35 more coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

A further 35 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to latest Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic to 1,337. The weekly case rate for the district stands at 120.6 per 100,000 population.

Meanwhile, county-wide a further 92 cases were confirmed, taking the total infections in North Yorkshire to 4,753.

It comes as North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of agencies that tackle emergencies, warned the county is at a “tipping point” amid increased cases earlier this week.

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Officials from the resilience forum expect Craven to be added to the government’s watchlist today after the district’s weekly case rate stands at 152.3.

Scarborough and Selby were added to the watchlist last month as “areas of concern”, but officials said the case rates in both districts have since decreased.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, urged people to stick to the rules in order to keep cases down this weekend.

He said:

“I know that many people are making a concerted effort and I am grateful for their sacrifices but unfortunately not everyone is sticking to the guidance that we know makes the difference.

“This is not about blaming or finger wagging. This is about fighting the virus, supporting our businesses, keeping our schools open and saving lives. I want to be very clear that while many people experience minor symptoms, for some residents who become infected they will sadly not recover. We will see more lives lost and I appeal again for everyone to show real restraint to help avoid that.

“This weekend people may be tempted to get together or meet at pubs and other places in larger groups to socialise. covid-19 thrives on a crowd and is easily transmitted when your guard is down. Please play your part and protect your friends and family.”

12 Covid care home outbreaks in Harrogate since second wave

Twelve care homes in the Harrogate district have reported coronavirus outbreaks since the start of the second wave of the pandemic.

Across North Yorkshire as a whole, 33 homes have declared cases since the beginning of September when infection numbers began to rise.

An outbreak is defined as when two or more cases of covid have tested positive at a home.

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Richard Webb, director of adult social care at North Yorkshire County Council, revealed the figure at a briefing of North Yorkshire Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of agencies that manages emergencies.

North Yorkshire has 235 residential and nursing homes, plus extra care facilities. Homes in the Harrogate district make up a third of that figure.

Mr Webb said:

“We are working very closely with them and we have been doing a lot of drop-in visits to homes. I have to say we have found some really good practice around how residents are using their PPE, following the rules and supporting residents and families.

“Equally, where we have found poor practice we will act swiftly to address that and work with the Care Quality Commission as the care regulator to do so.”

Mr Webb added that a task group set up to look into how visits could be allowed in care homes in the county held its first meeting in the last seven days.

The group includes care providers, residents, relatives and a local charity that deals with support for people with dementia.

Visits have been restricted at homes throughout October in an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

A further 24 positive cases of Covid have been confirmed in the Harrogate district in the last 24 hours, according to Public Health England figures.

The number takes the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 1,254.

The weekly rate of cases in the district stands at 97.6 cases per 100,000 population. 

34 new coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

The number of coronavirus cases in the Harrogate district since the started of the pandemic passed 1,200 today.

Pubic Health England figures from today show a daily increase of 34 cases in the district.

It takes the total number to 1,230.

Daily figures from across North Yorkshire show an increase of 137. NHS data shows the weekly case rate county-wide stands at 97 per 100,000 population.

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However, no deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital since September 29.

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

County council bosses have also restricted visits to care homes throughout October in an effort to protect residents.

However, officials have now set up a working group to come up with solutions to allow visitors into care homes to see loved ones.

Another 35 coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

A further 35 coronavirus cases have been reported in the Harrogate district in the last 24 hours.

Latest Public Health England figures released today show the total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic has increased to 1,196.

Across North Yorkshire as a whole, 115 daily cases were also confirmed today.

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The weekly case rate county-wide stands at 88.7 per 100,000 people, according to the public body NHS Digital.

It comes as an IT error left 15,841 cases between September 25 and October 2 unreported across the UK.

The technical issue meant daily figures were higher than first reported. In Harrogate, 67 cases were confirmed on Sunday after the error was fixed.

Public Health England said those who tested positive had been informed. But those who had come into close contact with them were not.

A notice on the PHE coronavirus statistics page added:

“This means the total reported over the coming days will include some additional cases from the period between September 24 and October 1.”

Have you had experience of track and trace? Have you been contacted through the app or experienced delays related to the computer errors this weekend? We would like to hear from you. Contact us on Facebook or e-mail contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Fifteen more coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

A further 15 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district in the last 24 hours.

Latest Public Health England figures take the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 1,071.

Meanwhile, 49 more cases have been confirmed county-wide today.

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It comes as North Yorkshire’s Local Resilience Forum, a partnership between public agencies, has called for people to go home safely this weekend following the 10pm curfew at pubs and restaurants.

The forum made the call in an effort to avoid crowds in towns across the county.

Pictures from York last weekend showed crowds gathered in the city centre streets following the 10pm closures.

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.

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.

12 new covid cases in Harrogate district

A further 12 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Harrogate district in the last 24 hours.

It is the highest daily increase for just over a week.

Today’s figures from Public Health England take the total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic to 945.

The North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of agencies tacking emergencies in the county, said today the Harrogate district had a weekly rate of 24 covid cases per 100,000 people up to September 20.

By comparison, the weekly rate for the same timeframe across the county as a whole was 26 per 100,000 population.

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Further restrictions, including a 10pm curfew for pubs, were announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday to tackle the increase in infections.

Last week, North Yorkshire declared a major incident amid an increase in cases in the county. 

Selby and Scarborough districts have also been listed as “areas of concern” by the government.

However, Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any deaths in patients with covid since July 19.

Seven further coronavirus cases in Harrogate district

Seven further cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the Harrogate district, according to the latest daily Public Health England figures.

It takes the total number of cases in the district since the start of the pandemic to 926.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson may announce further restrictions tomorrow in an effort to halt the spread of the virus nationally.

It comes as Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, warned today that the UK could face up to 50,000 cases a day by October if action was not taken.

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Last week, North Yorkshire declared a major incident amid an increase in cases in the county.

Selby and Scarborough districts have also been listed as “areas of concern” by the government.

Head appointed to lead new Harrogate district tourism body

A new head of destination management has been appointed by Harrogate Borough Council.

Gemma Rio will create a new destination management organisation (DMO) for the Harrogate district, driving tourism among both leisure and business visitors.

The DMO will bring together Visit Harrogate, Harrogate Convention Centre’s marketing team, and the district’s tourist information centres. It will work with other public and business organisations including HBC, Harrogate BID and Think Harrogate, as well as sector-specific groups including Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association.

Gemma Rio, Harrogate Borough Council's new head of destination marketing

Gemma Rio, Harrogate Borough Council’s new head of destination marketing

Ms Rio, who joins HBC from Tees Valley Combined Authority, will take up the new role in early October. She said:

“The Harrogate district is home to some genuinely excellent visitor experiences and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to establish its new destination management organisation to ensure those experiences attract more and more high-spending visitors.

“This is undoubtedly a challenging time for the visitor economy but there are already promising signs of recovery in the Harrogate district, with the Visit Harrogate website seeing record web traffic in recent months.

“I’m looking forward to supporting the sector in navigating these uncertain times, maximising the opportunity in increased domestic travel, and preparing for what we hope will be a robust 2021 spring/summer season.”

‘Not financially sustainable’

Visit Harrogate was established in 2013 as the district’s first DMO, funded through HBC as well as selling private advertising space on its website and brochures. In a report to HBC’s cabinet in September 2019, it was recommended to create a new DMO combining its functions with others including marketing of HCC, operating Tourism Information Centres and more. The report said:

“To maintain the current structures for Destination Marketing and Visitor Services is not recommended. There is a need to streamline and update the Tourist Information Centres, the Convention Centre future business strategy requires the development of a convention bureau and the current Visit Harrogate model is not financially sustainable.”

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Ms Rio’s experience at Tees Valley included establishing the area’s first destination marketing service in more than seven years, as well as successfully bidding for a significant group game of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. She has also developed a covid recovery programme for the Tees Valley visitor economy.

Prior to working in the North East, she worked at a senior level in an Australian economic development and destination management organisation. She also had roles in bringing business and leisure events to Townsville, North Queensland, to increase visitor expenditure in the area.

Paula Lorimer

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre

Paula Lorimer, director of Harrogate Convention Centre, said:

“Gemma will bring a wealth of industry knowledge and experience having held leadership posts in destination marketing in Townsville Australia and as tourism manager at Tees Valley Combined Authority.

“I am sure the whole district will join me in welcoming Gemma and wish her every success here in Harrogate.”

A spokesperson from Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association said:

“Gemma’s appointment recognises the importance of a strong destination strategy for Harrogate district and can only be good news for the district’s hospitality sector, especially in the current economic climate.”