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

Free parking offer to continue in York

The one hour of free car parking in many of York’s car parks is to continue during September. Other changes have been made which will also see a cheaper “Minster Badge” introduced.

It was another “behind closed doors decision” with the following changes agreed

Extend the 1 hour free parking initiative which has been in place for August to the end of September and increase the marketing and promotion to drive up the take up of the offer.
In October to launch a new Minster Badge offer which would be valid until the 31st March 2021 for the cost of £2, the equivalent of one evenings charge. Minster Badges provide free evening parking and a discount to residents who purchase one.
To standardise the time evening parking charges commence in off street car parks where evening charge is applicable to 5pm for Minster Badge Holders seven days a week until the end of March.
To reduce the coach parking tariff to a flat rate of £6.70 per hour (similar to the current hour charge.

Changes to the parking machines will cost £10,000

The Council has not revealed how many motorists took advantage of the discounted parking rates offered in July and August. It does say that car park use has increased back to traditional levels quicker than was anticipated.

It has not released, for general use, the spaces at Marygate and Monk Bar car parks which were taken out of service a couple of months ago.

An extension of the taxi service to and from Monk Bar car park for blue badge holders until the end of September has been agreed. No details of the level of use of this service have been revealed by the council.

NB. At the end of the Summer Holidays the temporary toilet provision that was installed on Parliament Street will be removed.

Minster Badge change

No reminder notices in York car parks

We said on Saturday that the York Council had to ensure that all old style Minster Badge owners were reminded that their stickers were invalid from today (1^st September 2014).

After the fiasco of the poor signage on Lendal bridge, we expected that the Council would have gone to extreme lengths to ensure that notices were posted in car parks reminding drivers that only Labour’s £20 new style badge would entitle users to a discount ( and free evening parking).

However, it appears that the advice has gone unheeded as there were NO warning signs displayed in York’s most popular car park (Castle) this morning.

No warning notices in Castle Car Park about Minster Badge change

Those seeking to pay charges using the mobile phone and text services likewise receive no reminder of the change.

How many residents have received penalty notices may become clear in a few days time.

However it is likely that the parking adjudicator may once again be faced with a large volume of complaints from York – possibly leading to the introduction of a costly refund process.

We forecast – 25,000 unhappy York motorists on Monday

Only 3382 new Minster Badges sold.

Less than 10% of current users have been prepared to pay £20 for Labours new style parking discount badge

The new badge is mandatory from Monday when the old blue free stickers – issued by the former LibDem run Council – will no longer be recognised by parking wardens.

Many traders fear that the message has not got through to shoppers and that some may be alienated if they receive a parking fine.

Another Lendal Bridge fiasco may be in the making. The quality of the warning signage about the change in the car parks on Monday is likely to come under intense scrutiny by residents.

Of over 30,000 current Minster Badge holders in York, only 3382 have so far bought a new Minster Badge. The badge was an initiative by Labour to try to bridge a £200,000 shortfall on parking income.

But it looks like it will make things worse, rather than better. Take up has been well below expectations and if motorists choose out of City centre retail parks in which to do their shopping, then the car parking account will be hit even harder..

Without the new badge, York residents will have to pay the same parking rates as visitors – meaning a hefty increase

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.

Even worse may be the effect on the City centre evening economy where the “free after 6:00pm” parking concession will also be lost.

Earlier in the year, a large petition was collected by residents who wanted to see things left as they were.

With the next Council elections only 8 months away, it is likely that the Liberal Democrats will become the first party to pledge to reintroduce the free Minster badge for residents.

In addition any regular visitor to the City should be able to buy one of the new style badges – in recognition of the money that they inject into the City centre economy and the jobs that it supports.

“Retain Minster Badge petition” – only 1 week left to sign

Residents only have until 18th April to “sign” a petition on the Councils web site asking for the retention of the Minster badge.

The badge entitles York taxpayers to discount car parking during the day and free parking in the evening.

It is due to be scrapped under a Labour proposal which would see a new badge introduced which anyone would be able to buy.
The petition can be accessed by clicking here

The petition reads,

We the undersigned petition the council to continue to supply Minster car parking badges to York residents free of charge. As one of the few councils in the country who have suffered council tax rises every year under the Labour council while the rest of the country hasn’t. We propose that residents have already paid for this right.

The many businesses that rely on local trade within the city centre are already dwindling. Also many businesses like restaurants and cafes rely on local trade throughout the winter months when there are few tourists. A further reduction in the number of residents visiting the town centre could prove fatal.