Worries about third spike of Covid-19 infections across North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire public health officials say deciding which tier the county is in is out of their control and there are worries about a third spike.
North Yorkshire public health officials say deciding which tier the county is in is out of their control.
The Government is set to make an announcement later about the system, with any new restrictions coming into force on Saturday.
They also have concerns about a third spike after the festive period.
Richard Webb, the County Council's Director of Health and Adult Services, said:
"We don't know what the Government decision will be at the moment. Obviously the figures for North Yorkshire are better than many places however, I think it's not just those infection rates that the Government takes into account, it's the issues in terms of pressure on our hospitals.
"The number of people aged over 60 with the infection is still a high risk for people in North Yorkshire given our population. I don't know what the outcome will be but I'm getting a sense of a cautious approach from the Government as we approach Christmas and the changes to the rules over Christmas.
"We have real concerns about the potential for a third spike and I think unfortunately if the infection rates don't go down further, there will be a third wave and we'll be dealing with that in January and February so this is really an urgent call to try and avoid that.
"Winter as you know is the busiest time for the NHS and social care. We want to get these infection rates down, we want to protect people, keep them safe and avoid that third spike.
"We have been planning for this. We've worked hard throughout the year, as have people right across North Yorkshire, and we will plan and put in place those services that are needed if we have a third spike."