South Kesteven has recorded five cases today, an increase from the three of recent days.

However, the district has now gone more than a month without a death.

Overall, 32 cases have been recorded in the past week, compared with 38 the previous week and 22 the week before that.

This gives South Kesteven a 7-day infection rate of 22.7 cases per 100,000, which is just above the England average of 22.1.

Whilst the figures fluctuate, the latest figures remain among the lowest since last year and around a twentieth of figures earlier in the year when the weekly rate exceeded 400 cases per 100,000.

Overall, South Kesteven has seen 7601 recorded cases since the start of the pandemic- which is about one for every 20 residents.

The number of deaths has remained at 266 for a month. This means that around one-in-600 residents have died within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic started, which compares with an England average of one-in-500.

Overall, Thursday has marked six days without a coronavirus death in Greater Lincolnshire, but there have been 60 new cases – a decrease from 71 cases and no deaths this time last week.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 44 new cases in Lincolnshire, 12 in North Lincolnshire and four in North East Lincolnshire.

NHS England has also reported no new local hospital deaths across Greater Lincolnshire's four hospital trusts for the sixth day in a row and currently stands at 1,305 since the pandemic started.

National cases increased by 2,657 to 4,444,631, while deaths rose by 11 to 127,651.

In local news, the number of coronavirus vaccine jabs being given out increased by nearly 10% last week, according to the latest figures.

Data released on Thursday shows altogether 676,851 jabs have taken place in the county between December 8 and May 9 — a further 42,145 in the last week, and nearly 10% up on the 38,553 jabs given the week before.

Lincolnshire County Council leader Martin Hill has urged people to "be careful who you hug" ahead of lockdown restrictions easing next week.

From Monday, May 17, up to 30 people will be allowed to meet outdoors, and social distancing will be dropped between families and friends in homes or private gardens, meaning people can now legally hug each other again.

In national news, coronavirus cases in England are at their lowest level since last August, a new study suggests – but it comes amid fears the rapid spread of the Indian variant could push infections up and impact the PM's final step out of lockdown on 21 June.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government "is worried about the rise of the Indian variant" and "are watching it very, very carefully".

Speaking on a visit to a vaccination centre at the Central Mosque of Brent, north-west London, Hancock says the government is "putting in enhanced contact tracing so that people who test positive for this variant get extra support to make sure that we slow the spread as much as possible".

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, May 13

9,684 in North Lincolnshire (up 12)

307 from North Lincolnshire (no change)

41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

451 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

4,444,631 UK cases, 127,651 deaths