Harrogate District Hospital has reported that three more people who tested positive for coronavirus have died.

Today’s figures include one death from April 29 and two more deaths from Sunday and Monday this week, bringing the hospital’s total up to 54.

The deaths were recorded with a total of 244 across England’s hospitals. Patients were aged between 49 and 99 years old. Four of the 244 patients, who were aged between 51 and 78 years old, had no known underlying health conditions.

It also comes as the government releases a clear picture of confirmed coronavirus cases by lower-tier local authority – narrowing it down to the Harrogate district, rather than the wider numbers for North Yorkshire which were previously available.

According to the data released today, the Harrogate district has had 266 cases. It also includes rates per 100,000 resident population, which provides a comparable figure across the UK.

Harrogate has a rate of 165.7 which is lower than England’s rate of 248.5, Yorkshire and the Humber’s rate of 230.9 as well as North Yorkshire with a rate of 196.4.

Weekly data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also reveals how many people have died outside of hospitals. That number has been rising higher in recent weeks and is close to overtaking Harrogate hospital’s deaths.

This data goes up to May 1 and shows that there have been 48 deaths outside of hospitals. Of those, 43 deaths have been in Harrogate’s care homes, with the others in private homes or “other communal establishments.”

People from all over the Harrogate district took part in a national 1 minute’s silence, to pay tribute to key workers who have died from coronavirus.

Respects were paid at 11 am on Tuesday morning. People from all across the borough stopped what they were doing to remember those who have lost their lives through COVID-19, whilst working on the frontline of this pandemic.

The event coincides with International Workers’ Memorial Day, an annual observance that pays tribute to workers who have become unwell, injured, disabled or have died due to their work.

Harrogate District Hospital has not reported any coronavirus deaths today, as hospitals in the UK record the lowest number for four weeks.

The number of deaths reported on Sundays and Mondays tends to be lower due to delays in reporting over the weekends, but today’s number is the lowest since March 30 when 180 died.

Harrogate hospital has so far reported that 43 of its patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died.

Each Thursday, the hospital releases figures showing the total number of patients who have been treated and discharged – that figure last Thursday was 58.

A further 329 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 18,749.

Patients were aged between 29 and 100 years old. Twenty-two of the 329 patients, who were aged between 29 and 89 years old, had no known underlying health conditions.

Scotland reported 13 deaths, Wales reported eight and Northern Ireland has not yet released its figures.

The statistics, released each day, do not account for those who have died of suspected coronavirus but were not tested, such as those in care homes.

The peak of the coronavirus crisis has not yet hit North Yorkshire, but irregular and unreliable supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) are putting front line workers at risk.

North Yorkshire County Council’s director of health and adult services, Richard Webb, told The Stray Ferret that constantly changing government guidelines on the use of PPE are making it hard to predict how much is needed – and he doesn’t yet know when the next supplies will be delivered.

While gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser are all needed, the most urgent problem is finding face masks offering the right grade of protection. The type IIR face masks are in high demand around the country because they prevent fluids from passing through when staff are caring for patients.

Richard Webb

Mr Webb said: “We are asking anyone who is a producer of the right type of PPE to get in touch. We are asking businesses or schools who might be able to produce PPE, can they begin to mobilise their production. That would be really appreciated.

“That’s across the board: it’s for us, it’s for the wider care sector, it’s for the hospitals and community health service and GPs. If people are able to produce what’s required to the right spec, we would really welcome them to get in touch.”

A new PPE plan was announced by the government on Friday, with additional guidance issued over the Easter weekend. These constantly changing requirements make it even harder for the council to know how long supplies will last.

Mr Webb said the local resilience forum, which is a combination of councils, the NHS, the military and police, has been working to try to find supplies and get them to the right places. With the peak of the crisis still to come in North Yorkshire, demand will only grow.

“The figures nationally and in Yorkshire are increasing so we are still not yet at the peak date. We will expect to see an increase in cases over the coming weeks.”

NYCC’s chief executive, Richard Flinton, had previously issued a call to suppliers to help get products to the front line, while community groups have been working together to source equipment. Mr Webb thanked everyone who has contributed supplies so far, as well as reiterating advice to stay at home and follow hand-washing guidelines in order to reduce the spread of the virus.

He added:

“What we really want is a regular supply of this equipment and at the moment that’s not coming through in the way that the NHS and councils and care providers need it. The government have given it a really top priority on Friday night when they announced their new plan. We need to see during the coming week much more regular supplies of the right kit.”

Anyone who can help supply equipment should email procurement@northyorks.gov.uk.

The ever-changing challenge of the crisis

Less than 10 days ago, North Yorkshire County Council said it was well supplied with PPE.

This new appeal shows just how quickly the situation is changing: demand grows by the day, with added pressure as the government issues further guidance on the use of PPE across medical and social settings.

Evidence from those on the front line confirms that supplies aren’t reaching where they’re most needed. Over the weekend, care home operator MHA confirmed a number of its residents had died after displaying symptoms of coronavirus, and said it was desperately short of PPE across its 133 homes.

Hundreds of thousands of people up and down the country are using the same kit. While visors are being produced by schools and hand sanitiser made by businesses, it is the high-grade protective equipment, such as masks, which are harder to procure from alternative sources.

Usual supplies have been depleted, with manufacturers struggling to meet demand coming not just from the UK but internationally. With the peak of the crisis expected to hit North Yorkshire in the coming weeks, front line workers will be more desperate than ever to have access to the equipment they need to reduce the risks they are taking while caring for the most vulnerable people in society.

Doctors’ surgeries across the Harrogate district will be offering bank holiday appointments as the NHS continues to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said appointments will be available on Good Friday and Easter Monday, and some practices will be working together as a ‘hub’.

Anyone needing an urgent appointment should call their GP practice, rather than visit in person, and they will be advised over the phone or asked to come in to the surgery.

On Saturday and Sunday, the usual weekend arrangements will be in place, with anyone needing medical advice asked to call NHS 111.

Meanwhile, community pharmacies will be open for a minimum of three hours from 2-5pm on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with some open for longer. Saturday’s opening hours will be the same as normal, while the usual Easter Day opening hours will apply on Sunday.

Harrogate District Hospital bosses have welcomed the government’s decision to write off its £4.8 million debt.

The hospital took out the multi-million-pound loan to pay back its suppliers more quickly but said the “reset of finances” was helpful going forward.

107 hospital trusts have an average of £100 million in revenue debt, with the two trusts with the highest debts reaching a combined total of over £1 billion.

In total, the government will write off £13.4 billion of NHS debt to ensure hospitals have the “necessary funding and support to respond to coronavirus.”

Under new rules, hospitals in need of extra cash will be given it with equity, rather than needing to borrow from the government and repay a loan.

Jonathan Coulter, finance director at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“The loan we took out was to enable us to be able to pay our suppliers more quickly. In line with the rest of the NHS, we think this ‘reset’ of finances is helpful for trusts both at this point in time and going forward over the coming years.”

The government has said that while many NHS trusts manage strong finances, some took out loans to plug financial gaps in their day-to-day revenue or capital infrastructure budgets.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

“As we tackle this crisis, nobody in our health service should be distracted by their hospital’s past finances. Today’s £13.4 billion debt write off will wipe the slate clean and allow NHS hospitals to plan for the future and invest in vital services.”

St Michael’s Chief Executive has welcomed the announcement by Chancellor Rishi Sunak that a £750m fund had been set aside to help charities during the coronavirus crisis. Many charities in the Harrogate district have seen huge falls in revenue with their shops shut and fundraising activities postponed. 

The chancellor earmarked £360m of the money to charities “that were on the frontline of fighting the coronavirus”, such as the hospice.

St Michael’s needs £6m a year to run the hospice which cares for people living with terminal illness and its bereavement service- it traditionally gets little government money and is reliant on donations, shop revenue and fundraising activity to operate.

St Michael’s Chief Executive, Tony Collins

Saint Michael’s Hospice Chief Executive Tony Collins said:

“We welcome this investment in the hospice movement. It is exactly what we need to be able to continue to care for people affected by terminal illness and bereavement and support our community with their emotional wellbeing.

“This includes keeping as many of our traditional services running as possible so we can help release pressure from the NHS.”

As well as keeping its traditional services running to alleviate pressure on the NHS, the hospice’s bereavement service Just B, has a new helpline for those feeling anxious or struggling with their emotional wellbeing during this crisis. Hear to Help is available to everyone between 8am-8pm, seven days a week, and is staffed by specialist support workers. The number to ring is (01423) 856 799.

The hospice is also supporting the national NHS mental health hotline for staff. The phone number is 0300 131 7000 or staff can text FRONTLINE to 85258. Lines are open from 07:00 to 23:00 every day,

With Easter approaching, Ripon Grammar School (RGS) is doing its bit to support the NHS, by donating safety spectacles to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

All pairs of new and nearly new spectacles from the school’s laboratories have been given to Darlington and Durham NHS Trust’s medical director, Jeremy Cundall, for use by key hospital workers. RGS head of science, Dr Richard Grime, said:

“They were accepted with grateful thanks. The school is only too happy to donate anything that can help in the fight against coronavirus.”

While RGS thinks of the wider community, it has also been reflecting on the school community and the early closure caused by the coronavirus crisis.

Headmaster Jonathan Webb, spoke of the ‘sense of sorrow’ that the school community felt with the early departure of year 11 and 13 students.

In a message to students, their families and staff, he said:

“We have been living in strange times, with the school running largely in a virtual world.”

Mr Webb, added:

“We have particularly felt a sense of sorrow that our year 11 and 13 students departed school rather earlier than was expected and that their end goal of preparing for formal examinations, which they have worked so hard towards over the last two years, will not be happening. Once we have greater clarity from Ofqual, we will work hard to ensure the right grades are awarded for these two year groups.”

Mr Webb (pictured above) said that there will be opportunities to welcome the school’s departing leavers back as RGS hopes to run a reunion event for upper sixth-formers.

With the focus very much on home working, as students prepare for exams later in the year, RGS psychology teacher, Claire Judd, is keeping in touch with her students and colleagues via Microsoft Teams, and has offered some calming advice. She said:

“You’re not alone” and “Don’t panic.”

Mrs Judd has given practical tips on homeworking for both students and her colleagues.

For students, it includes setting up folders for emails in different in boxes covering each subject, establishing realistic periods of time for completing tasks and ensuring that they get enough sleep.

For both students and fellow teachers, working in isolation at home, the advice is to keep in touch with colleagues and friends and don’t panic.

Mrs Judd pointed out to all:

“You’re not alone in this!”

A reminder has been issued to cyclists to follow social distancing guidelines as more and more people take to two wheels for exercise.

A combination of lighter nights and improved weather has seen the number of cyclists increase significantly over the last fortnight. That has also been boosted by the number of vehicles on the roads falling to 1955 levels, according to data released last week.

Some cyclists have come under fire for leaving their local area, with a sign being put up in Huby this week warning cyclists not to risk spreading the virus. North Yorkshire Police said cycling is still acceptable even during the coronavirus lockdown, but said precautions still need to be taken.

A sign put up in Huby warning cyclists to stay away. Picture by Thomas Barrett

Major Collision Investigation Sergeant Karen Aldridge said: “As long as people follow the government’s rules about how they exercise and observe social distancing while they do it, we want to give people the knowledge they need to ride safely.

“North Yorkshire is a beautiful county with a strong cycling scene and 6,000 miles of roads. That’s plenty of road for everyone if all road users stick to the law, take sensible precautions and look out for one another.”

The force’s advice includes:

• planning routes and telling someone where you’re going and your expected return time, especially if you are cycling in a remote location
• using dedicated cycle paths, especially when riding with children, as HGVs are still on the roads delivering essential supplies
• checking the bike is roadworthy before setting off, especially if it hasn’t been used for a while
• wearing reflective clothing and using lights and reflective discs, as well as riding towards the centre of the lane where you are most visible to other road users
• ensuring any face protection does not restrict your head movement
• using hand signals when turning
• making eye contact with drivers and pedestrians to ensure they have seen you
• helping motorists to pass at a safe distance by filtering down to single file.

Sgt Aldridge said officers are working hard to enforce speed limits, after reports that some drivers are using excessive speeds on quieter roads. She reminded drivers to “expect the unexpected around each corner” and to pass cyclists when safe to do so, at a minimum distance of 1.5m.

She added: “The government measures make it clear that cyclists need to practise social distancing and should only ride alone or with people from the same household. Please remember that, as our officers are out on patrol ensuring people follow these rules.”

One patient who tested positive for coronavirus died at Harrogate hospital yesterday.

It’s the fourth day running that Harrogate District Hospital has reported at least one COVID-19 related death.

So far, 14 coronavirus patients have died at the hospital.

88 out of the 758 latest deaths reported today were in Yorkshire and the North East.

Of the 758 deaths in England, the patients were aged between 23 and 102 years old.

29 of the patients, who were aged between 23 and 99 years old, had no known underlying health conditions.

There are no published figures for the number of patients who have recovered from the virus and been discharged from the hospital.