The 7-day Covid-19 case rate in South Kesteven has further risen to its highest since the winter.

The district recorded 76 cases today, compared with 156 positive tests over the weekend and 83 on Friday, 88 last Monday and 43 the Monday before.

There were no fatalities, but the weekend follows the district reporting its third Covid-related death in a week.

Deaths were recorded on Friday, last Monday and over last weekend. Before these three fatalities, the previous Covid-related deaths in the district were reported on August 3, August 1, May 5 and March 25, giving us seven deaths in almost 5 months.

It means since the pandemic started, official government figures record 275 fatalities in South Kesteven within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.

The total amounts to 192 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.

Today's weekly rate of 347.2 cases per 100,000 of population exceeds a peak of a month ago and is back to the rates of winter. However, the number of deaths has substantially fallen since then, which health experts credit on the vaccination programme.

With its fluctuations, South Kesteven and sharper increases, South Kesteven now has a higher 7-day infection rate than both Lincolnshire and England.

After falling from a peak of 329.6 cases per 100,000 last week to 318.4 on Wednesday, it now stands at 374.9, exceeding the peak of 353.9 on Friday July 23.

This compares with an England average of 324.2 cases per 100,000 of population, whose growth has been slower but more consistent.

Overall, since the pandemic started, South Kesteven has recorded 10,895 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 680,000 a day or 5.1 million over a week nationally.

Overall, across Greater Lincolnshire, there were 566 cases of Coronavirus confirmed today, as the UK ordered an extra 35 million doses of the Pfizer COVID vaccine as booster jabs against the threat of other variants.

Government figures published on Monday afternoon showed 393 new cases in Lincolnshire, 95 in North East Lincolnshire and 78 in North Lincolnshire. The total is a 2.9% increase on the 550 cases confirmed last Monday.

The figures showed three new deaths of Greater Lincolnshire residents, all in North Lincolnshire. 

Meanwhile, NHS figures show one further death at one of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust's hospitals.

Nationally, cases increased by 31,914 to 6,524,581 while deaths rose by 40 to 131,680.

Health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday that the UK has ordered 35 million more doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be delivered in the second half of 2022.

The government said it was "putting in place preparations to future-proof the country from the threat of COVID-19 and its variants".

It comes ahead of a proposed booster jab programme later this year which hopes to further protect the most vulnerable to COVID-19 — though this is still awaiting final advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Mr Javid said he was "pleased" by the news: "The UK's phenomenal vaccination programme is providing tens of millions of people with protection from COVID-19, saving 95,200 lives and preventing 82,100 hospitalisations in the over 65s in England alone.

"While we continue to build this wall of defence from COVID-19, it's also vital we do everything we can to protect the country for the future too – whether that's from the virus as we know it or new variants."

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Monday, August 23

14,581 in North Lincolnshire (up 78)

305 from North Lincolnshire (up three)

44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

474 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

6,524,581 UK cases, 131,680 deaths