throw caution to the wind and breach those restrictions. Absolutely, we will be ready to deal with those individuals.”

Some northern mayors, such as Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester, have criticised the government for a lack of consultation.

But Richard Webb, director of adult care at the county council, said it had been well consulted by the UK government:

“We are in constant conversation with different arms of government and there is no one single point of government.

“I can only speak from our own experience. We have been involved in discussions all along the way and that feels quite productive and helpful. We are in a national emergency so things will move at quite a quick pace and in that situation you can’t necessarily consult with everyone.”

Coronavirus has devastated many lives this year but for one Harrogate street, the pandemic has at least brought neighbours closer together.

Since lockdown in March, residents of St Helen’s Road have been using a WhatsApp group to help each other out.

People have used the group to offer help with shopping, look out for neighbours who are shielding or share unwanted items. 

Six months on the group, set up by Holly Jones, continues to foster community spirit during these dark times in the street, which is near St Aidan’s Church of England High School. 

Colette Lain, who lives on St Helen’s Road, said:

“The street has gone from a fairly anonymous place before lockdown to a really lively and supportive neighbourhood.

“It gave you the security that there were people that cared, and that was fantastic.”

Ms Lain decided to make the most of the community spirit by organising a street charity raffle to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Ms Lain volunteers for the charity but was unable to do so during the pandemic. 

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Friends and neighbours donated prizes, and residents bought tickets by posting money and their addresses through Ms Lain’s front door. 

Colette Lain, picking the winner of the raffle.

She raised £250 for the air ambulance, and has plans to generate more through a bumper Christmas raffle in December. 

Jane Kennerly and Holly Jones have also set up a book swap in a telephone box on the street in another move to bring neighbours together.

The Stray Ferret wonders how many other streets in the Harrogate district have come together in this way during the pandemic.

A further 42 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 1,412.

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Earlier this week, Harrogate Borough Council was allocated £57,951 as part of government attempts to enforce coronavirus restrictions.

The government has awarded £60 million to councils and police forces across the country.

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner has been allocated £291,987 as part of the deal.

Councils are expected to use the money for compliance and enforcement, such as recruiting covid marshals, carrying out inspections, issuing fines and closing premises in the case of non-compliance.

Although covid marshals will not have any enforcement powers, government guidance says they should “engage, explain and encourage best practice and national covid secure guidance”.

North Yorkshire Police has so far issued 1,151 fixed penalty notices to people who have breached coronavirus restrictions.

The figure was revealed at North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s public accountability meeting yesterday.

The meeting, which was broadcast on YouTube, also revealed the county’s police force has so far only issued five fixed penalty notices to people who refused to self-isolate.

NYP chief constable Lisa Winward said the “vast majority” of fines were issued during the start of lockdown when police found people taking non-essential journeys, which was a breach of restrictions at the time.

NYP chief constable Lisa Winward.

Under coronavirus legislation, the 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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The police have adopted a ‘four Es’ approach to coronavirus; engage, explain, encourage and, as a last resort, enforcement.

Chief constable Winward said:

“We adopt and engage with the community to explain to them what the guidance is, we then encourage people to follow that guidance or legislation.

“It’s only as an absolutely last resort we would move to an enforcement outcome for that person because they absolutely refuse to take that advice and are therefore putting other members of the public at risk of spreading the infection.”

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has told Parliament visits to care homes should be allowed.

Speaking in a Covid debate yesterday, Mr Jones said several constituents “desperate to see their loved ones” had raised concerns about current restrictions with him.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that Harrogate woman Judy Bass had joined a group called Rights for Residents that campaigns against restrictions.

Mr Jones said Ms Bass, along with Dr Joanne Ridpath, Helen Owens, Anna McIntee and others had raised the matter.

Mr Jones said:

“These families are just desperate to see their loved ones and have truly heartbreaking stories.

“Balancing wellbeing and isolation is very difficult but the emotional consequences of no visits are absolutely profound.”

North Yorkshire County Council this week advised care homes in the county to end routine visits in October. Thousands more care homes nationally are also forbidding visits.

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The Conservative MP suggested visits could be allowed through glass or windows.

“While this is impersonal, it is clearly better for people to see their loved ones than not.

“Perhaps designated very close family members in limited numbers could be given staff status, which would allow them access to testing and could then allow a degree of home access.

“Nobody is suggesting an open-door policy, but right now, the restrictions are profound.

“The capacity for residents to understand what is going on and why they cannot see their loved ones is almost inevitably limited, yet the need to see their loved ones is so important.’

Mr Jones also said told the debate that civil liberties were being compromised during Covid and decisions needed parliamentary scrutiny. Some backbench Tory MPs have expressed similar concerns. He said:

“A transparent approach to the science and decision making is necessary to ensure that we take people with us. If we do, and if they understand why a decision has been taken, I think we will see greater compliance, allowing people to resume their lives safely.”

The total number of people in the Harrogate district diagnosed with coronavirus since the pandemic began passed the 1,000 milestone today.

Figures released by Public Health England showed another 11 positive cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 1,002 since March.

Eleven new cases were also confirmed yesterday.

North Yorkshire County Council announced today it is advising care homes to halt routine visits throughout October to protect residents from Covid.

In Harrogate, a mobile testing site will be in place tomorrow and on Friday at the Dragon Road car park from 11am to 3pm.

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A further 16 people have tested positive for covid in the Harrogate district, according to the latest daily figures from Public Health England.

Only one day since the end of May has seen a higher number of daily infections in the district.

The figure brings the total number of district infections to 961 since the start of the pandemic.

The Dragon Road car park in Harrogate will host another Department of Health and Social Care testing site tomorrow from 11am to 3pm.

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The toilet rolls aisle in Waitrose was empty at lunchtime today, sparking concerns that panic buying has returned to Harrogate.

A shopper sent this photo from the store to the Stray Ferret at about 1pm today. It is believed Waitrose stocked its shelves with toilet rolls this morning but they sold out in a couple of hours.

Reports on social media suggest some other supermarkets in the Harrogate district have also had a surge in demand for toilet rolls and other products, amid concerns the country could be heading for a second lockdown.

Flashback to March, when the Sainsbury’s store on Wetherby Road was affected by panic buying.

Yesterday the government announced new restrictions in response to rising covid infections.

The Harrogate district’s MPs have declined to share their views on the performance of the government’s Covid-19 testing system.

With infection rates rising across the district, there has been a rise in demand for testing. However, the Stray Ferret has been contacted by several residents this week who are concerned about the availability of testing.

Harrogate mum Madeline Smyth told us that the system is broken is “broken'” after spending two days trying to secure a test for her daughter. She finally secured an appointment – but it was in Burnley, a two-hour round trip from Harrogate.

The Stray Ferret asked our local MPs Andrew Jones, Julian Smith, and Nigel Adams – all Conservatives –  if they think the system is working well and whether it could be improved. We also asked if they have been in discussions about it with health ministers or the NHS. None of them responded to our request.

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On Wednesday, North Yorkshire County Council declared a covid “emergency” for North Yorkshire and raised concerns over testing in the county.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health for NYCC, said testing was being hampered by “significant limitations” with laboratory capacity.

He said:

“This issue is a national one and outside of our control. We have escalated our concerns nationally and we are targeting our local testing facilities towards the communities and people in greatest need.”

In Parliament today, Conservative MP and Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg said there has been “endless carping” from people unable to book coronavirus tests. Instead, he said the number of tests being carried out should be celebrated.

People entering some popular Harrogate food and drink venues will be required to have temperature checks from today as part of new measures to combat covid.

The Fat Badger pub, the Yorkshire Hotel, the White Hart Hotel and the restaurant Scran will all operate temperature checks.

New machines will instantly record the body temperature of visitors by scanning their wrists.

If anyone’s temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees centigrade, a red light will appear and the machine will beep loudly to indicate a high temperature – one of the main symptoms of covid.

The person will then be asked to leave the building for 15 minutes before having a second test, in case the first result was an anomaly caused by, for instance, carrying heavy shopping.

If their temperature remains too high they will be refused entry.

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Simon Cotton, managing director of the HRH Group, which owns the venues that have installed the new technology, said:

“We think it’s the right time now with covid cases increasing to be stepping up our measures. We want to do it before we are instructed to do so.”

Besides installing the machines, which Mr Cotton said cost several hundred pounds each, HRH Group venues have also required staff to wear face masks in public areas unless they are working behind protective screens.

Who else has tests?

Rudding Park and The Ivy are the only other two Harrogate venues believed to check temperature on entry.

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park, said:

“Guests feel reassured by the machines. You don’t want people with a raging temperature coming in and coughing over everyone.”

David Straker, the owner of William and Victoria restaurant and wine bar on Cold Bath Road, said its current safety measures, which include table bookings and no standing at the bar, were working well. But he added:

“We are always looking at ways we can improve.”

Alan Huddart, treasurer of Bilton Working Men’s Club, said its reopening had gone smoothly and the cost of new equipment, such as temperature scanners, could be prohibitive to some venues. He added:

“We are open to looking at anything but we have had a professional risk assessment done and are following it closely.”