South Kesteven has now gone 3 weeks without a fatality as the UK recorded just four deaths today.

However, the district recorded 9 cases today which compares with 7 last Tuesday and 5 the previous Tuesday. Overall 35 cases have been reported in the past week.

This gives South Kesteven a 7-day infection rate of 24.6 cases per 100,000, which is just above the England average of 23.2.

This is an increase on the 13.3 cases per 100,000 recorded on Friday, and also on the 19 cases per 100,000 recorded last Tuesday.

However, the latest figures remain among the lowest since last year and around a twentieth of figures earlier in the year when the weekly rate exceeded 400 cases per 100,000.

Overall, South Kesteven has seen 7566 recorded cases since the start of the pandemic- which is about one for every 20 residents.

The number of deaths has remained at 266 for 3 weeks. This means that around one-in-600 residents have died within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic started, which compares with an England average of one-in-500.

Overall, there have been 45 new coronavirus cases and one COVID-related death in Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday down from 60 cases last Tuesday but the same number of deaths.

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

On Tuesday, one death was registered in Lincolnshire and none in Northern Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England reported no new local hospital deaths across Greater Lincolnshire for the 16th day in a row.

On Tuesday, national cases increased by 1,946 to 4,423,796, while deaths rose by four to 127,543. Yesterday, just one death was recorded.

In local news, health bosses have said it's "ok to take small steps" if you're anxious about heading out after lockdown restrictions are lifted.

The Campaign to End Loneliness has also warned that those particularly affected by lockdown and left feeling lonely could be left behind.

Meanwhile, in the north of our region, no COVID-related deaths have been registered in North East Lincolnshire for more than three weeks.

According to the government dashboard, the last death recorded was on April 9 and since then, the authority has recorded no further deaths from coronavirus patients.

Over the Bank Holiday weekend, North East Lincolnshire also saw a fall in infection rates. It is now ranked lowest in Greater Lincolnshire.

Its neighbour however, North Lincolnshire, continues to have the highest COVID infection rate in the whole of Greater Lincolnshire, and third nationally.

In national news, ministers are reportedly considering a handful of countries people from the UK will be able to travel to initially in the coming weeks.

Reports suggest the "green list" could include about a dozen countries, although some papers say it could be fewer than 10.

In other news, government-funded nurseries are facing a crisis which is threatening their survival, according to a survey by leading unions and charities.

A third of maintained nurseries, which are financed and controlled by local authorities, are cutting staff and services because of the impact of coronavirus, and uncertainty over the funding they will receive in the next school year, the survey found.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday, May 4

59,774 cases (up 45)

41,524 in Lincolnshire (up 35)

8,687 in North East Lincolnshire (up four)

2,190 deaths (up one)

1,616 from Lincolnshire (up one)

268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

of which 1,303 hospital deaths (no change)

811 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)