The 7-day case rate for South Kesteven is back on its way down.

The declining numbers come as the country also continues to report much reduced death numbers and fewer cases, despite a vast increase in testing.

In the week to today, South Kesteven recorded 114 cases, down from 121 in the week to yesterday.

This gives a rate of 80 cases per 100,000, which has compared with the England average of 56.5, which has consistently declined.

With 20 cases recorded today, South Kesteven now reports 7163 cases in total, about one for every 20 residents.

Again, no deaths were recorded today, with the last being recorded last Wednesday.

The total of 264 is equivalent to one for every 600 residents, which is better than the England average of one for every 500 residents.

Meanwhile, there have been 144 new coronavirus cases and four COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday — compared to 129 cases and four deaths this time last week.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 92 new cases in Lincolnshire, 35 in North Lincolnshire and 17 in North East Lincolnshire.

On Tuesday, three deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, one in North Lincolnshire and -1 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 has reported two new local hospital deaths at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and one at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

On Tuesday, national cases increased by 5,379 to 4,307,304, while deaths rose by 112 to 126,284. Over 28 million have now had the first dose of a COVID vaccine.

In local news, a national coronavirus lockdown was called for the first time a year ago today, and Lincolnshire will reflect on the past year with tributes to those who lost their lives to COVID-19.

Tuesday, March 23 marks one year to the day that Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation to confirm we would go into a national lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Lincolnshire health bosses are working with South Holland and Boston district councils to reduce their high COVID-19 infection rates, but say it's in the "hands of the government" to invest and make legislative changes to employment in the two districts.

This comes as South Holland and Boston have continued to have high infection rates — twice the England average — and have been unable to reduce them substantially in recent weeks.

In national news, the period of "excess deaths" which has characterised the second wave of COVID-19 has now come to an end, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

For the first time since September, the number of people dying of all causes in England and Wales has dropped beneath the five-year average.

COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine passports and faked negative test papers are being sold on the darknet.

Prices range between $500 (£360) and $750 for doses of AstraZeneca, Sputnik, Sinopharm or Johnson & Johnson jabs.

The darknet, also known as the dark web, is a portion of the internet that is only accessible through specific browser tools.