North Yorkshire infection rates fall – but residents urged “don’t let your guard down over Christmas”
In the latest update from the county council, Chief Executive Richard Flinton said: “You will probably be aware that we are the only area of Yorkshire, and one of a limited number in the north, not to be in the toughest tier, Tier 3. Thanks to your sacrifice and hard work we are, in fact, continuing to see our infection rates here reduce. Today all areas of the county, as well as our neighbours in the City of York, are sitting very comfortably below the England average.”
He thanked everyone in North Yorkshire for helping the county get on top of infection rates during the national lockdown, which ended yesterday (Wednesday, December 2).
As of November 29, there had been 13,271 positive tests in North Yorkshire since March 3, with 1,730 new cases reported in the previous two weeks.
However, Mr Flinton warned: “We must not be complacent, particularly with the relaxation of the rules for that five-day window over Christmas, but this is positive news and I hope you will keep up your magnificent response. The lower we can get our rates before Christmas the better.
“We know that the mixing of households over the period of relaxation has the potential to see rates bounce back up in the New Year. Like you, we do not want to see a third wave here. Like you, we want to see our businesses well placed to plan for recovery in 2021 and so we all have a very important part to play in this.
We must not drop our guard when we enjoy time with our loved ones and I ask you to take very particular care around older family members and people who may be more vulnerable due to medical conditions. We can be together but keep our distance and give the virus the least possible opportunity to use our families to get a grip on our communities again.
Mr Flinton also revealed that the police had handed out more than 230 fines since England went into the second lockdown, with 178 of those along the coast – where rates were soaring just a few weeks ago.
“That’s £35,000 worth of fines issued in a single month in one area, largely to people who were out and about in lockdown without a reasonable excuse. Despite the thoughtlessness of those few, the vast majority of the residents of Scarborough, Whitby and Filey still managed to pull together to turn the tide on the virus, which shows everywhere else what can be done when we stand together.”
'Vaccine preparations'
Following the news that the first COVID-19 vaccine had been approved for use in the UK, Mr Flinton said the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum had been supporting the local NHS to prepare for the announcement.
“Working together with all the partners, we will ensure that the facilities and resources, which are required to support the roll-out of vaccines, are in place here. We have a strong track record in North Yorkshire of responding well to emergencies and we are already driving forward these plans together at pace.
“A vaccine has been both long-awaited and anticipated, so whatever needs to be done will be done. This programme will be led by the NHS and we look forward to further information in the coming days.”
The county council said school attendance in North Yorkshire continues to remain above the national average, and has increased further coronavirus rates drop across the county. It now stands at about 90 per cent. Only one school is fully closed and fewer than 30 schools have a class or year group self-isolating.
The council said: “There are no plans to close schools early for Christmas. Government guidance has made it clear they must remain open for pupils until the end of term, which is approximately December 18 for most schools in the county. We are working hard to minimise any further disruption to children’s education this year and it’s important they continue to attend school for their academic progress, their mental health and wellbeing.
We are currently in the process of distributing £1.4m to schools, academies and early years providers to help those families hardest hit by the pandemic. The funding will ensure that children eligible for free school meals in North Yorkshire will continue to have access to meals over the Christmas holidays and into the next school year.
All schools should have received the Covid Winter Grant Scheme funding by Monday, December 7. They will then be able to start distributing supermarket vouchers to families they have identified as in need, which are equivalent to £20 per child per week. Care leavers will also receive vouchers.
