The rate of covid in the Harrogate district has more than doubled since the end of May.
Latest North Yorkshire County Council data shows there are currently 113 positive cases per 100,000 people in the district.
The rate was at as low as 52 cases per 100,000 people on May 30.
Whilst the rate has begun to climb up again for the first time since March, it is still far below the peaks seen in January and April 2022.
Source – North Yorkshire County Council
North Yorkshire County Council public health consultant Dr Victoria Turner said the rise was being driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of omicron.
The sub-variants have also caused high rates in other countries across the world.
She said:
“There is evidence that BA.4 and BA.5 are more transmissible than previous variants, and there is limited protection from infection with previous variants against BA.4 and BA.5.
“The ways to prevent the spread of BA.4 and BA.5 remain the same as for other covid variants. Meeting outdoors where possible or in well-ventilated areas indoors, wearing a face covering in enclosed or crowded spaces, and good hand and respiratory hygiene will all reduce the risk of transmission.”
Dr Turner said anyone who has tested positive for covid should stay at home for five days.
Covid tests are available to be purchased from pharmacies.
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‘Hen lockdown’ in Harrogate district ends today
A government order for bird owners to keep their animals inside to prevent the spread of bird flu ends today.
The order began in November after cases of avian influenza were identified across the country.
It meant hens and other birds have had to be kept indoors for almost six months.
There is no evidence that the virus can affect humans but it is highly contagious among birds and can wipe out poultry flocks.
But the government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) now says it is safe to relax the rules due to a low number of cases.
In a joint statement, the four chief veterinary officers said:
“Whilst the lifting of the mandatory housing measures will be welcome news to bird keepers, scrupulous biosecurity remains the most critical form of defence to help keep your birds safe.
“It is thanks to the hard work of all bird keepers and vets, who have played their part in keeping flocks safe this winter, that we are in a position to take this action. However, the recent cases of avian influenza show that it’s vital that bird keepers remain vigilant for signs of disease and maintain stringent standards of biosecurity.”
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Harrogate district covid rate more than doubles in 12 days
The rate of covid in the Harrogate district has almost doubled in just 12 days.
Latest data published by North Yorkshire County Council shows the seven-day rate of infection was 691 per 100,000 people on March 13.
On March 1, the rate was 343 per 100,000 people, the lowest it had been since September 2021.
The Harrogate district has the highest infection rate in North Yorkshire. Ryedale is the next highest at 632. The England average is 661.
The government no longer publishes daily data on how many people have caught the virus.
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Instead, it publishes the number of infections over the past seven days. In the Harrogate district, this was 1,207 people, a rise of almost 50% on the previous week.
NHS England figures show that the most recent covid-related death took place at Harrogate District Hospital on February 28.
There have been 232 covid-related deaths at the hospital since the pandemic started almost two years ago.
Killinghall pet shop issues appeal to dog owners over mystery virusPharmall Country Store in Killinghall has urged dog owners not to bring their pets into the shop due to a mystery virus.
There have been widespread reports of vomiting and diarrhoea affecting dogs across Yorkshire, including in Harrogate, in recent weeks.
The shop on Otley Road, which sells pet food and animal supplies, posted on its Facebook page yesterday that it has made the decision to reduce the chance of the virus spreading.
It said:
“Due to the amount of cases of sickness and diarrhoea in dogs in our local area at the moment, we ask that you don’t bring your dogs into the shop.
“We don’t want any of your doggies getting poorly!
“As you know we LOVE seeing them all but for the time being, we think this is best.
“Stay safe everyone!“
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The Harrogate Vet, on Leeds Road, told the Stray Ferret this month that its vets had seen a three-fold increase in dogs with gastroenteritis.
Sarah Woods, one of the vets at the practice, said:
“It is not unusual for viruses to spread but this is different in terms of the sheer number of unwell dogs we are treating — around a dozen a day.
“We do not want dog owners to panic or change anything they are doing.
“Dogs that have symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea just need to avoid popular areas to prevent the spread.”