The Harrogate district reached the grim milestone of 200 covid-related deaths today.

The figures published by NHS England show the 200th death was recorded yesterday at Harrogate District Hospital.

A further 95 covid cases were reported in the district, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 25,095.

The district’s seven-day covid rate has increased slightly to 455 infections per 100,000 people.

Across the county, the average stands at 418 and the England rate is 489.

Harrogate District Hospital currently has 12 covid-positive patients – a figure which has fallen from 25 over the last month.

Read more:

• Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate reopens for vaccines today
• Still no omicron infections in Harrogate district as rate drops

Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Showground reopened yesterday as a vaccination site.

The showground was due to close on December 22 but it now looks set to continue until March, although this has yet to be confirmed, as the government aims to speed up the vaccination programme.

Those eligible can book appointments on the NHS booking site here.

Charities and community groups in North Yorkshire fighting the impact of coronavirus are being invited to apply for grants of up to £10,000 and £50,000.

Two separate funders are offering the grants for organisations helping people overcome the effects of the pandemic.

Two Ridings Community Foundation will begin accepting applications for its coronavirus community fund on Monday. Applicants must demonstrate how they would use the grants, worth up to £10,000, to help beneficiaries become more self-sufficient and resilient in the wake of coronavirus.

Not-for-profit organisations in North Yorkshire, York, East Riding of Yorkshire or Hull can submit bids providing they meet the eligibility criteria, which include having a management committee with at least three unrelated members and a bank account in the group’s name.

Organisations can also apply in partnership with other not-for-profit groups for grants of up to £30,000. Applicants with annual income of less than £500,000 will be prioritised.

Two Ridings Community Foundation, which is based in York, is the local distribution partner in North and East Yorkshire for funds raised by the National Emergencies Trust. The trust was set up to provide a more co-ordinated national response to emergencies.

Its coronavirus appeal has distributed £56m nationally so far through local distributors, such as Two Ridings Community Foundation. Full application details are available here.

Read more

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Small charities can also apply for grants of £50,000 from Lloyds Community Foundation’s covid recovery fund.

The fund, which opens on Monday, will offer the grants to 140 charities for initiatives that help people overcome complex social issues.

Carlos Chavez, the foundation’s manager for Yorkshire and the Humber, said many charities in the area “faced significant income losses and other challenges over the last six months” and it “wanted to support these charities to recover in the months and years to come so they can continue to be a lifeline to the people in their communities”.

More details are available here

Disability Action Yorkshire’s second-hand furniture warehouse in Harrogate is to reopen on Tuesday.

The warehouse, in Hornbeam Park, sells office and home furniture as well as ornaments, books, DVDs, clothes, games and jigsaws.

The location has been a favourite haunt for TV prop buyers, with items acquired appearing in programmes such as Shameless, EastEnders and Birds of a Feather.

The enterprise not only generates income for Disability Action Yorkshire but also provides retail and customer experience skills for young disabled people.

The warehouse will be open for sales from 10am to 2pm Monday to Fridays. It will also be open for donations from 2pm to 3pm Monday to Friday.

Customers will be required to wear face coverings and observe social distancing measures.

Read more:

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Jackie Snape, chief executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, said:

“Since we were forced to close the operation down, we have lost more than £12,000 in revenue – money which would otherwise be used to fund our services to disabled people.”

“We have introduced a one-way system around the warehouse for customers, and there will be regular cleaning, quarantining of all donations, and fogging at the end of every day.

“And whilst we won’t initially be able to collect or deliver items, we will be reviewing this later in the month.”

Harrogate District Hospital has reported no further coronavirus deaths, keeping the total number of deaths at the hospital to 68.

A further 75 people in England, who tested positive for the coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 27,359.

Read more:

• Nearly 1,000 Harrogate hospital staff absent in April due to coronavirus 
• Clock ticking to the end of NHS Nightingale contract in Harrogate 

This week the hospital reported that it had discharged 118 patients who tested positive for coronavirus – an increase of nine on the previous week.

Patients who’s deaths were reported today were aged between 43 and 100 and all had known underlying health conditions.

Blue lights will be switched on tonight at 8pm at the Harrogate Nightingale Hospital as part of a special Clap for Carers to mark its construction.

Harrogate Convention Centre and the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and Humber want to encourage residents nearby to ‘Clap for Carers’ or to bang pots, cheer and generally make a noise. Emergency services, construction workers and NHS teams will also be invited to join the applause at the centre itself.

The lighting is part of a national movement to light theatres, bridges and cathedrals, castles, sports stadiums, and national landmarks for the #lightitblue campaign.

Around 20 blue lights have been lent to the HCC by AV Matrix from Wetherby and Yorkshire Lighting and Electrical Services which is based in Harrogate installed them around the front of the building.  Glen Molloy, the owner of Yorkshire Lighting and Electrical Services, said:

“Normally it would take about 2 weeks to get it organised but on this occasion we turned it around in a matter or hours.

Lights For Fun also based in Harrogate have donated blue fairy lights for the 12 trees that line the Kings Road beside the centre. Jo Naughton Co-Founder of Lights for Fun told The Stray Ferret:

“The whole centre will be illuminated blue. The idea is that we are all behind the NHS and that Harrogate is in full support of having a Nightingale hospital here in our town. We just wanted to show appreciation for what the NHS does for us and it feels good to help.”

Paula Lorimer, the HCC’s Director said:

“All who have worked on the project, including Convention Centre staff from caterers to electricians, have put their heart, soul, sweat and tears into the transformation, working around the clock to support the NHS. I am incredibly proud of my team, and I hope all the town will want to show their thanks tonight.”

NOTE: Residents in or near Kings Road are asked to please not leave gardens, balconies, doorsteps etc. or congregate in any way outside of the venue. Residents across Harrogate are also asked to not congregate in any way at the venue, and to stay in their homes and comply with government guidelines on social isolating.