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Oct 2020

Last Updated: 12/10/2020

Health

Will the Harrogate district face tougher restrictions today?

by Calvin Robinson

| 12 Oct, 2020

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce pub, gym and casino closures for millions of people in the north of England. While some mayors have been outspoken about the measures, North Yorkshire has so far remained silent.

The government is set to announce tougher lockdown restrictions today for millions of people in northern England — but to what extent the Harrogate district will be affected remains unclear.

Pub closures and a ban on travel outside of restriction zones are on the cards for swathes of the north, as part of a new three-tier lockdown system.

While metro mayors Steve Rotheram in Liverpool and Andy Burnham in Manchester are threatening to rebel against the initiative, leaders in North Yorkshire have so far kept quiet.

The Stray Ferret today asked Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council whether the government had consulted them on the tier system, if they knew which tier the district was likely to be allocated and whether they agreed with it.

The borough council referred us to the county council, which had not replied by the time of publication.

Rising infection rates

Harrogate has a covid rate of 127.5 per 100,000 people. The figure for North Yorkshire as a whole is 101.9, according to NHS Digital.

Harrogate's infection level is rated as high but nevertheless is well below the 689.1 figure for Nottingham or 578.7 in Liverpool.

Craven has the highest case rate in the county at 166 per 100,000. Ryedale stands at 102, Richmondshire at 109 and both Scarborough and Selby at 91.

The number of cases in the Harrogate district has increased sharply since the start of September. A further 42 cases were confirmed yesterday, taking the overall number to 1,412.

Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, said this morning the Harrogate Nightingale hospital will be asked to "mobilise to be ready to accept patients if necessary".

Harrogate bars warn further measures could ‘finish us off’

Harrogate to get permanent Covid testing site

The Harrogate district relies heavily on hospitality trade and local businesses have been vocal about the impact of any further restrictions, and warned that Harrogate falling into the highest tier would “finish them off”.

Martin Greenhow, managing director of Mojo bars, told the Stray Ferret:

“We are currently sat on a precipice and we are going to fall. Things are so bad now, more measures would be inconsequential – we may even be better off closed. It is that dire. But we don’t want to close because we want to keep our staff in employment.”

Closure would be 'disaster'

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa and chair of the Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association, said if areas such as Leeds and Newcastle were locked down then it would have an impact on the district.

He said:

“If new restrictions are imposed, stopping anyone in a lockdown area from travelling, it will be damaging.

"We won’t be told to close so the new furlough rules won’t apply – that is when we will be hung out to dry. Fewer guests and no furlough pay will be damaging.

“If neighbouring cities such as Leeds and Newcastle are locked down Harrogate businesses will struggle in a big way. “

Chris Lupton, owner of Innovate Gym in Harrogate, described the government's plan to close gyms as part of the local lockdown measures as "hypocritical".

He said:

“If the government are going to insist they’re following the science, then it’s hypocritical to choose gyms as one of the primary business types responsible for transmission of covid. Since the sector reopened, UK Active have reported just 78 cases from 22 million gym visits.

“It would be a disaster if we were made to close again. My bigger concern is for our team the new job support scheme isn’t particularly appetising from a financial perspective.

“If we’re going to be placed in tiers, then the precise data and reasoning for doing so, should be shared explicitly to the entire nation”

Today's announcement

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to outline the three-tier system in the House of Commons this afternoon before presenting the measures at a press conference at 6pm.

The tier system is expected to be split into risk categories and operate as follows:

Tier one: low risk areas, which have a low rate of coronavirus infections will continue to follow national restrictions, such as the rule of six and 10pm curfew.

Tier two: high risk areas will see a ban on indoor socialising with other households and restrictions on home visits.

Tier three: very high risk areas will see pubs, gyms and casinos closed. The strictest measures will be in place for four weeks before being reviewed, according to The Times.

Thank you for your interest in this story

Will the Harrogate district face tougher restrictions today?

Rising infection rates

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Closure would be 'disaster'

Today's announcement