Rutland has recorded a further drop in it's 7-day case rate, bringing it down to its lowest in a month.

It has also exceeded 8 weeks without a single fatality.

Today, England's smallest county recorded 22 positive tests, compared with 28 over the weekend, 14 on Friday, 13 last Monday and 19 the Monday before.

This gives the district a 7-day infection rate of 256.9 cases per 100,000 compared with 276.7 yesterday, 331.6 on Friday, 363.2 last Monday and 333.5 the Monday before.

The county now has recorded 3104 having tested positive with the virus since the pandemic started- about one-in-13 of its population- better than England's one-in-9 of the population.

Rutland has now exceeded 8 weeks without a Covid-related fatality.

Public Health England figures say the last such 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's 7-day infection rate has continued its downward trend with falling to its lowest since mid-July.

Today, the district recorded 79 positive tests but no deaths, which gave South Kesteven a 7-day case rate of 188.5 cases per 100,000- a reduction of more than a third since last Monday.

The 79 positive tests compare with 107 recorded over the weekend and 41 on Friday. It also compares with 38 last Monday and and 118 the Monday before.

The current weekly infection rate of 188.5 per 100,000 of population compares with 199.7 yesterday, 231.5 on Friday, 295.3 last Monday and 326.1 two weeks ago.

With its fluctuations, South Kesteven now has a lower 7-day infection rate than Lincolnshire's 267.1 and lower than England's 259.3, both of which have been far more consistent than the district and are also heading back down.

Overall, since the pandemic started, South Kesteven has recorded 12,559 positive tests - about one case for each 11 residents. Again, this is better than the England average, which is about one case for every 9 people.

The figures come amid much testing, currently running around 1.1 million a day or 6.8 million over a week nationally.

There were no Covid-related deaths recorded today the weekend, but there was one last Wednesday, one last Monday, with three others earlier in the month.

The five September fatalities compare with ten in August.

Prior to the August and September deaths, South Kesteven reported such fatalities on May 5 and March 25, making it 15 Covid related deaths in over 5 months.

It means since the pandemic started, official government figures record 285 fatalities in South Kesteven within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.

The total amounts to 199 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.

Meanwhile, on the day 12-15 year olds have started receiving the COVID vaccine, 599 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Greater Lincolnshire.

Government figures on Monday showed 385 new cases in Lincolnshire, 83 in North East Lincolnshire and 131 in North Lincolnshire.

No further deaths of Greater Lincolnshire residents were confirmed in the government figures.

Almost three million children aged 12-15 are now eligible for one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, with jabs starting in hundreds of schools across the country on Monday.

Like the flu and HPV vaccines, COVID-19 jabs will be delivered by local School Age Immunisation Services (SAIS) and consent letters will be sent out to parents and guardians.

Families do not need to contact the NHS to arrange their child's vaccine, schools and providers will be in touch.

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and deputy lead for the NHS COVID-19 Vaccination programme, said: "Alongside one of our busiest summers, NHS staff have been working closely with schools to ensure they are ready to deliver the vaccine to children aged 12-15 who are now eligible.

"The vaccine is safe and effective and I would urge families to work closely with their schools based vaccination team to get their loved ones vaccinated when they are invited to protect themselves and their families ahead of the winter period."

More than 77 million vaccinations have been delivered since the start of the vaccination programme in December 2020.

The NHS also today started taking online and phone bookings from people invited for a booster jab.

People who are more vulnerable to the virus are being invited to top up their protection ahead of winter as long as there has been six months or more since receiving their second jab.

Texts and letters are going out to around 1.5 million people this week.

Those eligible include everyone aged 50 and over, frontline health and social care workers and those aged between 16 and 49 with an underlying health condition putting them at greater risk from the virus.

People can book an appointment online at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or by calling 119.