The weekly infection rate for South Kesteven rose a little over the weekend, but it is still well down on a week ago.

Figures revealed on the government's UK Covid-19 tracker shows that on Saturday and Sunday 47 cases were recorded in South Kesteven, a slight decrease on the 49 recorded over the previous weekend.

The total now stands at 6676- almost one case for every 20 residents since the pandemic started.

Some 172 cases were recorded in the week to Sunday, compared with 157 in the week to Friday and 211 in the week to last Sunday.

The 7-day case rate is now 120.8 cases per 100,000, compared with 110.2 on Friday and 148.1 last Sunday.

This compares with an England average of 128.5, which is also on a downward trend.

Over the weekend, South Kesteven recorded no deaths, keeping the overall total at 245- about one for every 600 district resident.

Overall, there were 352 new coronavirus cases and five COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire recorded over the weekend.

This means last week there were altogether 1,219 COVID cases and 45 deaths in Greater Lincolnshire, compared to 1,296 cases and 58 deaths the week before — a 6% drop in cases and 28% reduction in deaths.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 239 new cases in Lincolnshire across Saturday and Sunday, 58 in North East Lincolnshire and 55 in North Lincolnshire.

By the end of Sunday, five deaths were 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 five new local hospital deaths at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and one at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust – compared to 11 last weekend. This means 26 hospital deaths were recorded last week, down from 33 the week before.

The weekend saw national cases increase to 4,115,509, while deaths rose to 120,580.

Schools are set to reopen and two people will be allowed to meet outside on March 8 as part of Boris Johnson's 'roadmap' out of coronavirus lockdown.

The Prime Minister will unveil his plans to get the country out of lockdown in the House of Commons on Monday at around 3.30pm, before addressing the nation at 7pm this evening.

All adults in the UK will be offered their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine by the end of July, the prime minister has pledged.

More than 17 million people have been given a jab since the UK's COVID vaccine rollout began in December 2020.

The UK's vaccination programme is "beginning to really bear fruit" and has allowed the government to unveil its plans for lifting lockdown, the vaccines minister has said.

Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News the "evidence looks good" on COVID vaccines, which have now been given to one in three adults in the UK.

Greater Lincolnshire has seen a slight drop in its infection rate over the weekend and still remains below the national average of 128.5 per 100,000 people.

Four of the nine districts have seen a rise in their infection rates including North Kesteven, West Lindsey, South Kesteven and Lincoln City.

Boston still takes the top spot with the highest rate of infection but has seen a slight reduction over the weekend.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Sunday, February 21

7,880 in North Lincolnshire (up 55)

297 from North Lincolnshire (no change)

41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

415 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)

4,115,509 cases, 120,580 deaths