North Yorkshire emergency services enter ‘full emergency mode’

Emergency services in North Yorkshire have entered into a “full emergency mode” due nationwide problems with testing capacity and steep rise in coronavirus cases.

The North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum (NYLRF) said that Harrogate and parts of Scarborough and Craven have rising numbers of coronavirus cases.

They added that there is evidence transmissions in Whitby, Sherburn-in-Elmet and the Crosshills area are growing.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Director of Public Health for North Yorkshire said, “There are significant limitations with laboratory capacity nationally, as demand for tests increases.

“We know that Government is working to address this situation but, in the meantime, it means that fewer test appointments are available and test results are taking longer to be processed.

“This issue is a national one and outside of our control. We have escalated our concerns nationally and we are targeting our local testing facilities towards the communities and people in greatest need.”

Richard Flinton, the chief executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said: “Together, over the last six months, all of us who live and work in North Yorkshire have made a huge effort to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19 locally.

“We thank everybody again for their many sacrifices. However, as we have seen nationally and around the world, cases are rising again and the threat of the virus is a real and present danger.”

Flinton added, “We know how quickly infection rates can change and we are calling on the whole county to act now with us in response.

“Please show extra restraint and caution and to take additional actions above and beyond those required nationally to help us try to avoid another lockdown here.”

On Thursday morning Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs in the House of Commons that new lockdown measures are to be implemented in the northeast of England, but not Yorkshire following a surge in cases.

Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham are affected by the new imposed measures.

The Health Secretary said this will include no mixing between households and a 10pm curfew for pubs, hospitality and entertainment venues.

He added that “the data says we must act now.”