South Kesteven has recorded 48 Covid-19 cases today, keeping the district's 7-day rate as it was yesterday.

There were no deaths, which follow on from two Covid-related fatalities in just a few days.

A death recorded yesterday follows the first September fatality at the weekend.

Altogether, the district recorded ten deaths in August.

With Covid-related deaths on May 5 and March 25, South Kesteven has seen 14 Covid related deaths in over 5 months.

It means since the pandemic started, official government figures record 282 fatalities in South Kesteven within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.

The total amounts to 196.9 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.

As noted earlier, 48 positive tests were recorded today, compared with 57 yesterday, 68 on Monday, 61 last Wednesday and 78 the Wednesday before.

The current weekly rate of 342.8 is the highest since last Thursday's 350.5. Last Wednesday saw it at a peak of 351.2 and the Wednesday before it was 366.6, down on a peak the Monday before of 374.2 cases per 100,000.

With its fluctuations, South Kesteven has a higher 7-day infection rate than both Lincolnshire's 312.9 and England's 324.9, both of which have been far more consistent.

Overall, since the pandemic started, South Kesteven has recorded 11,966 positive tests - about one case for each 12 residents. Again, this is better than the England average, which is about one case for every 9 people.

The figures come amid much testing, almost a third up on the previous week, currently running around 1.2 million a day or 7.7 million over a week nationally, which is a third up on the previous week.

Meanwhile, across Greater Lincolnshire, there have been 608 cases of coronavirus confirmed today as government ministers say they are "confident" booster jabs will be rolled out this month.

Government figures on Wednesday showed 382 new cases in Lincolnshire, 93 in North East Lincolnshire and 133 in North Lincolnshire.

Two further deaths of Greater Lincolnshire residents were confirmed in the government figures, with both taking place within the county.

Meanwhile, NHS data showed one further fatality at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Trust.

Nationally, cases increased by 38,975 to 7,094,592 while deaths rose by 191 to 133,674. Lincolnshire health bosses have continued to urge people to take PCR tests if they show symptoms of COVID-19 and to take Lateral Flow Tests despite false negative results. Reporters were contacted by a Lincoln mother who's daughter and her friends went to Leeds Festival and returned with COVID-19 symptoms. LFT tests came back negative, but mum wanted to be sure so took her for PCR at Showground which came back positive. Lincolnshire County Council's assistant director of public health said LFTs were a "useful part of the testing programme" but confirmed that it only picks up half to three-quarters of the true positive cases it tests for. "This means that some people with COVID-19 who take a LFD test will get a 'false negative' result – it will say they don't have COVID-19, but in fact they do," he said. "This is why we don't use the test for diagnosing COVID-19 (that's what a PCR test is for) and anyone with symptoms should isolate and take a PCR test." He added: "LF tests are therefore used when people don't have symptoms – because although they won't catch all of the COVID-19 out there, they will find some, and every positive test is helpful." Mr Fox also urged people to continue to take precautions after a significant increase in rates through July and August. In the government data on Tuesday, Boston sat 372nd highest in terms of infection rates. Over the course of the pandemic it very often sat near top of the table with Lincoln, but while the city stayed higher. Boston has now fallen and its infection rates have slowed (despite being double the June rate). Health bosses said rates continued to be highest amongst the younger population due to less vaccination coverage than older age groups, and a higher likelihood to mix in settings that have a higher risk of COVID-19 transmission, for example in bars and nightclubs. "We have seen a significant increase in COVID-19 rates in Lincoln in August that was largely associated with the night-time economy," he said. "Our advice to people is simple – get vaccinated, and if you are going to be in a crowded, indoor setting (such as a nightclub), we would recommend taking a LFD test to help spot any asymptomatic COVID-19 "In general, we would still recommend use of face coverings in indoor settings where there are large groups of people you wouldn't normally mix with (such as shops, public transport) and 'hands, face, space' can still help to reduce transmission." Health secretary Sajid Javid said on Wednesday that booster jabs will start in September. Speaking to Sky News' Kay Burley he said: "In terms of who actually gets it and when, we're waiting for final advice which could come across, certainly, in the next few days from the JCVI." He later added: "I'm confident that we can start the booster programme this month." A study commissioned by the Northern Health Science Alliance – which includes universities and NHS trusts – has found people in the North of England were more likely to die from COVID-19, spent longer in lockdown, and were made poorer than the rest of the country. Sky News said the report used government statistics to show how the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber compared to the rest of England. It also made a number of suggestions about how the differences could be tackled. Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, September 8

102,694 cases (up 608)

67,412 in Lincolnshire (up 382)

15,965 in North Lincolnshire (up 133)

19,317 in North East Lincolnshire (up 93)

2,291 deaths (up two)

1,678 from Lincolnshire (up two)

314 from North Lincolnshire (no change)

299 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

of which 1,375 hospital deaths (up one)

846 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up one)

44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

484 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change) 7,094,592 UK cases, 133,674 deaths