Walk-In Covid-19 Testing Centre Could Be Set Up In Scarborough

A walk-in Covid-19 testing centre could soon be set up in Scarborough’s William Street Coach Park as it was warned that North Yorkshire finds itself at a “tipping point” in its fight against the virus.

Infection rates in Scarborough have stabilised since it was named as a coronavirus Area of Concern three weeks ago though it is likely to remain on the Public Health England list when it comes out on Friday.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, North Yorkshire’s director of Public Health, today said that the communities in the town had “rallied together” to keep the infection rates below the national average.

Speaking at a briefing from North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum today Dr Sargeant said that Scarborough’s seven-day infection rate stood at 75.4 per 100,000 people, the second-lowest in North Yorkshire. The average for England is 93.2.

There are currently 24 ongoing infection incidents being tracked in the borough, he added, and there have been five outbreaks in care homes in Scarborough within the last 28 days. Outbreaks are classed as more than two confirmed cases in a home.

“I think communities have come together.

“I would like to think that Scarborough and Selby remaining relatively stable, relatively lower than the overall average has to do with the fact that the communities rallied together.

“We put a lot of measures in place when infections were taking off at the beginning of September and I think we are beginning to see how that is affecting the overall rates.”

However, the positive news about Scarborough was tempered by a warning that things could change very quickly.

Richard Webb, the corporate director of Health and Adult Services at North Yorkshire County Council, said that the coming days would be “critical” if the county was to avoid additional lockdown measures seen in parts of Teesside and West Yorkshire.

“I think that we are at that tipping point.

“I’d like to thank people across North Yorkshire as the vast bulk of the 600,000 people who live here have worked incredibly hard over the last few months and in recent weeks to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities but we now need to redouble our efforts as we are really on the brink of something more significant.

“We have already seen the jump in the last few days in the figures and that makes it difficult for all of us.

“So, we are asking people to cooperate with each other, to follow the rules, to show restraint in the hope that we can continue to fight and prevent and contain the virus.

“The next few days will be critical in doing that.”

The forum also heard that an “agreement in principle” had been made to use the William Street Coach Park for walk-in testing in Scarborough.

If approved, it would be similar to the one being set up at the University of York, with the aim for it to be a semi-permanent site predominantly for walk-ins.

Currently, people can only book to have a test done in Scarborough when the mobile unit run by the Department of Health and Social Care is in the area at the Seamer Road park and ride site.

No opening date has been revealed but the facility will likely remain in the town throughout the winter.

North Yorkshire Police superintendent Mike Walker also confirmed that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Julie Mulligan had approached the district councils about the possibility of so-called Covid marshalls being used in the county.

Supt Walker said the force was waiting on further information from the government on funding for the scheme.