Coronavirus York updates; 27th April 2021

Deaths

No further hospital deaths have been announced today

The latest ONS figures, which show how many York residents have died of COVID-19 related causes, has been updated.

It shows that, for the week ending 16th April (the most recent available), there was one death in a care home and one in a hospital.

They bring the total City death toll up to 377

Test results

Eight additional positive test results were announced today. That brings the cumulative total up to 12,253.

There has been an increase of 6 cases in the City since yesterday. The total is now 48. The last time a figure higher than that was recorded was on 30th March.

The rate per 100k population figure has risen to 22.79. Three weeks ago – before restrictions were eased – the figure had been as low as 9.02.

The infection rate is expected to stay much the same for the next 3 or 4 days at least.

The number of positive test results in the under 60 age group is now ten times more than is being seen in the over 60 age group.

There have been increases in infection rates at regional and national level. The biggest spike has been in parts of North Yorkshire where a surge in Selby has seen 101 cases recorded there. (59 are recorded in the Selby Town MSOA alone)

Neighbourhoods

Seven neighbourhoods now have 3 or more cases.

Vaccinations

Good news on vaccinations with 57% of adults in York now having received their first dose. 22% have now also had their second dose.

It has been announced that 42-45 year olds will receive a text inviting them to get their jab through the national booking service. The move to the next age group, comes two weeks after rolling out the vaccine to those aged 45 and over. The latest figures show that more than two thirds of people aged 45 to 49 had been vaccinated.

Tests

4373 PCR tests were conducted in York during the week ending 22nd April 2021.

Of these, 0.8% were positive. This represents an increase over the previous days figure of 0.7%

3132 “lateral flow” tests were also conducted on 26th April 2021.

Hospitals

There has been no change in COVID-19 patients numbers at the hospital today

Cheaper car parking and family bus fares

The Council has said that, to aid Economic Recovery and the re-opening the city centre, the following transport incentives will be rolled out.

1) Launch a promotion of the Minster parking badge at £10 to last until March 2022.
The permit will be valid for 24 months after purchase starting at Step 3 of
the Road map to recovery (currently the 17th of May). The badge allows drivers to park at a reduced rate in most council car parks during the day and to park for free after 5.00pm.

2) For the Council to fund a 50% discount on the All York Family Bus Ticket for a period of up to 6 months starting at Step 3 of the Road map to recovery (currently the 17th of May).

3) That the free parking for Critical Workers will end when the governments funding for parking losses in income take effect (end of June). The council will providing a month of noticing vehicles using this service to
mitigate any issues with sudden changes.

“It will also need to be kept under review if car park capacity becomes an issue”.

The decisions were taken at a “behind closed doors” meeting

Business Grants

Over 1500 York businesses will receive further grants over the next fortnight as City of York Council distributes the rest of its COVID grant allocation.

The council has agreed to distribute the rest of the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding as quickly as possible.

ARG is a discretionary scheme, allowing the council to direct funding to help businesses which are severely impacted by the pandemic but don’t qualify for the government’s grants.

Businesses don’t need to do anything to get the grants. There are no newly qualifying business, so the council will automatically pay those that are already receiving ARG payments.

The amount that eligible businesses will receive is dependent on size of business, whether a business has premises and where a business – or those sectors they depend on – can reopen in line with the roadmap. Qualifying businesses can check the amount they should receive at https://www.york.gov.uk/information-businesses/covid-19-business-rates-grants

Notes

Payment amounts are as follows:

For businesses which reopened at Step 2 (non-essential retail, personal care, etc):

11 days payment (1 April to 11 April) plus £200
With no fixed premises costs: £396 (including the additional £200)
With rateable value less than £15k: £724 (including the additional £200)
With rateable value £15k-£51k: £986 (including the additional £200)
With rateable value above £51k: £1379 (including the additional £200)

For businesses reopening at Step 3 (leisure, hospitality, taxis, etc):

46 days payment (1 Apr to 16 May)
With no fixed premises costs: £821
With rateable value less than £15k: £2192
With rateable value £15k-£51k: £3286
With rateable value above £51k: £4929

For businesses reopening at Step 4 (international travel, etc):

81 days payment (1 Apr to 21 June)
With no fixed premises costs: £1446
With rateable value less than £15k: £3859
With rateable value £15k-£51k: £5786
With rateable value above £51k: £8679

91% increase in car parking charges in York in just 4 years

The York Council is warning drivers that there will be substantial increases in car parking charges from Wednesday.

They result from a Green Party budget amendment which added 10p per hour to charges.

They are in addition to the huge increases imposed by Labour since they took office in 2011.

In total some York residents will pay a 91% increase in car parking charges compared to 2011.

Although the Council has yet to publicise the new charges on its web site in a media release they say,

“From Wednesday 1 April there will be a number of changes to City of York Council owned car parks, on street parking and season permits across the city, including:

The free-parking initiative will come to a close: this 13 month initiative was developed as a result of work between the council and City Team York, the city’s Retail Forum, the Federation of Small Businesses and key city-centre businesses will end on March 31.

The standard rate of car park and on-street charges: will increase by 10p per hour to vehicles not displaying a Minster Badge (an optional resident parking permit). For those that have a Minster Badge the 10p increase will not affect them.

Residents who are signed up to the Minster Badge scheme: will benefit from an additional FREE hour in car parks on Friday and Saturday evening (which moves from 5pm instead of 6pm). Valid in selected car parks only.

Pay-by-phone option (in selected car parks) remains 10p cheaper per hour than the standard rate.

Season parking tickets: An increase of approximately four per cent”.

For more details about parking in York visit www.york.gov.uk/parking

Huge increase in York car parking charges – residents targeted for 82% hike.

York’s unique Minster badge scheme which has helped to protect York residents from high car parking charges is being scrapped by Labour.

Under the LibDems, in 2011 residents paid £1.10 per hour to park at most City centre car parks (those designated as “standard stay”).

Residents will now see that increase by a staggering 82% to £2.00.

click to enlarge

The Council is offering what they term as a frequent visitor badge.

However these will cost £20 a year to buy (and are not restricted to York Council Taxpayers).

click to see full survey results

The Councils own survey (see left) of residents, revealed that the vast majority no longer drive into the City centre frequently enough to make such a badge a worthwhile purchase.

Only those using the car parks several times a week would get any benefit and they probably already choose to buy a season ticket. (A season ticket, which allows unlimited parking for a year, costs less than £500 for a small/low emission vehicle)

The news comes at a time when traders have claimed that Saturdays no parking fee trial had been a success.

The trial will have cost the Council around £20,000 in income. First buses will also have lost income on their Park and Ride contract.

Crunch time for City centre

So its crunch time for the City centre economy. Few residents are going to pay those kind of charges when they can get free parking at out of City shopping centres.

The Council is still promising “pay on exit” barriers at the Marygate car park, but that initiative is too little too late.

Even if the Lendal Bridge closure is lifted in March, it will take a long time to restore the City’s reputation with both residents and visitors.

The number of shoppers in the City centre was continuing to fall even before the Lendal Bridge closure

The next local elections are little more than a year away now though, so there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Labour are leaving an economic nightmare for someone to clear up.