Coronavirus York updates; 23rd April 2020

Sick absence hits York Council staffing levels.

Being reported that 31% of the York Councils waste staff are currently on sick leave. This compares to a “normal” figure of 21%

Coronavirus deaths

FIVE more patients with coronavirus have died at hospitals run by York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, taking the total number of such fatalities to 91.

Learning together in York

City of York Council’s community learning team, York Learning, is posting daily challenges online, together with virtual courses, to help keep York learning.

York residents are being encouraged to keep mentally active by getting involved in lifelong learning activities during the coronavirus lockdown.

City of York Council’s community learning team, York Learning, is posting daily challenges online, together with virtual courses, to help keep York learning.

#CommunityLearningTogether sets short challenges and ongoing courses to inspire, teach a new skill, or help with relaxation. Courses and activities currently available online include pilates and dancefit; dressmaking, crafts, fine arts, computer skills, maths tasters and modern foreign languages.

Further information about the classes, challenges and lifelong learning opportunities across the city is available online or: @York.Learning.CYC on facebook or @yorklearning on twitter

York coronavirus testing centre to open for key workers

A drive-through coronavirus testing facility is to open at Poppleton Park and Ride in York, as part of the Government’s UK-wide drive to increase testing for thousands more NHS and other key workers.

The site sits alongside a rapidly expanding network of testing sites being set up around the UK, and is operating on an appointment-only basis for NHS staff and other key workers. The facility will be piloted for its first few days of operation.

This follows the launch of the Government’s partnership with universities, research institutes and companies to begin rollout of the network of new labs and field testing sites across the UK, with 28 regional testing sites opened to date.

This network will provide thousands more PCR swab tests – which are used to identify if you currently have the virus – for critical key workers, starting with NHS front line staff. This means those who test negative for coronavirus can return to work as soon as possible, and those who test positive are able to recover.