Rutland has recorded three cases of Covid-19 today, compared with only one yesterday.

Once more, there were no deaths.

The figures compare with two cases last Tuesday and none the Tuesday before.

The grand total number of cases since the pandemic is 1677- about one in 25 of Rutland's population.

The district has now recorded 9 cases in the week to today and 8 in the week before and 10 in the week before that.

The 7-day infection rate is 22.5 cases per 100,000, which compares with the England average of 21.5, and has has generally trended downwards and has avoided the fluctuations seen in Rutland and Lincolnshire.

The Rutland figure is well down on the peak earlier this year, which reached into the 400s for cases per 100,000 of population.

The number of deaths remains at 62, which amounts to about one fatality in 700 residents, which compares to the England average of one-in-500. The last death was recorded on the last Wednesday of April, the only death with Covid-19 recorded in Rutland during April and so far in May.

Meanwhile, in Lincolnshire, South Kesteven has now gone more than 4 weeks without a Covid-related fatality as the district again records just three more cases today.

Today's three cases in South Kesteven compare with three yesterday, five over the weekend, nine last Tuesday and seven the Tuesday before.

Overall, 36 cases have been recorded in the past week, compared with 35 the previous week and 27 the week before that.

This gives South Kesteven a 7-day infection rate of 25.3 cases per 100,000, which is just above the England average of 21.5.

Whilst the figures fluctuate, the latest figures remain among the lowest since last year and around a twentieth of figures earlier in the year when the weekly rate exceeded 400 cases per 100,000.

Overall, South Kesteven has seen 7593 recorded cases since the start of the pandemic- which is about one for every 20 residents.

The number of deaths has remained at 266 for more than 4 weeks. This means that around one-in-600 residents have died within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic started, which compares with an England average of one-in-500.

Overall, there have been 57 new coronavirus cases and no COVID-related death in Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday compared to 45 cases and one death last Tuesday.

The government's COVID-19 dashboard recorded 39 new cases in Lincolnshire, 14 in North Lincolnshire and four in North East Lincolnshire.

On Tuesday, no deaths were registered in Greater Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

On Tuesday, national cases increased by 2,474 to 4,439,691, while deaths rose by 20 to 127,629.

In national news, the government could change the rules around mask wearing next month, the health secretary told Sky News.

Matt Hancock said ministers "haven't ruled that out" as part of step four of England's roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions on 21 June, but urged people to exercise "personal responsibility".

The wearing of face coverings in a range of settings, including in shops and on public transport, has been required since last summer.

A form of the coronavirus variant first identified in India, which is now spreading in the UK, appears to be passed on at least as easily as the Kent variant that now dominates UK infections.

The variant, called B.1.617.2, was deemed a variant of concern on May 7 by health authorities in England.