Harrogate district covid rate reaches another record high

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate has reached another record high.

The average now stands at 591 infections per 100,000 peoples and surpasses the last high of 585, which was reported in September.

North Yorkshire’s rate stands at 444 and the England average is 341.

Meanwhile, the Harrogate district has reported another 114 daily covid infections, according to Public Health England figures.

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Hospitalisations have increased at Harrogate District Hospital, with 13 covid-positive patients receiving treatment – a rise of three on last week.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

Elsewhere, 129,376 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,863 have had a second dose.

169 covid cases recorded in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has reported another 169 daily covid infections, according to Public Health England figures.

The district’s seven-day average currently stands at 575 cases per 100,000 people. The rate has increased slightly since dropping earlier this week.

Meanwhile, the North Yorkshire rate stands at 437 and the England average is 337.

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Hospitalisations have increased at Harrogate District Hospital, with 13 covid-positive patients receiving treatment – a rise of three on last week.

No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

Elsewhere, 129,353 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,845 have had a second dose.

Daily covid cases hit another high in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district has recorded another record high for daily covid cases, according to latest government figures.

Public Health England statistics today show 177 cases have been reported.

The figure surpasses the previous record high for daily infections, which stood at 172 on January 4.

Meanwhile, the district’s seven-day covid rate stands at 546 per 100,000 people.

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The North Yorkshire average is 429 and the England rate stands at 333.

No further covid deaths have been reported at Harrogate District Hospital, according to latest NHS England figures.

Elsewhere, 128,300 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,726 have had a second dose.

Harrogate district reports 138 covid infections as rate falls

The Harrogate district has reported another 138 daily covid infections, according to Public Health England figures.

The district’s seven-day average currently stands at 530 cases per 100,000 people. The rate has fallen since reaching a record high of 580 at the start of October.

Meanwhile, the North Yorkshire rate stands at 434 and the England average is 332.

However, hospitalisations remain much lower than previous waves with 10 covid-positive patients receiving treatment in Harrogate District Hospital.

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No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

Elsewhere, 128,277 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,643 have had a second dose.

Fears for thousands of Harrogate district jobs as furlough ends

There are fears for the jobs of around 3,600 workers in the Harrogate district in the wake of last week’s ending of furlough.

The government scheme introduced at the start of the covid outbreak has protected millions of jobs during the pandemic, with Conservative Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones saying it “got our country through the darkest days of the lockdown”.

But Liberal Democrat councillors in the district have warned that businesses and employees could now be hit by a “tidal wave of job losses” unless more support is made available.

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the opposition group on Harrogate Borough Council, said the Liberal Democrats both locally and nationally were demanding the scheme be extended for businesses hit hardest by the pandemic.

She said: 

“The withdrawal of furlough risks having a devastating impact on at least 3,600 people in the Harrogate area who are already facing a winter of soaring energy bills and cuts to benefits.

“Supporting them and their families is both the right and responsible thing to do.

“Although many may find work in recovering sectors such as hospitality and travel, there is also likely to be a rise in unemployment due to new redundancies as businesses fail without the support of furlough.”

Some workers who relied on furlough are also now facing the added worry of the end of the £20-a-week boost to Universal Credit.

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This temporary increase to payments, which was introduced in response to the pandemic, ends tomorrow.

Citizens Advice has described this as a “disastrous decision” by the government and warned around 1.5 million claimants across the UK could be pushed into hardship this winter.

Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of the charity, said: 

“Shop workers, nursery assistants and security guards are just some of the people on Universal Credit seeking our help because they’re already struggling to make ends meet.”

Supported 28,600 jobs in Harrogate district

The furlough scheme supported around 28,600 jobs in the Harrogate district for 18 months.

It saw the government pay around £70 billion towards the wages of employees across the UK who could not work, or whose employers could no longer afford to pay them, up to a monthly limit of £2,500.

At first it paid 80% of their usual wage, but in August and September it paid 60%, with employers paying 20%.

Since its end, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has pledged more than £500 million in fresh funding to help people back into work and support sectors which are facing recruitment crises.

Funding for the new packages will not be set out until later this month and it comes at a time when Mr Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson are facing pressure to ease the historically high tax burden.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Mr Jones said while now was the right time for furlough to end, the extra funding showed the government was willing to continue its support for jobs during the covid recovery.

He added: 

“The furlough scheme is estimated to have cost £70bn and this will need repaying. But the human and financial cost of letting industries, businesses and jobs go to the wall during lockdown would have been catastrophic.

“It is going to be a bumpy road ahead even so but without the actions that were taken it is difficult to imagine what the situation would have been.”

Harrogate district covid rate finally declines

The Harrogate district average covid rate has fallen after soaring in recent weeks to record levels.

Another 95 infections were recorded today by Public Health England.

It brought the weekly rate down to 560 per 100,000 people after it yesterday reached 580 — the highest it has been at any time.

The district’s rate still remains well above the North Yorkshire average of 451 and the England average of 336.

Killinghall and Hampsthwaite has recorded 71 infections in the last seven days, which is the most in the district. Ouseburn, Hammerton and Tockwith is next with 70.

At the other end of the scale, Stray has had just 25 cases, which is the fewest in the district. Menwith, Beckwithshaw and Denton Moor has had 26.

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Another 157 covid infections in Harrogate district

The Harrogate district’s seven-day covid rate continues to rise as another 157 daily infections have been reported.

According to latest Public Health England figures, the district average has increased to 574 cases per 100,000 people.

The North Yorkshire rate stands at 473 and the England average is 340.

However, hospitalisations remain much lower than previous waves with 10 covid-positive patients receiving treatment in Harrogate District Hospital as of last Wednesday.

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No further deaths from patients who tested positive for coronavirus have been recorded at Harrogate District Hospital.

Elsewhere, 128,230 people have received a first covid vaccine in the Harrogate district and 120,433 have had a second dose.

Live: Harrogate district traffic and travel

Good morning to you on this rainy Thursday and welcome back once again to the traffic and travel blog. It’s Connor with you once again today.

Give me a call on 01423 276197 or get in touch on social media if you spot anything on the roads or are waiting for a delayed bus or train.

The morning blogs are brought to you by The HACS Group.

9am – Full Update 

Roads

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Trains

Buses

8.30am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

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Buses

8am – Full Update 

Roads

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

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Buses

7.30am – Full Update 

Roads

We are already seeing congestion on the A59 York Road between Harrogate and York this morning. Our system shows that workers are carrying out repairs in the area, which should be complete by late Friday/early Saturday.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

7am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

6:30am – Full Update 

Roads

No issues on the roads in the Harrogate district just yet. However drivers heading to York from Harrogate should watch out for temporary lights at Kirk Hammerton.

Road closures:

Temporary lights:

Trains

Buses

Fuel Watch: Harrogate district fuel problems persist

Fuel stations are trying to get back to normality across the Harrogate district amid reports that the crisis is slowing down.

Some forecourts remain closed but many are back up and running across the area. So we have created this live blog to help those in need find fuel.

Have you just been to fill up? Help other drivers in need by letting us know what the situation is like at your local petrol station.

Send an email to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with your reports and we will add them to this rolling coverage throughout the day.

645pm – Reports of two stations open

Esso on Wetherby Road in Harrogate is open and we also hear the Texaco in Kirk Hammerton is operating but some pumps are not available.

3.50pm – Esso on Harrogate’s Skipton Road closed

Thanks to Ian for telling us the Esso garage on Skipton Road has closed.

Is the fuel supply issue easing today? The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents filling stations, says there are “early signs” of pressure at the pumps easing.

But Steve McNamara of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association says “the situation is not getting better”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng says soldiers could be driving fuel tankers “in the next couple of days”.

2.15pm – No queues at Morrisons in Boroughbridge

A reader tells us that Morrisons in Boroughbridge has plenty of all fuel and there are no queues. This is a key site for many motorists in the Harrogate district and has been the scene of lengthy queues in recent days. A sign of things getting back to normal?

Send us your updates from forecourts in Harrogate, Ripon, Pateley Bridge, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Masham and anywhere in between.

1.20pm – Harrogate fuel stations working well

Our reporter has been out and about once again to get a view from the fuel stations across the town. There have been deliveries but some places have since run out of fuel.

12pm – BP in Harrogate set to reopen after delivery

A tanker has arrived at the BP fuel station on Leeds Road, Harrogate to replenish the supplies of petrol and diesel.

The station had been closed for the past couple of days but should be ready for drivers to fill up at around 1pm.

A tanker has arrived.

10.30am – Boroughbridge Morrisons fuel station refills

Boroughbridge’s Morrisons fuel station is now back open after running out of petrol and diesel yesterday afternoon at around 3pm.

A reader contacted us to say that it was not busy and all of the petrol and diesel pumps were in operation.

10am – Just one fuel station out in Ripon

The Spar BP petrol station on North Street is awaiting a delivery later today, but is currently without diesel or unleaded petrol.

Both of the Morrisons petrol stations, on Harrogate Road and on the supermarket site, have all pumps in operation serving diesel and unleaded fuels.

Photo of BP pumps at Spar

Pumps at the BP Spar station.

 

New book reveals storied history of Pannal and Burn Bridge

A new book has been written about the history of Pannal and Burn Bridge.

Its author is former Harrogate Advertiser journalist and Pannal historian Anne Smith, who has lived in Pannal for many years and raised her family there.

The book is called Pannal and Burn Bridge, Their Stories and includes history of the two villages dating back to the Domesday times. 

Ms Smith has written three books on Pannal previously and said her new effort “is my best book yet”. She added:

“The reason I did it is I want people who live Pannal to like Pannal and know about where they live.”

The name Pannal was first recorded in 1170 and the village has been a settlement for centuries. It developed in the middle of the former Knaresborough Forest and is believed to date back to the Bronze Age

By the early fourteenth century, Pannal had become a thriving village with weekly markets and an annual four-day fair.

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Personal accounts

The book includes personal accounts from current Pannal residents, histories of important buildings such as Pannal Village Hall and the Black Swan pub in Burn Bridge, maps and walks of the area, and other interesting tidbits.

Ms Smith said:

“It includes contributions from a lot of the characters and friends that live in the village.

“They put their memories of how wonderful it was growing up in Pannal.

Despite Pannal changing over recent decades, Ms Smith insisted “It’s still a good place to be.”

She added:

“I’m really pleased with the book and hope everyone buys it to see the area they live in because I love Pannal.”

The book costs £10 and is available from annesmith.pannal@yahoo.co.uk

Anne Smith launched the book at an event in Pannal earlier this month.

Malcolm Neesam, Anne Smith, Howard West