South Kesteven recorded just two cases of Covid-19 today compared with three yesterday and eight on Monday.

Today's total helped push back a rise in the 7-Day infection rate, which has risen in recent days, though it remains below the national average.

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

Today's two cases, compares with one two weeks ago and three the Wednesday before.

South Kesteven now has a 7-day infection rate of 19 compared with 19.7 yesterday, 11.9 last Wednesday, and 24.6 the Wednesday before.

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

The England average is a more stable 23.1 cases per 100,000 population, though of course it has substantially fallen in recent months.

The grand total of 7634 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.

Overall, there have been 29 coronavirus cases and no COVID-related deaths recorded in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday – up from 18 cases and the same number of deaths last Wednesday.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 18 new cases in Lincolnshire, eight in North East Lincolnshire and three in North Lincolnshire.

No further coronavirus deaths were registered on Wednesday. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England has also reported no new local deaths across Greater Lincolnshire's hospitals. There is currently one inpatient with COVID-19 across United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust according to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

On Wednesday, national cases increased by 3,180 to 4,470,297 – passing 3,000 for the first time since mid-April – and deaths rose by nine to 127,748.

Hospitals and care homes in North East Lincolnshire have gone two weeks without any cases according to the council's latest epidemiology reports.

Despite falling numbers and infection rates, however, the authority has reported a "significant increase" in confirmed cases in those aged 20 and under in the last three weeks.

Since Monday, Greater Lincolnshire as well as England have seen increases in their infection rates, but our region remains below the national average.

However, five of the nine districts have seen spikes in their rates in the last two days, with three seeing reductions and North Kesteven remaining the same.

Boston, South Holland, North Lincolnshire, South Kesteven and West Lindsey have all seen rises, but the latter has the lowest infection rate in Greater Lincolnshire along with North Kesteven.

Boston has the highest rate of infection in our region.

Here are Greater Lincolnshire's infection rates up to May 26, according to the government dashboard: In national news, People aged 30 and 31 can now book to have their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccination. The NHS is urging people to take up the offer of the jab, and to book appointments for both the required doses at the same time (between eight and 12 weeks). Health Secretary Matt Hancock should have been "sacked for lying", Boris Johnson treated COVID-19 like a "scare story" and many ministers were "literally skiing" as the pandemic was developing early last year, Dominic Cummings has said. Appearing before MPs, the prime minister's former chief adviser made a number of allegations about the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis. The second person in the world to get the Pfizer-BioNTech jab has died of an unrelated illness. Bill Shakespeare, 81, received his first Covid vaccine in December at University Hospital Coventry shortly after 91-year-old Margaret Keenan. Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, May 26

60,501 cases (up 29)

42,015 in Lincolnshire (up 18)

9,738 in North Lincolnshire (three)

8,748 in North East Lincolnshire (up eight)

2,194 deaths (no change)

1,619 from Lincolnshire (no change)

307 from North Lincolnshire (no change)

268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

of which 1,308 hospital deaths (no change)

815 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)

41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

451 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change) 4,470,297 UK cases, 127,748 deaths