Covid patients at Harrogate hospital drops again
The number has halved in the last seven days
Covid hospital admissions in Harrogate have fallen by two thirds in a just over month in further proof that the lockdown and vaccine rollout is preventing people becoming seriously ill with the disease.
Figures revealed by the Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust today showed 18 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus – down from 64 at the start of last month when patient numbers peaked.
In neighbouring Airedale Hospital, six people are being treated for covid-19, down five in the last seven days.
The encouraging news comes as infection rates are also continuing to fall below pre-lockdown levels, giving hope that more restrictions under the government’s gradual roadmap for reopening could be lifted on schedule following the return of schools this week.
Amanda Bloor, accountability officer at NHS North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told a briefing today that the declining Covid numbers coupled with the vaccine rollout success was “really positive” but she also warned the public not to drop their guard against the disease.
“This wave in the pandemic has been long and very hard on staff – and there has been a significant commitment as well from the public getting through it,” she said.
“But it is just worth reminding people that we are still in a national lockdown. We are also still in winter, so our hospitals remain busy.
“Please continue to adhere to the government guidance as we take our steps towards the roadmap being unlocked more over the coming weeks.”
The drop in hospital admissions is mirrored across North Yorkshire and England, with the numbers falling more sharply than the first wave of the pandemic thanks to the vaccine rollout.
This is also more evidence that vaccines are not only preventing people becoming seriously ill with Covid-19, but could also cut transmission rates.
In Harrogate, NHS figures show more than 58,000 people have had their first vaccine dose, with the second round of jabs now underway.
The next stage of lifting lockdown measures will see outdoor gatherings of six people or two households allowed from 29 March.
First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.