Coronavirus York updates; 17th March 2021

Deaths

There has been one hospital COVID death has been announced today.

It occurred yesterday and is the first recorded since 7th March.

Hospital deaths from COVID are falling across the country as the vaccination programme reduces risks

Test results

Ten additional positive test results announced today. Brings cumulative total up to 12.081

The number of cases in the City has fallen by five from 105 to 100.

The rate /100k population has fallen again and is now 47.48. There is a good chance that, when tomorrows figures are confirmed, we will see a record 2021 low infection rate.

While the infection rate in York is now falling again, it is continuing to creep up at county (North Yorkshire) and regional (Yorkshire) levels. It is stable at national (England) level.

Neighbourhoods

Eighteen of York’s 24 neighbourhoods now have infection rates below the national average

Tests

4019 PCR test were conducted in the City during the week ending 12th March 2021

Of these, 1.5% were positive. That is an improvement on the previous days figure of 1.7%

2134 “lateral flow” test were also carried out on 16th March

Council plans

The Council have provided more information on their plans for lateral flow testing over the next few weeks.

With the return of all pupils to school and college, from 8th March the Government introduced Community Collect for school bubbles. This means that anyone with a child at school can access lateral flow tests for the rest of the family (adults) via community collect. In York, this means collection of test kits in the afternoon from the Poppleton Bar drive through site, or the Wentworth Way walk-in site. There is also an option for people to have kits posted to them if they are unable to travel to the collection point.

In future the Council propose to adopt a “dual approach whereby our test centres can offer tests for those that want it, as well as provide community collect for people choosing this route. The test centres can also offer a demonstration of testing, or the ability to answer questions from people wishing to do home testing but requiring more guidance“.

It remains unclear how workers in the retail and hospitality sector will be tested prior to and during the more general lifting of trading restrictions which is expected to occur from 12th April.

There is no update report from local Universities provided for today’s outbreak board meeting (see below). Information is provided on testing at York College and Askham Bryan agricultural college

Vaccinations

Over 100,000 doses of vaccine have now been administered at the Askham Bar centre

As at 14.3.21, 74,887 CYC residents had received the first dose and 3,550 had received both doses

Outbreak Management Board meeting today

Click item for background report

No.	Item
1.	Declarations of Interest
2.	Minutes of the Meeting held on 10 February 2021 PDF 613 KB
3.	Update from the PHE Behavioural Insights Team
4.	Communications and Engagement Update PDF 3 MB
5.	Current situation in York PDF 431 KB View item 5. as HTML 14 KB
6.	Update on the Covid-19 Vaccination PDF 399 KB View item 6. as HTML 7 KB
7.	Lateral Flow Testing Strategy for York PDF 133 KB View item 7. as HTML 17 KB
8.	Verbal Update: Refresh of the Outbreak Control Plan
9.	Update from Sub-Group: Universities and Higher Education Establishments PDF 399 KB View item 9. as HTML 11 KB
10.	Items for the Next Agenda
11.	Dates of Future Meetings
12.	Any Other Business

Council to contact trace all positive cases in York

City of York Council will now do all local contact tracing of residents who have tested positive for Coronavirus, working in partnership with NHS Test and Trace.

The council has been working with the national test and trace system so that the council to take over the service fully. The agreement means York’s local public health team will now get in touch to offer advice and local support via contact tracing for all York residents who test positive for Coronavirus. Close contacts will then be followed up by the national system.

Over the past five months, York has been running its own local contact tracing system, in order to contact those people in the city that the national service could not. This work has meant in York 90.2% of Coronavirus cases are contacted, and it is hoped that this success can be built on moving forward.

Previously the national test and trace system tried to call in the first 24 hours and if they were unsuccessful, they would then pass the details to local contact tracers to support.

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

Today’s announcement follows the hard work of our public health team to speak to and support residents who have tested positive in the city, following lobbying efforts from the city’s Outbreak Management Advisory Board.

“People who are contacted will be advised to isolate, and then one of our public health team members will be in contact to discuss support available to them, as well as the details of their close contacts, so this can then be followed up by national test and trace service.

“Our local contact tracing service has already had great success in the city, so it is welcome that we can now get going with contacting all positive cases to check they are ok, offer support and ultimately, help stop the spread of the virus.”

Sharon Stoltz, Director of Public Health at City of York Council said:

This is exciting news and will mean our highly skilled team can speak to all positive cases and provide the necessary help, whilst identifying close contacts. It also means we can contact people quickly after the test result.

“The service runs seven days a week, with residents being contacted using a local (01904) phone number. Text messages will also be sent to people with mobile phones telling them to expect a call. If this is still unsuccessful, then a home visit will be made, and if no-one is at home, a letter with details of how to contact the team will be delivered to those advised to isolate, following Covid-19 guidelines.

“Please pick up the phone if we get in touch. Our tracers prioritise people’s wellbeing and ensuring they can access any necessary local support. We are hugely grateful to everyone following the guidance and self-isolating when necessary. It does make a difference and save lives and why it is so important to let them know about the local support available as well as identify close contacts to stop the virus from spreading.”

Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said:

I congratulate City of York Council for participating in this pilot to further support the collective effort to tackle the spread of the virus and break chains of transmission.

“Our partnership with local authorities has now seen us reach more people than ever before and supporting them to self-isolate, many of whom might otherwise have unknowingly spread the virus to their loved ones.

“Local authorities’ unique knowledge of their communities is invaluable as we work together to stop the spread of the virus, and with the support of the national tracing service their involvement will continue to strengthen our contact tracing work. As we come out of lockdown, the role of tracing and the support for people to self-isolate is ever more important and I am very proud of everything that we are achieving together.”

Coronavirus York updates; 30th October 2020

Deaths and test results

No further deaths at York Hospital Trust announced today

63 (SIXTY THREE) additional positive test results announced today. Brings cumulative total to 3652

Continuing downward trend in number of cases. Now below 80 cases per per day per week. Rate per 100k population was down to 257.82 on Tuesday from a peak of 309.58 the previous week.

Half the 24 neighbourhoods in York are now showing week on week reductions in new case levels. Only 3 (Heslington, Rawcliffe/Clifton South and Clifton Without/Skelton) have shown above national average rates of infections during the whole of the last 10 days.

The Woodthorpe/Acomb Park area is showing an increase in case numbers.

Council commentary updated

The York Council has updated its weekly commentary on the pandemic. It can be found on the open data web site. It is reproduced below

People with Covid Symptoms

• NHS Pathways/111 triages – as at 26.10.20 there had been 273 total covid triages in the CYC area in the last 7 days. The peak number of triages was 653 in the 7 day period to 20.9.20. • As at 28.10.20, the Covid Symptom App estimates 860.1 per 100,000 in York with symptomatic covid (responses from a sample of 5,095 people). The peak rate was 1,051.7 on 22.10.20

Diagnosed cases (Pillar 1&2 combined)

• As at 29.10.20 York has had 3,589 cases since the start of the pandemic, a rate of 1,704 per 100,000 of population. The rate in York is above the national average (1,454.6) but below the regional average (2,222.4).

• The PHE ‘Exceedance’ rating compares the no. of new cases over a 14 day period with the previous 6 weeks and provides a RAG rating to indicate if the previously observed trend in the no. of new cases is worsening. The latest rating for York (26.10.20) is Green.

• The provisional rate of new Covid cases per 100,000 of population for the period 21.10.20 to 27.10.20 in York is 213.66 (Using data published on Gov.uk on 29.10.20).

• The latest official “validated” rate of new Covid cases per 100,000 of population for the period 18.10.20 to 24.10.20 was 272.5. The national and regional averages at this date were 225.9 and 390.1 respectively (Using data published on Gov.uk on 29.10.20).

• As at 26.10.20, the latest 7 day positivity rate in York (Pillar 2 only) was 13.1%. The national and regional averages are 10.2% and 14.8% respectively. The number of Pillar 2 tests being carried out in York is increasing.

• As at 29.10.20 York University reported 117 individuals within the University community who were currently self-isolating because they have had a positive COVID-19 test.

• As at 28.10.20 York St. John reported 34 individuals within the University community who were currently self-isolating because they have had a positive COVID-19 test.

Contact Tracing

• Since 28.5.20 a total of 3,020 laboratory confirmed CYC Covid cases have been uploaded into the NHS Test and Trace system and 2,523 of the cases have been engaged. 9,442 ‘contacts’ have been identified and 5,573 of these have been traced.

Deaths

The two sources about deaths from Covid-19 at LA level are ONS data and local registrar data. They are derived from the same source (civil registration data). ONS data is more comprehensive as it includes deaths of York residents which have occurred and been registered outside York. Local registrar data is useful as it provides a breakdown by age and gender. The most recently available data is summarised below:

• ONS weekly data: For deaths occurring up to 16th October 2020 and registered up to 24th October 2020, 175 deaths were recorded as having occurred for CYC residents (84 in hospital, 78 in care homes, 9 at home and 4 in a hospice). The number of deaths per 100,000 of population in York is 83.09 which is lower than the national average of 91.44. The most recent deaths reported for York residents occurred in week 42 (10 to 16 October).

• ‘Excess’ deaths (ONS. In week 42 (10 Oct to 16 Oct), 37 deaths occurred for York residents, which is 8 more than the average weekly number for 2014-18. Over the last 21 weeks the total number of deaths in York has been 44 fewer than the average for the equivalent weeks in 2014-18.

• Local Registrar data: In the weekly data received on 26.10.20 (for deaths occurring up to 21.10.20), a cumulative total of 167 deaths of CYC residents where COVID-19 was mentioned (confirmed or suspected) on the death certificate, have been registered. The average age of the people who died was 82.5, with an age range of 53-104. The age profile of those dying in York is slightly older than the national average. 87 of the 167 were male (52.1%), slightly less than the national average (55.2%). 72 people (43.1%) died in nursing /care homes (the national average is 28.98%). In addition 13 people (7.78%) who normally resided in nursing/care homes in the CYC area, died in hospital.

Data on deaths occurring in hospital are shown below. Deaths are initially reported for York NHS Foundation Trust which includes Scarborough Hospital and the further breakdown by site can be delayed. From local registrar data, 55.2% of COVID-19 deaths occurring at York Hospital have been CYC residents. (NB NHS Trusts record deaths following a positive covid-19 test (within 28 days) whereas ONS record deaths where covid-19 in mentioned on the death certificate so the totals are not the same).

• Deaths at York Hospital: As at 29.10.20, 144 deaths (awaiting confirmation of breakdown by hospital site for recent deaths) where the person had tested positive for COVID-19 and were being cared for at York Hospital have been reported. 230 deaths have been reported by the wider York NHS Trust.

Local tracing success

York’s local contact tracing programme has been running for one week now and data is already showing it has had an immediate impact.

Since launching the service last week, York’s contact tracers have got in touch with 83.7% of residents in the past six days who the national system were unable to reach. More than 100 residents have now been successfully contacted, with low numbers of people uncontactable. On Wednesday 28 October, the local service reached 100% of people that the national system were unable to reach.

The service is currently running Monday to Friday and will soon be running as a seven days a week service, with residents being contacted using a local (01904) phone number.

Text messages will also be sent to people with mobile phones telling them to expect a call. If this is still unsuccessful, then a home visit will be made, and if no-one is at home, a letter with details of how to contact the team will be delivered to those advised to isolate, following Covid-19 guidelines.

Councillor Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council and Chair of the York Outbreak Management Advisory Board said:

Thank you to our public health team who are working alongside the national test and trace system to reach more people who have tested positive quickly, which is vital in our efforts to slow the spread of the virus.

“Our local programme places a real priority on the wellbeing of our residents. We will check if they are ok and offer them support should they need it, whether that be getting food and medicine, or simply talking to someone while they self-isolate. With the national system continuing to face difficulties, we will soon be expanding our local programme to run a 7 day service, in order to reach more residents.”

“We are particularly grateful to all those who are self-isolating or have self-isolated. We know how hard it is, but it is an incredibly important thing to do to keep our friends, family and community safe.”

Fiona Phillips, Assistant Director for Public Health said:

We have really appreciated the support of the public following the launch of this service when we have been in contact with them.

“We would ask people to continue to engage with the service as it really does make a difference in slowing the spread of the virus as the vast majority have so far, which we are very grateful for.

“We know that testing positive for Coronavirus can be a worrying time and we are here to help. Our contact tracers will check you are ok and offer support. After our call, our helpline is there to help those who need it.

“Rapid contact tracing and self-isolation are a key way of stopping the spread of Coronavirus. This is once again a demonstration of a true citywide effort to keep the people we love safe and the places we love open.

Coronavirus York updates; 3rd July 2020

Playgrounds to reopen

Playgrounds in York will start reopening from July 8th

About 80 play areas and outdoor gyms across the city have been closed since mid March. The council will start a phased reopening of playgrounds – with social distancing and risk assessments

More details can be found in this report click

Safety barriers have already been removed from some of the equipment on Chesneys Field.

Household waste site appointments being scrapped.

The Council has said that it will shortly discontinue the requirement to book an appointment before a resident visits a household waste site

Council writes to Blue Badge holders

The York Council says that it has written to all 7,500 York Blue Badge Holders this week. The mailing provides details on what support is available to help badge holders access the city centre, including the 40 replacement Blue Badge bays in Monk Bar car park

UPDATED Deaths and test results

1700 hrs UPDATE – The government has now changed the figures on its web site. The cumulative total (at 2/7/20) is now 898 with two additional cases recorded on 29th June and one on 1st July.

The government has finally updated its web site to include “pillar 2” test results. These are the tests carried out at centres like the Poppleton Park and Ride site.

The good news is that, as of 1/7/20, there had been no new positive test results for 4 days in York.

That is the longest period with only negative results since early March.

The source data can be viewed by clicking here. An extract is reproduced below.

The failure of the authorities to make this information available promptly is one of the most disappointing aspects of the current health crisis.

NB. Tests in the UK are carried out through a number of different routes:

Pillar 1: swab testing in Public Health England (PHE) labs and NHS hospitals for those with a clinical need, and health and care workers
Pillar 2: swab testing for the wider population, as set out in government guidance
Pillar 3: serology testing to show if people have antibodies from having had COVID-19
Pillar 4: serology and swab testing for national surveillance supported by PHE, ONS, Biobank, universities and other partners to learn more about the prevalence and spread of the virus and for other testing research purposes, for example on the accuracy and ease of use of home testing

See the government’s national testing strategy for more information on the different pillars.

Attention is now likely to switch to the accessibility of information on pillar 3 and 4 data.

We also await the York Councils comments on the success, or otherwise, of local contact tracing arrangements.

As well as the absence of recent positive test results, another piece of good news is that there have been no further deaths at local hospitals (1/7/20) as a result of COVID-19. The last death was recorded on 18th June.

How busy is the City centre?

The “footfall” information for York City centre camera sites is still being updated on the “open data” web site. The data has been criticised over recent months when it was discovered that some cameras had been disconnected and the data company responsible had extrapolated data from other cameras to fill in the gaps.

It is unfortunate that this issue wasn’t remedied before lock-down occurred

Nevertheless it, together with mobile phone activity, is the only measure that we have of the numbers of people visiting the City centre.

The data suggests that, during June, the number of visitors to the City centre had fallen by 84% compared to the same month in 2019.

However, by the final day of the month that reduction had fallen to 62%.

That probably reflects the gradual reopening of shops and other facilities, together with the launch of an embryonic marketing campaign.

Tomorrow will see sections of the hospitality trade reopening with some cafes hoping to provide outdoor tables, while pub beer gardens may be popular if the weather improves.

So a critical weekend ahead for the City.

Micro grant scheme puts over £2m into small York business accounts

City of York Council’s extended small and micro business grant scheme is on course to deliver another £2.2m to York businesses which fell through the cracks of government support packages.

The scheme closed earlier this week and has now awarded a total of just over £1.92m to 558 businesses, with another 113 applications pending or yet to be processed.

The grant extension follows an earlier £1m grants scheme which gave vital financial aid or access to services through membership of the Federation of Small Businesses to 800 York businesses.

Grants payments were offered to support a wide variety of 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 are also eligible.

Council policy on business rent payments

Plans are in place for financial support to continue for those businesses and residents who pay council fees or rents.

Since the Coronavirus pandemic started the council has been committed to supporting businesses and residents through this unprecedented time. Plans are being put in place to ensure support continues for those who need it most.

Three months on from announcing the first financial assistance schemes, the council wants to reassure people that the existing support will still be available for those who require it. Detailed plans are being finalised and will be taken to a decision session later this month.

In April the council announced:

a three-month freeze on the council housing rent increase
the extension of the York Financial assistance scheme for residents
a £1m emergency fund for businesses
a three-month deferral of commercial rents
plus a raft of other measures to help residents and businesses.

In order to support more residents in need from this month (July), a new hardship fund will be established for council tenants affected by rent increases. An initial sum of £80,000 is being set aside and will be kept under review should further funds be required. Council housing tenants who can pay rent as usual, will be asked to pay the agreed increased rent charge. Those who can’t will be encouraged to talk to housing officers and will be able to apply to the hardship fund.

Commercial tenants will be able to benefit from a deferral of rent for a further three months, if required. The council will also ensure repayments can be made over an extended period of up to two years.

From July, the council will write to all its commercial tenants to discuss any financial support available to them.