COVID cases in Lincolnshire more than halved in January compared to December, but deaths dropped only by a fifth.

In January 2021 there were 10,667 COVID-19 cases and 426 deaths in Greater Lincolnshire, compared to 25,347 cases and 545 coronavirus deaths in December 2020.

Figures for the weekend closing January show there were 524 coronavirus cases and 18 COVID-related deaths across Greater Lincolnshire.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard for the weekend recorded 423 new cases in Lincolnshire, 63 in North Lincolnshire and 38 in North East Lincolnshire.

South Kesteven reported 111 cases, putting it on 6024 since the start of the pandemic.

The district is experiencing a downward trend with it 397 cases over the past week, giving a rate of 278.7 per 100,000. In the past two weeks, the 7-day rate has typically exceeded 400 cases.

The rate is below the England average of 309.5.

The number of deaths in South Kesteven increased by two over the weekend to 199.

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

NHS England reported 11 new local hospital deaths over the weekend, including nine at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (ULHT) and two at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG). Hospitals have seen 258 COVID-related deaths since January 1 – down from 294 in December.

Over the weekend, national cases increased to 3,817,176, while deaths rose to 106,158.

In national news this weekend, Captain Sir Tom Moore has been admitted to hospital with coronavirus, his daughter said.

The 100-year-old, who raised almost £33m for the NHS, was taken to Bedford Hospital after requiring help with his breathing, Hannah Ingram-Moore said on Twitter.

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— Captain Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) January 31, 2021 A COVID vaccine has been offered to residents at every eligible care home in England, the NHS has announced. Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the achievement, expected to be confirmed by official figures on Monday, as a "crucial milestone". Critically ill COVID patients are dying unnecessarily because they are refusing to go on ventilators due to fears that the machines increase the risk of death, senior doctors have warned. The Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine (FICM), the body that represents the 3,500 doctors working in intensive care across the NHS, has seen an increase in patients wrongly believing that the devices will kill them. Pupils in the UK could stand to lose an average of £40,000 each in lifetime earnings from the effects of COVID-hit school closures, a report suggests. Any effects are likely to be concentrated among children from disadvantaged backgrounds, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said. Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Sunday, January 31

48,071 cases (up 524)

33,772 in Lincolnshire (up 423)

7,343 in North Lincolnshire (up 63)

6,956 in North East Lincolnshire (up 38)

1,866 deaths (up 18)

1,350 from Lincolnshire (up 16)

282 from North Lincolnshire (up one)

234 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)

of which 1,109 hospital deaths (up 11)

684 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up nine)

33 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

391 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up two) 3,817,176 UK cases, 106,158 deaths