Deaths and test results

THREE (3) additional hospital deaths announced today. One occurred on 25th and two yesterday. Brings the cumulative death toll at the York and Scarborough hospitals since 1st September to 148.

FIFTY FOUR (54) additional positive test results announced today. That brings the cumulative total to 6,668

Rate/100k population figure is 196.1 and is set to rise to 240.3.

One neighbourhood has climbed above the 400 case threshold (Poppleton).

We are entering a period where the number of tests carried out will be lower.

NB. The vaccination center on Moor Lane is currently closed for the holiday. No figures have been issued indicating the number of vaccinations which have been completed locally over the last few days.

COVID where next?

The coronavirus infection statistics in York have made depressing reading over the last few days. The rate per head of population spiraled up to reach 234.6 on Christmas Eve.  It could be more than that when the final test results are added in.

In effect, the infection level in the City has trebled since “Lockdown 2” ended on 2^nd December.

Other Tier 2 areas have also seen rises. Although York is now above the average rate for North Yorkshire it is urban areas like Scarborough which are also worst hit. So far Harrogate has bucked the trend.

So what went wrong?

Many areas like Leeds which have T3 restrictions in place have seen a less dramatic increase in infection rates.

York’s Tier 2 restrictions differ from areas like Leeds in two significant ways.

In Tier 3 areas

• People are prohibited from socialising with anybody they do not live with &
• Pubs and bars are only permitted to remain open to operate as restaurants

The virus seems to cycle through all neighbourhoods. Rates are on the increase across most of the City.

It seems likely that York will become a Tier 3 area sometime during the next few days. It may subsequently be added to the Tier 4 restrictions area – effectively reintroducing lockdown.