Coronavirus York updates; 17th February 2021

Deaths

One hospital death reported, It occurred on Monday.

The latest figures, relating to the deaths of York residents from COVID-19, have been published by ONS.

They reveal that there were 17 fatalities during the week ending 5th February.

12 of these were in hospitals and 5 in care homes.

Along with other data, the figures confirm that death rates are now falling in the City.

Test Results

Seventeen additional positive test results have been announced. Brings the cumulative case total up to 11,622

The rate /100k population has fallen to 85.47.

It is expected to level off tomorrow before starting to fall again later in the week.

The infection rate in North Yorkshire has now fallen below the 100 case benchmark. It remains above the York rate.

Neighbourhoods

No significant changes today with most neighbourhoods now recording below average rates of infection.

Vaccinations

Tests

4515 PCR tests were carried out in York during the week ending 12th February 2021.

Of these tests, 4.4% were positive. The positivity rate peaked at 18.2 % on 3rd January 2021.

875 lateral flow tests were carried out on Tuesday 16th February

Hospitals

There are currently 103 COVID-19 patients in the York hospital. 9 are in intensive care

Battle on as government poised to start local government reorganisation consultation.

District Councils letter

In a bizarre twist, the Leaders of 6 District Councils in North Yorkshire have written to York Councillors seeking their support for a reorganisation of Council boundaries.

The Leaders (4 Conservative, 1 Labour and 1 independent) favour a west/east split with York merging with Selby, Ryedale and Scarborough.

The government is expected to publish proposals for consultation next week.

The York Council favours a two way split with the North Yorkshire County Council becoming a unitary authority and York remaining as it is.

The letter from the District Leaders seems to be ill judged.

It pointedly fails to address the underlying threat to democracy – the imposition of a regional mayor – who would have wide ranging spending and regulatory powers.  Far from bringing influence closer to local communities, the government plans would impose a remote, and probably insensitive, decision making model on our City.

There is no mention of the future of the long-standing York institutions such as the 800 year old role of Lord Mayor.

Some District Council services are poor. Here litter mounts on the A64 near Tadcaster

But critically, the inexperience of the District Leaders (their councils are not responsible for services such as education, social care and transport) is apparent when they criticise housing and children’s services in the City.

York is unique in the county in retaining a stock of 8000 council houses. The Districts have no experience of managing such numbers while children’s (care) services, outside York, are currently administered by the County Council.

The City Council has responded to the letter, fortunately resisting, for once, the temptation to point out the high Council Tax levels in North Yorkshire.

The latest re-organisation debate is an unwelcome diversion from more important matters.

York and North Yorkshire need all their resources to be focused on recovering from the pandemic over the next few years.

Exchanges of correspondence between politicians, all of whom have vested interests one way or another, simply adds to the confusion.