Rutland has recorded 52 cases of Covid19 over the three-day Bank Holiday weekend.

19 cases were recorded today, compared with 33 during Saturday-Sunday.

With 24 Covid-19 cases recorded on Friday, the 7-day infection rate eased a little from Friday's highest in 5 weeks.

It now stands at 318.7 cases per 100,000 of population, compared with 326.1 yesterday and 321.2 on Friday.

Last Monday, the 7-day infection rate stood at 276.7 and it was at 197.6 the Monday before.

The county now has recorded 2717 having tested positive with the virus since the pandemic started- about one-in-16 of its population- better than England's one-in-ten of the population.

Rutland has gone another day without a Covid-related fatality, according to official government figures, making it more than a month since the county had one.

Public Health England figures say the last death was on the weekend of July 25.

Since the pandemic started, 66 county residents have died within 28 days of testing positive. This is about one for every 600 residents, which compares with the national average of one-in-500 residents.

Prior to the county's latest fatality, the last recorded such death in England's smallest county was on Wednesday April 28. Before that it was Thursday March 25.

Meanwhile, in Lincolnshire, 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.

Across Greater Lincolnshire, there were 421 cases of coronavirus confirmed on August Bank Holiday Monday, as new infections slowed down over the weekend.

Government figures on Monday afternoon confirmed 281 cases in Lincolnshire, 61 in North East Lincolnshire and 79 in North Lincolnshire. They also showed one further death of a Lincolnshire resident.

Over the weekend, 893 cases and five deaths were confirmed. It meant there were 3,673 cases of Coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire last week, a drop of 5% from the previous week's 3,854.

Government figures published over the weekend showed four new deaths of Lincolnshire residents, bringing the weekly tally to 20 compared to 15 last week – a 33% rise.

Nationally, over the weekend it was confirmed that arrivals from Canada and Denmark would not have to isolate, while the UK's green list has also ben expanded to include Finland, Switzerland, the Azores, Liechtenstein and Lithuania.

However, Thailand and Montenegro are now on the red list and will need to isolate in government-approved hotels.

Elsewhere, New Zealand's officials say they "remain confident" about using coronavirus vaccine after reporting what could be the first death linked to the Pfizer vaccine.

A vaccine safety board said the woman's death was "probably" due to myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle, a side effect of the jab, but also said other medical issues could have "influenced the outcome following vaccination".

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.

The figures come amid much testing, currently running around 950,000 a day or 5.5 million over a week nationally.