People and organisations across the Harrogate district paused at noon today for the National Day of Reflection.

The day, organised by end of life charity Marie Curie, gave people in the UK the chance to remember the 126,000 covid-related deaths, which include more than 1,100 in North Yorkshire.

Staff at Harrogate District Hospital and Ripon Community Hospital were offered the opportunity to observe a minute’s silence.

Staff at Harrogate District Hospital.

Hospital staff working from home were able to take part online in an event led by chaplains.

The Harrogate Bus Company, owned by Transdev, remembered staff lost during the pandemic, when buses have continued to operate despite risks.

Today at 12noon we’re joining in the 1 minute silence for the #DayOfReflection to support @mariecurieuk.

Your driver will pull over if it is safe – please join us if you are on board.

We're remembering colleagues in the Transdev family who we sadly lost over the past year ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ptvzTxt7cy

— The Harrogate Bus Company (@harrogatebus) March 23, 2021

At a press briefing today Nick Moxon, a resident at Disability Action Yorkshire‘s home on Claro Road in Harrogate and chair of a care home visiting task group set up by North Yorkshire County Council last year, paid tribute to care workers’ efforts during the pandemic.

Speaking at North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which leads the county’s response to covid, he said:

“Staff members don’t ask to work throughout the pandemic, they have to come to work and they have managed to just adapt to the situation.

“Thank you to care staff and North Yorkshire County Council for the care and support over the past year.”

Patients at Ripon Community Hospital have been transferred to Harrogate District Hospital after an outbreak of covid.

The Ripon hospital, which is part of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, has one 16-bed ward, called Trinity Ward.

A Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said:

“We can confirm that following positive covid tests for some patients on the ward at Ripon Community Hospital, the ward has been closed for cleaning and covid-positive patients moved to Harrogate District Hospital to continue receiving care on dedicated covid wards.

“As we always do, appropriate actions have been taken and we are carrying out an investigation into the root cause.”

Harrogate District Hospital has also suffered from an increase in covid transmissions acquired in the hospital since Christmas.

Read more:

• Harrogate district covid rate below 100 for first time since Christmas
• Four covid deaths at Harrogate hospital

The trust has instigated extra measures, including more regular testing and ensuring windows are open for 10 minutes every hour, in response to the increase.

Harrogate hospital covid levels remain stubbornly high: North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents the agencies leading the fight against the pandemic, revealed at a press briefing yesterday it currently has 65 patients with the virus.

This is as high as at any point during the pandemic, even though the average rate of infection in the Harrogate district has been falling since January 8.