South Kesteven has recorded 85 cases of Covid-19 today.

The number has further increased the district's 7-day infection rate to its highest in ten days.

The 85 positive tests compares with 58 yesterday, 64 on Wednesday and 41 on Tuesday.

It also compares with last Friday's 55 positive tests and 42 the Thursday before.

The 7-day rate for South Kesteven is now 248.6 cases per 100,000, compared with 236.7 yesterday, 208.5 last Friday and 353.9 the Friday before- a recent peak.

This compares with the England average of 282.1, which has fallen from 283.7 yesterday, 351.8 last Friday and its recent high of 540 the Friday prior to that. The figures come amid much testing, typically a million people a day and around 7 million a week, though in the past week or so testing has now dropped to 825,000 yesterday and 5.3 million over a week. Overall, there have been 9703 cases in South Kesteven since the start of the pandemic- equivalent to about one for about 15 residents in the district, which compares to the England average of one-in-11. The number of fatalities stands at 272, after increasing one on Tuesday, which followed on from a further fatality at the weekend. Prior to those cases, the only other recent cases of people dying with Covid in South Kesteven were on May 5 and March 25. This means the district has recorded 4 deaths in just over 4 months. Meanwhile, there have been 2,943 new cases of coronavirus so far this week in Lincolnshire, as health bosses look for ways to bring Lincoln's numbers down, currently at the top of the UK infection rates. The government's COVID-19 dashboard on Friday reported 464 new cases in Lincolnshire, 134 in North East Lincolnshire and 116 in North Lincolnshire. The figure is 14% up on the 2,592 cases by this time last week. NHS figures have reported one further hospital deaths in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole hospitals trust on Friday, bringing the weekly tally across Greater Lincolnshire's hospitals to seven. Government figures also showed one further update to their deaths data in North East Lincolnshire, bringing the total for the week also to seven. Nationally, cases increased by 31,808 to 6,014,023 while deaths rose by 92 to a total of 130,178 on Friday.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust today confirmed it had 38 COVID-positive patients.

The hospital continues to see a rise in the number of patients, having had 22 on July 26, rising to 24 on July 23 and 36 on July 30.

Taxi firms could offer lateral flow tests to revellers on the way home as part of new plans to tackle Lincoln's high infection rates.

Health bosses have revealed a series of new pilots, to begin in the next couple of days, which will see shops on the High Street offer the tests, a roving mobile testing unit on the newly-opened Cornhill space and a community outreach team heading out to speak to people on the street.

Lincoln continues to have high infection rates and sits at the top of the table nationally, with its own rate having risen from 568 at the beginning of the week to 751 on Friday. The national average is 282.

There are still several walk-in options for coronavirus vaccinations this weekend in Lincolnshire.

Young people are being urged to get jabbed as 18-34 year olds accounted for a fifth of COVID hospitals admissions nationally last month.

The walk-in opportunities available to people aged 18 and over on a 'first come, first served' basis are:

• Lincolnshire Showground Mass Vaccination Centre – Offering Pfizer and AstraZeneca walk-ins, first and second doses, 8.15am-7pm seven days a week. From the week commencing August 9 AstraZeneca appointments and walk-ins will only be available on Wednesdays at the Showground

• PRSA Mass Vaccination Centre in Boston – Offering Pfizer and AstraZeneca walk-ins, first and second doses, 8am-7pm seven days a week. From the week commencing August 9 AstraZeneca appointments and walk-ins will only be available on Tuesdays at this location

• Marisco Medical Practice in Mablethorpe – Offering AstraZeneca walk-ins, first and second doses, 9am-12pm on Saturday, August 7. On the same day Pfizer walk-ins, first and second doses, will be available between 1pm and 4.30pm

Nationally, England's R number – which represents how many people each infected person passes coronavirus on to – has fallen from 1.1-1.4 to 0.8-1.1.

The Office for National Statistics meanwhile, has estimated that around one-in-80 people in the UK tested positive in the week to July 31, down from one-in-70.

The ONS' chief executive has also said there is "clear evidence" of a decline in COVID cases and he expects that to continue for the next four to five weeks.

However, he added: "In four or five weeks' time, schools will go back, universities will reopen and people will start to go back to work, so I really don't think we're in a position to say we have reached the end of COVID."

Public Health England has said that vaccinations have prevented more than 66,900 hospitalisations in those aged 65 and over and between 57,600-62,700 deaths.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, August 6

84,858 cases (up 714) 55,452 in Lincolnshire (up 464)

13,043 in North Lincolnshire (up 116)

16,363 in North East Lincolnshire (up 134) 2,225 deaths (up one) 1,633 from Lincolnshire (no change)

305 from North Lincolnshire (no change)

287 from North East Lincolnshire (up one) of which 1,333 hospital deaths (up one) 823 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)

43 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

466 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)

6,014,023 UK cases, 130,178 deaths