A report from the Centre for Cities suggests that the “High Street” in York is below average in the progress it is making with post COVID recovery.
York has an overall “score” of 29 compared to Leeds which scores (a worse) 24.
The best (Basildon) scores 61.
The data comes from an analysis of mobile phone activity.
Traders will be hoping that the further easing of restrictions on Saturday will help to kick start a more significant upturn in economic activity in the City.
More information leaks out
This graph, which includes Pillar 2 test results, was apparently leaked by the York Council last night to some local journalists. You won’t find it on the Council web site.
It is shocking that the government suppressed the data for so long. The peaks in late April and in May were matters of public interest.
There is no process in place for publicly updating the information on a daily basis (unlike Pillar 1 test results).
There has been no update on the progress being made in tracing the contacts of those who have recently tested positive.
No information has been provided on the results of Pillar 3 testing (which looks for traces of anti bodies in a victim).
There have been no additional deaths at local hospitals and no additional (Pillar 1) positive lab test results this week.
90 Asylum seekers to be accommodated in York Hotel
A government agency intends to house 90 single asylum seekers in a York hotel. The plan was considered in a “behind closed doors” meeting.
No costs will fall on local taxpayers. It is unclear whether those arriving in the City will be subject to a coronavirus test.
Askham Bar Park and Ride reopening from Sunday
Services linking Askham Bar to the City centre will operate every 15 minutes at weekends and Monday-Friday every 10 minutes during the peak and 15 minutes during the day.
Sunday frequency is also being increased to 15 minutes from the current 30-minute intervals at three other Park & Ride sites: Rawcliffe Bar, Designer Outlet and Monks Cross, with routes to the city centre. This increases further to every 12 minutes on Sundays from July 12.
As recently as 21st June the York Council said that it hadn’t been given the results of COVID 19 tests carried out at the Poppleton Park and Ride testing centre.
The centre had opened on 24th April. Almost immediately there were claims that the test results for local centres “were disappearing into a black hole”. Around 5000 tests were carried out during the first 10 days of operation of the new centre. Officials remained tight lipped about the outcomes. Local MPs were urged to lift the blanket of confidentiality and some local reporters also lobbied for more openness
Yesterday, the local York Director of Health confirmed to the media that they had received the figures.
She revealed that as of June 27 there were 424 positive coronavirus tests confirmed through, what is known as, the “Pillar 2” testing programme. Added to the lab test reports already published, that meant that there had been a total of 887 cases in the City.
Significantly there were nine positive test results recorded through Pillar 2 data in the past week.
The Council didn’t say how well its contact tracing service was performing.
The Financial Times has said that Pillar 2 results now comprise the largest proportion of positive tests across the country
This is the latest in a series of communications failures by central and local government. It was several weeks into to crisis before daily updates were provided on deaths and test results (Pillar 1) . Both sets of stats are now updated at Council/Hospital Trust level each day.
The absence of data from the commercial test sites and home testing means that residents still have only a partial picture.
It is not surprising that there were many positive results at Poppleton. The centre initially started out testing key workers and then moved on to test those who were suffering from COVID symptoms.
What is extraordinary is that it has taken so long for a glimpse of the results to leak out.
We have seen a copy of an email in which a Council official had yesterday said to a resident
“Although we now have access to pillar 2 data, as a council we are not allowed to publish it. It is to be used for internal planning purposes only”.
A couple of hours later, the Council was forced to release a comment after the figures were leaked.
Some other Councils are believed to be routinely publishing the information while MPs are now also being briefed. They may be the source of the leaked information
Whatever the source, the time has come for the Council leadership to allay growing concerns that the secrecy covering this issue has a sinister motive.
The infection rate in York is below the regional and national averages. That is good news which should be shared
The Council must agree to update residents on the progress being made in tracing the contacts of the recently revealed cases.
They must also ensure that local daily briefings on all test results (Pillars 1,2,3 and 4) are made public and quickly.
The York Council has launched a survey which it claims is aimed at finding out residents views on how well the health crisis has been handled and what should happen next.
Some of the questions are a little “leading” and seem to be aimed at getting a pat on the head for decisions already taken.
There is no opportunity to rate controversial schemes like the Bishopthorpe Road closure, reduced car parking provision or restrictions on car access in The Groves area.
The Council also fails to test opinion on emerging issues like anti social behaviour.
Respondents will look in vain for questions about the Councils democratic accountability since it adopted a “behind closed doors” decision making process.
Nor is there any opportunity to comment on the Councils financial strategy (if indeed it now has such a strategy) .
Economic regeneration seems to begin and end with putting restaurant tables onto open spaces.
Details, of what the Council is describing as a “Big Conversation”, can be found by clicking this link
Unfortunately, as with any survey taken against a rapidly changing background, some of the questions already look a little dated.
Deaths and test results
The reintroduction of a lock-down in Leicester has prompted some sections of the media to speculate that York may be next on the governments list.
In reality, and according to the governments own web site, positive test results remain low in York.
There were two positive results during the week ending 26th June but those were the only cases recorded during the last 4 weeks. The figures do not include local test results (pillar 2) which are still not being made available to the public.
By comparison, Leicester has seen over 150 cases during the same period.
Leicester has a larger population (329,000) than York (208,000)
There have been no further deaths recorded at York Trust hospitals this week
Poll boost for local government?
The Local Government Association has published the results of a residents poll which it says is good news for local Councils. Residents views of government have become more positive during the Coronavirus crisis. The results are based on a sample of only 1000 respondents and are not therefore reliable to individual local authority level. The results can be read by clicking here.
Deaths and test results
There have been no further Coronavirus deaths at York Trust hospital (26/6/20). There have also been no more positive lab test results (26/6/20)
The independent COVID 19 monitoring site estimates that 4156 people in York will have had the virus. That represents 0.4% of the population.
The site derives its information from returns regularly submitted by residents from across the country https://covid19.joinzoe.com/
Care home deaths
The government released details earlier in the week of the number of deaths which have occurred in care homes click
At that time, the last death at a York care home had occurred on 12th June.
In total there were 63 deaths in York homes.
Now the media are reporting that some of the COVID 19 cases occurred at the South Park care home on Gale Lane. Some staff were also affected.
The York authorities have not been prepared to break down the death rate figures to individual homes. We think that they are wrong to withhold that information.
It – like the results of the local COVID tests being undertaken at Poppleton – are matters of public interest.
Deaths and cases
There have been no further deaths from coronavirus at York Trust hospitals. The last fatality – which brought the total to 214 – occurred on 18th June.
There have been no further positive test results (24/6/20). The last positive lab result was reported on 21st June. It brought the cumulative total to 463
Treasure Hunt restarts
York Treasure hunt is operating again.
Details click here Treasure Hunt York
City of York Council is reopening its world famous city walls from Saturday July 4, with a temporary one-way system in place to enable social distancing and keep people safe.
The council is advising residents and visitors to continue to stay 2m apart as much as possible, where this isn’t possible the 1m+ advice should be followed with people wearing face coverings. The government advice is:
The city walls are open every day from 8am to dusk. More information can be found at www.york.gov.uk/citywalls
Museum Gardens reopening
The Museum Gardens are due to reopen today (Thursday) at 10:30am. They will close at 6:00pm.
Deaths and test results
The were no additional deaths reported at local hospitals yesterday. There was also no increase in the number of positive test results (23/6/20).
£144 per person York cost
According to the BBC, the York Councils income shortfall in the wake of the health crisis is equivalent to £144 for each person in the City. The Council has already said it faces making cuts of £24 million in services.
The worst hit Council – the Highlands in Scotland – has a £411 shortfall per person, largely as a result of declining visitor numbers. The Leeds Council has a £61 million shortfall and says that it may not be able to balance its budget this year.
Physician, heal thyself?
Reports coming out of West Offices, say some Councillors are to be offered counselling to help them cope with the pressures of lockdown and the COVID crisis.
Welcome to Yorkshire
According to some reports, the Yorkshire tourist organisation could fold shortly. It depends for part of its income on a complex rates pooling arrangement which involves local authorities with a business rates surplus cross funding those with a deficit. The fall in business rates income as a result of the COVID crisis means that there will be no surplus to share, leaving WTY appealing for a direct subsidy from cash strapped local Councils.
City of York Council is celebrating St John’s Day by encouraging residents to show their support for St John Ambulance tomorrow.
As part of this effort, the city’s walls will be lit green on Wednesday evening.
St John Ambulance staff and volunteers have spent over 100,000 hours supporting the COVID-19 crisis response since the beginning of April, its biggest mobilisation of volunteers since the second World War.
To get involved, residents and businesses are encouraged to show their support by displaying lights, flags or banners in their windows and gardens.
