Lincolnshire will move to tier 4 at midnight tonight, but North and North Lincolnshire will stay in tier 3, as 281 new coronavirus cases and 28 COVID-related deaths were recorded in our region on Wednesday.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 208 new cases in Lincolnshire, 40 in North Lincolnshire and 33 in North East Lincolnshire. North East Lincolnshire has now surpassed 6,000 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.

Among the districts, South Kesteven recorded 80 cases today (Wednesday), giving a total of 3,854 since the pandemic started- equivalent to about one-in-40 of the district's residents.

Some 435 cases have been recorded over the past week in South Kesteven, giving a weekly rate of 305.4 cases per 100,000. This is a sharp rise compared with the 247.9 on Christmas Day and the 205 cases per 100,000 on December 18. But it is down a little on the 311.7 recorded yesterday and 313.9 recorded on Monday.

The number of deaths in the district today increased 3 to 122, less than one per 1000 of the district's population since the pandemic started.

Overall, some 20 deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, six in North Lincolnshire and two in North East Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county. Lincolnshire deaths have surpassed 1,000 since the pandemic began.

NHS England reported 11 new local hospital deaths on Wednesday, including six at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and five at United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust (ULHT).

ULHT has now hit the grim milestone of 500 deaths since the pandemic started.

On Wednesday, national cases increased by 50,023 to 2,432,888, while deaths rose by 981 to 72,548.

Lincolnshire will move to tier 4 following Health Secretary Matt Hancock's announcement in the House of Commons on Wednesday, but North and North East Lincolnshire will remain in tier 3.

Greater Lincolnshire has seen a fall in infection rates across all districts with South Kesteven overtaking Boston as the second highest infection rate in the county after Lincoln.

Lincolnshire remains below the national average despite new tier 4 restrictions.

In Wednesday's Downing Street Press Briefing, Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England said: "COVID loves a crowd, so please leave the parties for later in the year."

The PM said "the tunnel has been shortened" to reaching the end of the pandemic but "we must take firm action now".

The majority of primary schools will open as planned on January 4, but there will be a one week delay and then a staggered return for secondary school age pupils and those in colleges.

 

In national news, the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved by the UK medicines regulator, raising the hopes of a rapid scale-up of vaccination against COVID-19 within days.

The second dose of the coronavirus vaccines will now be given later than originally planned, so that more people can be given the first dose, experts have said.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire for Wednesday, December 30

36,993 cases (up 281) 24,936 in Lincolnshire (up 208)

6,054 in North Lincolnshire (up 40)

6,003 in North East Lincolnshire (up 33) 1,427 deaths (up 28) 1,003 from Lincolnshire (up 20)

219 from North Lincolnshire (up six)

205 from North East Lincolnshire (up two) of which 849 hospital deaths (up 11) 500 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up five)

22 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

326 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up six)

The UK has seen 2,432,888 cases and 72,548 deaths since the pandemic started.