South Kesteven has recorded a further drop in its 7-day Covid-19 infection rate after 62 cases were recorded yesterday.

It means the 7-date has fallen every day since it reached a peak last Friday.

The 62 cases compares with 68 positive tests recorded on Monday and 118 over the weekend.

Last Tuesday recorded 71 cases and 71 cases were recorded the Tuesday before.

The current weekly rate of 307 cases per 100,000 is well down on the 351.9 of Monday, 365.2 of Sunday and 370.2 on Friday.

Last Tuesday saw a drop to 365.9 from a post winter high of 374.2 recorded last Monday. It was 326.1 the Tuesday before and 294.6 the Tuesday before that. that.

With its fluctuations, South Kesteven now has a lower 7-day infection rate than both Lincolnshire's 334.4 and England's 315.2, whose growth has been slower but more consistent, though the national figure was at 332 on Friday.

Overall, since the pandemic started, South Kesteven has recorded 11,451 positive tests - about one case for each 14 residents. Again, this is better than the England average, which is almost one case for every ten people.

The figures come amid much testing, currently running around 670,000 a day or 5.6 million over a week nationally.

No deaths were recorded yesterday, but there two covid-related death over the bank holiday weekend- the tenth fatality this month.

One on Bank Holiday Monday followed one recorded on Saturday-Sunday, two on Thursday, and one last Tuesday, making it five in a week.

There was also one Covid-linked fatality the previous Friday, one the Monday before the Friday and one the weekend prior to that.

With fatalities also recorded on August 1 and August 3, the number of deaths with Covid in the district is now 10 in this month alone.

Before these latest fatalities, the previous Covid-related deaths in the district were reported on May 5 and March 25, giving us 12 deaths in about 5 months.

It means since the pandemic started, official government figures record 280 fatalities in South Kesteven within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.

The total amounts to 195.5 deaths per 100,000, which is equivalent to one fatality for just over 500 residents.

The England average is one death for just under 500 residents.

Overall, there were 417 cases of coronavirus confirmed on Tuesday, as national health bosses warn of "winter-like" pressures on NHS services already.

Government figures on Tuesday afternoon confirmed 292 new cases in Lincolnshire, 60 in North East Lincolnshire and 65 in North Lincolnshire.

The figures showed no further deaths of Lincolnshire residents in government figures, however NHS figures were updated for the first time since Friday and showed four further deaths at the county's hospitals.

Nationally, cases increased by 32,181 to 6,789,581, while deaths rose by 50 to 132,535.

East Lindsey has the highest COVID infection rates in Greater Lincolnshire, as cases dropped again in all but two districts over the past week.

The coastal district sits 86th highest nationally, but has seen its infection rates drop from 406.3 per 100,000 of the population to 384.4, and its position decrease from 46th.

West Lindsey and South Holland are the only two districts to have seen a rise in infection rates this week, with the former reaching 341 per 100,000 of the population and 148th highest nationally and South Holland reaching 276.5 and 277th respectively.

Nationally, the Society of Acute Medicine has warned that the health service in England is facing "winter-like pressures".

Dr Nick Scriven, past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: "I think it is fair to say we are currently facing an unprecedented summer workload that feels more like the worst winter pressures most of us can recall.

"We are seeing vast numbers of patients with non-COVID illness alongside the steady admission rates of those still very poorly with COVID.

"We are also noticing frailer people who have deconditioned over lockdowns so that any illness that previously might have been fairly minor now need an extended stay in hospital with periods of rehabilitation."

Meanwhile, Italy has ended a rule which required even fully-vaccinated UK travellers to quarantine for five days on arrival.

Instead, a new rule says that if visitors have a negative coronavirus test and received their second jab at least 14 days before arriving they no longer have to isolate.

Italy itself is on the UK's amber travel list, so those arriving here from Italy must take a test three days before travelling and a PCR test two days after arriving.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary, announcing 14 new routes from London airports on Tuesday, has told Sky News the UK should scrap its foreign travel rules.

Mr O'Leary said London was currently "empty" in terms of tourists because measures such as PCR testing were putting people off short holidays.

"Business is being hampered by this continuously chopping and changing of traffic lights that just cause confusion whereas the rules should be simple: if you're double-vaccinated no restriction and if you're not double-vaccinated get tested," he said.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday, August 31

15,188 in North Lincolnshire (up 65)

311 from North Lincolnshire (no change)

44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

479 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

6,789,581 UK cases, 132,535 deaths