Coronavirus York updates; 10th March 2021

Deaths

No further hospital deaths have been reported today.

The rolling 7 day average number of deaths at the York Hospital Trust has fallen from a peak of 5.7, seen on 21st January 2021, to 0.4 today.

Test Results

Twenty one additional positive test results announced today. Brings cumulative case total in the City to 12,018.

The infection rate remains at 45.58. However, judged on the number of cases in the pipeline, there are concerns that the rate will now drift up and exceed 50 again over the weekend.

The number of cases in the City remains at 96 for the third day in a row. We are expecting to see an increase of 7 or 8 cases announced tomorrow.

It is too early for the school return to have caused the adverse trend, although the half term and improved weather last week may have been a factor.

So far, the spike in cases is not as severe as was seen when restrictions were eased in December.

Neighbourhoods

There are no significant changes in the distribution of cases to report today at neighbourhood level..

However, for the first time this year, the rate in Yorkshire overall has fallen below 100.

Tomorrows figures will tell us more about whether the proposed further easing of restrictions is likely to go ahead on 29th March

Tests

4175 PCR tests were carried out in York during the week ending 5th March 2021

The proportion of positive results was 1.8%. That is an improvement on the previous days figure of 2.0%.

2897 “lateral flow” test were also conducted on 9th March.

Vaccinations

Nimbuscare, who are running the Askham Bar vaccination centre, have issued a plea for those who can walk or cycle to the site, to do so

“The Vaccination Centre will be at its absolute busiest over the next few weeks as we step up the NHS vaccination programme even further.

We’ll be carrying out second dose vaccinations, as well as inviting the next group of people – meaning there will be up to 3,000 people at the site each day.

If everyone arrives by car, this would take our car parking up to 97% capacity which is extremely busy.

Please come by bus, bike, or on foot, if you can.

Or you can be safely dropped off for your vaccination in the area close to the site and just enter via the pedestrian and cycle entrance. This is opposite the Tesco supermarket petrol station.

For more information about how to access the site and what to expect, go to this useful video.https://youtu.be/gBWczUx0I0U “

Care homes

Latest guidance shared with city care homes

The City of York Council has shared the latest Government advice with care homes on safely restarting visits while minimising transmission risks when family and friends spend time together.

From the pandemic’s outset, the council has been working closely with care homes and care providers in the city to support the safety of the residents and staff.

Now, as part of the Government’s Roadmap, updated guidance has been shared with care homes, which says:

The registered manager of each care home is responsible for setting the visiting policy and for considering the individual needs of each resident.
Each resident will be able to nominate a single named visitor who can come into the care home if they test negative on every visit, wear the right PPE and follow all infection control measures.
People may wish to hold hands, but bear in mind that any contact increases risk. Physical contact like hugging must not take place.
For some residents, a visit with a greater degree of personal care may be critical for their immediate health and wellbeing. The care home and the family can agree that an ‘essential care giver’ can provide this care.
They will be able to visit more often and have the same testing and PPE arrangements as care home staff.
Outdoor and screened visits are an option for more family members to be involved. Social distancing, PPE and good hand hygiene are still very important.
Visits in exceptional circumstances, such as end of life, should always be supported.
It is essential that visiting is supported by good infection control – this includes social distancing, PPE and hand hygiene while in and around the care home – including during the visit itself.
If there is a COVID-19 outbreak in the care home, unfortunately visiting will have to stop until the outbreak is over. This is to protect vulnerable residents, staff and visitors.

Coronavirus York updates; 19th January 2021

Deaths

There has been a dramatic rise in the number of coronavirus deaths at the York Hospital Trust.

An additional ELEVEN fatalities were announced today. Nine of these occurred on Sunday.

That brings the total number of fatalities, recorded at the York and Scarborough hospitals since the 1st September, up to 218.

Eight York residents died in hospital during the week ending 8th January 2021.

-The latest figures published today indicate that there were no additional deaths’ in other settings including care homes during the same period.

However, figures issued by the Care Quality Commission indicate there were subsequently 2 care home deaths in York. One occurred on the 10th and the other on 12th January. The cumulative number of coronavirus deaths in care homes in the City now stands at 93.

The cumulative overall total number of York residents who have succumbed to Coronavirus now stands at 235, with 64 of the fatalities having occurred since 1st September 2020.

ONS have produced an interactive map which shows the number of deaths due to COVID-19 in local neighbourhoods. Covers the period between March to December 2020. The size of the circle represents the number of deaths.

Test Results

NINETY (90) new positive test results have been announced today. That brings the cumulative total to 10,232.

The case rate /100k population has fallen to below 500 for the first time since the beginning of the month. The rate is now 483.86 and is trending to go below 400 within the next few days.

Further confirmation of the decline in Coronavirus case numbers in the City is provided by the detailed test results which have been published

The latest figures confirm that large numbers of tests continue to be conducted in the City.

Daily around 700 tests, using the “lateral flow” technique, are being undertaken.

In addition, each week, around 9000 PCR (Lab. based) tests are also conducted.

Significantly the percentage of positive test results has fallen from a peak of 18.25% seen on 3rd January to the latest figure of 13.8% recorded during the week ending 13th January.

Hospital

York Hospital Trust said this morning that there were now 211 confirmed and suspected Covid-19 patients Trust-wide, compared with 203 yesterday morning.

It said there was now a total of nine Covid patients in intensive care, compared with eight yesterday.

A trust spokeswoman said yesterday that York Hospital had 154 Covid patients on seven wards but it was not at capacity.

Deaths of York residents in hospital. NB. This figure differs from the totals notified by the hospital as the latter serves a larger area than just the City.

Neighbourhoods

Infection rates in most areas are continuing to fall.

Spike in Wigginton area

Vaccinations

Around 700 vaccinations are being carried out each day at the Moor Lane (Askham Bar) centre. Most 80+ York residents have now received their first jab and the programme is now understood to be moving onto those aged 75 and over.

No local figures on vaccination numbers have been published on government web sites

Nationally 4,266,577 first doses have been given.

456,866 second doses have been administered.

Around 210,000 doses are being administered each day

Coronavirus York updates; 23rd December 2020

Deaths and test results

THREE (3) additional deaths announced by the York Hospital Trust today. Two occurred yesterday and one on 17th Dec. The cumulative death toll has now reached 276.

142 of these have occurred since the start of September.

SEVENTY TWO (72) additional positive test results were announced today. That is fewer than yesterday but the figure suggests that the virus is still spreading quickly in the City.

The cumulative total number of cases seen in the City has now reached 6345

The rate /100k population figure climbed to 115.4 last Friday (the latest available validated data).

It is, however, set to rise to over 163 following 71 new cases being reported on Sunday.

Infections are currently growing at a faster rate than was seen during either the spring or autumn waves.

The latest validated figures (last Friday) for neighbourhoods show some large increases in infection levels.

There are more in the pipeline so extreme caution over Christmas would seem to be the best advice that can be offered to residents living in all parts of York.

The latest figures published by the government confirm that, since the beginning of September and up to 11th December, 37 York residents have lost their lives as a result of the Coronavirus.

Of these, 15 died in care homes, 16 in hospital, 3 at home and 3 at a Hospice.

Commentators will be scanning with interest the new “positivity” figures which are due to be published tomorrow.

The number of P2 tests conducted reached 6309 during the week ending 9th December. 2% of tests produced positive results. The latest results will give an indication of the impact that the third wave of infections is having on the number of local cases.

Please stay safe and look after each other

Amid a sharp rise in cases in York, city leaders are asking for a huge citywide effort to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

In recent days York has seen a substantial increase in the number of positive cases being returned. The positivity rate has increased to 4.09% and the latest validated rate for the period 11.12.20 to 17.12.20 was 103.5. This figure is expected to increase in the coming days. The council’s provisional rate for of new Covid cases per 100,000 of population for the period 14.12.20 to 20.12.20 in York is 140.5

The council is asking everyone to do what they can to keep themselves and others safe by:

Meeting people outside if you can (if you do see people inside for Christmas keep the windows open to let air flow through and keep it short, keep it local and keep it safe)
Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds or more with soap and water
Wear a face covering when in busy public spaces
Give people space – 2m is best
Self-isolating when asked to by test and trace
Getting a symptom-free test if you are eligible (book online)

In the coming days the council’s COVID support marshalls and BID rangers will support North Yorkshire Police’s continued patrolling in the city to help people to stay safe, and will take enforcement measures if necessary.

Elderly care figures cause for concern in York

Independent checks reveal over 52% of care homes in York require improvement

The latest reports into the quality of elderly care being provided, in both Council and privately run homes in York, are being discussed next week. Copies of all CQC reports can be found at www.cqc.org.uk

York falls below the national average in having 9.5% of inspected homes rated as inadequate with a further 42.9% listed as “requiring improvement”.

Only 43% were rated as being “safe” – an assessment which covers such items as the management of medicines.

81% were however rated as “caring”.

So far only 21 (26%) of homes in the City have been inspected by the CQC

Of the two homes rated as inadequate an FOI response yesterday revealed what action the York Council had taken to resolve issues.

South Park – “An improvement plan has been created with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), City of York (CYC) Council and the home to address the issues in the CQC report. Regular monitoring visits from CYC are taking place with the home to ensure that the plan is being addressed”. (Next week’s report however comments “Unfortunately, these improvements have not been sustained of late, but the provider again has shared the plans they have in place for substantial investment in the facilities“).

Haisthorpe House – “An improvement plan was created with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), City of York (CYC) Council and the home to address the issues in the CQC report. Regular monitoring visits from CYC have taken place to monitor progress on this improvement plan and ensure suitability of placements for the residents involved. The home has now been purchased by a new operator, and CYC will continue to monitor to ensure further improvements are made and sustained under the new provider”.

The Which (https://twitter.com/WhichUK) consumer magazine has recently published a report which may help users of care facilities, and their relatives, when making a choice of home.

click to enlarge

The Council pays for the residential care costs of over 500 elderly people at present. The amounts paid to care home owners varies:

Residential (Ordinary) – £435.45 per week
Residential EMI – £460.30 per week
Nursing (Ordinary) – £549.85 per week
Nursing EMI – £571.45 per week
City of York Council Owned EPH – £542.99 per week

93% of customers said they were satisfied with the Council’s home care arrangements.

The Council’s report concludes saying,

“A number of the capacity and quality concerns identified of late are linked to the recruitment and retention of care staff across the city and the sector in general. Providers are facing difficulties in terms of recruiting suitable carers across home care, residential and nursing care services”.

According to another report being considered next week, York is performing relatively poorly on delays in transferring elderly people from hospital to community care. “Reablement” services also take longer to provide in York than elsewhere in the region. The full performance statistics can be viewed by clicking here

All existing York Council Elderly Persons Homes set to close before 2019

£2 million price tag put on Lowfields site – Future of playing fields unclear.

Labours plans to abandon the super care home project mean that 7 existing elderly persons homes will close:

Grove House,
Haxby Hall,
Morrell House,
Oakhaven,
Windsor House,
Willow House and
Woolnough House.

All will close by March 2019. The first will close its doors next year.

The Council expects many of the occupants to move into homes provided by the “independent sector”

Houses will be built on most of the vacated sites.

It is proposed that the Lowfields site be used for the provision of “over 100 new homes” including “downsizing” homes to rent and buy for older people as well as “starter homes to rent and buy so that younger families can get on to the housing ladder”.

The Council says that a capital receipt of “at least £2m” for the land will also be realised, confirming that any redevelopment will be by the private sector.

Whether the playing fields are included in this purchase price is unclear

Oakhaven

It is proposed that the “facilities for older people originally envisaged as part of the Community Village on the Lowfields site be, instead, provided at a newly built Extra Care and Health Hub which is expected to replace the Oakhaven OPH on “Front Street” (sic)”.

The Council says it

“will be on making best use of the existing stock of Extra Care Housing in the city. There are five dedicated sheltered housing with ‘extra care’ services in York containing 205 units of accommodation.

Four of these are Council managed schemes – Marjorie Waite Court, Gale Farm Court, Barstow House and Glen Lodge, whilst the fifth (Auden House) is managed by York Housing Association. All homes in these schemes are to rent”.

The Council claims that many of those occupying places in these homes don’t need “extra care” facilities and hints that they may be moved out to make way for those judged to have higher needs!

They say, “We will work with exiting residents to keep disruption to a minimum”

The report concludes,

“York is also under-supplied with Extra Care Housing given the city’s demographics and the anticipated growth in the numbers of over 75s expected over the next decade.

Analysis suggests that there will be need for 490 units of Extra Care accommodation by 2020, rising to 645 in 2030, based upon nation benchmarks. There is a need for both Extra Care to rent and Extra Care to buy; currently just one third of the provision in York is to buy despite 81% of York’s older residents owning their own home.

The independent sector is beginning to address this need. For example, McCarthy & Stone are currently building 28 new sheltered homes to buy at Smithson Court on Top Lane in Copmanthorpe. Elsewhere in Yorkshire they are beginning to build and provide their Extra Care offer – called Assisted Living – and we would expect that they will continue to provide new accommodation as the market demands”.

With the overcrowding in York NHS hospitals reaching crisis point over the last few months, partly as a result of a lack of availability of the right kind of care places for the elderly in the City, the prospect of another 4 years elapsing before the issues are resolved is deeply worrying.