South Kesteven has today stayed on top as Lincolnshire's Covid-19 hotspot after another grim set of results.

The district recorded 68 cases today, giving it a grand total of 4390 cases since the start of the pandemic.

This amounts to almost one in 30 of its residents have been recorded as having suffered with the virus.

Today's number of cases gives South Kesteven a 7-day rate of 398.8 cases per 100,000, based on the 568 cases recorded in the district over the past week.

The number of deaths increased 3 to 135, about one in a thousand of the district's population.

Across Greater Lincolnshire today recorded 316 new coronavirus cases and 16 COVID-related deaths, as the third national lockdown started.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 238 new cases in Lincolnshire, 52 in North Lincolnshire and 26 in North East Lincolnshire.

On Tuesday, 12 deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and four in North Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England reported eight new local hospital deaths on Tuesday, including seven at United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust and one at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

On Tuesday, national cases increased by 60,916 to 2,774,479 while deaths rose by 830 to 76,305.

On Monday evening, the Prime Minister announced that England will go back into lockdown for the third time.

Lincolnshire should expect a difficult six weeks ahead after the "game changer" COVID mutation led to the government declaring a national lockdown until March at the earliest, say health bosses.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has declared a critical incident at Lincoln County Hospital due to the "large number of patients requiring admission," but that has been stood down this afternoon.

A Lincoln school said that pupils must stay at home unless both parents are key workers.

Some good news: Lincolnshire is among the first counties in the UK to be offered the newly approved Oxford vaccine for coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson this evening held a press conference at around 5pm as England's lockdown could last until March.

The Prime Minister said 1.3 million people have now been vaccinated.

He was joined by the government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance.

Mr Whitty said data showed an estimated one in 50 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between 27 December and 2 January - a "very large number indeed.

In national news, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced that a £4.6 billion grant will be given to UK businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors to support and protect jobs.

GCSE and A-level exams will not go ahead in their usual form with education secretary, Gavin Williamson, working with the qualifications regulator to confirm alternative arrangements.

39,603 cases (up 316)

26,945 in Lincolnshire (up 238)

6,250 in North East Lincolnshire (up 26)

1,495 deaths (up 16)

1,053 from Lincolnshire (up 12)

208 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

of which 892 hospital deaths (up eight)

530 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up seven)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)