Coronavirus York updates; 6th February 2021

Deaths

SEVEN additional hospital deaths have been announced. Four occurred on Thursday and three yesterday.

Tests

5325 PCR tests were carried out in the City during the week ending 1st February.

The positivity rate was 7.4%. This is the lowest figure recorded in the City since 22nd December

1060 lateral flow test were conducted on 5th February

You will be able to book a test from the evening of Sunday 7th February at www.nhs.uk/Coronavirus and selecting the option that you were asked to attend by your local council.

Test results

THIRTY NINE additional positive test results were announced today. Brings cumulative total to 11,345.

After yesterdays blip, the infection rate /100k population figure has started to fall again. At 173.31 it is the lowest rate seen in the City since 21st December 2020.

Following current trends, the rate should fall below 150 early next week.

The rate in York continues to fall more quickly than elsewhere in the region and country. A

fter a short period of stability, the rate in North Yorkshire has also now resumed its downward trajectory.

Neighbourhoods

Fourteen neighbourhoods now have average, or below average, infection rates.

The lowest rate can now be found in the Dunnington/Elvington/Wheldrake area

Vaccinations

Council heading for £3 million budget deficit. £800,000 cost of keeping sports facilities closed.

With only a few weeks to go until the end of the financial year, the York Council says it will overspend by £3.7 million. Any deficit would be a charge on the Council’s reserves (which currently stand at £7 million)

Most of the deficit is blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic. Details can be found here

Council income has dropped with car parking revenue severely affected.

There are major overspends on children’s social work services including safeguarding vulnerable children with 93 local children currently subject to proceedings.

Adult social care could also overspend by £2.7 million.

There are also major pressures to bail out the indoor sports centres which are managed by GLL.

The council continues to have discussions with GLL over the cost of managing the centres during the year. The council has been required to fund the net cost of the facilities whist closed and GLL have suffered from reduced revenues when the facilities have been open during the year. The likely additional cost to the council is currently forecast to be c.£800k but the council and GLL are seeking Government / Sport England funding to mitigate this cost.

The main problems with Council housing relate to a repairs backlog and the lengthening time to relet empty properties.

The report contains a highly selective report on public service quality standards. It talks about the – entirely unsurprising – drop in bus usage.

It pointedly fails to mention the appalling decline in the standard of highway surfaces. Despite being reported long before the icy weather – and lockdown – commenced, potholes were only given cursory attention. The result now is that many carriageways are dangerous particularly for users of two wheeled transport.

Potholes on Askham Lane near the A1237 roundabout and others on Foxwood Lane

& maybe part of the solution

Railway station transformation gets go ahead

Work can begin this Autumn to create a fitting gateway to York after plans to transform the railway station entrance planning committee approved.

The plans to modernise the arrival to the station include removing Queen Street bridge, which hasn’t been needed since trains stopped passing under it in the 1960s. Removing the bridge will create space for vastly improved access for all modes of transport while revealing hidden sections of the city’s historic walls.

The scheme has been developed by the Council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Network Rail and LNER. 

The plans will change and improve the entrance to the railway station in order to:

  • keep vehicles and pedestrians apart
  • make it easier to change between modes of transport
  • create new public spaces and a more pedestrian-friendly experience
  • create an improved setting for the City Walls and other heritage buildings in the area
(more…)