Covid: Harrogate's infection rate drops to lowest in North Yorkshire as Tier 2 restrictions set to come in

Harrogate's rate of coronavirus infection has gone from being the highest in North Yorkshire to the lowest in just under a month.
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Figures from Public Health England show the borough’s weekly infection rate has dropped to 97 cases per 100,000 people, down from a record high of 302 three weeks ago.

The latest figure is below the England average of 160 and represents a significant decrease in infections from earlier this month when the borough recorded almost 100 new cases in a single day.

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Selby now has the highest weekly infection rate in North Yorkshire with 155 cases per 100,000 people, followed by Scarborough at 146 - a figure which has plummeted from 613 three weeks ago.

Harrogate's rate of coronavirus infection has gone from being the highest in North Yorkshire to the lowest in just under a month.Harrogate's rate of coronavirus infection has gone from being the highest in North Yorkshire to the lowest in just under a month.
Harrogate's rate of coronavirus infection has gone from being the highest in North Yorkshire to the lowest in just under a month.

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It comes as one more coronavirus patient has died at Harrogate Hospital. The death was recorded on Thursday and takes the hospital's toll to 99.

The second lockdown will end on Wednesday when Harrogate - along with the rest of North Yorkshire and York - will be placed under tier two restrictions which limit household mixing and only allow pubs and restaurants to serve alcohol with a 'substantial' meal.

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There will be a review of the tier allocation on December 16 when government officials will consider the total number of Covid cases, the number of cases in the over 60s, the rate at which cases are rising or falling, the proportion of test results coming back positive and pressure on the NHS.

It could mean restrictions are loosened or tightened ahead of Christmas when rules will be relaxed to allow up to three households to meet over the festive period.

However, health officials at the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum have raised concerns that household mixing over Christmas could risk a third wave of Covid when the NHS is at peak pressure in January and February.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter