More than 40 fresh cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Lincolnshire this afternoon.

Public Health England revealed the new total as the number of deaths nationally topped 700 over the past 24 hours, pushing the grand total to above 4,000 deaths in the UK.

The figures come as health chiefs in Lincolnshire urge people to avoid the coast tomorrow as the county is forecast to be bathed in warm sunshine with temperatures approaching 20c.

Public Health England says Lincolnshire has 223 confirmed cases today, an increase of 41 from the 182 recorded yesterday. On Thursday the county had 151 reported cases.

This compares with 277 in Leicestershire, an increase of ten on the 267 it recorded yesterday.

Peterborough still has 48 confirmed cases.

Rutland still has six confirmed cases.

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust today reported two more deaths at its four hospitals.

But once again the trust would not say in which hospitals the deaths occurred. It operates Grantham, Boston, Lincoln and Louth hospitals.

A spokesperson for ULHT said: "Sadly we can confirm that two further patients who were being cared for in our hospitals, and had tested positive for COVID-19, have died. This brings the total number of deaths in ULHT hospitals to 21.

"The patients were one woman aged 91, and one man aged 75. Both had underlying health conditions.

"Their families have been informed and our thoughts and condolences are with them at this difficult and distressing time."

Nationally, the number of deaths increased by 708 from 3,735 to 4,313 today.

The number of cases nationally increased by 3,735 to 41,903.

However, the figures do not include untested coronavirus cases not being treated by the healthcare system