Coronavirus York updates; 4th April 2021

Deaths

There have been no further hospital deaths announced today

Test Results

Four new positive test results today. Brings the cumulative total up to 12,215

Case numbers in the City are up by one today from 49 to 50

The rate /100k population figures is now 23.74. It is expected to fall below 20, for the first time since last summer, on Tuesday

Infection rates at regional level are now falling more quickly

Neighbourhoods

Little change today

Vaccinations

Tests

4039 PCR test were conducted during the week ending 30th March 2021

Of these, 1.2% were positive. This is lower than the rate recorded during the previous period (1.3%)

802 “lateral flow” tests were also conducted on 3rd April

Symptom free testing tomorrow

How with history judge COVID-19?

Where’s Jon Snow when yu need him!

Coronavirus York updates; 3rd April 2021

Deaths

No further hospital deaths announced today

Test Results

Six positive test results today. Brings the cumulative total up to 12,211.

The number of cases in the City has fallen by 12 from 61 yesterday to 49 today.

The case rate /100k population figure has fallen to 23.27.

That is the lowest rate seen since 9th September 2020

Infection rates continue to fall across the region

Neighbourhoods

Only one neighbourhood (Holgate West) now has an infection rate above 50. It is also the only area with a rate above the national average.

Most neighbourhoods now have fewer than 3 cases

Vaccinations

Tests

4231 PCR tests were carried out during the week ending 29th March 2021

Of these, 1.3% were positive. That is the lowest percentage seen for over two weeks.

1128 “lateral flow” tests were also carried out on 2nd April 2021

City quiet today

Not many people ventured into the City today on what is usually one of the busiest Saturdays in the year.

Most shops were closed of course, and the weather was cool

Those that did venture out, made their way to the areas near the Minster and the Museum Gardens. The latter was quite busy with some taking the Council’s advice to have a picnic.

LNER seems to have got the message that it needs to promote the empty spaces in its car parks.

The Council on the other hand still stubbornly cordons off a section of the busier Marygate car park in a futile attempt to promote “social distancing”,

New testing centre in Foxwood opens on 12th April

City of York Council is making it even easier for residents and workers in the city to get tested.

Workers in York and residents can benefit from a new testing site set to open soon, along with more opportunities for residents to collect home testing kits.

Foxwood Community centre is the latest symptom-free testing site in the city opening on Monday 12 April. It joins the existing sites at University of York, York St John University and the York Leisure Centre at the York Stadium Leisure Complex. Symptom free tests are available for anyone secondary school or college age and above. Symptom-free tests can be booked at any of York sites online or by calling 01904 551559.

Each of these testing sites will now act as a collection point for home testing kits by appointment only. A slot can be booked online or by calling 01904 551559 and spaces are available from 7 April. Home tests should not be taken if you are experiencing symptoms and school and college pupils should continue to collect from their education settings.

Residents of any age who have Coronavirus symptoms can book a test online or by calling 119 and self-isolate until receiving results. The symptoms of Coronavirus are a continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of or change in the sense of taste or smell.

Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Social Care said:

We all have a part to play in stopping the spread of Coronavirus and helping us along the road back to normal. Getting tested regularly really does make a difference and protects those around you.

“The testing service is a huge city-wide effort and we are always looking at ways to make it easier for people to get tested. By opening more sites and introducing a collection service we hope this further aids our collective efforts to keep our city and each other safe.

“We are grateful to partners for their support as well as to residents who are getting tested regularly.”

Fiona Phillips, Assistant Director of Public Health said:

1 in 3 cases of Coronavirus have no symptoms. Having regular symptom-free tests helps us to identify those who could be spreading the virus unknowingly and protects people.

“We are hugely grateful to those taking regular tests and ask that more do as we continue to move along the roadmap.

“Even if you have had the vaccine we are asking you to get tested to stop you from giving the virus to others. These symptom-free tests are available to anyone secondary school age and above but anyone with symptoms of any age should self-isolate and book a test online or calling 119.

“We all have a part to play in the coming weeks and months. Getting tested regularly and practice hands, face, space will help us beat the virus.”

Why are symptom-free tests important and who should get one?

1 in 3 cases of Coronavirus has no symptoms so you could be spreading COVID to those you love without knowing it.

Getting tested, and self-isolating if necessary, stops the spread of the virus and will help us get back to seeing the people we love and going to the places we love.

We all still need to follow the rules and practice hands, face, space. Testing is another tool in our fight against the virus.

Symptom-free testing is now available to all adults and pupils from secondary school and college age and above.

I’ve had the vaccine, why should I get tested?

Whilst the vaccine reduces the risk of you having serious complications if you catch it, you could still spread Coronavirus to those around you, putting others at risk.

Not everyone has been vaccinated so getting tested regularly will help keep others safe and stop you from spreading the virus to those you love.

My test has come back negative, what can I do after this?

If you receive a negative test result you can continue as you were.

Remember:

a negative test result provides information about the level of the virus at one point in time
there’s the potential for the test result to be ‘false negative’ if you’re infected with COVID-19 but don’t yet have a high enough level of the virus to register on the Lateral Flow Device (LFD)
it’s possible to become infected in the hours or days after taking a rapid test – so you must continue to follow government guidance on social distancing, good hand hygiene, and practice ‘Hands, Face, Space’
this type of testing will only be effective if people continue to follow the guidance

My symptom-free test has come back positive, what should I do next?

If you receive a positive test result you must self-isolate for 10 days. In order to detect the maximum number of cases with variants, the government is reintroducing confirmatory PCR testing for positive LFD test results in England. Confirmatory tests are used to validate the result of the initial rapid test.
If you get a positive result on your first test you should not go for a second rapid results test – cancel your second test appointment by following the cancellation link in your booking confirmation email.

I have symptoms. Why can’t I use a home testing kit to check?

These tests are provided for those who are symptom-free to get regular tests. There are two testing sites in the city for people with symptoms of Coronavirus, please use them if you need it.

If you have symptoms, the probability of you having Covid is increased. Given that a home test requires a confirmatory PCR anyway, this way will save you time and use the testing offer for those with symptoms.

My home test came back negative, why do I need to fill in the form?

Completing the form helps us to understand how many people are getting tested in the city and better understand the positivity rate (how much spread there is within a community).

Completing the form no matter the result provides us with valuable information about where we are as a city

Coronavirus York updates; 2nd April 2021

Deaths

One death was announced by the York Hospital Trust today. It occurred on Wednesday and was the first Coronavirus related fatality since 17th March

Test Results

Four positive test results have been announced today. They bring the cumulative total up to 12,205

The number of cases in the City has fallen from 64 yesterday to 61 today

The rate /100k population has fallen to 28.96 today. It is likely to fall below 25.0 tomorrow and should remain there for the following few days at least.

There has been a fall in case numbers in North Yorkshire today and the small but steady decline at regional level is being sustained.

Neighbourhoods

Most neighbourhoods continue to have fewer than 3 cases.

Vaccinations

The vaccination programme is continuing over Easter. The Askham Bar site was busy earlier today

Tests

4406 PCR tests were carried out during the week ending 28th March.

Of these, 1.7% were found to be positive. That is the same proportion as the previous day

2297 “lateral flow” tests were also conducted on 1st April

Council pandemic commentary

The Council has updated is commentary which can be found on open data. It is reproduced below for convenience

The data is accurate as at 8.00 a.m. on Thursday 01.04.21. Some narrative for the data covering the latest period is provided here below:

People with Covid Symptoms

• NHS Pathways/111 triages – as at 28.3.21 there had been 58 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 31.3.21, the Covid Symptom App estimates 41.3 per 100,000 in York with symptomatic covid (responses from a sample of 4,302 people). The peak rate was 1,283 on 7.1.21.

Diagnosed cases

• As at 31.3.21 York has had 12,198 cases since the start of the pandemic, a rate of 5,792 per 100,000 of population. The cumulative rate in York is below the national (6,752) and regional (6,931) 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 number of new cases is worsening. The latest rating for York (28.3.21) is Red. This is due to a higher than expected number of cases on two occasions: specimen date 22.3.21 (13 cases) and specimen date 25.3.21 (15 cases). In recent weeks the number of cases have been low in York which has an effect on the thresholds used to determine the RAG rating – a small change can mean the difference between a red, amber and green rating.

• The provisional rate of new Covid cases per 100,000 of population for the period 23.3.21 to 29.3.21 in York is 23.3 (using data published on Gov.uk on 31.3.21).

• The latest official “validated” rate of new Covid cases per 100,000 of population for the period 20.3.21 to 26.3.21 was 29.9 The national and regional averages at this date were 54.9 and 112.4 respectively (using data published on Gov.uk on 31.3.21).

• York is currently ranked 29th out of 149 Upper Tier Local Authorities (UTLAs) in England with a rank of 1 indicating the lowest 7 day rate.

• For the 7 day period 19.3.21.to 25.3.21, 1 ward (Strensall) has seen a statistically significant fall in rates compared with the 7 day period 13.3.21 to 18.3.21. 1 ward (Westfield) has seen a significant rise in the rate. The remaining wards have shown no significant change. Ward rates currently vary from 0 to 78.1 per 100,000. 5 wards had zero cases in the latest period.

• The rate of new Covid cases per 100,000 of population for the period 20.3.21 to 26.3.21 for people aged 60+ in York was 24.2. The national and regional averages were 7.9 and 34.8 respectively.

• As at 29.3.21, the latest 7 day positivity rate in York (Pillar 2 PCR tests only) was 0.71%. The national and regional averages are 2.3% and 4.7% respectively.

• As at 29.3.21 the latest 7 day positivity rate in York (Pillar 2 Lateral Flow Tests only) was 0.12%. The national and regional averages are 0.2% and 0.3% respectively.

• As at 29.3.21 the latest 7 day positivity rate in York (Pillar 1 tests only) was 2.1%. The national average is 0.9%.

• As at 31.3.21 York University reported 2 individuals within the University community who were currently self-isolating because they have had a positive COVID-19 test. The peak number was 331 on the 19.10.20.

• As at 29.3.21 York St. John reported 3 individuals within the University community who was currently self-isolating because they have had a positive COVID-19 test. The peak number was 82 on the 8.10.20.

Contact Tracing

• Since 28.5.20 a total of 11,321 confirmed CYC Covid cases have been uploaded into the NHS Test and Trace system and 10,220 of the cases have been completed (90.3%). 26,358 ‘contacts’ have been identified and 19,974 of these have been completed (75.8%). Source: PHE Report.

• Local Tracing of Cases: Between 22.10.20 and 26.3.21, 1,062 referrals had been actioned by the local contact tracing service. Of the referrals actioned, 708 (66.7%) were successful and 354 (33.3%) were unable to be reached via phone or home visit, but guidance leaflets were posted where possible.

Cases in Residential Care Settings

• As at 31.3.21 there were 0 care homes in the CYC area with confirmed Covid-19 infection (at least 1 case of either a staff member or resident).

• The latest ‘outbreak’ (2+ cases) in a residential care setting in York were reported by PHE on 25.2.21 (1 home).

Cases amongst School Aged Children

• In the 7 days up to 29.3.21 there were 6 children of primary and secondary school age who tested positive across 6 schools.

COVID Bed Occupancy in York Hospital

• As at 30.3.21 there were 10 confirmed Covid-19 patients in General and Acute beds. The peak number was 157 on 19.1.21.

• As at 30.3.21 there were 3 confirmed Covid-19 patients and 0 suspected Covid-19 patient in the Intensive Treatment Unit. The peak number for people in ITU was 19 on 10.5.20.

• As at 30.3.21 there had been 0 patients admitted with suspected Covid-19 and 0 with confirmed Covid-19 in the previous 24 hours.

• As at 30.3.21 there had been 3 confirmed patients discharged with COVID-19 in last 24 hours.

• Between 22.3.21 and 28.3.21, 12 CYC residents were discharged from York hospital after needing NHS care for symptoms linked to covid-19 infection.

R Number

• The ‘R’ value (the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to, on average) for the North East and Yorkshire area on 26.3.21 was estimated to be in the range 0.8 to 1.0. The previous estimate was (0.7 to 0.9) on 19.3.21.

Total Vaccinations

• As at 30.3.21 a total of 92,113 CYC residents have had the first dose of the vaccine. This represents 43.7% of the estimated total population of York and 52.9% of the estimated adult (18+) population of York.

• As at 30.3.21 a total of 9,857 CYC residents have had both doses of the vaccine. This represents 4.7% of the estimated total population of York and 5.7% of the estimated adult (18+) population of York.

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 enables a breakdown by age and gender. The most recently available data is summarised below:

• ONS weekly data: In the most recent period (Week 11: 13.3.21 to 19.3.21) 2 Covid-19 deaths were recorded as having occurred for CYC residents. In weeks 8, 9 and 10 there had been 6, 6 and 3 deaths respectively.

• ONS Cumulative data: Since the start of the pandemic, for deaths occurring up to 19th March 2021 and registered up to 27th March 2021, 386 Covid-19 deaths were recorded as having occurred for CYC residents (226 in hospital, 131 in care homes, 21 at home and 8 in a hospice). The number of deaths per 100,000 of population in York is 183.3 which is lower than the national average of 227.7

• Local Registrar data (Cumulative): Since the start of the pandemic (using data for deaths occurring up to 17.3.21), a cumulative total of 369 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 82.3, with an age range of 44-104. The age profile of those dying in York is older than the national average (79.9% of those who died in York were aged 75+ compared with 73.2% nationally). 178 of the 369 were male (48.2%), less than the national average (54.3%).

Coronavirus York updates; 30th March 2021

Deaths

The have been no further hospital deaths today. It is now 13 days since the last COVID fatality was announced by the York Hospital Trust

Test results

Three additional positive test results were announced today. Brings the cumulative total up to 12,193

Case numbers in the City are up from 62 yesterday to 67 today. They are expected to fall to around 63 tomorrow.

The rate per 100k population figure climbs to 31.8. The rate has been stable at around 30 since the middle of the month. It is expected to remain at around that level at least until Easter.

Infection rates in North Yorkshire have spiked again and rate continues to grow steadily across the region as a whole

Neighbourhoods

Case numbers in Holgate East are now falling while those in Holgate West are rising! Overall there is little change

Vaccinations

Tests

4467 PCR tests were conducted during the week ending 25th March 2021

Of these, 1.8% were positive. That is the fifth successive day on which increased infection rates have been found.

693 “lateral flow” test were also conducted on 29th March

Hospital

The York Hospital Trust is now treating fewer COVID patients

Coronavirus York updates; 29th March 2021

Deaths

There have been no further hospital deaths announced today.

Test results

11 additional positive test results have been announced today bringing the cumulative total up to 12,190

The number of cases in the City has increased from 61 yesterday to 62 today. It is likely that we will see a further increase of a around 4 cases tomorrow below the level stabilises.

The infection rate /100k population has increased to 29.44. The infection rate has fairly consistently hovered around 30 for the last 10 days.

Infection rate at regional level continuing to creep up

Neighbourhoods

No major changes at neighbourhood level today, although the rate in Holgate East has now fallen back below the 100 case threshold.

Vaccinations

Tests

4560 PCR tests were carried out during the week ending 24th March 2021

Of these, 1.6% were found to be positive. That represents an increase on the previous days figure of 1.5%. There has been a steady increase in positivity since the 1.2% low seen on 21st March.

In addition, 3599 “lateral flow” test were carried out on 28th March

Hospitals

The number of COVID patients being cared for by the York Hospital Trust in their intensive care units has fallen to 4.

Coronavirus York updates; 28th March 2021

Deaths

No further hospital deaths today. It is 11 days since the last fatality at the York Hospital Trust

Test Results

Only 3 new positive test results today. That is the lowest figure since last summer (Yesterdays “zero” was a result of a reprofile of older results which had been double counted). The cumulative total is now 12,179.

The number of cases in the City has fallen from 68 yesterday to 61 today. That is the lowest number seen in the City since 11th September 2020

The rate /100k population has fallen back to 28.96. It is expected to remain around this figure for the next 3 days.

The case rate is continuing to increase at regional level.

Stable today at North Yorkshire level.

Falling in the City and at national level.

Neighbourhoods

There is now only one neighbourhood with an infection rate which is above the national average (Holgate East – which has seen a reduction by one case today)

Vaccinations

Tests

4678 PCR tests were conducted in the City during the week ending 23rd March 2021

Of these 1.5% were positive. That is the same rate as the previous day.

864 “lateral flow” tests were also conducted on 27th March

Coronavirus York updates; 27th March 2021

Deaths

No further hospital deaths today.

Last fatality occurred on 17th March.

Test results

According to the government’s web site the cumulative number of positive test results in the City remains at 12,176 today.

However, the profile of when the positive results were recorded has changed. They are recording a zero increase in cases today. The rejigging of the figures has resulted in 15 positive results being recorded on 25th March. If correct, this would be the highest single day figure recorded in the City since 9th March.

The number of cases in the City has increased from 65 to 68 (7 day moving average) That is the second day in a row that there has been an increase

The rate /100k population has increased to 32.29.

The revisions to the incidence of positive test results has also impacted elsewhere. There has been a big reduction in case numbers in North Yorkshire.

Case numbers at reginal level continue to increase.

The national rate is stable

Neighbourhoods

The increase in case number sin Holgate East has continued. There are now 11 cases there. That is up from 1 in less than a week.

Elsewhere infection numbers are fairly stable.

Vaccinations

Tests

4599 PCR tests were carried out in York duirng the week ending 22nd March 2021

1.5% of the tests were positive. That represents and increase over the previous days figure of 1.3%

1668 “lateral flow” tests were also conducted on 26th March

Hospitals

Latest capacity figures from York Hospital Trust

Council plans for reopening the “High Street”

The Council has revealed more of its plans to fund the reopening of the City centre to visitors. An initial programme had been discussed earlier in the month (click)

At a behind closed doors meeting, officials have now allocated funds to the following projects

The allocation of £45k to the BID to deliver College Green and general outdoor seating across the city centre
The allocation of £60k to Make It York to deliver Parliament Street seating area and £4.5k for the associated toilets
 The allocation of a single budget of up to £20k to allow Make It York and the BID to operate shared security and waste collections across all city centre wide projects

*The College Green outdoor activity area is set to return*

The plans singularly fail to address the issues faced by suburban shopping areas. Not for the first time, the Front Street area has been snubbed.

What’s on at Easter

Guide to some leisure options available this Easter holiday click

Grant support provided to more than 3,500 businesses

During the last quarter more than 3,500 companies received grant support from City of York Council.

As the nation marks one year of unprecedented changes for residents as well as businesses, Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning has received an update on the economic support provided during the last quarter.

The focus for the council’s economic team has been quick and efficient payments of any business support grants for affected businesses, helping to protect jobs and secure the future for the diverse collection of independent businesses in the city.

City of York Council continue to provide grant support to more than 3,500 companies, accounting for more than half of the city’s businesses, which is a significantly higher proportion in comparison to other local councils. The Council’s focus has been getting support grants to those who are entitled to receive them quickly and efficiently, as well as focussing discretionary grants on the small and micro businesses that need them most. Funding provided through the 2020 microgrant scheme and the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) has helped over 1,200 businesses to adapt to challenges, and supported the diverse community of microbusiness in York. These businesses have been at the heart of the response in York, with payments received earlier than in other areas.

The report considered by the Executive member shows how York continues to be the city with the lowest percentage increase in unemployment, with cities including Bradford, Hull and Birmingham having seen unemployment rise at nearly 3 times the rate that York has experienced.*

To further support job retention and creation in the city, the Council has endorsed proposals put forward by the city’s Skills and Employment Board to tackle the immediate impact of the pandemic.

One-year plan: Skills for Employment in York, sets out how the city needs to respond to the changing skills and training needs of the city post-pandemic. The aim is to ensure that residents and businesses have the necessary skills and training support to meet their needs, helping York’s economy to recover, and grow, over the coming years.

Coronavirus York updates; 23rd March 2021

Deaths

York residents

The latest ONS figures, detailing the number of deaths of York residents as a result of COVID-19, have been published.

During the week ending 12th March 2021 there were 3 fatalities.

Two occurred in a hospital and one at a care home.

That means the pandemic total death toll is now 371.

The number of deaths recorded continues to fall steeply and is now fewer than could be seen in a “normal” winter week.

The have been no deaths announced by the York Hospital Trust today. The last fatality occurred on 17th March

Test results

Six additional positive test results have been announced today. They bring the cumulative total to 12,134

The number of cases in the City remains at 65

The rate per /100k population figure is 30.86. It is expected to remain at around this level for the remainder of the week.

Neighbourhoods

Little change today although Strensall has edged back over the 100 case rate threshold

The infection rates at county, regional and national level have shown small reductions today

Vaccinations

Tests

4439 PCR test were carried out during the week ending 18th March 2021

Of these., 1.4% were positive. That is the same percentage as the previous day

In additional 3192 “lateral flow” test were conducted on 22nd March

Support and comfort for bereaved residents

On the first anniversary of the lockdown, the York council is supporting St Leonard’s Hospice’s acts of remembrance and is reminding residents of the bereavement support available to them.

Today, on the anniversary of the first lockdown on Tuesday 23 March, the city walls are lit in the yellow and blue colours of the Hospice to offer people a moment of reflection. The Hospice is also creating a time capsule of memories for their garden.

For those bereaved in York, St Leonard’s Hospice, Cruse York and Bereaved Children’s Support York all offer specialist support. Besides these local resources, there are a number of national organisations offering support. These include Marie Curie which is leading the National Day of Reflection – more at https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved/day-of-reflection.

For children and young people who have lost loved ones, the York’s schools are able to help. The Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) are available as is a web page on supporting children with loss and bereavement. It was originally created for staff but has been recently opened to the public at https://bit.ly/EdPsyYorkEd . The e-module is located under the coronavirus tab and lasts about 45 minutes altogether.

Cllr Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adults, said:

“For all those bereaved at this most difficult time, my heart goes out to you. However you remember loved ones, I hope you are able to find comfort from these collective moments of reflection.

“Specialist bereavement support for York residents is available from St Leonard’s Hospice, Cruse York and Bereaved Children’s Support York, and are complemented by other national organisations.

“With the roll out of vaccinations and the various testing options available, there is real hope ahead for us all.”

Emma Johnson, Chief Executive at St Leonard’s Hospice said:

“Through our ‘One Year On’ campaign, we have given the local community the chance to remember their key lockdown moments. We also felt it was important to give people the chance to pause and reflect on loved ones and friends who have died.

“Our team of bereavement support volunteers continue to provide support and advice. If you are grieving it can be a lonely experience and the current COVID-19 restrictions can make this worse, as you don’t have the same support and connections. We offer bereavement support to any adult in the York community – you don’t have to have had a relative cared for by us. I would urge anyone who is struggling with their grief to get in touch with our highly experienced team.”

• To self-refer for ongoing bereavement support, please contact St Leonard’s Hospice on 01904 708 553. Or for immediate, in the moment support, please call 01904 777 772. More detail at www.stleonardshospice.org.uk/

• For bereavement care from Cruse call 0808 808 1677. Or, to contact York Cruse please call 01904 481162 or email: york@cruse.org.uk or send a message through its Facebook page via Messenger

•   For Macmillan’s range of services related to end of life care, choose ones close to you at https://www.macmillan.org.uk/in-your-area/choose-location.html

•   For a range of support services for people with life limiting conditions – find local services from Marie Curie at https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/local

•   If you are under 51 and bereaved, Widowed and Young (WAY) can provide support at www.widowedandyoung.org.uk

•   Emotional support for families who have lost a baby is available from the Lullaby Trust. To talk to a trained team member, call 0808 802 6868 or go to www.lullabytrust.org.uk/

•   Bereaved Children’s Support York offers free one-to-one counselling to any York child who has lost a parent, sibling or other significant person: www.bcsy.org.uk/ or www.facebook.com/bereavedchildrensupportyork

•   For bereaved children, City of York Council’s Educational Psychologists have written a short booklet for children at www.york.gov.uk/WhenSomeoneCloseDies .There is an accompanying guide to help school staff, parents and carers support a child or children through the grieving process at www.york.gov.uk/SupportingBereavedChildren

•   For practical help when someone dies, call the Bereavement Advice Centre on 0800 634 9494 on online at www.bereavementadvice.org/

•   To help employers to better support employees and colleagues who may be affected by grief, Dying Matters (www.dyingmatters.org) offers a Compassionate Employers programme

•   A range of bereavement support from At A Loss includes online access to a bereavement counsellor at: http://www.ataloss.org/

Please note that each telephone number may have differing opening times. Please refer to the website for details.

Coronavirus updates; 22nd March 2021

Deaths

No further hospital deaths today.

Last death was on 17th March.

Fatality numbers are falling across the whole region.

Test results

There have been 12 new positive test results announced today. That brings the cumulative total to 12,128

The number of cases in the City has fallen by 3 from 68 yesterday to 65 today.

The rate /100k population has fallen to 30.86. It is expected to remain at around 30 for most of this week.

The rate at North Yorkshire level has fallen for the first time in several days.

The rate at regional level remains stubbornly high. It is over three times higher than the rate in York. The high number of cases in West Yorkshire casts a shadow over whether the promised easing of restriction in April will actually occur (unless stringent travel restrictions are maintained)

Neighbourhoods

Half of York’s neighbourhoods now have fewer than 3 cases in each.

No area has more than 8 cases. In January, one neighbourhood alone recorded over 144 cases.

Vaccinations

Tests

4310 PCR tests were carried out durng the week ending 17th March 2021

The positivity rate was 1.4% which is slightly higher than the previous days figure of 1.3%

In addition, 5701 “lateral flow” tests were conducted on 21st March

Transport mode use

The government has issued some experimental figures which demonstrate the changing travel choices that people have made during the pandemic. One set of figures covers the north east of England

Not surprisingly car use continues to be the preferred choice for most people although vehicle numbers remain well below what was seen before the pandemic hit.

Pedestrian and cycling movements fell to a record low in February (possibly because of the weather) but are now trending upwards.

Again perhaps not surprisingly, van movements have been relatively stable,

*Use left hand axis for cars. Right for other modes.*

Council urges to businesses to apply for “financial lifeline” before deadline

City of York Council is reminding eligible business who have not yet applied for Additional Restriction Grant (ARG) funding to do so before the 31 March 2021.

To check if you are eligible visit: https://www.york.gov.uk/COVID19BusinessGrants

This additional funding has so far supported around 1,300 York businesses which have not been forced to close but have been severely impacted by restrictions.

As government support changes by level of restriction, different businesses qualify for ARG under November’s lockdown, the small number of days we spent under Tier 3 restrictions and now the third national lockdown.

As we move through the Government roadmap and businesses are able to reopen, ARG will be withdrawn on a sector by sector basis, following the published steps.

The scheme is available to:

businesses with permanent fixed premises in York, where trade is impacted by more than 75% due to lockdown, and who may or may not be liable for business rates in York (market stalls or pitches are not considered a fixed premises)
businesses where trade is usually conducted in York for 75% or more of the time, and where trade is severally impacted by the lockdown restrictions

The government sets national criteria for funds to be paid, our local offering uses those criteria. If eligible, businesses will receive different amounts depending on their circumstances.

Be aware that:

we’ll only consider paying grants to businesses where all of the eligibility criteria are met
grants to businesses will be treated as taxable income
for partnerships, each partner would need to make a separate application for the business to receive more than 1 grant

If eligible, the payment businesses receive depends on certain circumstances:

up to £1,334, per 28 days in Tier 3 or 4, for businesses with fixed commercial premises costs (rent payable to a landlord)
£500 per 28 day qualifying restriction period, for businesses without fixed premises costs*
£2,000 per 28 day qualifying restriction period, for businesses with a rateable value of more than £15,000, but less than £51,000
£3,000 per 28 day qualifying restriction period, for businesses with a rateable value greater than £51,000

* Examples include a mobile hairdressers (falling under leisure and beauty mandated to close), taxi drivers (leisure sector mandated to close) or commercial electricians (non-essential retail mandated to close), and market traders.

If your business still falls through the cracks of government schemes to please contact us as soon as possible at economicgrowth@york.gov.uk

Coronavirus York updates; 21st March 2021

Deaths

There have been no additional hospital deaths recorded today

Test Results

Nine new positive test results announced today. They bring the cumulative total to 12,116

The number of cases in the City has fallen by two from 70 yesterday to 68 today. Further small reductions are expected over the next few days.

The infection rate /100k population has fallen to 32.29

The case number trend in York has been downwards for the last week. However it is forecast to stabilise over the next few days

There have been modest reductions in case numbers at national and regional levels today.

The North Yorkshire rate continues to edge up. The rate in Richmondshire is above 100.

Neighbourhoods

All but three York neighbourhoods now have infection rates below the national average (57.1).

All neighbourhoods have rates below the regional average (109.0)

Vaccinations

Another record high day for vaccination completed yesterday

Tests

4109 PCR tests were conducted during the week ending 16th March 2021.

The proportion that were positive was 1.3% That is the same percentage as the previous day.

1051 “lateral flow” tests were also completed on 20th March

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