Harrogate infection rates less than a third of average, but health officials ask for caution and compliance

21 December 2020

The North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum met this morning to brief the media (21 December 2020)

Main Points

  • England average is 282 infections per 100,000 (from 202 at the last report)
  • Harrogate is 86.4 infections per 100,000 (from 81.5 at the last report)
  • North Yorkshire Police said they had given out a number of penalties for tier 3 visitors to tier 2 North Yorkshire
  • Tier review is due on 30 December 2020
  • Vaccine rollout continuing
  • No confirmed cases of covid-19 variant in North Yorkshire
  • Plenty of testing capacity (PCR)
  • Staggered return of schools
  • Non-mandatory lateral flow testing to be rolled out within schools
  • The sentiment of the group was to not become complacent and to follow the rules

Police

Number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN’s) handed out over the weekend, especially to tier 3 visitors to tier 2, York.

  • Re-affirmed that the policing is by consent, and they need the support of the public
  • 74 FPNs issued this weekend
  • Of that 74  – 61 issued in York and 12 Scarborough
  • In York 61 FPNs split as so –  55 to tier 3 visitors in breach of tier 3 regulations and 6 to local residents for tier 2 breaches
  • In Scarborough 12 FPNs split – 11 to residents for tier 2 breaches and 1 tier 3 visitor in breach of their tier 3 restrictions.
  • Only other one is Richmond – 1 FPN issued to a local resident in breach of tier 2 indoor gathering rule
  • Continuing a strategy of engaging first, but some have refused to disperse when asked to

North Yorkshire Police has a low rate of infection and a low rate of self-isolation.

Infection Rates

7 day infection rate/ 100,000 (week to 21 December)

  • England Average 282.2
  • North Yorkshire 129.0
  • Scarborough 253.2
  • Craven 133.0
  • Selby 141.2
  • Harrogate 86.4
  • Richmond 117.3
  • Ryedale 79.5
  • Hambleton 77.5

7 day infection rate/ 100,000 (week to 16 December)

  • England Average 202.9
  • North Yorkshire 101.3
  • Scarborough 174.7
  • Craven 110.3
  • Selby 121.4
  • Harrogate 81.5
  • Richmond 85.6
  • Ryedale 54
  • Hambleton 49.1

Harrogate with a population of around 75,000 that means around 57 cases in period.

Carehomes

  • 46 care homes with cases
  • 30 care homes with 1 or more cases

PCR Testing

  • Testing capability remains “good”
  • Slight, but not dramatic, increase in testing.
  • Harrogate test site is undertaking the most tests
  • Scarborough has the highest utilisation (percentage of capacity)

Lateral Flow Testing

  • Has previously been used in other areas for community hotspots, but tier 3
  • There sas a recent announcement that LFT would be offered to some tier 2 areas. Not clear which yet.
  • Roll out for care homes has begun – 2 x nominated visitors and professionals
  • Expectation next round to include residents and staff
  • LTF testing to be rolled out to secondary schools in the new year – not mandatory and creates a logistical challenge

Covid variant

  • No confirmed cases in North Yorkshire
  • A variant is not unexpected
  • No reason to believe it is more serious
  • The variant may be more transmissible

Hospitals

  • Continue to see a plateauing of cases/
  • Currently, 21 cases in ICU
  • Trust have asked that ICU cases are not broken down by trust as they are slow it could identify an individual.

Hospital in-patients with Covid-19 (21 December 2020)

  • All hospitals – 176 ( up 2)
  • Harrogate – 14 (down 21)
  • York – 46 (up 11)
  • Scarborough 36 (down 2)
  • South Tees 80 (no change)
  • Darlington 36 (down 8)
  • Airedale 37 (up 8)

Staff Absences

  • Staff absences (sickness or self-isolating) – 244 (up 28)

Metrics for seriousness of cases

  • Requiring hospitalization
  • Length of stay
  • Requiring intensive care
  • Number of deaths

All metrics are lower in wave 2 than wave 1

Vaccine Program

  • North Yorkshire has 6 sites where the vaccine is being given
  • There will be 12 sites by 24 December
  • Further sites to follow
  • Currently, collating data to provide a weekly update of the numbers
  • Vaccine needs to be used within 3.5 days of reaching a vaccine site

Education

A report for the attendance at schools was not given at this meeting.

  • There will be a staggered return of secondary schools only.
  • Students and exam year groups years 11 and 14, vulnerable children and children of critical workers will attend from week starting 4 January
  • Face to face starting on the 11 January
  • Exams scheduled for week starting 4 January will go ahead
  • Webinair to take place on 4 January with schools

 

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