Lincolnshire's health and political leaders say there is no reason to change the tier one status of the county's Covid-19 restrictions.

The county council's Director of Public Health, Derek Ward, said today: "Looking at our current data, in my professional opinion, there is no reason to change our alert level at this point. But we do urge everybody to remember – hands, face, space."

Mr Ward made the comment at today's meeting of the Lincolnshire Outbreak Engagement Board, which aims to co-ordinate a county-wide response to the pandemic.

By contrast, as previously reported by Nub News, health chiefs last week, said such a change may happen.

The county council believes key local political oversight and leadership to any local outbreaks of Covid-19 is vital.

Therefore, the Lincolnshire Outbreak Engagement Board (LOEB) has been set up with political representatives from Lincolnshire County Council and the district councils.

The board also includes the Lincolnshire Enterprise Partnership, plus Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS providers, Healthwatch and the Police and Crime Commissioner.

A Covid-19 Health Protection Board (HPB) has also been set up to provide further expert insight and guidance.

Coun Martin Hill, Chair of the LOEB and Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: "We are monitoring a wide range of numbers which would give an early warning of a small area or whole county resurgence of Covid-19 in Lincolnshire.

"These include the results of testing carried out by our residents and hospital admissions for the disease, but also include things like sickness absence rates in some of our bigger public sector employers."

"Although the rates everywhere else are much lower, infection rates in Lincoln itself have gone up recently but we aren't anticipating that it will mean moving into any other tiers at this stage. But we are being vigilant and will do what is necessary going forward.

"Our message from the LOEB this morning is that there is a 'status quo' but we are very much alert to circumstances changing."