The 7-day case rate in South Kesteven has edged up a little but the district has gone without a death today.

The latest government figures show South Kesteven recorded 104 cases in the week to today, compared with 103 yesterday about about 80 a week ago.

This gives a 7-day case rate of 73 cases per 100,000, which compares with the England average of 58.3 and comes amid a backdrop of a massive increase in testing nationally.

South Kesteven now has a grand total of 7074 recorded cases, which amounts to about one for every 20 residents.

The number of deaths remained at 264- about one for every 600 of the district population. This is better than the England average of about one for every 500.

Meanwhile, there have been 187 new coronavirus cases and three COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 121 new cases in Lincolnshire, 43 in North Lincolnshire and 23 in North East Lincolnshire.

Two 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 two new local hospital deaths on Thursday at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

On Wednesday, national cases increased by 6,303 to 4,280,882, while deaths rose by 95 to 125,926.

More than 320,000 initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have now been administered in Lincolnshire – along with 13,174 second doses.

The weekly data released on Thursday shows 335,006 jabs have taken place between December 8 and March 14 — up by 30,156  on the previous week though down, again, on the 33,246 the week before. Of those, 321,832 were first doses.

Health bosses in Lincolnshire said there will be enough vaccine doses to cover the first phase of the government's rollout and some second doses as well.

It comes as national media report a slowdown in vaccine supply across the country from the end of March.

The blame has been placed on having to retest the stability of 1.7 million doses, alongside a delay in a scheduled delivery from the Serum Institute in India.

The UK's medicine regulators have also completed their review into the AstraZeneca vaccine and confirmed there is no evidence it causes blood clots.

Several EU countries have banned or suspended the use of the vaccine while investigations are carried out.

Lincolnshire County Council will invest £500,000 into the tourism sector in the next 18 months – including a new-look website and the promotion of a "green package holiday" offer. The authority has put together a £12 million support package for the local economy in the face of COVID-19 and bosses say the sector was of "critical importance". In a press conference on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the reviews which found that "the benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID far outweigh any risks". He urged people to continue to get their vaccine when asked to do so and pointed to recent reviews that found a single dose of either vaccine provides 60% protection against getting COVID and reduces the chances of hospitalisation by 80%, and the risk of death by 85%. He said there was no delay to the next steps of the roadmap despite delays and a potential shortage of the vaccine supply, with the government continuing to desire to offer a dose to every adult by the end of July.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, March 18

56,124 cases (up 187) 39,372 in Lincolnshire (up 121)

8,565 in North Lincolnshire (up 43)

8,187 in North East Lincolnshire (up 23) 2,147 deaths (up three) 1,581 from Lincolnshire (up two)

301 from North Lincolnshire (up one)

265 from North East Lincolnshire (no change) of which 1,282 hospital deaths (up one) 797 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up two)

41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

443 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

4,280,882 UK cases, 125,926 deaths