South Kesteven has now gone almost three weeks without a death linked to Covid-19.

Official government figures this afternoon confirmed the number remained at 265 fatalities with Covid since the start of the pandemic.

The total means that around one-in-600 South Kesteven residents will have died withing 28 days of a positive test for the virus.

This is better than the England average of one-in-500 residents.

Today's numbers also showed a fall in the seven day infection rate, with weekly case numbers dropping from 122 in the week to yesterday to 108 in the week to today.

It further fuels hopes that a 'spike' of cases in South Kesteven may be ending, with a large drop in the 7-day infection rate already underway.

After more than doubling in recent weeks, the number of cases recorded over a week have headed back down.

From a low of 80 about three weeks ago, the number of cases recorded over a week rose to a peak of 158 in the week to last Friday.

South Kesteven now has a 7-day case rate of 75.8 cases per 100,000, but it remains double the England average of 38.6, which has been consistent in its decline.

Today saw 14 cases recorded, which compares with 5 cases recorded yesterday and 14 on Easter Monday. last Wednesday recorded 11, showing the daily fluctuations that do take place.

This gives a grand total of 7430- about one for every 20 residents.

Overall, there have been 67 new coronavirus cases and two COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday — down from 129 cases and six deaths last Wednesday.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 48 new cases in Lincolnshire, 13 in North Lincolnshire and six in North East Lincolnshire.

On Wednesday, two 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.

However, NHS England has reported no new local hospital deaths on Wednesday, the third day in a row this week.

On Wednesday, national cases increased by 2,763 to 4,367,291, while deaths rose by 45 to 126,927. This comes as more than 5.6 million people in the UK have now had both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

All Greater Lincolnshire districts have seen a fall in their infections rates since Monday with a small increase in West Lindsey only.

Each of the nine districts now have infection rates under 100 per 100,000 of the population, with two being below the England average of 38.6 – Lincoln and North Kesteven.

South Holland has stolen the top spot from North Lincolnshire with the region's highest infection rate.

In national news, under-30s will be offered an alternative COVID jab to the AstraZeneca vaccine due to mounting evidence linking it to rare blood clots, the UK's vaccine advisory body says.

A review by the drugs regulator MHRA found by the end of March 79 people in the UK suffered rare blood clots after vaccination — 19 of whom died.

The UK is has started the rollout of its third coronavirus vaccine, the Moderna jab, in Wales.

Patients in Carmarthenshire are the first to get the vaccine, with 5,000 doses sent to Hywel Dda University Health Board vaccination centres.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, April 7

58,515 cases (up 67) 40,829 in Lincolnshire (up 48)

9,145 in North Lincolnshire (up 13)

8,541 in North East Lincolnshire (up six) 2,175 deaths (up two) 1,606 from Lincolnshire (up two)

303 from North Lincolnshire (no change)

266 from North East Lincolnshire (no change) of which 1,300 hospital deaths (no change) 808 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)

41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

4,367,291 UK cases, 126,927 deaths