Deaths and test results

66 (SIXTYSIX) additional positive test results were announced today. This brings the total number of cases to 1765

There have been no further hospital deaths

The most recent spike in case numbers in the City coincided with the opening of the additional test centre at Heslington last week.

The area with the largest number of positive test results (39) over the last 7 days has been the Heslington/University/Fulford neighbourhood.

This suggests that part of the reason for the surge may be the consequence of a large number of younger people being tested at Heslington. Unfortunately the authorities do not provide any demographic or tracing statistics at local authority level which would allow greater understanding of any such linkages

At the University of York, there are now 135 individuals self isolating due to a positive Covid-19 test That is up from 113 yesterday.

At York St John University there were 63 people with a positive test on Tuesday – up from 46 the day before.

The number of positive test results peaked at 80 on Friday 7th October. There were also 74 cases recorded on Sunday (4th October).

The peak, 7 day case numbers per 100,000 head of population, figure reached 192 on Sunday. That is the highest recorded since the pandemic started.

New payments for self isolating workers

Eligible residents who are required to self-isolate by the Government’s Test and Track scheme, will be eligible for one-off payments to support them through the 14-day quarantine period.

The new Test and Trace Support Payment scheme from the Government is for people on low incomes who are unable to work from home while they are self-isolating. This new scheme will also apply to eligible self-employed people who can prove they are unable to work while self-isolating. Information on how to apply for a self-isolation support payment is available at www.york.gov.uk/selfisolate. Application forms will be available at this link from 9 October.

Where earnings are affected by self-isolating, applicants may be entitled to some financial support; a one-off ‘Test and Trace Support Payment’ of £500. Anyone told to self-isolate by the NHS’s scheme must do so or face fines of up to £10,000, and the £500 payment must be returned.

Those eligible for a Test and Trace Support Payment will have been:

• asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace either because you’ve tested positive for coronavirus on or after 28 September, or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
• in receipt of one or more benefits

Support may also be available for those who don’t meet the Government’s eligibility criteria. Details of our ‘discretionary scheme’ will be published as soon as possible at www.york.gov.uk/selfisolate.  

We know that as well as health concerns, the coronavirus pandemic has given many people additional financial worries.

Meanwhile, for existing support from the Government, please find out about:

• Additional information and support at the Money Advice Servicewhich has up to date information and guidance on the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic at moneyadviceservice.org.uk or on freephone 0800 138 7777
• The benefits you might be eligible for, how to claim and how any benefits will be affected if your circumstances change at gov.uk/benefits-calculators

For help to claim any of the help above or for more advice on sources of support in the city, please go to www.york.gov.uk/BenefitsAdvice or call 01904 551556 who will be able to help or refer you to the most appropriate support.

Deaths and test results

A further 76 (SEVENTYSIX) positive test results in the City have been announced today. That takes the cumulative total to 1583

Although the figures still include some retrospective number changes, the vast majority of new cases were tested last week.

Thursday 1st October, with 62 new cases, was the highest single day figure seen since the beginning of the pandemic in January.

The scale of the second wave case numbers now significantly exceeds what was seen in April and May.

The first wave peaked on 8th May when the 7 day case numbers per 100,000 population figure was 80.24.

Last Fridays (2/10/20) equivalent figure was 143.87.

The government has admitted that the cases, which are only now appearing in the stats, hadn’t been passed on promptly to the test and trace service. However, the individuals concerned had been given their results and advised to self isolate. There may be implications for the infection rate over the next couple of weeks.

There have been no additional deaths at the hospital. According to media reports, there are currently 26 patients with COVID in York hospital. The number is slowly rising.

7.55 per cent of people tested in York get a positive result – higher than the national rate.

In the past 14 days 34 cases have been linked to care homes and 30 cases linked to schools.

The University of York currently has 72 active coronavirus cases – linked to household transmission rather than teaching groups. York St John had less than 25 cases at the end of last week.

The hardest hit neighbourhoods over the last 7 days have been Holgate East and Fulford/Heslington/University. For the first time there have been at least 3 cases in every York neighbourhood

Deaths and test results

There have been EIGHT additional positive test results announced today bringing the cumulative total number of cases to 1254

There have been no additional hospital deaths

Worst affected neighbourhoods over the last 7 days have been Strensall, Bishopthorpe/Copmanthorpe and Rawcliffe/Clifton South

Picture is slightly better today but it is too soon to say whether the slowing in the rate of new cases identified will be sustained.

Council seeks more funding

With the Council continuing to face significant financial challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic, the council has submitted its submission to the Chancellor’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

The submission urges the Government to ‘Back York’ by seizing the opportunities that are unique to the city and drive recovery in the region.

As part of the submission to the Spending Review, the Council has called on the Government to provide additional funding for York, as part of the levelling-up agenda, as well as urge the Government to continue to work with the Council to relocate a Government department to York.

Since the pandemic was declared, City of York Council has prioritised resources to support the most vulnerable in the city, as well as additionally investing over £2 million to create local emergency funds to support the city’s businesses and residents facing financial hardship. However, whilst demand for services has increased, income has considerably fallen, leaving the Council, alongside other local authorities, with an estimated potential budget gap that could be as much as £20 million.

It is clear that to kick-start the economic recovery of the region, there are opportunities unique to York to build back better.  However, with significant financial challenges in Local Government, the Council cannot unlock these opportunities alone. With additional funding, City of York Council could:

• Make £25 million available to further support local businesses in adapting to the crisis;
• Enhance York’s world-renowned culture and heritage by making extra funding available to support local museums, libraries and more – in particular, providing urgent financial support to charitable services who have seen visitor income streams significantly reduced;
• Scale up the support on offer to residents facing financial hardship, particularly through the use of the York Financial Assistance Scheme;
• Provide much needed funding for small charities and voluntary sector; organisations who do not have the resources to fundraise themselves;
• Speed up the delivery of critical regeneration projects and citywide infrastructure schemes, from York Central, to the dualling of York Outer Ring Road;
• Provide certainty of funding within the Adult Social Care sector, which has been under considerable pressure before the pandemic began;
• Improve support for York’s climate change ambitions (ranging across service areas), so that York continues to be a leader in climate action.

This submission sits alongside other submissions from organisations representing the wider region and local government, including from Yorkshire and the Humber local authorities, the Convention of the North, Transport for the North and the national Local Government Association (LGA).

Deaths and test results

There have been a further TWENTYFOUR positive test results announced today. This brings the cumulative total to 1209.

Tuesday 22nd saw the largest number of new cases (22) identified on a single day since the beginning of May.

There have been no additional hospital deaths

The worst affected neighbourhoods currently are Holgate East & Rawcliffe/Clifton South

Council commentary

The Councils commentary on the pandemic has been updated and is reproduced below.

The data is accurate as at 8.00 a.m. on Friday 25.9.20. Some narrative for the data covering the latest period is provided here below:

Diagnosed cases (Pillar 1&2 combined)

• As at 24.9.20 York has had 1,185 cases, a rate of 562.2 per 100,000 of population. The rate in York is lower than national (637) and regional (829.3) averages.

• 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 (21.9.20) is Amber. The rating was triggered by a higher than ‘expected’ number of cases per 100 tests once in the last 14 days.

• The latest validated 7 day rate of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population for York is 34.3. This is for the 7 day period up to 18.9.20. This excludes cases with a sample date in the last few days due to partial data and lags in reporting. The national and regional averages are 38.1 and 55.1 respectively.

• As at 21.9.20, the latest 7 day positivity rate in York (Pillar 2 only) was 3.19% (77 positives out of 2,412 tests). The national and regional averages are 3% and 4% respectively.

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 11th September 2020 and registered up to 19th September 2020, 171 deaths were recorded as having occurred for CYC residents (83 in hospital, 76 in care homes, 9 at home and 3 in a hospice. The number of deaths per 100,000 of population in York is 81.19 which is lower than the national average of 88.60. The most recent death reported for a York resident was in week 31 (25 to 31 July).

• ‘Excess’ deaths (ONS). In week 37 (5 Sept to 11 Sept), 23 deaths occurred in York, which is 9 fewer than the average weekly number for 2014-18. Over the last 16 weeks the total number of deaths in York has been 43 fewer than the average for the equivalent weeks in 2014-18.

• Local Registrar data: In the weekly data received on 21.9.20 (for deaths occurring up to 16.9.20), a cumulative total of 163 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 163 were male (53.4%), slightly less than the national average (55%). 81 of the deaths occurred in hospital and 82 were community deaths (e.g. at home or in a care home or hospice). 71 people (43.6%) died in nursing /care homes (the national average is 29.62%). In addition 13 people (8%) 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, 58.5% of COVID-19 deaths occurring at York Hospital have been CYC residents. (NB NHS Trusts record deaths following a positive covid-19 test 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 24.9.20, 134 deaths of people who had tested positive for COVID-19 and were being cared for at York Hospital have been reported. 214 deaths have been reported by the wider York NHS Trust.

Deaths and test results

There have been no additional hospital deaths announced today in York. Fatalities at other Yorkshire hospitals are increasing.

There have been an additional FOURTEEN positive test results announced today bringing the cumulative total to 1161. (The January case has now been added back into the total)

If there is any cause for optimism, it may be that there are signs that the rate of increase may now be slowing. But it is too soon to say, with any confidence, that the rate will decline.

We are still averaging over 10 additional cases each day.

The worst hit neighbourhoods, over the last 7 days, were Huntington and Holgate East. A copy of a map showing the neighbourhood boundaries can be seen by clicking here