The 7-day Covid-19 infection rate in South Kesteven has dropped today, despite continued rises nationally.

Nine cases were recorded today giving a total of 40 over the past week, compared 15 cases in the week to last Wednesday.

This compares with six cases last Wednesday and two the Wednesday before that.

Today's 7-day case rate is now 28.1 cases per 100,000 compared with the low of 8.4 cases per 100 last Tuesday.

South Kesteven now has a recorded 7728 cases since the start of the pandemic- about one for each 20 residents, which compares with the England average of one for each 15 residents.

The number of reported deaths increased by 3 to 270, however the government's UK Covid-19 tracker says it has been reallocating deaths due to better information.

It would certainly be a sensation if South Kesteven recorded three 'genuine' deaths today after going three weeks without one and only recording two over the past two months.

Rutland similarly increased its deaths tally by three after not recording a single death since late April, again suggesting statistical revisions are the cause.

Overall, in Greater Lincolnshire, there have been 99 new COVID-19 cases, but no deaths on Tuesday, as MPs debate the Prime Minister's plan to extend lockdown.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 56 new cases in Lincolnshire, 40 in North East Lincolnshire and three in North Lincolnshire.

The figure is 90.4% higher than last Wednesday's total of 52 and up 52.31% on yesterday's figure of 65 – a weekly total so far of 251.

The government's public health figures removed three deaths from the region's statisics, with North East Lincolnshire gaining two deaths, but North Lincolnshire losing three. A notice on the government website said this could be down to "improved local authority allocation for deaths in England", which had seen some moved to different resident councils.

NHS England reported no new COVID-19 deaths.

Nationally, COVID cases increased by 9,055 to 4,589,814 while deaths rose by nine to 127,926.

North East Lincolnshire's hospitality sector has experienced a "small number of outbreaks" of COVID-19, health bosses have confirmed, as the authority detects almost 100 Delta variant cases.

The region recorded an infection rate of 71.4 per 100,000 – the 89th highest in the country and significantly higher than the England average of 63.9.

The authorities latest epidemiology report says the rise is "mainly associated with the emergence of the Delta variant in North East Lincolnshire.

MPs this evening are debating whether to extend the emergency COVID regulations to July 19.

Boris Johnson announced a four week delay to the final stage of lockdown easing on Monday and the vote tonight is expected to be supported by a majority, despite some Conservative MPs suggesting they could rebel.

Public Health England has confirmed there are 25 variants of COVID-19 now being monitored with eight "under investigation".

Public Health England's strategic COVID-19 response director Dr Susan Hopkins, told the government's Science and Technology Committee that if the Delta variant was left to spread without lockdown restrictions the R number (the number of people that each infected person could pass the virus on to) could become "greater than five and maybe up to seven" – it is currently 1.2-1.4.

Vaccinations have now also been opened to people in England aged 21 and over.

Elsewhere it has been revealed that care home staff could be compelled to have their jabs or face being redeployed away from front-line care or losing their jobs altogether.

A consultation is taking place and a firm announcement is expected within a few days.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, June 16

9,841 in North Lincolnshire (up three)

2,194 deaths (down three)

1,622 from Lincolnshire (no change)

270 from North East Lincolnshire (up two)

41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

453 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)