Coronavirus York updates; 18th November 2020

Vaccination programme

There are 3 different types of vaccine

Basically, as far as the general, population is concerned, it will be “oldest first” to get the vaccine starting with care home residents, then the over 80’s

Hope is that first supplies will be available before Christmas. Facilities like the Moor Lane flu centre could be utilised

University and mass testing plans

We understand that mass testing facilities will be available at the local Universities from 30th November. The management there intend to offer tests to every student who intends to travel home from 3rd December. The “lateral flow” system will be used which provides almost immediate results (30 mins). The Universities will stagger leaving days and times in the expectation that many students will be picked up by family or friends.

The Universities are still talking about welcoming back students to the City in January.

NHS will be tested twice a week using the same system.

Targeted testing may be directed to check family members wishing to visit care home residents. Other priorities would include the social care workforce, schools, workplaces with an outbreak and later to allow events to take place.

Separately, York has “expressed an interest” to government in undertaking mass testing. This may be managed by focusing at one location but may be supplemented by local centres or even mobile facilities. The testing could continue for 6 months depending on when a vaccine was rolled out.

There is a suggestion that having a positive test (passport) may become a condition for having greater freedoms.

Deaths and test results

No further hospital deaths announced today.

“Only” 32 (THIRTY TWO) new positive test results announced today. This is the lowest for over 2 months and may be the first evidence that the “lockdown” is having a positive effect. The cumulative number of cases is now 5291.

Slow reduction in case numbers in the City continues

There was also a small reduction in cases reported at county and regional level.

There are still 5 neighbourhoods above the national case rate average. They are Heslington, Fulford Road, Wigginton, Huntington and (following a recent spike) Poppleton

Six neighbourhoods are now showing single digit case numbers.

Outbreak Management Board meeting

The agenda and some background papers for todays meeting have now been published. The meeting can be viewed “on line”

Click links to read papers

1.Declarations of Interest
2.Minutes of the Meeting held on 21 October 2020, and actions arising  PDF 153 KB Additional documents: Item 2 – MASTER Action Log – OMAB , item 2. PDF 324 KB
3.Current Situation in York  PDF 421 KB
4.Communications and Engagement (including update from campaign task and finish groups)  PDF 2 MB
5.Update from Sub-Group: Universities and Higher Education Establishments  PDF 393 KB
6.Verbal Update on Contact Tracing
7.Covid-19 Testing Proposals (presentation to be made at the meeting)
8.Covid-19 Mass Vaccination (presentation to be made at the meeting)
9.CVS and Healthwatch York Report: ‘What We Did During the Covid-19 Lockdown March-June 2020’  PDF 909 KB
10.Agenda Items for the next MeetingItem for December meeting:·        
Economic Analysis of Covid Impacts – James Farrar/Simon Brereton
11.Dates of Future Meetings
12.Any Other Business

Woman due in court after attack on man and dog in York

A woman has been charged to appear in court after a man and his dog were attacked on Hob Moor in York.

North Yorkshire Police officers arrested a 51-year-old woman at an address in York at 2.25pm on Wednesday 10 June, a day after the incident took place.

She has been charged with racially aggravated assault and harassment of the dog owner.

She has also been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by allegedly kicking the dog.

The woman, who is from the York area, is due at York Magistrates’ Court next month.

Litter

It appears that the Council has reverted to a reactive litter control policy. This involves two person teams clearing litter when it is reported.

The alternative, which operated for many years in the City, involved an individual worker taking responsibility for keeping specific estates tidy.

This system was reintroduced during the first lockdown with a marked improvement in cleanliness standards.

With fewer people on the streets, litter should be less of a problem at present but in the longer term a system which encourages pride in the City is the best option.

To report a litter problem please use the 24/7 “on line” service (click)

Woodford Place untidy over the weekend. Has been reported

80 years since Askham Lane was bombed.

On 15th November 1940 Askham Lane was one of the streets damaged when bombs, intended for Clifton airfield, hit the City. A fascinating insight taken from the “Raids Over York” website which can be accessed by clicking here

But the raids of the 14/15th November 1940 also included more destructive types of bombs: high-explosive bombs. At 06:43 – with the daylight just breaking along the late-Autumn skyline, and more than five hours after the first incendiary bomb was reported in the Fishergate Area, by when most of the city’s civilians might well have returned from the safety of their dank and cold shelters to the comfort of their beds – ten, 50kg, high-explosive bombs fell on the edge of Acomb.

Eight of the bombs fell across fields in a line running from west to east at Penty’s Farm to the rear of No.17 Askham Lane. Seven of these exploded, creating craters dotted across the grassland, each about 6ft wide and 3ft deep. The other bomb fell in soft ground on Batchelor Hill field and failed to explode. This unexploded bomb was inspected the following day by an Army Bomb Disposal Squad called from Leeds.

The A.R.P. report states that ‘[v]ery little material damage was done, only damage to glass and slates of nearby houses being reported’. [That ‘only’ would surely have grated with local residents affected by the raid had they known of it being used so casually in this citation!]

Being on the fringe of the city, there was an agricultural cost in this raid. A ‘pony and three beasts in a paddock were killed outright’, another shortly afterwards, and three cattle were injured by flying splinters. The A.R.P. Report for this incident concludes with a very British observation on the concern for the welfare of the animals involved: ‘No A.R.P. Services were required for this incident but, being advised by Air Raid Warden, Mr. Arnott, Butcher, of Front Street [Acomb], slaughtered the injured animals’.

Inspections being made of the substantial hole in the side of No.204 Beckfield Lane.

Prosecution for blue badge fraud in York – £1057 fine.

A woman from Pocklington has been sentenced to pay £1057 after misusing a relative’s disabled parking badge.

Kelly Peters, 57, of Percy Road in Pocklington, used the blue badge to park illegally in a disabled bay in a York car park.

On 4 December 2019, Veritau’s counter fraud team worked with City of York Council parking officers to conduct a city-wide ‘action day’, checking every badge in use. Veritau is owned by the council, and investigates a wide range of fraud on their behalf.

Misusing a blue badge is a serious offence. Badges are issued to those with certain conditions, making it easier for them to travel and maintain independence. These benefits are intended only for the person the badge belongs to.

Officers saw a blue badge displayed in a red Toyota parked in a disabled space at York’s Nunnery Lane car park on the date in December. Upon carrying out checks, investigators found the car belonged to Ms Peters.

She was interviewed under caution and admitted to knowing the rules around blue badges and that this was not a legitimate use, since the badge holder was not with her.

Ms Peters said she usually parked on roads with no parking restrictions, but was running late and didn’t have any money or a bank card on her. She had her relative’s badge in the car, and decided to use it to park in a disabled bay and avoid paying for parking.

This is an offence under section 117(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1984.

She pleaded guilty and was sentenced at York Magistrates’ Court on Friday 13 November. She received a fine of £320 and was ordered to pay costs totalling £737.

CCTV appeal following a robbery at Costcutter, Wain’s Road, York

Police have issued CCTV stills of a male they would like to identify followinga robbery at Costcutter, Wain’s Road, York.

CCTV appeal following a robbery at Costcutter, Wain’s Road, York

It happened at 9:55pm on Sunday 25 October 2020 and involved a unknown masked male. The suspect entered the shop, threatened a member of staff with a knife and stole cash from the till.

The suspect spoke with a local accent and was wearing a very distinctive camouflage coat with a peaked cap hood.

No one was hurt during the incident.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC Neil Lancey or email neil.lancey@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk

If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Please quote reference number 12200187743 when passing on information.

York Museums cuts jobs by 30%

The Museum Gardens were closed for much of the first lockdown period. They are currently open during the November lockdown

The York Museums Trust has confirmed that it has cut its workforce from 144 to 101 staff.

It hopes to reopen the Castle Museum and Art Gallery in December but the fate of the Yorkshire Museum is less clear.

The York Museum Trust is receiving £850,000 from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund. 

The York Council has also given a letter of guarantee to YMT, providing them with access to a maximum of £1.95m over the next two years, should it be required.

Trust statement

Projects completed in Westfield

Resurfacing and white lining work on part of Gale Lane has now been completed

Gale Lane 7th November

Building work at the disabled centre on Ascot Way has now been completed. Staff have occupied the building and adjacent facilities like the bus shelter and the public notice board (although damaged) are now accessible again