Rutland has recorded a further plunge in its 7-day case rate as the county continues to record few infections.

Some 20 cases were recorded in the week to yesterday, giving it a case rate of 50.1 per 100,000.

This compares with 26 cases being recorded in the week to Friday, 29 in the week to last Monday and 41 the week before.

By comparison, the England average 7-day case rate is now 58.7

Overall, three cases were recorded at the weekend, putting Rutland on 1575, meaning one-in-25 will be recorded as having tested positive with the virus at some stage.

The number of deaths remained at 60, equivalent to about one-in-700 of the population.

Meanwhile, Coronavirus numbers increased again last week with 1,120 new cases in Greater Lincolnshire and 24 COVID-related deaths — compared to 818 cases and 19 deaths in the first week of March.

In South Kesteven, the seven day case rate increased from 83 cases per 100,000 last Sunday, to 89 cases yesterday.

This gives a 7-day case rate of 62.5, compared with an England average of 58.7.

Over the weekend, 25 cases were recorded in South Kesteven, compared with 10 the previous weekend, giving a grand total of 7000 cases- about one recorded case for every 20 residents.

The number of deaths remained the same at 263 however, compared with an increase of two last weekend.

The return to school was not blamed for the increase in the county's cases, with fewer than 100 positive tests across the region in the first week. However, outbreaks in factories and farms in the south of Lincolnshire continue to push South Holland twice over the England average infection rate.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard on Saturday and Sunday recorded 169 new cases in Lincolnshire, 79 in North East Lincolnshire and 54 in North Lincolnshire.

Six deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, however, a revision to the government figures (usually corrected due to incorrect data such as address) saw North Lincolnshire's death tally reduced by one. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

Sunday, national cases reached 4,258,438, while deaths increased 52 yesterday to 125,516.

In national news this morning UK regulators have continued to urge people to take up the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab after concerns over blood clots.

Several EU countries have paused the use of the jab after reports of the potential side-effect but the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says the evidence doesn't back that up.

Hospitality bosses have also threatened court action over the government's lockdown pathway.