Covid: Harrogate's infection rate triples over Christmas and New Year as government warns of tougher measures

Public Health England figures show Harrogate's weekly infection rate has soared from 89 cases per 100,000 people on 21 December to 267 on the final day of the month.

The sharp rise follows a worrying national trend of climbing infection rates and mounting pressure on hospitals which has prompted ministers to put the nation on notice that stronger measures may be required - despite optimism sparked by the first Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine doses being administered.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC this included the possibility of keeping schools closed, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for new country-wide restrictions.

Harrogate businesses fear uncertainty of 2021 as new lockdown threat looms

Harrogate - along with York and North Yorkshire - entered into Tier 3 restrictions on Thursday with stricter curbs on social mixing on hospitality businesses.

The district's weekly infection rate remains below the England average (517 cases per 100,000 people) but there are growing concerns it is oncourse to pass its peak in November when England was plunged into a second national lockdown.

It comes as the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the sixth day in a row, with 54,990 announced on Sunday. Seventy two of those cases were in the Harrogate district.

A total of 109 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have died at Harrogate Hospital during the pandemic - the last of these was recorded on December 28.

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter