Acomb Memorial
Coronavirus York updates; 5th November 2020
Deaths and test results
3 (THREE) additional deaths announced today at the York Hospital Trust. Two occurred on Tuesday and one on Wednesday.
59 (FIFTY NINE) new positive test results announced today. Cumulative total now 3984.
Downward trend in new cases has continued but rate of reduction is slowing.
York is now below North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and England infection rates.
The latest testing figures suggest that around 800 tests are being carried out each day in the City. Less than 20% are proving to be positive and the proportion of positives is gradually falling
City centre quiet as lockdown starts
As expected most of the City was noticeably quieter today. However there were more people around than had been the case in April. Schools remained open, public transport was running and more shops were also trading. In the City centre Marks and Spencer had a steady stream of customers.
Things were closer to normal on some suburban shopping streets where the most significant sign of the new restrictions was that hairdressers and charity shops had remained closed.
Latest from York Council
| Following guidance from the Government we can confirm that the following council services and facilities will still be available to residents: public toilets, parks and children’s play areas and household waste and recycling sites will remain open Public meetings will continue remotely with residents encouraged to take part children’s and adults services will continue with further guidance expected York, Tang Hall and Acomb libraries will remain open for people to go into to use the public computers and to collect items ordered online. All others will close. There will be some services which are impacted by the new regulations, including: foot streets restrictions will revert to finishing at 5pm rather than 8pm and the temporary loading bans will be removed. This is to ensure additional help for local businesses moving to delivery services Wedding services will not be going ahead during lockdown outdoor and indoor gyms, sports facilities and swimming pools will be closed the Mansion House will be closed We will be holding our next Facebook live on Wednesday 11 November, from 5:30 – 6:30pm, with a focus on emotional health and education. You can submit your questions in advance by emailing them to YourQuestions@york.gov.uk. Getting the help you need These will be difficult times for many of us. If you are struggling, please talk to someone. Our helpline is still running to provide support, whether that be collecting food and medicines, or giving advice. The helpline is available on 01904 551550 or by emailing COVID19help@york.gov.uk, where our volunteers and staff will be able to help you. Getting exercise, ideally in the fresh air, can make a real difference to your physical and emotional health and will help make the next month more bearable. Remember, you can also meet one person from another household for outdoor exercise which is vital if you live on your own. The Every Mind Matters campaign has lots of helpful tips for everyone to look after their emotional health. You can find their website at: www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters. Live Well York have directions on how to access a range of free support and services. You can find directories of help and advice on their website at: https://www.livewellyork.co.uk/s4s/WhereILive/Council?pageId=2251&lockLA=True As a city we always look after each other and this has been demonstrated time and time again this year. Anyone needing help, be it food or medicine collections or someone to talk to our helpline is there to help you. Call 01904 551550 or email COVID19help@york.gov.uk to ask for help. For information on what financial support may be available visit www.york.gov.uk/COVIDfinancialsupport. This includes details of the £500 self-isolation payment which you may be eligible. You can find out more at: https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/09/28/coronavirus-covid-19-self-isolating-protects-your-friends-family-and-community All the latest government advice can be found at https://nhs.uk/coronavirus Please visit our coronavirus webpages: https://www.york.gov.uk/coronavirus. For more news from us, visit: https://www.york.gov.uk/news Information on council services during the national restrictions can be found at: https://www.york.gov.uk/news/article/383/council-supports-york-through-the-national-restrictions |
Flooding update
Council has teams on standby to support residents and businesses in a COVID- secure way as river levels set to peak
Minor flooding of riverside paths has occurred over night. (click)
City of York Council has front line teams on standby to support residents and businesses as river levels are set to peak on Wednesday 4 November.
The council is working with the Environment Agency and will use the latest advice to identify peak levels and will communicate any potential impacts separately.
Letters are being sent to residents living in homes and properties which might be directly affected by high river levels, which provides advice and support as well as the measures being put in place.
The council is working closely with the York and North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which includes police and fire services as well as North Yorkshire County Council, Met Office and Environment Agency.
View the latest river level predictions and warnings here.
Defences are being deployed today/tomorrow at Clementhorpe,Tower Street and Peckitt Street. Rowntree Park will also remain closed tomorrow after closing tonight.
Advice and support:
When there’s flooding in York, the council will provide assistance, practical support and information as soon as it’s safe and appropriate to do so – all in a COVID secure way.
Sandbags: If your home/property is at immediate risk of flooding – then you don’t need to contact us. We’ll provide sandbags to communities based on the latest forecasted levels.
Rest Centres: We have teams on standby to help provide and support should you need this. Rest centres have been redesigned to ensure they are managed in a COVID-safe environment.
Social care support:
If you know of someone who may be in need of social care and support contact our Adult Social Care Team, email: adult.socialsupport@york.gov.uk or telephone: 01904 555111 (or textphone: 07534 437804, for sensory impaired callers), between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Emotional support:
The Major Incident Response Team have trained volunteers on hand to provide emotional support to those affected by incidents such as flooding. The team are here to help and you can contact them on mirt@york.gov.uk
The Environment Agency river forecasters will continue to monitor the situation 24/7 and provide further updates. Please keep an eye out for the latest information and alerts from the Environment Agency for updates on river levels in the city.
Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists should not enter or travel through flood water which has risks from hidden obstacles and health hazards.
Keep up to date with the latest flood warnings and situation in your area at https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/target-area/122FWF755
Follow the council’s website for further updates at: www.york.gov.uk/floodadvice
To report debris/fallen trees please visit www.york.gov.uk/reportproblems
You can also follow @EnvAgencyYNE and #floodaware on Twitter for the latest updates. Or call Floodline on 0345 9881188
Keep up to date with the weather forecast and weather warnings at www.metoffice.gov.uk or listen to BBC Radio York
Follow advice from North Yorkshire Police about driving in wet conditions.
Councillor Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change, at City of York Council said:
Public service update from York Council
Its good to see that some departments at the York Council are providing updates on public service standards. Even better, that some Councillors have chosen to brief the information on to Parish Councils and Residents Associations.
For those living in areas where Councillors maybe less “on the ball”, there follows a summary of the information provided.
“Grass Cutting
The changing weather we saw this summer led to fluctuations in the rate of grass growth, which led to standards dropping below the normal at times, but generally our resources coped, we are part way through the last cut of the year on most types of grass areas.
Hedge Cutting
We are part way through the last of three cuts to hedges in snickets and communal housing areas.
Spring Bedding
We have just started the planting of over 18,000 spring bedding plants in the parks, gardens and tubs across the city, these will provide welcoming colour in spring, as visitors continue to return to the city.
Street Cleansing
Summer was certainly a very challenging time for this part of our service, mainly due to the change in use of some of our open spaces and the bins in and around them.
These areas were at times covered in litter and debris due to the irresponsible actions of some residents and visitors who seemed to think that just because we were no longer in lock down, they had the right to treat the city and our staff with contempt, by leaving ‘rubbish’ strewn across these areas, something I’ve never seen before on a sustained basis.
However our team, with the help of additional resources and the Enforcement team managed to return the city to its normal standard as soon as possible on a daily basis.
We also managed to assist the Minster with their litter clearance whilst their staff were furloughed.
Highway Weed Control
I think I can say with confidence that this year’s programme of weed control has been a success we have received very few complaints and re-growth between treatments did not exceed what we would normally have expected to see.
Leaf Clearance
We are now at that time of the year when not only do some members of the public throw litter about, but Mother Nature joins in, in the form of leaves!
We will be commencing our leaf clearance programme on Monday 26th October, and this is scheduled to take place for the next six to eight weeks (if my crystal ball is correct!)
The leaf clearance will be undertaken using both mechanical and manual means.
We will have two trailer drawn leaf vacuums, our teams will use these to remove leaves from pavements and grass verges.
Our two large mechanical sweepers will be targeted at streets with trees, using the local knowledge of our staff, members and reports made by residents.
These leaves cannot be recycled because they are cleared from nearby to or on the roads and are treated as contaminated waste.
As always we cannot see and clear every street at one time, so we would be grateful if Councillors could do the following:
- If you aware of leaves that are causing a ‘danger’ i.e. on a major footpath, near a school, elderly persons home etc. and are wet and slippery, please report these to member enquiries, if not a ‘danger’ please monitor and we will get there!
- Once the main leaf fall is over, if there are leaves, which appear to have been missed, please pass these through member enquires and we will attend to them”.
Good work from the Council there.
Bleak and quiet in York today
A combination of wet weather and COVID restrictions has meant that York has been quiet once again today.
This may be the last weekend opportunity for a while for traders to attract customers. The prospect of another national lockdown becomes more likely.
Lets hope for a more considered approach by the authorities as they seek to address the effects of the second wave. We don’t need any more poorly considered road and car park closures.
Coronavirus York updates; 29th October 2020
Deaths and test results
ONE additional death at the York Hospital Trust was announced today. It occurred on Tuesday.
There were 52 (FIFTY TWO) additional positive test results announced today. That is the smallest increase for 2 weeks. The total number of cases is now 3589
By Sunday the rate per 100k population had fallen to 257.35. That is the smallest rate since 7th October.
Overall the number of cases in the City is now falling with more neighbourhoods now below national infection levels.
There maybe some cautious room for optimism
Those hoping for a return to Tier 1 status may have to wait for a while. York still has the highest infection rate in North Yorkshire albeit it is falling while some other areas are seeing an increase.
Around 1000 tests are being carried out each day in York. Positivity rates are steady at around 1 in 5.
The authorities are now publishing details of the age groups of York people testing positive for COVID. The highest number of cases continues to be concentrated in the 10 – 29 age range.
COVID impact on local crime levels
According to North Yorkshire Police the Office of National Statistics (ONS) quarterly crime report begins to reveal the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on crime in the county.
North Yorkshire Police’s crime reporting shows a level of consistency in crimes recorded year on year, although there are a number of notable changes through the months of March to June 2020.
Burglary, theft, vehicle crime and criminal damage a marked decrease which can be attributed to the national lockdown imposed on 23 March. Whilst violent crime showed a minor increase year on year thought to be a result of a change in reporting – this also experienced a decrease through the months of April and May, another change likely to be as a result of the lockdown.
In line with this, the number of sexual crimes recorded have decreased but reporting rates have not fallen at the same pace which positively indicates that victims still have the confidence to come forward and report incidents.
Levels of reported domestic abuse have continued to rise year on year, an increase which can partly be attributed to the requirement to record multiple crimes where stalking and/or harassment has occurred, rather than simply one crime per incident. Partner agencies, charities and other organisations which support domestic abuse victims have reported a rise in demand for their services over the last few months and Detective Superintendent, Allan Harder, explains more:
“Whilst we were hearing of this increased demand from our partners and in the national media, the number of domestic abuse incidents reported to North Yorkshire Police has remained level. Although victims have been seeking additional support, this is not associated with a significant rise in reported incidents.
“That said there was clearly a need for information and advice to be shared as widely as possible so along with our partners we have been working hard to address this. As well as signposting victims to the wealth of support available, we have created videos discussing a range of topics and continue to send a strong message that the police are very much still here to help and do whatever we can to safeguard anyone experiencing domestic abuse.”
Incidents of fraud recorded have continued to rise over the last three years, an increase which can be attributed to both changes in the way it is reported and work to address the fact it is one of the most underreported crimes. Head of North Yorkshire Police Economic Crime Unit, Detective Inspector Jon Hodgeon explains:
“Victims often do not report fraud as they may feel embarrassed to have been scammed or may think there’s no chance of getting back money they have lost but even if there are no lines of enquiry, we want to help ensure that individual does not become a victim again. To be able to provide victims support and prevention advice, we encourage victims to report fraud directly to North Yorkshire Police, rather than Action Fraud, so we can provide this support and prevention advice.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has put a stop to our regular face-to-face fraud prevention presentations and workshops so we’ve had to find new ways to reach people with prevention messages, including regular Facebook Live sessions and other virtual events which have been very well-received. We’ve also seen a number of new scams emerge with the pandemic providing the perfect cover for many fraudsters and old scams coming back into the fore so we’ve worked hard to keep North Yorkshire residents as up to date as possible.”
North Yorkshire Police Assistant Chief Constable, Mark Pannone, said:
“It is clear to see the impact of Covid-19 and the national lockdown on these latest figures and whilst this has meant some reduction in crime, we must not be complacent. We may be seeing less of some types of crime but we know the need for community support and helping individuals to feel safe is more important than ever before.
“We have moved some of our prevention and safeguarding support to online channels and I can reassure our communities that we are still very much here for you. We know this is a really difficult time for our communities and we are adapting to the challenges presented by the pande
Coronavirus York updates; 28th October 2020
Deaths and test results
ONE additional death at the York Hospital Trust announced today. It occurred on Monday.
80 (EIGHTY) additional positive test results today bringing the total to 3537. The rate per 100k population has declined steadily since it peaked at 309.58 on 20th October.
Continuing good news with the rate of increase still stable and continuing signs of a decline in cases at City level. More neighbourhoods now have infection rates below the national average and cases at Heslington – although still higher than in other neighbourhoods – have now halved compared to the start of the local spike.
There is some concern about the steady increase in case numbers in Rawcliffe and Clifton South which now has the second highest rate in the City.
Improve playground plea
Local Councillors are claiming credit for a programme which has seen some of the pieces of play equipment in the Foxwood Lane playground painted. Some new “busy bee” rides have also been installed.
This is welcome news.
However there is still work needed on the surface of the park.
The entrance to the kiddies area is subject to ponding and is virtually inaccessible after rain. All that is needed is some hard core putting down.
Nearby the safety surface under one of the swings, aimed at older children, is badly worn and is also subject to flooding.
We hope that both of these issues can be remedied quickly
Rain slows resurfacing work
Work on resurfacing part of Cornlands Road was delayed yesterday because of weather conditions. More rain is forecast for tomorrow (Thursday)
The resurfacing contractors are expected to move on to Gale Lane next week
It is disappointing to see that repairs to the verge at the junction of Kingsway West and Newbury Avenue have not been completed. The damage was caused by large delivery lorries trying to access the (now completed) bungalow building site. We expected the reinstatement to be completed before the bungalows were occupied.
Elsewhere, electrical cable works on Dijon Avenue are taking a long time to complete. This means more nuisance and inconvenience for residents living in the area who also have to put up with the mud generated by vehicles accessing the Lowfield development site.
House building moving ahead in Westfield
Work on two house building sites in the Westfield area is continuing despite the problems with COVID and, more recently, wet weather.
On Gale Lane the much delayed redevelopment of a site opposite the end of Cornlands Road is now underway. The site had been the subject of several different planning applications over the years.
Elsewhere a further infill development is underway on Green Lane
The Green Lane site is close to the location of the bungalows which are due to be built on the Lowfields Site
