No deaths from Covid-19 were recorded in South Kesteven today, reflecting national trends which showed the national total was the lowest in months.

The figures from the government's Covid-19 tracker also reinforced a downward trend in cases, with the district recording 15 cases today.

This put the grand total on 6514- equivalent to around one-case- for every 20 South Kesteven resident.

Some 196 cases have now been reported in the district over the past week, giving a 7-day infection rate of 137.6 cases per 100,000, just over a third of the level two weeks ago.

This is reflected nationally, which has seen the England 7-day rate drop from 309.5 two weeks ago, to 233.2 cases last weekend, 188.3 on Friday,167.5 on Sunday, and 157.5 cases per 100,000 today.

South Kesteven recorded no deaths today. But there were four deaths over the weekend, after two on Friday, three on Thursday, three on Wednesday and six on Tuesday, putting the total on 237 fatalities since the start of the pandemic.

Altogether, about one-in-600 residents in the district have died after testing positive with the virus.

Overall, there have been 160 new coronavirus cases and one COVID-related death in Greater Lincolnshire on Monday — a slight drop from this time last week that saw 199 cases and two deaths.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 114 new cases in Lincolnshire, 25 in North Lincolnshire and 21 in North East Lincolnshire.

One death was registered in Lincolnshire, -1 in North Lincolnshire and -2 in North East 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 reported three new local hospital deaths at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and one at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals.

National cases increased by 9,765 to 4,047,843 (the first time under 10k since October), while deaths rose by 230 to 117,396. This comes as 15.3 million received their first COVID vaccine dose.

Lincoln MP Karl McCartney is one of 63 MPs to demand that lockdown restrictions are ended by May due to "harms that have been perpetrated".

Mr McCartney is the only Lincolnshire MP along with 62 other Conservative MPs to sign a letter in the COVID Recovery Group (CRG) which outlines a list of demands that include an end to the current lockdown and no more after.

In the last week, all Greater Lincolnshire districts have seen a decrease in their infection rates with West Lindsey seeing a slight increase since this time last week.

The county's fall in infections mirrors the England average decrease.

In national news, the first travellers required to stay at quarantine hotels have started arriving at Heathrow Airport amid new government travel measures announced last week.

All British and Irish citizens and UK residents who arrive in England after being in a high-risk COVID country now have to self-isolate in hotels.

The "red list" of 33 countries includes Portugal, Brazil and South Africa.

Boris Johnson said his plan for lifting England's coronavirus lockdown is for there to be "cautious but irreversible" progress in easing restrictions.

"We've got to be very prudent and what we want to see is progress that is cautious but irreversible," the prime minister said on his plan for easing COVID-19 measures.

People aged 65 to 69 in England are among those being invited to book their COVID-19 jab as the vaccination programme enters a new phase on Monday.

The clinically vulnerable are also being offered the jab as the vaccine rollout is officially expanded beyond the top four priority groups.

A third of social care staff in England have not had the COVID-19 vaccine, the health secretary has said, despite them being among the groups prioritised.

Matt Hancock said it was "very important" for the staff, patients and society that they get the jab.

People whose asthma is under control will not be prioritised for the coronavirus vaccine, the government has confirmed.

Sufferers of the condition will not be on the list ahead of their peers unless they are formally shielding, regularly take steroid tablets or have ever had an emergency hospital admission.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Monday, February 15

7,750 in North Lincolnshire (up 25)

295 from North Lincolnshire (down one)

39 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (up one)

410  in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

4,047,843 UK cases, 117,396 deaths