Update on Scarborough's coronavirus rate from North Yorkshire’s director of public health

Louise Wallace told a meeting of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum this morning that people should remain on their guard and continue to follow the national guidance as the lockdown starts to ease.

Scarborough’s seven-day infection rate per 100,000 people now stands at 48.

On March 9 the borough’s rate dropped to 20 but has been moving up steadily throughout the month. The borough’s rate is above the average for North Yorkshire and is just six below the national average.

Mrs Wallace said: “There doesn’t appear to be anything that is driving the numbers other than a few specific outbreaks and cases across a few settings including work places, care settings, schools and some household spread.”

The number of Covid-19 patients in Scarborough Hospital is up from six to eight in the last seven days.

North Yorkshire Police has also revealed that a further 89 fines for Covid breaches had been handed out in Scarborough in the last week, out of a total of 170 across the county.

Mobile testing facilities will be available in Whitby, Scarborough and Filey this week for anyone with symptoms to get tested.

To see the locations and to book a test visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/book-coronavirus-covid-19-testWilliam Street Coach Park in Scarborough is also still offering testing seven days a week from 8am until 8pm.

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