Easter Tuesday has recorded a further drop in the 7-day case rate, with just five cases reported today.

Today's numbers fuels hopes that a 'spike' of cases in South Kesteven may be ending, with a large drop in the 7-day infection rate already underway.

After more than doubling in recent weeks, the number of cases recorded over a week have headed back down.

In the week to yesterday, the number of cases over 7 days was 122, compared with 137 in the week to Monday and 158 in the week to Friday. A low of 80 was recorded about three weeks ago.

South Kesteven now has a 7-day case rate of 85.2 cases per 100,000, but it remains more than double the England average of 41, which has been consistent in its decline.

Today saw 5 cases recorded, compared to 14 on Easter Monday, 15 over the weekend and 22 last Tuesday.

This gives a grand total of 7416- about one for every 20 residents.

The number of deaths remained at 265, with South Kesteven recording just lower than the England average of one death with Covid-19 for every 500 residents since the pandemic started.

The district has gone without a death with Covid-19 in almost 2 weeks.

Across Greater Lincolnshire today, there have been 58 new coronavirus cases and for the second day in a row, no Covid-related deaths— down from 101 cases and two deaths this time last week.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 33 new cases in Lincolnshire, 15 in North Lincolnshire and 10 in North East Lincolnshire.

On Tuesday, no deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire with -1 in North Lincolnshire. Fluctuations in data are usually due to some deaths in those areas being reallocated to other regions across the UK or a miscount. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England has also reported no new local hospital deaths on Tuesday, the second day in a row this week.

On Tuesday, national cases increased by 2,379 to 4,364,529, while deaths rose by 20 to 126,882. The government's move to get people testing twice a week was expected and welcomed, but "don't think you're scot-free" if you get a negative result, Lincolnshire health bosses have warned. Professor Derek Ward, Lincolnshire County Council's director for public health, said the move was "another tool in the toolbox". However, he added the "primary line of defence" was to carry on with social distancing, hands, face, space and fresh air. Four areas in Greater Lincolnshire have infection rates more than twice as high as the England average, despite an Easter weekend fall in rates. North Lincolnshire, South Holland, Boston and South Kesteven all have infection rates of more than 96 per 100,000 of the population, over double that of England's average of 43.9. In national news, the later stages of Boris Johnson's roadmap for ending lockdown restrictions in England could cause coronavirus infection rates to surge, the government's scientific advisers have warned. At a Downing Street briefing on Monday, the prime minister said he wants to stick "like glue" to his plans for easing current measures. He confirmed that step two – where shops, hairdressers and beer gardens can reopen – will go ahead on April 12 as planned. It would be "remiss" of the government not to consider COVID certification as a way of fully reopening the economy, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi says. Amid criticism of the plans, Mr Zahawi said: "It's only right that we look at all these options that are available to us to take our lives back." Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday, April 6 58,448 cases (up 58) 40,781 in Lincolnshire (up 33)

9,132 in North Lincolnshire (up 15)

8,535 in North East Lincolnshire (up 10) 2,173 deaths (no change) 1,604 from Lincolnshire (no change)

303 from North Lincolnshire (down one)

266 from North East Lincolnshire (no change) of which 1,300 hospital deaths (no change) 808 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)

41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

4,364,529 UK cases, 126,882 deaths