South Kesteven's 7-day infection rate has risen again but remains around less than a quarter a fifth of the England average.

The district recorded six Covid-19 cases today, compared with nine yesterday, six on Wednesday and five on Tuesday.

It also compares with four cases last Friday and four the Friday before.

The latest numbers mean the 7-day rate has increased by almost half in the past three days but remains the same as last Thursday and a little higher than last Friday.

The district's record is now reflecting the national situation which is reporting growing case numbers, albeit at relatively low levels.

South Kesteven now has a 7-day case rate of 14.7 cases per 100,000 (up from 11.9 yesterday, 10.5 on Wednesday and 8.4 on Tuesday), based on a recorded 21 cases, which compares with the England average of 54 cases per 100,000, which is rising slowly.

Whilst the district figures fluctuate, the latest figures are among the lowest since last year and less than a fortieth of figures earlier in the year when the weekly rate exceeded 400 cases per 100,000.

The grand total of 7691 cases in South Kesteven since the start of the pandemic is equivalent to just over one case per 20 residents. The national average is about one-in-15.

There were no deaths recorded in the district but the first fatality in nearly 6 weeks more than two weeks ago puts the district's death tally on 267. This is equivalent to about one-in-600 residents, which is better than the England average of one-in-500 residents.

Overall, there has been a 113% spike in COVID-19 cases so far this week in Lincolnshire, and coronavirus-related deaths have gone up by one compared to last week.

The latest figures show there have been 275 coronavirus cases so far this week and two deaths — a rise of 113.18% compared to the 129 cases and one death last week.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard on Friday recorded 29 new cases in Lincolnshire, 22 in North East Lincolnshire and one in North Lincolnshire.

NHS England has reported one local hospital deaths in Greater Lincolnshire's four health trusts so far this week (but none on Friday), up from none this time last week.

On Friday, national COVID cases increased by 8,125 to 4,550,944 — the highest daily figure since late February — while deaths rose by 17 to 127,884.

In local news, around half of the new COVID-19 cases in Lincolnshire are currently thought to be the Delta variant, health bosses have said, as the county saw a small overall rise in infection rates.

Public Health England said on Friday the variant is 64% more transmissible than the Alpha (Kent) one and confirmed vaccines were less effective against it.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also come under pressure from the national organisation The Association of Directors of Public Health (UK) which has said unlocking "as early as June 21 risks reversing the significant progress we have made".

In a blog post Jim McManus, vice president, said: "We must be realistic about what lies ahead – it can be assumed that even with vaccines, variants of the virus will circulate endemically for some time to come.

"We must therefore find a way of living, working, and studying as safely as possible whilst COVID continues to circulate.

"As with most disease control, there is no magic bullet. Instead, we must continue to use a combination strategy as outlined in our guidance Living Safely with COVID.

"It is the combination of measures, each inadequate in and of themselves, that work together to disrupt transmission and reduce harm."

The government has continuously said it would look at the data and share a decision on Monday, June 14.

Nadim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, told BBC Breakfast on Friday: "We have to be really careful so that those hard won wars against the virus are not squandered."

"We all know the virus hasn't gone away, it will attempt to mutate," he said.

"The Delta variant is more infectious and more severe for those it infects. So, we have to be really careful".

At the G7 summit taking place in Cornwall, the UK has also announced it will donate at least 100 million surplus coronavirus vaccine doses to other countries within the next year.

The latest figures show that England's R Number has increased from 1-1.2 to 1.2-1.4, according to the latest figures.

It means that every 10 people with COVID this week will go on to infect between 12-14 more.

61,071 cases (up 52)

42,348 in Lincolnshire (up 29)

8,908 in North East Lincolnshire (up 22)

2,197 deaths (up one)

1,622 from Lincolnshire (up one)

268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

of which 1,311 hospital deaths (no change)

816 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)