There have been 1,696 new coronavirus cases and 92 COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire this week.

This comes as 345 cases and 13 deaths were reported in Greater Lincolnshire on Friday.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 297 new cases in Lincolnshire, 28 in North Lincolnshire and 20 in North East Lincolnshire.

Among the districts, South Kesteven recorded 40 cases, putting it on 3089 in total, equivalent to 2168.9 cases per 100,000 or just over one in 500 of the population since the pandemic started.

South Kesteven recorded 292 cases this week, equivalent to 205 cases per 100,000, an increase in recent days, but it remains below the and is similar to the 219.6 England average, which has also risen a little.

The district recorded one more death today, giving a total of 102 deaths since the pandemic started, less than one in a thousand of South Kesteven's population.

On Friday, 12 deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and one 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 seven new local hospital deaths at United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust and one at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust. Some 49 hospital deaths have been recorded this week.

On Friday, national cases increased by 28,507 to 1,977,167, while deaths rose by 489 to 66,541.

This week, Lincolnshire was told it will remain under the tier 3 toughest coronavirus restrictions by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Most Lincolnshire NHS staff will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine until the end of March 2021, according to hospital bosses.

A new drive-through coronavirus testing centre was opened in Stamford on Wednesday and sites opening in Lincoln and Boston as the two areas have the highest infection rates in the East Midlands.

Two community vaccination centres have opened in Louth and Grantham besides the Lincoln and Boston hospitals.

A new variant of coronavirus has also been confirmed in the UK, with more than 1,000 cases across 60 local authorities.

On Friday, Lincolnshire health bosses said we are having a "bleak midwinter" with 94 of Lincolnshire's 651 deaths – nearly 15% – mentioning COVID-19 on the death certificate in the last seven days.

Scientists at Imperial College London have predicted that Boston, Lincoln and West Lindsey are highly likely to have an infection rate of more than 300 cases each per week by January 1, 2021.

Hospitals in Grimsby and Scunthorpe have been picked to offer specialist support to patients suffering with long term symptoms of COVID-19.

Due to the lockdown, 218 businesses in Lincoln are at immediate risk of failing as they run out of cash, according to new research.

In national news, the UK's R (infection) number has risen between 1.1 to 1.2, according to SAGE experts.

This means that for every 10 people with coronavirus, they will infect between 11 and 12 others. Just last week, the R number was between 0.9 and 1.

Tough coronavirus restrictions are expected to be in place across the majority of the UK until at least February 2021 according to health experts. They have warned of a "harsh" two to three months ahead.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire for Friday, December 18

5,515 in North Lincolnshire (up 28)

199 from North Lincolnshire (up one)

17 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

301 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)

Altogether, the UK has seen 1,977,167 cases and 66,541 deaths.