HALF of the clinicians at a GP surgery - and some of the reception staff - have been affected by the coronavirus.

Pocklington Group Practice tweeted on Monday that 50 per cent of its clinicians were 'not in the practice due to Covid-19.'

It continued: "Covid-19 has also impacted on our reception team, with a number of them having to self-isolate this week. Please bear with us if you contact the surgery. Thank you."

It added that all appointments were triaged by the duty team on the telephone and patients should only be attending the practice if they had a pre-arranged appointment or were collecting a prescription.

The surgery, situated at The Beckside Centre in Amos Drive, did not say whether the clinicians were suffering from coronavirus or simply self-isolating, and The Press was unable to speak to staff to check how the surgery was faring today.

Pocklington has been badly hit by the coronavirus over the past week, with 49 cases confirmed over the period October 2 to October 8, according to Public Health England statistics. That is more than any other area within the East Riding of Yorkshire Council boundaries or in Hull, and worse than all but one district in York - the university, Fulford and Heslington area, where there were 88 cases confirmed.