South Kesteven's 7-day infection rate has fallen yet again.

The district recorded five more Covid-19 cases today, the same as yesterday and over the weekend.

The latest numbers mean the 7-day rate also halved over the past week and is now a fifth of the England average.

The district's record contrasts with the national situation which is reporting rapidly rising cases and deaths slowly increasing.

South Kesteven now has a 7-day case rate of 8.4 cases per 100,000, based on a recorded 12 cases, which compares with the England average of 44.2, which is rising slowly.

Whilst the district figures fluctuate, the latest figures are the lowest since last year and less than a fortieth of figures earlier in the year when the weekly rate exceeded 400 cases per 100,000.

The grand total of 7670 cases in South Kesteven since the start of the pandemic is equivalent to just over one case per 20 residents. The national average is about one-in-15.

There were no deaths recorded in the district but the first fatality in nearly 6 weeks two weeks ago puts the district's death tally on 267. This is equivalent to about one-in-600 residents, which is better than the England average of one-in-500 residents.

Overall, there have been 46 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and one COVID-related death on Tuesday – up threefold from 15 cases and no deaths this time last week.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 28 new cases in Lincolnshire, 16 in North East Lincolnshire and two in North Lincolnshire.

One further coronavirus death was registered on Tuesday outside hospitals, but NHS England reported no new hospital deaths.

National cases have increased by 6,048 to 4,528,442, while deaths have risen by 13 to 127,854.

In local news, young people have been urged to get their COVID-19 jab to protect themselves and others in response to reports of vaccine hesitancy.

There are worries the last stages of the vaccine could be impacted by a view that younger people feel they do not need it due to being fit and healthy, as well as concerns over side-effects.

Thousands of young adults hit a brick wall when they tried to book their coronavirus vaccines this morning.

Local and national health bosses appealed to under 30s to take up the vaccination offer, but it turned out young people were so keen to get their jab that they crashed the NHS website.

However, Lincolnshire Showground will once again be able to offer Pfizer vaccinations against COVID-19 after a previous shortage.

There have been supply issues for the Pfizer vaccine since the government announced last month that most people under the age of 40 would be offered alternatives to the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, after links to rare blood clots.

Over 11 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the Midlands – the region leading the way with the largest number of people vaccinated against the virus in England.

In national news, people should holiday at home this year and not travel abroad unless absolutely necessary, Environment Secretary George Eustice has said.

Hopes of a summer trip overseas were dashed as the environment secretary told Sky News his advice to the British public "would be holiday at home", adding that he himself will not be travelling abroad this summer.

Greater Manchester and Lancashire are to receive a "strengthened package of support" to tackle a rise in the Delta (India) coronavirus variant, Matt Hancock has announced – with residents told to minimise travel.

Vegans and pescatarians may be less likely to get severely ill from coronavirus, according to a new study.

The research – which took place across six countries, including the UK – showed that those who had plant-based diets were 73% less likely to develop severe symptoms from COVID-19.

It has been six months since Maggie Keenan was the first person in the world to receive the approved COVID vaccine at @nhsuhcw.

Since then, the #NHSCOVIDVaccine rollout has gone from strength to strength. Thank you to everyone involved for your life-saving work. pic.twitter.com/wMOcPdUmf7

— NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) June 8, 2021

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday, June 8

9,800 in North Lincolnshire (up two)

2,196 deaths (up one)

1,621 from Lincolnshire (up one)

268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

453 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)