There have been 1,670 new coronavirus cases and 71 COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire in this week – a decrease compared to 2,239 cases and 82 deaths last week.

Some 375 new cases and 12 deaths were reported in Greater Lincolnshire on Friday. 

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 309 new cases in Lincolnshire, 43 in North Lincolnshire and 23 in North East Lincolnshire. Lincolnshire cases have now surpassed 30,000 since the pandemic started.

Among the districts, South Kesteven recorded 80 cases today, giving it a grand total of 5095 since the start of the pandemic. This means more than one-in-30 of residents have at one time succumbed to Covid-19.

However, despite been higher than the 54 cases recorded yesterday, the 7-day infection rate has fallen from 357.4 cases per 100,000 to 332.1 cases per 100,000, a significant drop compared to the around 400 of earlier in the week.

The district remains the county's hotspot but the large drop in its rate means South Kesteven may lose the 'honour' soon.

The number of recorded deaths yesterday increased 1 to 157 since the start of the pandemic.

On Friday, 11 deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and one in North Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England reported five new local hospital deaths at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and one at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals. Some 48 hospital deaths have been recorded this week, compared to 36 last week.

On Friday, national cases increased by 55,761 to 3,316,019, while deaths rose by 1,280 to 87,295.

Almost 800 COVID rapid tests have been carried out at Sincil Bank stadium in Lincoln in the first three days, and 15 positives have been detected by the temporary centre — more than local health bosses expected so far.

Up to Thursday evening, 768 tests had been carried out on asymptomatic people and the positivity rate for the first three days was around 2%. Health bosses were expecting between 0.5-1% by the end of the initial two-week cycle. Rapid testing is also coming to Boston next week.

This week saw almost 40% of positive test samples in Greater Lincolnshire containing the more contagious variant of COVID-19 in the last week of 2020.

Lincolnshire County Council confirmed 36% of tests contained the mutated virus and North East Lincolnshire's latest epidemiology report showed 40% – working out to an average of 38%.

Around 17% of children are attending school in Lincolnshire for face-to-face lessons this week due to the COVID-19 disruption and national lockdown restrictions, council bosses revealed.

The third lockdown has delayed children going back to school after the Christmas holidays, only permitting vulnerable children and those of key workers to attend. All other children have to learn remotely until February half term.

Vaccinations have also been taking place in Greater Lincolnshire, here's the latest list of them in your area and the areas without a centre.

John Coupland Hospital in Gainsborough will make local history this weekend as it becomes the first place to administer a COVID-19 vaccination in West Lindsey, and a new centre is opening in Boston too.

Health bosses in Lincolnshire warned that if people do not stick by the rules, the national lockdown could lasts months — "or even longer".

The government is due to review the national restrictions after the February half-term, however, numbers continue to spike across England.

In national news on Friday, one of two coronavirus variants thought to have emerged in Brazil has been detected in the UK, says a leading scientist advising the government.

The variant is distinct from those which emerged in Kent, in the UK, and in South Africa, but shares some key mutations.

However, virologist Professor Wendy Barclay has clarified it is not the more infectious "variant of concern".

Researchers at Cambridge University estimate that up to 36% of Londoners may already have had the virus as the city passes its peak and R (infection rate number) falls.

The coronavirus R number in the UK has remained largely unchanged as SAGE estimated it is now between 1.2 and 1.3. This means for every 10 people who are infected with COVID-19, they will infect between 12 and 13 others.

Last week it was estimated that the R number was 1 to 1.4. The comes after research from the University of Cambridge suggested the R number in England was below 1 in some areas.

43,461 cases (up 375)

30,045 in Lincolnshire (up 309)

6,591 in North East Lincolnshire (up 23)

1,646 deaths (up 12)

1,161 from Lincolnshire (up 11)

219 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

of which 974 hospital deaths (up six)

588 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up five)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)