North Yorkshire Omicron Covid cases 'to peak this week'

Dr McGregor is a GP and chairs the BMA Yorkshire Regional Council

Covid rates are expected to peak in North Yorkshire "sometime this week", according to the regional chair of the British Medical Association (BMA).

Dr Brian McGregor said the area had seen a "rapid rise" due to the Omicron variant, but rates appeared to be stabilising.

The GP said York and North Yorkshire had seen a four to five-fold increase in daily cases since Christmas.

He said the best protection to prevent hospital admission was vaccination.

Speaking to BBC Radio York Dr McGregor said: "We think and we anticipate that we are going to hit our peak sometime this week and then start to come down.

"It may be that we are even getting there now because on a day-to-day basis our numbers are starting to stabilise out a little bit."

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North Yorkshire County Council said the infection rate stood at 1,618 cases per 100,000 people for the seven days to 8 January.

In York, the rate was 1,609 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending 7 January.

Covid infection rates in North Yorkshire in the week to 8 January

"We have seen a rapid rise [in cases]. The Omicron isn't as likely to have you admitted to hospital, but it is showing very large numbers," Dr McGregor said.

"In the first week of Christmas we were hitting, in most of the York and North Yorkshire area, around about 300 to 400 cases per 100,000 we now up to 1,800 to 2,000 cases per 100,000."

He said the best protection for people was the vaccine and the booster.

"It doesn't stop you from getting it, but it reduces your chances of you being admitted," he said.

Dr McGregor said there had been a steep rise in hospital admissions since Christmas and that rates were impacting the whole healthcare system.

"We are seeing a diminishing of the capacity to deal with care on a daily basis," he said