Coronavirus York updates; 29th May 2020

Tracing and security – advice from NY Police

NHS test and trace

If NHS Test and Trace calls you by phone, the service will be using a single phone number 0300 0135 000. The only website the service will ask you to visit is https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk.

Contact tracers will never:

  • Ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to us (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
  • Ask you to make any form of payment
  • Ask for any details about your bank account
  • Ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
  • Ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
  • Ask you to purchase a product
  • Ask you to download any software to your device or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet
  • Ask you to access any website that does not belong to the Government or NHS

North Yorkshire Community Messaging (NYCM) is managed by North Yorkshire Police.  The official website is www.nycm.co.uk which will allow you to sign into your account to change your delivery method preference or locations of interest. It also contains a FAQs section, which may assist with any queries you have.

Cases

THERE has been one further confirmed case of coronavirus in the City of York Council area.The latest figures from Public Health England (PHE) show that the further one case takes the total for the area up 451.

THERE have been no new coronavirus related deaths recorded in the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the last 24 hours. The latest figures from NHS England show that the figure has remained the same as yesterday at 205

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Over 450 opatients who had been diagnosed with Covid-19 have been safely discharged home by York Hospital.

Coronavirus York updates; 28th May 2020

Deaths

THERE has been two more coronavirus related deaths recorded at hospitals within the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, both of which were at York Hospital. The latest figures from NHS England show that the two further deaths takes the total within the trust to 205. Both of the two deaths were at York Hospital, taking the total there to 126, while 79 of the 205 deaths have been at Scarborough.

Coronavirus York updates; 26th May 2020

Deaths

THERE have been no new coronavirus-related deaths reported at either York Hospital or Scarborough Hospital for the second day running. NHS England said today that the total number of patients with Covid-19 who had died at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust remained at 201.

. In total, 137 people have now been registered as dying with coronavirus in the city during the pandemic. More than half, 73, died in hospital. Of the remaining deaths, 55 or 40 per cent died in care homes, eight in their own home and one in a hospice. THE rate at which people die from Covid-19 in York is continuing to fall, according to the latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics.

Eighteen coronavirus patients were registered as dying in the week ending May 15, two less than in the previous week.Ten of the most recent deaths occurred died in care homes, the other eight in hospital

The total number of coronavirus cases in York remains at 447.

Truce signed by York Council Group Leaders

The 5 group leaders on the York Council have sent a letter to the “local media” saying they are working “together constructively” and are leaving “partisan politics to one side” during the COVID crisis.

They say that they estimate that there will be “over 700 deaths in York by October”. (Currently 120 deaths have been reported at the York hospital).

They promise to make their communications “constructive”.

This outbreak of bonhomie is all the more surprising given that it has taken 10 weeks of crisis management before it has actually appeared. Residents may have assumed that everyone was working collaboratively behind the scenes.

 Maybe not it seems.

The decision to parade their credentials before the media – rather than the City as a whole – seems strange.

There has been no criticism of the Councils Key Worker staff. Rather it is the activities of senior managers and Councillors which is being scrutinised.

Communication with residents has been very patchy during the last 3 months.

Pandemic fears, expressed by at least one Councillor (Mark Waters) in February, were brushed aside.

York recorded the first UK cases of coronavirus but the authorities declined to confirm that the victims had recovered.

Although crisis hubs were set up promptly, the Council failed – and still fails – to provide food delivery information that is fair to all traders and is made available in an up to date format that is accessible to everyone.

Newsletters were promised but it took a long time to get them through letterboxes.

The Council Leadership eventually stopped replying to correspondence and a range of requests for information were ignored.

We still don’t know how many COVID tests have proved to be positive at the Poppleton testing centre. Some will worry about whether the “700 deaths” forecast is based on data from that source?

The number of road traffic accidents has not been publicly monitored (thought to have reduced).

Nor have vehicle speeds been checked using the automatic equipment available to the Fire Services

A decision making process of sorts was introduced. It limps along. Papers – although written in advance – are not published to the public before decisions are taken.

We have seen a half-baked contraflow cycle lane introduced on Bishopthorpe Road at a time which coincided with road works on the suggested alternative route. The result was unnecessary congestion which could easily have been avoided if proper advice had been taken.

A similar impulsive decision seems to have been made about reducing the size of the Marygate car park.

Extreme opportunism and posturing seems to have replaced the measured, pragmatic approach which effective  crisis management demands.

So when the Group Leaders have finished with their socially distanced conga, they might like to take some time to offer a transparency commitment to the people of York.

The Conga Line GIFs | Tenor

Coronavirus York updates; 23rd May 2020

Deaths & cases

TWO more people with coronavirus have died at hospitals within the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The two further deaths takes the total within the trust to 198.  The trust includes York Hospital and Scarborough.

THERE have been only two further confirmed coronavirus cases in the City of York Council area over the last 24 hours. Latest figures from Public Health England showed the two more cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in the City of York Council area, taking the total so far to 449.

York Council still not processed all grants for micro businesses

The Council says that it has made fewer than 800 grants as part of its support scheme for small and “micro” businesses launched nearly 2 months ago.

The Council is not saying what is causing the delays to the grants which were intended to provide £1000 for up to 1000 York businesses.

Despite this slow progress, the Council has now said that it is extending the scheme to take advantage of an additional £2.2 million in government support funding.

“Top up” grants could be available to a total value of up to £10,000 for those who have already received help as well as to new applicants.

In a statement the Council says,

“Council Coronavirus scheme upgraded to provide support to more of York’s businesses

Local businesses which have so far missed out on government support could benefit from grants of up to £10,000, as the council extends its scheme for small and micro businesses in the City.

The grants aim to benefit small businesses including those in shared offices and flexible work spaces, science parks and incubators. Regular market traders without a business rates assessment. Nurseries, B&Bs paying council tax instead of business rates, and charity properties which all missed out under previous schemes will also be eligible.

Shortly after lockdown was implemented, City of York Council acted quickly to create its own £1m grant scheme for businesses which do not qualify for government support. To date, this scheme has helped nearly 800 local businesses.

Following lobbying efforts, the government has recognised the additional need for financial support and has provided a discretionary fund to local authorities. City of York Council received £2.21m of this funding and has agreed to use it to deliver more grants to the city’s small and micro businesses.

The grants will be staggered between £2500 and £10000, depending on the size and nature of the business, with the following available:

  • Small business and childcare nurseries set to receive: £10000
  • Micro business: £5000
  • B&Bs and market traders who live in York able to apply for: £2,500

Businesses must have been trading before 11 March 2020; have a rateable value or annual mortgage of below £51,000; demonstrate an ongoing fixed property cost and significant financial impact of the coronavirus. It is not available to any business eligible for any other government COVID grant.

The council will open applications for the enhanced grants from Monday 1 June and in the meantime, the Council will continue to process applications for the existing scheme, in order to ensure no business misses out on any funding, unless they do not meet the criteria. All outstanding applicants and previous grantees will be contacted by the council next week, as many will be eligible for a top-up under the enhanced scheme.

Businesses are advised to check the criteria closely and visit www.york.gov.uk/COVIDMicroGrant to prepare key information to apply online.

Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council, said:

This is an exceptionally tough time for so many businesses, especially the small and micro enterprises that characterise York’s creative and independent economy.

“From the very beginning of this crisis, we have worked to ensure our local businesses received swift support from the Council, particularly those who did not meet the criteria for government support.

I am pleased that City of York Council has been recognized as one of the fastest local authorities in the country to distribute grants and rates relief, totaling £110m. We want to go further to support our business community and that is why we have set up this fund to give vital cash injections to small and micro businesses in the city.”

Councillor Andrew Waller, executive member for the economy and strategic planning, said:

I’m extremely proud that we acted quickly to provide a lifeline to many who fell through the cracks of the government support, with nearly 800 small businesses receiving grants so far. Now the government has recognised this need, we can use the funds to give more support to help our businesses survive and adapt.

“We know there are still many York businesses who need more support, and we will continue to press government for more action on their behalf while looking at the local support we can offer.”

The council acted quickly to distribute £110m of grants and rates relief to over 3000 York businesses, and created its own £1m grant scheme to benefit around 800 more which did not qualify for government support.

Under the discretionary fund, local authorities have been given an additional 5% of the total value of grants already distributed in York, and some outline guidance on which businesses should benefit. However, this means councils have to use local knowledge to decide how to fairly distribute the money to benefit as many businesses as possible.

Depending on the volume of applications and the amount of additional checking and verification required, the council aims to make weekly batches of payments starting on 8 June, and hope to pay all grants within four weeks

Car park size reduced

The Council, has decided to remove 100 car parking spaces from the Marygate car park. The spaces are those located near to the railway line.

The Council says that, by removing this row of parked cars, pedestrians and cyclists will be able to “social distance” more easily.

That may be so but there are other “pinch points” on this route not least the relatively narrow tunnel under the railway line which links to Bootham Terrace.

What is surprising about this and other ideas aimed at countering virus risks is that it has taken the authority as long as 10 weeks to bring them forward.

It then makes a unheralded announcement without any consultation.

The car park is likely to become progressively busier as shoppers and workers return to the beleaguered City centre.

The lack of an holistic plan to sustain the local economy is becoming a real worry for some businesses.

Coronavirus York updates; 22nd May 2020

New charges at Crematorium

The Council has agreed to change the fees that they charge at the crematorium. A report says, “

“The current full charge for cremations with a service is £895 – this charge was the 2019/20 charge frozen for 2020/21.

The charge was in place up to the closure of the chapels to mourners.

A decision was approved on 17th April 2020 for the ‘no service, cremation only’ fee of £550 to be used for the funerals where services were to be conducted outside the Crematorium.

Given that the reopening of the chapels comes with stricter constraints around social distancing and with shorter services of 20 minutes rather than 25 minutes, it is proposed that a lower than full price fee is approved.

This recommended price is £720 which is halfway between the two existing charges and reflects that the running of the services require additional staff and cleaning resources than a no service or outside service funeral

Deaths

There have been no further deaths reported at local hospitals. The total death toll for York and Scarborough therefore remains at 196.