Scarborough could drag Harrogate district into tier three

There are fears the Harrogate district could be dragged into a higher tier of coronavirus restrictions amid rising infections elsewhere in the county.

Scarborough is a particular concern as the seven-day average rate of infection has shot up to 254 per 100,000 people from about 150 a week ago.

The area also has the highest positive rates in the whole of the north east of England.

The Harrogate district has 86 infections per 100,000 people. It has remained at about the 90 mark for a few weeks now.

North Yorkshire is currently in tier two. But the possibility of dividing the county into different tiers was raised at a coronavirus press briefing this morning.

Read more:

Richard Webb, the corporate director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“There has been a dramatic increase of cases in Scarborough. Particularly scary as the increases are among children and those in their 30s.

“People are mixing indoors there. They put themselves and the whole area at risk.”

Asked about the next tier review on December 30, Mr Webb said “up until now” local health leaders had not expected any change to the county’s tier two status.

But he added cases were rising in parts of the county and the door remained open to splitting North Yorkshire into different tiers.

The government highlighted Scarborough as “the most concerning area” in North Yorkshire when it reviewed the tiers last week. Case rates have almost doubled since then.

Back then the government review concluded the “trajectory [did] not warrant tier three” but last weekend’s events highlighted how quickly things can change.

Local health leaders told the forum no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus strain had been recorded in the county but nevertheless they acknowledged it could already be here.

Harrogate district remains in tier two

The Harrogate district will remain in tier two after the first government review of the national tier rules.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock made the announcement in the House of Commons this morning.

But there was disappointment for West Yorkshire, including Leeds, which was hoping to move down from tier three to tier two.

This could have implications for local pubs and restaurants, as well as policing, which have had to deal with people flouting the rules and travelling to North Yorkshire for a night out.

Read more:

Tier rules are based on factors such as infection rates, particularly in the over 60s, and pressure on hospitals.

Case rates in the Harrogate district remain more than double those in tier one areas.

The Harrogate district currently has a rate of 84 infections per 100,000 people compared to 25.9 per 100,000 in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which is in tier one.

What are the rules in tier two?

Tier two:

What about Christmas?

Coronavirus restrictions will be eased in England between December 23 and December 27.

Three households will be able to form a temporary bubble. It must be fixed but there will be no limit on numbers joining bubble.

Those who are self-isolating should not join one of these so-called Christmas bubbles.

If someone is in an at-risk group the government has said they must use their own judgement and consider the risks of mixing over Christmas.

Police step up patrols to stop tier three travel to Harrogate district

Police have warned they are stepping up patrols to prevent people from tier three areas travelling into the Harrogate district for the lower restrictions.

North Yorkshire and York entered tier two yesterday. But the surrounding area is in tier three, except for Cumbria.

Restaurants and pubs can open in tier two, if they serve substantial meals; but all hospitality is closed in tier three except for takeaways.

This could tempt people from areas such as Leeds to travel to the district for nights out but North Yorkshire Police has said it is ready to tackle this.

Read more:

Superintendent Mike Walker, the coronavirus lead for North Yorkshire Police, said travel from tier three to lower tier areas is only permitted if deemed necessary, such as for work or education. He added:

“I realise there may be some confusion over what is deemed necessary in these circumstances, so I’d like to be clear here; it is neither necessary or acceptable to leave a tier 3 area and enter a lower tier area for a day trip or to visit a pub or restaurant for a meal.

“Please also be reminded that your tier restrictions travel with you and police can take enforcement action against you,  if you should breach those restrictions.”

Police vehicles with automatic number plate recognition technology will be deployed along with more active patrols, said Superintendent Walker, who added:

“There will be a visible police presence in our day and nighttime economy areas.

“It is our job to engage with the public and sometimes find out the purpose of their journey — especially if we see groups coming into the area.

“We will also work with local businesses to ensure that they understand the tier two regulations and make sure they are operating in a safe way.”

What are the tier two restriction?

Tier one hopes for Harrogate district fade away

The Harrogate district’s hopes of remaining in tier one at the end of the national lockdown seem to be fading away.

Local public health officials, who manage the coronavirus response in North Yorkshire, have been speculating ahead of an announcement tomorrow.

In a weekly coronavirus press briefing this morning, those officials said coronavirus rates can give you a feel for what tiers different areas will be in.

The average case rates in North Yorkshire is 195 per 100,000. England’s average case rates are currently 207 per 100,000.

Areas like Scarborough and Selby are the only areas above the national average at 296 and 240 per 100,000 respectively.

The Harrogate district has seen a drop in case rates in recent weeks. It now has the second lowest rates in North Yorkshire at 157 just above Ryedale at 131.

What tier restrictions will we be under?

The national lockdown ends next week on Wednesday, December 2. When the lockdown ends we will return to restrictions based on three tiers.

North Yorkshire was in tier one before the national lockdown. The government will confirm tomorrow which tiers each area will be under.

Read more:

However, local public health officials also said today that they would favour a system where North Yorkshire is split into different districts.

Richard Webb, the corporate director of health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, said:

“We don’t have those details on tier restrictions yet. All we have at the moment are the speculation and the drafts we had before lockdown.

“If we look to the criteria that will potentially be in place we hope that most of the county would be in tier two. But we know that some areas could be in tier three.”

What are the three different tiers?

The government has strengthened the tiers. They still range from tier one at medium through tier two at high and tier three at very high.

Tier one:
Tier two:
Tier three:

What about Christmas?

Coronavirus restrictions will be eased across the UK between December 23 and December 27 to allow for a Christmas closer to normal.

It will mean that three households will be able to form a temporary bubble. It must be fixed but there will be no limit on numbers joining bubble.

Those who are self-isolating should not join one of these so-called Christmas bubbles.

If someone is in an at-risk group the government has said they must their their own judgement and consider the risks of mixing over Christmas.

Police: Stay away from North Yorkshire during half term

North Yorkshire Police has urged people in tier three areas not to travel to the county during this October half term.

Amid concerns that people from the “very high” tier will venture into the county, police have asked people not to travel unless it is for work, education or caring responsibilities.

It comes as the county currently sits in the lowest tier, meaning it follows the national guidance with no additional restrictions.

Those areas in tier three, such as Lancashire and Greater Manchester, cannot socialise indoors with other households and have seen pubs closed.

Read more:

People under “very high” restrictions are advised not to travel outside of the area.

Superintendent Mike Walker, gold commander for the force’s response to coronavirus, urged people from those areas to stay away this half term.

He said:

“North Yorkshire is notorious for providing a warm welcome to visitors. But at the moment, we would ask residents from tier three locations to please stay in their own area and help us with the containment of this virus.

“If we can maintain a united approach and stop the spread, I can assure you that when it’s safe to do so – North Yorkshire will welcome you with open arms.”

He also urged young people in the county to follow social distancing guidance and to stick to the rule of six during the break.

“I would appeal to parents and carers to have those conversations with their children, to ensure they are aware of the possible consequences of their actions and encourage them to adhere to the regulations.”

Earlier this week, Superintendent Walker added that there would be a visible presence across the county amid concern that people would also travel from tier two areas, such as York and West Yorkshire.

He said, while the force could not enforce travel restrictions, there would be officers out enforcing the national rules.

“For the public of North Yorkshire and the City of York who are worried what I can say is that officers will be patrolling, they will be visible and they will absolutely be enforcing face coverings and the rule of six as they have been doing throughout the pandemic.”

It comes as the force has handed out 1,151 coronavirus penalties, the most of any police force in the country.

The vast majority were issued for non-essential journeys at the start of lockdown.

The force is also considering introducing “covid cars” as part of £291,897 worth of funding from government to help with enforcement of covid restrictions.