A total of 55 patients have so far been discharged from Lincolnshire's hospitals after being treated for COVID-19.

Figures from United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust include the number of people who tested positive for coronavirus and were treated at Lincoln, Grantham and Boston hospitals.

Mark Brassington, Deputy Chief Executive at ULHT, said the discharges were down to the work of "proactive" staff in hospitals.

So far, 33 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in the county's hospitals and 319 cases have tested positive.

The trust is currently treating 96 patients for COVID-19 across its hospital sites.

Lincolnshire saw an increase of 42 new cases yesterday (April 8) along with five more deaths.

Tony McGinty, deputy director of public health at Lincolnshire County Council, told Local Democracy Reporters that the county needed to press ahead with social distancing in order to keep the virus from accelerating.

"If we take our foot off the gas, we will almost certainly see a difference in the numbers," he said.

Professor Stephen Powis, medical director at NHS England, said infections and hospital admissions were starting to "plateau" and warned against complacency.

The UK saw a record 938 deaths yesterday (April 8), but Dame Angela McLean, the government's deputy chief scientific adviser, said the number of new cases were not "accelerating out of control".

It comes as the government hinted that lockdown could be extended into May because scientists believe the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak might not come for another 10 days.

Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, said the data was beginning to show change but the government "won't know that for sure for a week or so."