Harrogate district lit up in Christmas lights displays

While the pandemic means the festive season will be different this year, it has not stopped the traditional Christmas lights switch on in the Harrogate district.

Although there was no host or crowds to mark the occasion and the shops are closed, Harrogate and Ripon were still lit up ahead of Christmas.

In Harrogate, custom lights have been strung between buildings, around lampposts and in trees, including those in front of the war memorial at the top of Parliament Street.

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Ripon Christmas lights were switched on last night.

Ripon Christmas lights were switched on last night.

Meanwhile, Ripon has spent £65,000 on its decorations and lights which has been dubbed the city’s largest ever display.

Despite the lack of a traditional switch on with celebrity guests, we have been out filming so you can enjoy them.

If you want to support Harrogate retailers and buy your Xmas gifts locally go to our new Shop Local section

A further 69 coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

A further 69 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to today’s Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 3,247.

Meanwhile, the district’s weekly rate has dropped to 292 per 100,000 people but is still above the England average of 257.

Scarborough continues to have the highest rate of all the districts in the county at 576.

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It comes as Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital could become a vaccination centre when a coronavirus vaccine is ready to be rolled out.

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson said the country’s Nightingales were “one possible way” of offering the vaccine to significant numbers of people.

Another covid death at Harrogate hospital

Another person has died of coronavirus at Harrogate District Hospital, it was revealed today.

According to NHS England, a patient who tested positive for coronavirus passed away on November 5.

It means the total number of covid deaths reported at the hospital is now 90.

A further 61 cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the Harrogate district today by Public Health England.

It takes the district’s total number of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 2,971.

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Meanwhile, the seven-day case rate for the district stands at 279 per 100,000 people, which is still above the national average of 241.

Four of the North Yorkshire’s seven district and borough council areas — Scarborough, Harrogate, Selby and Hambleton — now have higher rates of infection than the England average.

District police hope week of action will keep knives off streets

Police in the Harrogate district hope that a national week of action will help keep knives and other weapons off the streets.

North Yorkshire has low knife crime rates so officers will use Operation Sceptre as more of a deterrent than a reaction.

The national week of action, which starts today, will raise awareness of the dangers of knives in person and online.

Detective superintendent Fran Naughton, of North Yorkshire Police, said:

“There is no reason to carry a knife, and no place for knife crime, in North Yorkshire. Operation Sceptre is a good opportunity for both education and enforcement.

“Levels of knife crime in our area are low, but we cannot be complacent. Even with the current covid-19 restrictions in place, crime hasn’t stopped.”

The police want to use this week to highlight the potentially fatal consequences of carrying a knife.

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The National Police Chiefs’ council lead for knife crime, deputy assistant commissioner Graham McNulty, added:

“Police forces up and down the country work tirelessly in bringing violent offenders involved in knife crime to justice.

“While the causes and drivers of knife crime are complex, early intervention and putting in place measures to tackle the root causes are absolutely essential.”

Forty-six further cases of coronavirus in Harrogate district

Latest Public Health England figures show a further 46 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the district in the last 24 hours.

It takes the total amount of cases since the start of the pandemic up to 2,765.

Yesterday, the district reported its record daily case increase with 96 positive tests confirmed.

The seven day case rate in the district has increased to 269 per 100,000 people and remains above the national average.

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Meanwhile, Harrogate District Hospital has reported another death from a patient who tested positive for coronavirus.

The death was reported on November 5 and takes the total amount of deaths up to 89, according to NHS England figures.

Health bosses said yesterday that 24 patients were being treated for coronavirus at the hospital.

Harrogate district set to enter second national lockdown

The Harrogate district will enter lockdown for the second time this year at midnight tonight.

Restaurants, bars, non-essential shops and hotels will close, dealing a huge blow to the hospitality sector, which is a big part of the local economy. When they will re-open is unclear.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced another shutdown to combat rising infection levels and ease pressure on the NHS.

The move has prompted widespread anxiety.

Georgia Eckert, of Imagines Things Bookshop in Harrogate, said the lockdown comes “at the worst possible time” for retail.

Georgia Eckert, of Imagined Things Bookshop in Westminster Arcade, Harrogate.

Her store and other non-essential retailers will have to close with just eight-weeks to go until Christmas.

Meanwhile, despite the furlough scheme being extended until December, the self-employed in the district also have concerns.

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Mr Johnson has insisted stricter measures are necessary.

In the Harrogate district, the weekly covid infection rate stands at 252 per 100,000 people which is above the national average.

While hospitals in other parts of the country have seen increased admissions, Harrogate District Hospital is currently treating 15 coronavirus patients.

Public health bosses also announced today the district will gets its own local test and trace system.

The move comes just weeks after the town opened its own permanent coronavirus testing site off Dragon Road.

The government has said the measures will be reviewed in four-weeks time but what seems certain is that lockdown will test the district’s businesses to the limit.

73 new coronavirus cases in Harrogate district as second lockdown looms

The Harrogate district recorded another 73 coronavirus infections today as the country prepares for another lockdown.

The daily figures from Public Health England show cases since the start of the pandemic have now increased to 2,623.

It comes as England prepares to enter a second national lockdown at midnight.

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Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day case rate stands at 252 per 100,000 which is above the national average of 228.

This morning, it was confirmed that Harrogate District Hospital is currently treating 15 coronavirus patients.

It was also announced today that the district will be part of a local test and trace system from next week.

It comes amid reports the current national programme for test and trace is only managing to reach about 60% of those who have come into close contact with a positive case.

Care home confusion brings more distress

Local health officials still do not know whether people will be allowed to visit relatives in care homes when lockdown begins tomorrow.

North Yorkshire County Council restricted visits during October but advised homes they could relax the rules in November to allow one designated visitor for each resident.

But there is confusion whether this window of opportunity for visits will prove short lived.

Richard Webb, the county council’s director of health and adult services, said at a press briefing today:

“Our advice still applies as of today but we are promised further government guidance on what will happen with care home visits tomorrow.

“I am assuming there will be restrictions on care home visits. As it stands we are just trying to support families and residents and care home providers.”

Judy Bass, a Harrogate resident, used to see her 99-year-old father with dementia in a care home every day before the first coronavirus lockdown.

Today will be the first time since March that she will be able to see him for a ‘door visit’ after a ‘window visit’ three weeks ago.

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She will wear full PPE to stand at the door of her father’s room. Ms Bass feels the stop-start nature of visiting will confuse her dad:

“I do not want to say that it is all bad because I am actually seeing my dad tonight for the first time in months. The communication has just been poor.

“It seemed that all of a sudden we were allowed to visit care homes and there has been a big rush this week to cram the visits in. But now we have no idea what will happen.”

1,300 coronavirus cases in Harrogate district in October

More than 1,300 coronavirus infections were confirmed in the Harrogate district in October.

Analysis of Public Health England data for the month shows there were 1,353 positive tests in the district and four deaths at Harrogate District Hospital.

The number of infections is more than half of the 2,502 cases since the start of the pandemic.

Daily cases peaked at 83 on October 28, which represented the highest daily increase in the district.

The rate of daily increases in the Harrogate district throughout October. Data: Public Health England. Graph: the Stray Ferret.

The rate of daily increases and deaths in the Harrogate district throughout October. Data: Public Health England. Graph: the Stray Ferret.

However, the district also saw its first permanent coronavirus testing centre open last month which has capacity for up to 320 tests per day.

Today saw another 48 positive tests confirmed in the district.

Yesterday York Central MP and shadow minister, Rachael Maskell, said the turnaround for covid tests in the county was taking “far too long”. She said only 16% of tests were being returned after 24 hours.

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Meanwhile, the weekly case rate in the district stands at 252 per 100,000 people, which is still above the national average.

It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a second national lockdown in England from Thursday.

The measure will see non-essential shops, pubs and gyms close.

Harrogate and Ripon self-employed angry and fearful of second lockdown

Self-employed businesses in the Harrogate district have expressed fears for their future ahead of a second national lockdown.

Two local business owners told the Stray Ferret they had just started to see work return after the first lockdown only to be told that the country will shutdown again on Thursday.

Hannah Ruddy, whose business Musicality Kids provides music classes for children in Harrogate, said she spent £1,500 on making her classes covid-secure only to now see her work cancelled.

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Ms Ruddy added she and many other self-employed people had received no support since the start of the pandemic.

She was among those who were denied a discretionary grant of up to £10,000 in September because she did not have business premises.

Now she is concerned about the impact of another lockdown:

“I’m worried because I do not know where the money is going to come from and if I’m going to have to borrow again.

“I’m concerned about the communication and clarity about how long this is going to go on for.

“But, most of all, I’m angry at the lack of support for a large proportion of the self employed.”

‘No idea if we will survive’

Jennie Eyres, who runs a teacher training business in Ripon, has also received no financial support.

Besides her teaching business, Ms Eyres also runs a magazine that publicises activities for children.

Although she has had some work from schools, her businesses face uncertainty as lockdown looms.

She said:

“I still do not get any support and one business is severely hampered because the companies I work with are in the leisure and entertainment industries.”

Ms Eyres said it was the worry of “not knowing from one week to next” where work was going to come from which affected her the most.

She added she was fortunate her savings and her husband’s income had enabled her family to stay afloat during the pandemic.

When asked if she felt her businesses could survive a four-week lockdown, Jenny said:

“If it does go down, then we will have to tighten our belts and do something else. But I do not know, I literally have no idea.”

Furlough extension

The government announced an extension to the furlough scheme as part of the Prime Minister’s announcement on Saturday evening.

It will see the scheme extended to December and pay 80% of employee salaries up to £2,500 a month.

Yesterday, Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that the self-employed would be able to claim state aid of up to 80% of profits during the second lockdown.