Coronavirus infection rate levels have dropped in Lincolnshire and are now close to the national average, but Northern Lincolnshire has some of the highest rates nationally, pushing up Greater Lincolnshire's average.

According to the latest government data on Thursday, Lincolnshire's average infection rate, including its seven districts, is 25.8, compared to the England and UK rate of 24.5 per 100,000 of the population.

In Northern Lincolnshire, despite North East Lincolnshire having a low rate of 21.9, North Lincolnshire is over three times higher and has the fourth highest infection rate in the UK, 66.7, which bumps up the region's overall infection rate level to 29.9.

South Kesteven has a 7-day rate of 15.4 cases per 100,000, the county's lowest, with it recording just 22 cases in the week to yesterday. The district also hasn't recorded a death in about a month.

Professor Derek Ward, Lincolnshire County Council's Director of Public Health, said: "What that means for us in Lincolnshire is over the past seven days, less than 190 new cases across the county have been recorded, which is really good news."

He added that small outbreaks continue to appear in the county, but only with one or two cases, with fewer outbreaks in care homes. However, there has been an outbreak in a Lincolnshire academy school, but involved under 10 individuals only.

The India COVID variant of interest is expected to enter Lincolnshire like other variants have already, but Professor Ward said "as long as it's well managed, then I'm not overly concerned about it".

First detected in October, the India coronavirus variant is currently under investigation to decide whether it is one of concern and more dangerous than the strains in the UK currently – the Kent, Brazil and South Africa variants.

Professor Ward's message for the Bank Holiday weekend is: "Don't be tempted to go into somebody else's house, because that's where we think the majority of risk will lie, whether you've had one dose, two doses or no doses [of the COVID-19 vaccine].

"You cannot, and you should not go into other people's houses at this point."

BBC Radio Lincolnshire reported on Friday morning that there have been no COVID-related deaths in April in the districts of Lincoln, Boston, North Kesteven and East Lindsey.