South Kesteven recorded further declines in the number of daily cases and no deaths, despite the number of deaths nationally reaching a record daily high.

South Kesteven recorded 42 cases today compared with 78 on Monday. This gives a grand total of 5316 cases since the start of the pandemic, equivalent to about one-in-30 of the district's population.

The number of cases over the past week has fallen from 410 yesterday to 395 today, giving a current 7-day rate of 277.3 cases per 100,000 of population.

Last Monday, South Kesteven had a 7-day rate of 391.8 cases per 100,000.

The number of deaths today remained at 163, or 114.4 per 100,000, which means just over one-in-a-thousand have died of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

Overall, the UK government's Covid-19 tracker recorded 266 new coronavirus cases and 23 COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 208 new cases in Lincolnshire, 30 in North Lincolnshire and 28 in North East Lincolnshire.

On Tuesday, 16 deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, five in North East Lincolnshire and two in North Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England reported 10 new local hospital deaths on Tuesday, including five at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and five at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

On Tuesday, national cases increased by 33,355 to 3,466,849 while deaths rose by 1,610 to 91,470 – the highest daily deaths since the pandemic started.

Over 1,400 rapid COVID-19 tests have been carried out at the mass testing centre at Lincoln City's LNER Stadium — and there were more positive results than local health bosses expected in the first eight days.

Two COVID wardens in North Kesteven will be the first in the district — and among the first in Lincolnshire — to be trained in protecting communities against coronavirus.

The wardens, referred to as COVID safety ambassadors by North Kesteven District Council, will explain, engage and encourage compliance for businesses and people in public places during the pandemic.

Lincolnshire Police have dropped the £10,000 fine that was issued to a student for organising a party attended by up to 100 people.

Police were called to Viking House on Newland, which is managed by the University of Lincoln, on December 4 last year. When officers arrived they found a party "in full swing" with "at least 70 people, possibly up to 100," but after reviewing the evidence, they dropped the fine.

In national news, the UK now has the highest death rate from COVID-19 of any country in the world, the latest data has revealed.

An average of 935 daily deaths in the UK over the last week was the equivalent of more than 16 people in every million dying each day from coronavirus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is self-isolating after being alerted by the UK's NHS COVID-19 app.

The West Suffolk MP said self-isolation was "perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing", urging others to do the same if contacted track and trace.

About one in 10 people across the UK tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies in December, roughly double the October figure, data has shown.

The Office for National Statistics suggest between 8% of people in Northern Ireland and 12% of people in England showed signs of past infection.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday, January 19

6,957 in North Lincolnshire (up 30)

270 from North Lincolnshire (up two)

30 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

368 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up five)

Overall, the UK has seen 3,466,849 UK cases and 91,470 deaths.