People flouting lockdown to be targeted as COVID-19 cases in Scarborough surge to twice the average for England
The latest seven-day rolling average show there are 512 cases per 100,000 people in the area, compared with 254 for the whole of England.
Those “flouting the lockdown” will now be targeted in a bid to halt the march of the virus through coastal communities.
North Yorkshire County Council Chief Executive Richard Flinton said: “We had been doing very well and we went into the current lockdown in the lowest tier of intervention. Sadly, our current rates put us in a very different place.”
North Yorkshire’s Director of Public Health Dr Lincoln Sargeant said this week: “The increase in Scarborough is clearly concerning and to some extent a number of factors may have contributed to that. This is an example of exponential growth, and this is why pandemics by their very nature are so concerning.
“When we look in detail, what we find is that it is more likely that those cases associated with schools, with care homes, with pubs, with hotels etc are imported from the community. They reflect community transmission, they reflect people being infected through household contacts and through social contacts outside of work, outside of care homes etc.
In fact quite a lot of the cases that are infecting care home residents now are imported through care home staff, and that’s hardly surprising if you think about it.
‘Consequences for care homes and hospital’
Richard Webb, the county council’s Corporate Director of Health and Adult Services, said: “Our work in Scarborough has been a major focus this week. We have for some time now since the outbreaks in Whitby some weeks ago been working very intensively with local communities to prevent and contain the spread of the virus.
“We were successful in Whitby some weeks ago; that’s now more difficult in terms of the rapid spread we’ve been seeing both in the Staithes and Hinderwell area, in the Filey area and in Scarborough town. We’ve met as agencies, we’ve agreed to intensify our action.
We’re going to be doing much more visible awareness-raising, not only the messages about the lockdown but also tackling where people are flouting the lockdown, because we’re beginning to see that where people flout the lockdown, that has direct consequences for our care homes, for our hospital in Scarborough, and it also means the virus is spreading from town to village right along the coast. For those who said it couldn’t happen here it has, and that’s what we need to do to tackle that in the coming days and weeks.
Mr Flinton said in his latest update this week: “Did you know that currently we lose one person every day in North Yorkshire to this virus? That is another family every day losing a loved one.
“Our economy is also suffering. Our hospitality sector, famous the world over for its hearty welcome and high-quality food and drink, is in lockdown again. And although we have generally good levels of employment across the county, we also struggle with low wages and high house prices in many areas.
“The facts are unavoidable and while most of you will be rigidly sticking to the rules, unfortunately some continue to flout them. The outcome is that we all pay for that behaviour. We all wait longer to see our families, to support our shops and restaurants and to return to the lifestyle we enjoy.”
He added: “This week we heard much more about a vaccine. Our health partners are already considering the logistics around this and there is no doubt it is very positive news. The caveat must be that it is one piece of the jigsaw. How we live our lives will need long-term behavioural change. I am incredibly grateful for the vast majority of you who understand that and are doing the right thing.”
As of November 8, there have been 10,150 positive tests in North Yorkshire since March 3.
'Support for the vulnerable'
The council has written to more than 24,000 North Yorkshire residents who are clinically extremely vulnerable to remind people at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus that support is still there should they need it, particularly during the next few weeks as the country faces tighter restrictions. Outbound telephone calls to people who have asked for help are ongoing to put support in place.
Community support organisations and the voluntary sector partners they are working alongside also continue to provide vital help with shopping and collecting medication as well as telephone check-in and befriending services. For lots of people, just having someone to talk to has been a lifeline during coronavirus when the effects of loneliness have been even more profound. A friendly chat with a volunteer can make all the difference.
People who need support with shopping, prescriptions, caring for pets and other essentials are encouraged to contact family, friends, neighbours or groups they belong to. North Yorkshire residents without those local networks, or anyone concerned about the welfare of someone else, can contact North Yorkshire County Council’s customer service centre on 01609 780780. The centre is open seven days a week 8am to 5.30pm. Find details of other local voluntary and community groups offering support. To find local businesses offering food deliveries and takeaways in your area, go to the Buy Local directory
