South Kesteven has recorded 64 cases of Covid-19 today.

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

The 64 positive tests compares with 41 positive tests recorded yesterday and 58 on Monday.

It also compares with last Wednesday's 48 positive tests and 49 the week before.

The 7-day rate for South Kesteven is now 231.7 cases per 100,000, compared with 227.5 yesterday, 245 last Wednesday and 331.4 the Wednesday before.

This compares with the England average of 288.1, which has fallen from 292.4 yesterday, 401.4 last Wednesday 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 720,000 yesterday and 5.4 million over a week.

Overall, there have been 9560 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 yesterday, 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, all 16 and 17-year-olds should be given their first dose of coronavirus vaccine, government scientific advisers have recommended as 679 cases of the virus are confirmed in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, however, said it would recommend second doses following further safety data at a later date.

It means 1.4 million older teenagers will be offered vaccinations in the next few weeks.

During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, bosses said they expected the vaccine to provide more than 80% protection and that side effects were rare.

Dr June Raine, from the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, said it had also been shown to be effective in those aged 12-15. She said the benefits of the jab far outweighed the risk.

However, no decision on that age range has been made yet.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, from the JCVI, said: "While Covid-19 is typically mild or asymptomatic in most young people, it can be very unpleasant for some and for this particular age group, we expect one dose of the vaccine to provide good protection against severe illness and hospitalisation."

Meanwhile, Lincoln has remained top of the infection rate table nationally, with its seven-day rate increasing from 653.6 per 100,000 population to 716.

Government figures released on Wednesday showed 439 new cases in Lincolnshire, 104 in North Lincolnshire and 136 in North East Lincolnshire.

The 679 case total is 13.4% higher than last Wednesday's 599 cases.

Government figures showed one further deaths in its figures today in the North East Lincolnshire region.

82,835 cases (up 396)

54,583 in Lincolnshire (up 439)

16,109 in North East Lincolnshire (up 136)

2,224 deaths (up one)

1,633 from Lincolnshire (no change)

286 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)

of which 1,331 hospital deaths (no change)

822 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)