Harrogate Hospital coronavirus death toll hits 94 as infection rates continue to fall

The death was recorded on November 17 and brings the hospital's Covid death toll to 94.

It comes at the borough's weekly infection rate continues to fall steadily as it has done for the last two weeks - with it now standing at 189 cases per 100,000 people.

That figure is down from 302 at the start of November and remains below the national average of 227.

It also comes as residents get ready to find out what tier of restrictions they will find themselves in when lockdown ends next week.

Today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will explain the details of the nation's return to the three-tier system when lockdown ends on 2 December.

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It has been reported that gyms and non-essential shops in all areas are expected to be allowed to reopen, with the ban on outdoor grassroots sports also set to be lifted in all tiers.

Details of which tier every region of England will be put into are expected on Thursday.

Harrogate - along with the rest of North Yorkshire - had entered the national lockdown in Tier 1 when infection rates were much lower.

However, Dr Lincoln Sargeant, the director of public health at North Yorkshire County Council, previously said the lowest level of restrictions "didn't really work" well enough to keep rising infection levels under control.

"It didn't give the public a sense of the seriousness of the situation," he said on Wednesday.

Dr Sargeant also warned people are more likely to catch coronavirus from family members and friends rather than strangers and called for vigilance in the run up to Christmas.

"The virus told us most of its secrets earlier in the year - it spreads among those we trust and are close to," he said.

"We don't really get a lot of spread from strangers. I know people like to point to visitors and all kinds of extraneous factors but actually the person you are more likely to get Covid from is somebody you know.

"If we are going to make a difference we have to think about our interactions. If we take action now there is a good chance that we can have some easing of restrictions and some resemblance of Christmas."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter