Deaths and test results
ONE additional death at the York Hospital Trust was announced today. It occurred on Tuesday.
There were 52 (FIFTY TWO) additional positive test results announced today. That is the smallest increase for 2 weeks. The total number of cases is now 3589
By Sunday the rate per 100k population had fallen to 257.35. That is the smallest rate since 7th October.
Overall the number of cases in the City is now falling with more neighbourhoods now below national infection levels.
There maybe some cautious room for optimism
Those hoping for a return to Tier 1 status may have to wait for a while. York still has the highest infection rate in North Yorkshire albeit it is falling while some other areas are seeing an increase.
Around 1000 tests are being carried out each day in York. Positivity rates are steady at around 1 in 5.
The authorities are now publishing details of the age groups of York people testing positive for COVID. The highest number of cases continues to be concentrated in the 10 – 29 age range.
COVID impact on local crime levels
According to North Yorkshire Police the Office of National Statistics (ONS) quarterly crime report begins to reveal the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on crime in the county.
North Yorkshire Police’s crime reporting shows a level of consistency in crimes recorded year on year, although there are a number of notable changes through the months of March to June 2020.
Burglary, theft, vehicle crime and criminal damage a marked decrease which can be attributed to the national lockdown imposed on 23 March. Whilst violent crime showed a minor increase year on year thought to be a result of a change in reporting – this also experienced a decrease through the months of April and May, another change likely to be as a result of the lockdown.
In line with this, the number of sexual crimes recorded have decreased but reporting rates have not fallen at the same pace which positively indicates that victims still have the confidence to come forward and report incidents.
Levels of reported domestic abuse have continued to rise year on year, an increase which can partly be attributed to the requirement to record multiple crimes where stalking and/or harassment has occurred, rather than simply one crime per incident. Partner agencies, charities and other organisations which support domestic abuse victims have reported a rise in demand for their services over the last few months and Detective Superintendent, Allan Harder, explains more:
“Whilst we were hearing of this increased demand from our partners and in the national media, the number of domestic abuse incidents reported to North Yorkshire Police has remained level. Although victims have been seeking additional support, this is not associated with a significant rise in reported incidents.
“That said there was clearly a need for information and advice to be shared as widely as possible so along with our partners we have been working hard to address this. As well as signposting victims to the wealth of support available, we have created videos discussing a range of topics and continue to send a strong message that the police are very much still here to help and do whatever we can to safeguard anyone experiencing domestic abuse.”
Incidents of fraud recorded have continued to rise over the last three years, an increase which can be attributed to both changes in the way it is reported and work to address the fact it is one of the most underreported crimes. Head of North Yorkshire Police Economic Crime Unit, Detective Inspector Jon Hodgeon explains:
“Victims often do not report fraud as they may feel embarrassed to have been scammed or may think there’s no chance of getting back money they have lost but even if there are no lines of enquiry, we want to help ensure that individual does not become a victim again. To be able to provide victims support and prevention advice, we encourage victims to report fraud directly to North Yorkshire Police, rather than Action Fraud, so we can provide this support and prevention advice.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has put a stop to our regular face-to-face fraud prevention presentations and workshops so we’ve had to find new ways to reach people with prevention messages, including regular Facebook Live sessions and other virtual events which have been very well-received. We’ve also seen a number of new scams emerge with the pandemic providing the perfect cover for many fraudsters and old scams coming back into the fore so we’ve worked hard to keep North Yorkshire residents as up to date as possible.”
North Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Pannone, said:
“It is clear to see the impact of Covid-19 and the national lockdown on these latest figures and whilst this has meant some reduction in crime, we must not be complacent. We may be seeing less of some types of crime but we know the need for community support and helping individuals to feel safe is more important than ever before.
“We have moved some of our prevention and safeguarding support to online channels and I can reassure our communities that we are still very much here for you. We know this is a really difficult time for our communities and we are adapting to the challenges presented by the pande