Another 30 people in the Harrogate district have tested positive for coronavirus, according to today's official statistics.

It means the seven-day average rate of infection for the district is now 97 people per 100,000 — almost four times lower than the national average of 364.

The district's rate has been gradually increasing for the last couple of weeks but at nowhere near the speed of southern England, where the new mutant strain of covid has been most predominant.

The district's rate remains the lowest of the seven local authority areas in North Yorkshire. Scarborough is the highest at 234. The overall rate for North Yorkshire is 151.

Today's figures, from Public Health England, bring the total number of infections in the district since the start of the pandemic to 4,127.

There have not been any covid hospital deaths in the district since December 10.

The district's R number, which refers to the rate at which the virus spreads in the community, remains at 0.9. This means every 10 people with coronavirus will pass it on to nine others.

Starbeck is the worst affected local area, with 18 positive cases in the last seven days — one more than the figure for Ouseburn, Hammerton and Tockwith.

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