Coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire below national average

The rate of coronavirus cases in North Yorkshire remains below the national average, despite concerns about an increase in infections.

A monthly meeting of North Yorkshire Outbreak Management Advisory board will hear tomorrow that the rate of cases in the county stands at a cumulative total of 497 per 100,000 population.

The overall rate for England is 569 per 100,000 population.

Public health bosses issued a plea last week for people to be vigilant and continue to social distance after an increase in coronavirus infections in North Yorkshire, particularly in the Harrogate, Scarborough and Selby districts.

The Harrogate district has seen a rise in cases in recent weeks, reaching a daily high of 21 on September 7, according to Public Health England figures.

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The cumulative rate of cases in the Harrogate district stands at 544 per 100,000 population. This is below neighbouring Leeds, which is on 695 cases. 

Leeds was made an “area of enhanced support” after its seven-day rate up to September 8 reached 69.7 cases per 100,000 people.

It means the city is receiving additional support and resources for testing.

Dr Lincoln Sargaent, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, last week urged people to to “avoid unnecessary interactions” to prevent the spread of the virus, particularly among young people.

County council bosses have urged residents to follow the government’s new ‘rule of six’, which forbids social gatherings of more than six people except in certain circumstances.

Chief inspector Charlotte Bloxham, North Yorkshire Police, said residents had “responded brilliantly” in previous months and expected the same response with the new rule.

She said:

“It’s vital that we react quickly to this advice and do everything we can to prevent the spread of the virus, as we all know how dangerous and devastating covid can be.”

No covid marshals patrolling Harrogate’s streets

Harrogate Borough Council has yet to recruit any covid marshals, the authority revealed today.

The government’s new ‘rule of six’ came into force today, forbidding social gatherings of more than six people except in certain circumstances.

Ministers have called for local councils to recruit teams of marshals to monitor compliance.

But many local authorities, including HBC, have yet to do so, saying they need more details about the role and funding.

A council spokesman said:

“The government hasn’t published any guidance to local authorities about the role of the marshals, the powers they will have nor how contact tracing at hospitality businesses will be enforced.

“Until we’ve had the detail, we can’t plan for how marshals may be used in the district.”

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Nesil Caliskan, chair of the Local Government Association’s safer and stronger communities board, said the government’s announcement had caused confusion among local authorities and called for “urgent clarity” from ministers.

Ms Caliskan added:

“It is right that councils will be able to choose whether marshals are the best way to manage covid risks in their local areas.

“However, without additional funding to support this proposal, many councils are likely to have to prioritise other activity.

“Even if marshals were rolled out in great numbers, they will not have enforcement powers so it is important that residents do not expect councils to be able to act when they cannot.”

Police warning

Chief Inspector Charlotte Bloxham, silver lead for the North Yorkshire Police covid response, urged people to take personal responsibility for following government guidance. She added that breaches of the regulations should be reported using the online form on North Yorkshire Police’s website.

Ms Bloxham warned, however, that demand for police services was now back at pre-covid levels. She said:

“We will continue to follow our usual approach of engaging, explaining and encouraging people to act responsibly and only resorting to enforcement when absolutely necessary. “

Harrogate Christmas Market set to be called off

Harrogate Christmas Market is set to be called off this year, the Stray Ferret can reveal.

The four-day event, which has been running annually since 2012, is set to be cancelled for the first time in its history next week because of continuing covid restrictions.

Public health officials for North Yorkshire are expected to meet on Monday to discuss restrictions which would need to be in place for outdoor events to go ahead. However, with crowds of up to 60,000 coming from across the country – including coaches filled with day-trippers – it is expected that Harrogate Christmas Market will not be able to meet the requirements.

The news comes as a further blow to local businesses, including retailers, restaurants and bars, which have reported increased footfall during the market in previous years. Organisers say the event is designed to bring visitors into the town centre at a vital time for the local economy – and this year could have been more important than ever.

Harrogate BID acting chair Sara Ferguson said:

“The Christmas Market brings thousands of shoppers into Harrogate over its four days, and if it were to be cancelled this year, it would be another blow to the town’s retailers.

“I know the organisers, who have worked incredibly hard to make it the success it is, will be trying their hardest to comply with all the health and safety requirements brought about by coronavirus.”

With events at Harrogate Convention Centre not possible because of its continued use as a Nightingale hospital, it is the latest in a string of major events in the Harrogate calendar to be forced to cancel.

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Andrew Armstrong, who runs Harrogate Lifestyle Apartments on Kings Road, told the Stray Ferret he would have liked the opportunity for local businesses to come together and see what could be done to save the event. He said it could have been moved into the town centre and set up in smaller clusters, with masks mandatory, in order to limit crowds.

“We would normally be full with tourists and visitors coming for the weekend. At the moment, we’ve only got a couple of bookings in for that weekend – we’re finding that the booking window is getting shorter and shorter, because nobody dares commit to booking in case something happens.

“It’s quite frightening. It’s the same for all accommodation businesses – nobody knows that’s going to happen. We rely on the business element during the darker winter seasons, because you just don’t get people wanting to come when it’s cold, windy or snowing. 50% of our business in winter is from Harrogate Convention Centre and events like this.”

Mr Armstrong said he has had one booking for this year’s dates called off already, with the visitor asking to move to next year’s provisional dates. However, he said putting bookings back by a year would be no help to those hospitality businesses struggling to make ends meet in the coming weeks and months.

NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, Harrogate

Unlike others around the country, Harrogate’s Christmas market focuses on Yorkshire products. As well as individual stalls around the aisles, it features a craft and gifts marquee and a food and drink marquee – though the latter was not expected to feature in this year’s event because of covid restrictions.

In July, organisers confirmed they were awaiting a licence being awarded by Harrogate Borough Council for this year’s event, which takes place on Stray land, for which the council has responsibility.

Guidance on the government website says:

“Where the council is the landowner, they could refuse permission to allow the use of the land for an event without the need to issue a direction.

“Beyond this, however, it seems broadly that the intention is that outdoor events should take place where it is safe to do so with the focus on these being supported to operate safely, rather than blocked.”

However, the guidance also states that events can be called off by authorities if there is a rise in cases in the locality. This happened last week in Leeds, when a funfair was banned less than 24 hours before it was due to open because of a cluster of new cases in the surrounding area.

The Stray Ferret understands organisers are keen for Harrogate Christmas Market to return as usual next year.

Harrogate charity receives grant to support pupils during holidays

A Harrogate bereavement and emotional wellbeing charity has been awarded a grant boost of more than £30,000.

Just ‘B’ will use the money to provide workshops and therapy sessions for vulnerable students during the school holidays. Themes covered will include gangs and youth violence, domestic abuse, and digital media risks.

The grant is part of £6.5m from the Youth Endowment Covid-19 Fund and has been offered to 130 organisations across the country. It aims to limit the number of people being drawn into violent crime as well as tackling issues young people have experienced as a result of covid.

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Tony Collins, chief executive of Just ‘B’ said:

“The challenges and hardships that some of our most vulnerable young people face have been exacerbated by covid… we are proud to be one of the organisations chosen for this grant and it will enable us to build on the work we are already doing to help children and young people to overcome difficult circumstances and face a more positive future.”

Just ‘B’ is also calling for the community’s help to win £1m in a charity competition. Persimmon Homes Yorkshire has shortlisted three charities across the county to represent the region in its Building Futures scheme. Voting closes on September 18.

No further Covid deaths in district’s care homes or hospital

For the second week running, there have been no further Covid-related deaths in care homes across the Harrogate district.

Figures released today, which cover the weekly period up to July 17, show the number of deaths in the district’s care homes since the start of the pandemic remains at 104.

Meanwhile, Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust has also not recorded any deaths in patients with covid for the 13th consecutive day. The total number of deaths at the hospital since the outbreak began is 82.

Data released today by NHS England shows that a further 12 people who had tested positive for the coronavirus have died, including one in the North East and Yorkshire. They were aged between 45 and 99, and all had known underlying health conditions.

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No coronavirus deaths at Harrogate hospital for over a week

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any coronavirus deaths for eight days.

It comes as NHS England confirms the total number of deaths in patients with coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital remains at 82, with no further fatalities in figures released today. The last reported death was on July 15.

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The hospital normally reveals how many patients it has discharged on a Thursday but has not published any new figures today.

Nationally, 19 patients with Covid-19 have died, all aged between 35 and 89 and with underlying health conditions. Four of those were in the North East and Yorkshire.

Struggling businesses ‘need events to be kept in Harrogate’

Business organisations have called for events to be moved to other venues in Harrogate while the convention centre is out of use.

Events and conferences will be able to resume from October 1 under new government guidance, but Harrogate Convention Centre is expected to play host to the NHS Nightingale hospital for another eight months.

It could mean that events scheduled to take place there will move elsewhere – and, once lost, the business may not return in future years. Harrogate BID said it will do all it can to help organisers and venues keep events in the area, to help local businesses survive. Acting chair Sara Ferguson said:

“It goes without saying that this is a blow for Harrogate’s conference and exhibition trade. We now need to do all we can to ensure that whilst the Convention Centre, Royal Hall and exhibition halls are out of commission, those events that are due to take place are offered alternative accommodation within the town, be it in hotels or at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

“Harrogate BID will help in whatever way it can, which could include sponsoring shuttle buses between the town centre and the showground. We are also looking at a calendar of events that will bring people into the town centre on a regular basis.”

Harrogate BID has deep cleaned the town centre and vowed to do all it can to keep events in the local area

The managers of Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate, both on the Great Yorkshire Showground, said they are keen to host events and help local businesses. They said an independent report last year found the venues brought an economic impact of £73.7m to the area. Managing director Heather Parry said:

“Harrogate remains the ideal destination to hold events and our local economy needs events to thrive. This year has clearly been a different picture but we are here, prepared and ready to open safely in October.

“The Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate are both light and airy venues with easy access to outside space and have extensive free car parking, all of which are key to offering safe and accessible spaces.  All profits generated from our venues go towards helping to support the charitable work of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

“We are hoping to support our districts hospitality sector by hosting a wide range of events. In times like these we must all pull together and support each other.”

Similarly, the DoubleTree by Hilton Majestic Hotel – which should this week have hosted marquees as part of the Home & Gift Fair at HCC – said it stands ready to play its part. General manager Andy Barnsdale said:

“Of course the loss of the Convention Centre for the foreseeable future is a disappointment, and it is crucial that we don’t lose any events to other towns and cities.

“Harrogate is one of the most popular destinations for conferences, trade shows and events in the UK. Delegates and organisers love coming to Harrogate and we need to let them know the town is very much open for business.”

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Though Boris Johnson today said £3bn of funding was being arranged to enable the Nightingale hospitals across the country to remain in place until the end of March, Harrogate Borough Council said the contract with the NHS has yet to be finalised. However, Nightingale hospitals around the UK are expected to remain on stand-by in case a second wave of cases overwhelms existing hospitals, and in the meantime will offer additional testing and treatment facilities for other illnesses.

Decline in investment

While business owners who have spoken to The Stray Ferret in recent months have not questioned the value of additional NHS facilities to deal with the Covid pandemic, they have raised concerns about the ability of the town to survive without a major source of income through the year.

Events including the Knitting and Stitching Show, the Country Living Christmas Fair and the Bridal Show bring in thousands of visitors who, as well as visiting the halls, stay in local hotels or guesthouses, eat out in town, and visit local shops.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said the drop in trade could see a decline in investment in the area and even the loss of some businesses with a “hard winter” looming. Chief executive Sandra Doherty said:

“Whilst Harrogate has never completely relied on the conference and exhibition trade, it has been the business which underpins the leisure trade.

“There is the choice and number of bed spaces in Harrogate solely due to the Convention Centre trade, and without it we may well see a decline in investment and perhaps the loss of some of these businesses. The number of places to eat and drink also relies on the influx of large numbers of visitors and delegates during conferences and exhibitions.

“What will happen to these is anybody’s guess as they continue to suffer from the impact of Covid restrictions.

“Harrogate is a town which enjoys popularity and status. I really hope this will help us through what could well be a hard winter for many.”

Hospital discharges two more coronavirus patients

Two more patients have this week been discharged from Harrogate District Hospital after being treated for coronavirus.

It brings the total discharged from the hospital since the start of the outbreak to 141.

#teamHDFT pic.twitter.com/UCiogvjoqm

— Harrogate NHS FT (@HarrogateNHSFT) July 16, 2020

Meanwhile, for the ninth consecutive day, no further deaths have been reported in patients with the virus at the hospital, according to figures released by NHS England today.

They show that 19 more patients, aged between 52 and 91, have died across the country, and all of them had underlying health conditions. It brings the total number of deaths in NHS England hospitals to 29,144.

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