South Kesteven has recorded its second covid-related death over the bank holiday weekend- the tenth fatality this month.

Today's fatality follows one recorded on Saturday-Sunday, two on Thursday, and one last Tuesday.

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.

Today, there were 68 positive tests recorded, compared with 118 over the weekend and 82 on Friday. Last Monday recorded 76 cases and 78 cases were recorded the Monday before.

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

Last Monday saw a post-winter high of 374.2 and the 7-day rate was 329.9 the previous Monday and 277.2 cases per 100,000 of population the Monday before that.

With its fluctuations, South Kesteven now has a higher 7-day infection rate than both Lincolnshire's 337.6 and England's 319.9, 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 11,389 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 950,000 a day or 5.5 million over a week nationally.

Nationally, there were 26,476 people who tested positive today, making it 235,090 over the week, an increase of 4,223 (1.8%) over the week before.

There were 48 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test recorded today, making it 805 over the week, an increase of 101 or 14.8 per cent over the previous week.

The number admitted to hospital is 969, recorded on August 24, the latest figure available. This amounts to 6,294 over a week, an increase of 397 (6.7%) on the week before.