The number of cases of coronavirus confirmed in Greater Lincolnshire has increased by more than 1,400 (80%) after new testing figures have been included.

Broken down further, the figures for Lincolnshire, Rutland and South Kesteven more than doubled under the new counting system.

Government figures released yesterday show that a total of 3,328 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire including both pillar one (hospital and health care testing), and historic pillar two (fixed testing sites, mobile and home testing) data.

They are broken down as follows

2,410 in Lincolnshire (up from 1,158)

715 in North Lincolnshire (up from 524)

203 in North East Lincolnshire (up from 166)

The total increase including the data was 1,480. Nationally, there have now been 283,757 cases and 43,995 deaths. Earlier yesterday, two new COVID-19 related deaths have been reported in hospitals, taking the Greater Lincolnshire death total to 334. Since the first Lincolnshire case was confirmed on March 6, all media has published the number of positive tests across the UK and Greater Lincolnshire using figures published by government on a daily basis. However, earlier this week it was revealed those numbers only cover pillar one data (hospital and health care testing), with government not disclosing the community testing of pillar two (fixed testing sites, mobile and home testing). It meant that testing centres such as Lincolnshire Showground had not had their test results included in government's data as of yet.

Mobile testing also took place in Grantham and Rutland.

The increase in cases revealed by the previously undisclosed government data received from private contractors has seen localised lockdown measures introduced in Leicester.

Health bosses in the county had been trying for weeks to obtain post-code level data for the county but struggled to do so, they predicted that once figures were released there could see a "significant" spike in reported cases.

Derek Ward, director of public health at Lincolnshire County Council, said on Wednesday: "We would expect a significant number of people will have tested positive in Lincolnshire through the Showground and the mobile testing units, and that data should be available to us quite soon and we'll report it."

The latest figures show South Kesteven now having 392 confirmed cases, giving a rate of 276.3 per 100,000.

Previously, the district had 173 confirmed cases, equivalent to a rate of 122 per 100,of population.

Rutland now has 87 confirmed cases (219.2 cases per 100,000), compared with 36 cases (90.7 per 100,000) previously.

This compares with England having 243,910 confirmed cases, and a rate of 435.7 per 100,000.

Meanwhile, there were two new coronavirus-related deaths reported across Greater Lincolnshire hospitals yesterday (Thursday).

NHS statistics for Thursday show figures for all hospital trusts as follows:

141 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up from 140)

3 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust

118 in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole (up from 117)

The total for Greater Lincolnshire is now 334.

Nationally, a further 35 people who tested positive for the Coronavirus have died in hospitals in England bringing the total to 28,794.

Additional Reporting by Nub News