Local lockdowns 'don't work' in preventing spread of Covid in York
The city's Director of Public Health says increased testing is the best way forward.
People in York are being urged to get tested twice a week to help against Covid in the city.
It's as concerns are raised nationally about the spread of the Indian variant of Covid.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, Director of Public Health Sharon Stoltz says rates generally are low in York at the moment: "The Indian variant is rapidly becoming the most dominant across the country, but in York so far we've only had a handful of cases so far.
"There are about 86 local authorities across England that have had 5 or more cases; York isn't one of those. We haven't had any further cases of the variant this week.
"What we're proposing to do is quite different to the surge testing seen on the news. Our infection rates are quite low at the moment; we've only had 32 cases over the last 7 days.
"We want to keep those numbers low. Fishergate ward - that's the Heslington and Barbican areas - at the moment has the highest infection rate in York. We're wanting to encourage people to be tested twice a week whether they have symptoms or not.
"We're going to be targeting that area over the next few days with door to door testing, giving our free test kits and trying to push testing in that particular area.
"We're wanting people to get into the habit of getting testing twice a week so that it's part of their routine - ideally 3 days apart".
In response to hospitality reopening further, Sharon says residents have worked hard to keep safe: "Obviously people want to get back to normal as quickly as possible. What the situation shows us is that there's no room for complacency.
"The virus is out there and still active, and we need to be careful. That doesn't mean locking yourself in your homes, but remembering to wear masks and giving people space.
"What I think was demonstrated quite well last year is that the local lockdowns don't work; we saw that in York and in other areas.
"People just travel outside of the lockdown area to other areas, so they don't help to control the spread of infection.
"I'm confident that in York we've got the measures in place to contain the pandemic, but a lot of that is down to people's individual behaviour. We know that the vast majority of people in York are being responsible".