Borough's infection rate continues to fall; could the post-lockdown tiers be different across North Yorkshire?

The borough’s seven-day infection rate has dropped to 315 per 100,000 people, down from 331 yesterday.

Over the last seven days, the borough averaged 49 cases a day.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to the nation about the new Tier restrictions which will come into force when lockdown comes to a close on December 2.

Details on which areas will be placed into which tier will not be known until Thursday.

Scarborough’s infection rate remains above that of every other North Yorkshire district and also the average for England, which is now 214.

The Prime Minister did give a hint as to how North Yorkshire will be treated when it comes to tiering.

In a response to Conservative MP Damian Green, Mr Johnson appeared to indicate that measures would not be done on the smaller, district-wide level.

Mr Green said that the public would not follow “sensible rules” if the government imposed “stupid” rules that people in areas with low infection rates would think were “unfair”.

In response, the Prime Minister said: “On my Right Honourable friend’s point about local versus regional, alas, the disease is no respecter of borough boundaries.

“We have to have some regions in which to constitute the tiers that are sensible and large enough.”

The decision on what tier an area will be placed into will take into account a number of factors including the infection rate, hospital admissions and capacity and the spread of the virus among different age groups.

Today, a mobile testing facility will be at Filey Country Park and before moving to Scarborough’s Seamer Road park and ride site tomorrow.

Scarborough’s walk-in coronavirus testing site at William Street Coach Park is also offering testing seven days a week from 8am until 8pm.

Appointments must be booked in advance.

Anyone who is showing coronavirus symptoms should register for a test on the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

People who do not have access to the internet, or who have difficulty with the digital portals, can ring the 119 service to book.

Tests can be booked at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.