Coronavirus York updates; 12th January 2021

Deaths

FOUR additional deaths have been announced by the York Hospital Trust today. That brings the total since 1st September up to 189, Two fatalities occurred yesterday and two on Sunday.

The latest ONS figures, showing the number of deaths of York residents from Coronavirus during the week ending 1st January, have been published.

They show 10 fatalities with nine occurring at a hospital and one at home. That is the highest single week number since May.

In total, the death toll for York residents has now reached 227 of which 56 have lost their lives since 1st September.

NB. These figures vary from those published by the York Hospital Trust as the latter covers a larger area.

According to the Care Quality Commission an additional death occurred in a York care home on 5th January. That brings the total York care home death toll to 91. Most fatalities occurred in the Spring.

Test results

ONE HUNDRED and FIFTY FOUR (154) additional positive test results announced today. Brings cumulative total to 9239.

Rate /100k population is now 637.37. Will increase to 670.44 before beginning to trend down

The York infection rate is now above the national, regional and county averages.

Help keep the people you love safe and stop the spread. If you're eligible please book a test at the website in the message. If you have symptoms or you're self-isolating visit nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119 instead — *Click to access*

Vaccinations

As of 11th January 1,959,151 people in England had been vaccinated.

No figures for York have been published yet.

City of York Outbreak Management Advisory Board – Wednesday, 13 January 2021 5.30 pm

A meeting of he City’s outbreak management board is taking place tomorrow. So far, few background papers have been published to support the agenda

The meetings are normally “webcast”

Agenda

No.	Item
1.	Declarations of Interest
2.	Minutes of the Meeting held on 9 December 2020 and actions arising PDF 146 KB
3.	Current Situation in York PDF 431 KB (see nbelow)
4.	Verbal Update on the Covid-19 Vaccination
5.	Covid-19 Lateral Flow Testing (a presentation will be given at the meeting)
6.	Impact of the Lockdown: Verbal Update from North Yorkshire Police
7.	Communications and Engagement PDF 3 MB
8.	Update from Sub-Group: Universities and Higher Education establishments PDF 397 KBView item 8. as HTML 12 KB
9.	Agenda Items for the Next Meeting

York Minster closed to public. Deans park remains open

York Minster has issued the following statement

We are now closed for public services, private prayer and sightseeing. We will also continue to livestream Sunday services at 11am and 4pm via our YouTube channel, so you can join the services from home.

York Minster has closed to the public from today (Tuesday 12 January) until further notice in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The cathedral closed to sightseeing visitors on 31 December when York moved into tier three, but has now also closed for public services and private prayer.

Clergy will continue to offer prayer inside the cathedral on a daily basis and services will be livestreamed on Sundays so people can join worship from their homes.

The Dean of York, The Right Revd Dr Jonathan Frost, said: “We feel this is the right decision in the current climate to keep our staff, volunteers, visitors and congregations safe.

“We will review the decision on a regular basis. In the meantime, our clergy will continue to keep the regular pattern of daily prayer within the cathedral and we will continue to offer worship online so people can join us from the comfort of their own homes.”

Members of the public can send a prayer to be said in the cathedral by a member of the clergy by emailing prayer@yorkminster.org.

Dean’s Park, the green space to the north of the cathedral, will remain open on a daily basis from 10am to 4pm.

Financial Help

A new Council report reveals the scale of financial concerns in the York community as a result of COVID-19.

The report says that £1.2 million had been used to alleviate hardship by the end of September.

Most went on reducing Council Tax liability. Around 9,000 residents have benefited.

Another £416,729 is being used to support a winter grant scheme. Part of this is being used to fund free school meals during holidays. The grant scheme is open to applications for anyone with savings of less than £2000.

Around 250 applications a week are being received.

The council received £298k in government funding from DHPs for 2020/21 in order to help with housing costs. So far 43% of this budget has been spent.

The numbers in work, but benefiting from on universal credit, almost doubled from 2762 to 5761 between March 2020 and September 2020.

There was a similar rise from claimants not in work.

A lot of work is going into expanding digital access to services. Those who do not currently have “on line” access are at a significant disadvantage during periods of lockdown.

Council tenant arrears stood at £975,943 in April 2020 (similar to the previous year end figure).

Arrears had increased to £1.23 million by the end of December.

The Council partly blames the DWP for the rise, citing bureaucratic hurdles to universal credit changes and staff shortages.

The Council sees the further development of community hubs as part of the long term solution to poverty in the City

Coronavirus York updates; 11th August 2020

Deaths and test results

The latest government figures confirm that there have been no more deaths recorded in York care homes this week. The cumulative total remains at 78.

There have been no additional COVID-19 related deaths recorded in the City. The cumulative total remains at 169

The York Councils public heath director has been quoted in the media saying that there are four Coronavirus patients currently in the York hospital. Two of these are in the Intensive Care Unit. The figures have not yet been added to the Open Data web site.

As predicted earlier in the week, the York Council are to undertake their own “track and trace” system. It will be in place before the new school term commences. A meeting yesterday was told that “there have been 97 positive Covid-19 cases registered with the test and trace scheme in York – with 82 of them contacted, leading 176 contacts to be identified. Of those, 113 have been traced“. Again these figures haven’t been added to the Open Data web site

The test and trace system is to “go local” as the Government appears to acknowledge that the national system, described as “world beating”, is not fit for purpose.

It follows intense criticism over the reach of the national centralised service, which was set up an awarded to private companies, and its failure to tap into local knowledge to tackle outbreaks of the coronavirus in England.

Last month, it was revealed the system was failing to reach more than half the contacts named by infected people in areas battling acute outbreaks of the virus.

On Monday this week, DHSC announced the NHS Test and Trace programme will now provide local authorities across England with a dedicated team of contact tracers to ensure that as many people as possible are being reached, in what the department described as a “new way of working” and a “more tailored service”.

This could mean people who have been in contact with confirmed coronavirus cases may get a knock on their door if tracers are unable to reach them over the phone.

“As the approach becomes more locally targeted the national service will adjust,” DHSC said. “NHS Test and Trace will reduce current extra capacity and reduce the number of non-NHS call handlers.”

They continued: “Data on the virus continues to be actively monitored through PHE and the Joint Biosecurity Centre so that staff numbers can be quickly scaled up, or down, depending on requirements for the national service and as part of winter preparations.”

An effective system of contact tracing is widely viewed as critical in keeping down the transmission rate of the virus by reaching out to those who have come into close contact with an individual who has tested positive, and urging them to self-isolate for 10 days.

However, last week’s figures showed that thousands of people are still not being reached by the test and trace program mme and the head of outsourcing company Serco, which employs over 10,000 of the tracers, admitted up to a fifth of contacts may be untraceable.

The data added that the national call centers were struggling to reach contacts, with only 56 per cent of close contacts handled online or by call centers being reached and told to self-isolate to stop the spread of the virus.

In stark contrast, a local contact tracing system set up in Blackburn with Darwen Council had reached 90 per cent of the people the Government’s national system was failing to contact in an area with one of the worst Covid-19 infection rates.

Council to tackle digital exclusion in Coronavirus response

City of York Council will be hosting a digital inclusion workshop with Citizens Online and Explore Libraries this week, to bring city partners together to share insight and best practice .

Going forward in partnership the aim is to join up activity, share information and resources and encourage collaboration.

Throughout lockdown, the Council have been working in partnership with organisations across the city to promote digital inclusion for residents and tenants who lack connectivity or access to digital devices.

As facilities such as libraries and the council’s West Offices were required to close at the beginning of lockdown, residents who did not have internet access or computers at home were no longer able to access these public facilities. As part of our emergency response to the impact of Coronavirus, the council and partners expanded and initiated a variety of schemes and work to address the growing need for internet access. These schemes included:

Eligible residents who lack internet access at home have been supported through lockdown with devices such as smart phones and laptops (plus data) through York’s emergency funding scheme. Households in need of devices were identified in partnership with support workers and charities across the city.
Around 50 laptops have been loaned by York Learning to learners wanting to continue their studies during lockdown who didn’t have the equipment to do so. Those already on accredited courses such as apprenticeships, computer skills and functional skills courses in maths and English have been prioritised.
Independent Living Centre tenants without online devices have been provided with smartphones and three months of mobile data to keep in touch with friends and family, and to ensure they can order any food and prescriptions they need. Where they have been allocated, the tenants are regularly video calling, ringing and texting friends and family members which, they say, has been a lifeline. When the time-limited contract expires, tenants can continue to use the phone when they buy and add their own sim cards. This means they and staff can also keep in touch which helps break down isolation.

Throughout lockdown, York’s superfast broadband network has also been further extended to now reach 72% of the city.

Residents and businesses reminded about financial support

City of York Council is reminding residents and businesses that support is available for those who are currently in council tax or business rates arrears due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the next week we will be contacting people who are currently in arrears with their council tax or business rates offering support and information

Revenue from council tax and business rates is essential to ensure the council can continue to provide a wide range of services to support residents, our most vulnerable citizen and businesses across the city.

Several support schemes are currently in place, including:

Council Tax Support – the amount people get is based on their household income and savings, so are likely to qualify if on welfare benefits or a low income.
Council Tax Discretionary Reduction Scheme – provides extra assistance for people who are unable to pay their council tax bill. People can apply for this reduction whether or not they are eligible for, or receive Council Tax Support.
Some people can get a discount on their Council Tax bill, to check what discounts are available please visit www.york.gov.uk/counciltax

Coronavirus York updates; 21st April 2020

City of York Council Leaders in a Coronavirus Q&A, Live on Facebook

Residents are invited to watch and interact with a live #AskTheLeaders Coronavirus question and answer session on City of York Council’s Facebook page on Tuesday 28 April, 5-6pm.

Residents can join live on Facebook to hear from:

Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader of the Council
Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Deputy Leader of the Council
Cllr Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for Climate Change and Environment
Ian Floyd, Interim Head of Paid Services
Sharon Stoltz, Director of Public Health

Residents can interact with the session by either submitting questions in advance by emailing them to YourQuestions@york.gov.uk or commenting on the live video on Facebook where leaders will read out questions and respond.* Questions may be answered by theme rather than individually, so that the conversations covers as many topics as possible.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council, said;

“In these unprecedented times, it’s essential that we try new ways of reaching our residents and enabling them to ask questions and raise concerns about the city’s response to the outbreak of coronavirus.”

“I look forward to hosting the live Coronavirus question time session and hearing from local residents. I hope the live session gives clarity, reassurance and useful information in this ever changing situation.”

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, Deputy Leader of City of York Council, said;

“This is a great opportunity for us to get direct feedback from residents about how the lockdown is affecting them, their families and neighbours in York. We can also share some of the amazing work taking place in every community.

“I want to encourage resident to email us your questions and join us next week to have a conversation about our city’s response to Coronavirus and how we are working together to save lives.”

For the latest York updates on service changes, online support and how you can get involved in supporting your community visit www.york.gov.uk/Coronavirus

*Please Note: Resident do not need a Facebook account to watch the live video however, they will need their own Facebook account to comment on the video with their questions if they have not already submitted questions via email.

Cycle couriers

The media are reporting that cycle couriers – delivering food – are being prevented from cycling though the City centre foot-streets.

If correct then we think that is wrong. The footstreets are virtually deserted and the couriers are part of the solution to food supply issues in the City. Clearly they would need to observe a voluntary code restricting their speed but, in principle, getting food to people quickly is a higher priority than enforcing inessential access restrictions.

Greater use of the pedestrian areas by “exercise” cyclists might also help to address the call for a ban on traffic on some residential roads.

We’re not entirely convinced that all courier companies are responding to the needs of people living in sub-urban areas. It’s two weeks since “Deliveroo” said they would extend their service to Acomb but there is no sign of the promised Morrisons/McColls services actually being implemented.

Council information

Leaflet delivery update

The Council claims that a letter from the Leader, Deputy Leader and Interim Head of paid Service “was distributed to York homes over the weekend and Monday. This letter also included ward information and information on volunteering and how to get help”. Many homes did not receive this letter but it contained little that was new anyway.

The “Our City” newsletter will be delivered to all homes throughout the week.

It contains two pages of “look at me” photos of Councillors but omits to provide their contact telephone numbers. The space would have been better utilised giving details of food doorstep deliverers, and information about continuing pharmacy, supermarket (pipeline) and takeaway delivery arrangement.

The Council says that a a leaflet sharing the names and contact details of local independent food suppliers who can deliver or arrange collection will be “delivered soon”. The draft list circulated last week was far from comprehensive so hopefully any new list will have been updated.

Millies Fruit and Veg boxes

There are several small independent shops who are providing outstanding customer service. These include, to our knowledge, Millies Greengrocers (tel. 01904 677035), Heslington Fresh Foods (01904 728905) and Richardson’s Woodthorpe Butchers ((01904 707876). There must be many more in other parts of the City. Any trader undertaking home deliveries, who wants to be added to the Council list, should email: food@york.gov.uk

The Council also says, “We are also finalising a booklet providing more information to support residents’ health and wellbeing over this difficult period”.

Job retention scheme

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is now open for applications. Employers can now go online to claim cash grants worth up to 80% of wages, capped at £2,500 a month per worker. 5000 HMRC staff will operate the scheme, which is expected to help thousands of firms across the UK.

Please note the following key guidelines :

To receive payment by 30 April businesses will need to complete an application by 22 April. This is because it will take six working days for the claim to be processed, issued and received.
Decide whether businesses want to make their own claim or if they want their agent to act on their behalf – if they have an agent that has authorisation to act for you on PAYE matters, they can make a claim for CJRS on their behalf.
Businesses are being asked to only call the government if they can’t find what they need on gov.uk – please, wherever possible, leave the phone lines open for those who need it most. All applications will be processed online. After a claim has been submitted it will take six working days for it to be paid – businesses are being asked to please not chase up payment during this time.
Employees should speak to their employers with any questions, not HMRC. The government won’t be able to answer queries from individual employees.

The York and North Yorkshire LEP have provided a handy step by step guide for businesses to help them through this process.

Information on financial support

On top of this the government has launched a new tool to help people find coronavirus financial support for their business. Businesses may be eligible for loans, tax relief and cash grants; this support finder will help you to see what support is available for you and your business.

Support package for innovative firms hit by Coronavirus

Finally, a new billion pound support package for innovative firms hit by Coronavirus has been announced. The package includes a £500 million investment fund for high-growth companies impacted by the crisis, made up of funding from the government and the private sector. SMEs focusing on research and development will also benefit from £750 million of grants and loans.

Cancellation of GCSES and A LEVELS

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is expected to continue having a significant impact on the education system, and the country, for months to come. Therefore, exams have been cancelled now to give pupils, parents, and teachers certainty, and enable schools and colleges to focus on supporting vulnerable children and the children of key workers. More information about the cancellations is available: https://www.york.gov.uk/COVIDExamCancellations

Local government funding

Over the weekend the government confirmed an additional £1.6bn of funding for local authorities. This funding has been welcomed.