Deaths
There has been one hospital COVID death has been announced today.
It occurred yesterday and is the first recorded since 7th March.
Hospital deaths from COVID are falling across the country as the vaccination programme reduces risks
Test results
Ten additional positive test results announced today. Brings cumulative total up to 12.081
The number of cases in the City has fallen by five from 105 to 100.
The rate /100k population has fallen again and is now 47.48. There is a good chance that, when tomorrows figures are confirmed, we will see a record 2021 low infection rate.
While the infection rate in York is now falling again, it is continuing to creep up at county (North Yorkshire) and regional (Yorkshire) levels. It is stable at national (England) level.
Neighbourhoods
Eighteen of York’s 24 neighbourhoods now have infection rates below the national average
Tests
4019 PCR test were conducted in the City during the week ending 12th March 2021
Of these, 1.5% were positive. That is an improvement on the previous days figure of 1.7%
2134 “lateral flow” test were also carried out on 16th March
Council plans
The Council have provided more information on their plans for lateral flow testing over the next few weeks.
With the return of all pupils to school and college, from 8th March the Government introduced Community Collect for school bubbles. This means that anyone with a child at school can access lateral flow tests for the rest of the family (adults) via community collect. In York, this means collection of test kits in the afternoon from the Poppleton Bar drive through site, or the Wentworth Way walk-in site. There is also an option for people to have kits posted to them if they are unable to travel to the collection point.
In future the Council propose to adopt a “dual approach whereby our test centres can offer tests for those that want it, as well as provide community collect for people choosing this route. The test centres can also offer a demonstration of testing, or the ability to answer questions from people wishing to do home testing but requiring more guidance“.
It remains unclear how workers in the retail and hospitality sector will be tested prior to and during the more general lifting of trading restrictions which is expected to occur from 12th April.
There is no update report from local Universities provided for today’s outbreak board meeting (see below). Information is provided on testing at York College and Askham Bryan agricultural college
Vaccinations
Over 100,000 doses of vaccine have now been administered at the Askham Bar centre
As at 14.3.21, 74,887 CYC residents had received the first dose and 3,550 had received both doses
Outbreak Management Board meeting today
Click item for background report
Council to contact trace all positive cases in York
City of York Council will now do all local contact tracing of residents who have tested positive for Coronavirus, working in partnership with NHS Test and Trace.
The council has been working with the national test and trace system so that the council to take over the service fully. The agreement means York’s local public health team will now get in touch to offer advice and local support via contact tracing for all York residents who test positive for Coronavirus. Close contacts will then be followed up by the national system.
Over the past five months, York has been running its own local contact tracing system, in order to contact those people in the city that the national service could not. This work has meant in York 90.2% of Coronavirus cases are contacted, and it is hoped that this success can be built on moving forward.
Previously the national test and trace system tried to call in the first 24 hours and if they were unsuccessful, they would then pass the details to local contact tracers to support.
Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council said:
Today’s announcement follows the hard work of our public health team to speak to and support residents who have tested positive in the city, following lobbying efforts from the city’s Outbreak Management Advisory Board.
“People who are contacted will be advised to isolate, and then one of our public health team members will be in contact to discuss support available to them, as well as the details of their close contacts, so this can then be followed up by national test and trace service.
“Our local contact tracing service has already had great success in the city, so it is welcome that we can now get going with contacting all positive cases to check they are ok, offer support and ultimately, help stop the spread of the virus.”
Sharon Stoltz, Director of Public Health at City of York Council said:
This is exciting news and will mean our highly skilled team can speak to all positive cases and provide the necessary help, whilst identifying close contacts. It also means we can contact people quickly after the test result.
“The service runs seven days a week, with residents being contacted using a local (01904) phone number. Text messages will also be sent to people with mobile phones telling them to expect a call. If this is still unsuccessful, then a home visit will be made, and if no-one is at home, a letter with details of how to contact the team will be delivered to those advised to isolate, following Covid-19 guidelines.
“Please pick up the phone if we get in touch. Our tracers prioritise people’s wellbeing and ensuring they can access any necessary local support. We are hugely grateful to everyone following the guidance and self-isolating when necessary. It does make a difference and save lives and why it is so important to let them know about the local support available as well as identify close contacts to stop the virus from spreading.”
Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said:
I congratulate City of York Council for participating in this pilot to further support the collective effort to tackle the spread of the virus and break chains of transmission.
“Our partnership with local authorities has now seen us reach more people than ever before and supporting them to self-isolate, many of whom might otherwise have unknowingly spread the virus to their loved ones.
“Local authorities’ unique knowledge of their communities is invaluable as we work together to stop the spread of the virus, and with the support of the national tracing service their involvement will continue to strengthen our contact tracing work. As we come out of lockdown, the role of tracing and the support for people to self-isolate is ever more important and I am very proud of everything that we are achieving together.”
PDF 613 KB