A further 37 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the Harrogate district, today’s figures confirm.

The number of positive tests in the last 24 hours brings the total for the area to 4,127 since the pandemic began.

The rate of positive cases per 100,000 people in the district now stands at 93.7, a rise from yesterday’s figure of 86. However, it is still below the average for North Yorkshire of 142.2, and for England of 354.9.

Nationally, data from Public Health England shows that 32,725 people tested positive for covid-19 in the last 24 hours, and 570 people died within 28 days of testing positive.

Five patients were admitted to Harrogate District Hospital with the virus in the seven days to December 20, compared to 10 in the previous seven days. Only one patient diagnosed with covid-19 has died in the district in the last 14 days.

Read more:

• Harrogate Nightingale remains ‘on standby’ amid new covid strain
• Coronavirus vaccine centre opens in Harrogate

In line with national guidance, families have been able to spend Christmas Day together within a limit of three households. Tomorrow, rules for tier two come back into force, including no household mixing indoors.

This week, a new vaccination centre opened at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate. Up to 900 people per day could be given the vaccine, with those aged over 80, care home residents and healthcare workers among the first to be invited to appointments.

A former teacher has set up a new business in Harrogate offering civil ceremonies as a result of a growth in non-religious weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies.

Weddings overall have been in decline over recent years, and religious ceremonies now account for less than a quarter of all weddings that take place in the UK.

Data published this year by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that in 2017, North Yorkshire had a total of 4,606 marriages of opposite-sex couples, 3,443 of which were civil ceremonies with only 1,163 religious ceremonies.

Former international teacher Melanie Gail has recently launched her new business in Harrogate. She told the Stray Ferret that the trend towards civil ceremonies sparked her interest in becoming an independent civil celebrant.

She said:

“The reason I am attracted to it is because I think it’s great that it offers people the freedom of choice. They can choose to have it on their front garden, or on a mountain top, or in a forest.

“People can get married whenever they want, provided they do the legal part in a registry office. They can have a ceremony which really reflects who they are.”

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• WATCH: People flee to Yorkshire Dales for staycation
• District humanist celebrants support couples challenging law on humanist weddings

As of August 1, larger wedding receptions can return but guest numbers will be limited to 30. Melanie argued that this may also make civil ceremonies more popular.

She said:

“Everything is becoming a lot smaller because of the legislations and potentially also a lot more intimate. With the new limits on numbers of guests at weddings, people are rethinking the venues they choose.”

For the 16th day running, there have been no further coronavirus deaths at Harrogate District Hospital. The total since the start of the outbreak remains at 82.

According to figures released today by NHS England, there were four deaths in the North East and Yorkshire, and nine in total across the country.

The patients were aged between 73 and 92 and all had known underlying health conditions.

Read more:

• No positive coronavirus patients at Harrogate hospital
• 12 cases of coronavirus in Harrogate district as rates remain low

Yesterday, Harrogate NHS Foundation Trust confirmed it was not treating any patients with Covid-19. National statistics have also revealed there were only 12 confirmed cases across the Harrogate district in the last week.

For this reason, the Stray Ferret will pause its daily reporting of the statistics from NHS England after today. We will continue to monitor the information as it is released and to report any deaths as they are confirmed.

We will also report any other statistics released by the hospital, the ONS or other authorities, as they are announced.

Should the number of cases or deaths increase in the district in future, we will begin reporting daily again.

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