Rutland's 7-day case rate has dropped from yesterday's highest infection rate in 6 weeks.

The county recorded 23 cases today, giving it a 7-day rate of 338.5 cases per 100,000 per 100,000, which is down on the 343.4 yesterday, which was the highest in 6 weeks.

This follows 23 cases yesterday, 23 on Monday, 39 over the weekend, 22 last Wednesday and 18 the Wednesday before.

The 7-day rate of 338.5 cases per 100,000 compares with 343.4 yesterday, 333.5 on Monday, 311.3 last Wednesday and 296.5 the Wednesday before.

The county now has recorded 2900 having tested positive with the virus since the pandemic started- about one-in-14 of its population- better than England's one-in-9 of the population.

Rutland has now exceeded six 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.

South Kesteven has recorded 48 Covid-19 cases today, keeping the district's 7-day rate as it was yesterday.

There were no deaths, which follow on from two Covid-related fatalities in just a few days.

A death recorded yesterday follows the first September fatality at the weekend.

Altogether, the district recorded ten deaths in August.

With Covid-related deaths on May 5 and March 25, South Kesteven has seen 14 Covid related deaths in over 5 months.

It means since the pandemic started, official government figures record 282 fatalities in South Kesteven within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.

The total amounts to 196.9 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.

As noted earlier, 48 positive tests were recorded today, compared with 57 yesterday, 68 on Monday, 61 last Wednesday and 78 the Wednesday before.

The current weekly rate of 342.8 is the highest since last Thursday's 350.5. Last Wednesday saw it at a peak of 351.2 and the Wednesday before it was 366.6, down on a peak the Monday before of 374.2 cases per 100,000.

With its fluctuations, South Kesteven has a higher 7-day infection rate than both Lincolnshire's 312.9 and England's 324.9, both of which have been far more consistent.

Overall, since the pandemic started, South Kesteven has recorded 11,966 positive tests - about one case for each 12 residents. Again, this is better than the England average, which is about one case for every 9 people.

The figures come amid much testing, almost a third up on the previous week, currently running around 1.2 million a day or 7.7 million over a week nationally, which is a third up on the previous week.

Meanwhile, across Greater Lincolnshire, there have been 608 cases of coronavirus confirmed today as government ministers say they are "confident" booster jabs will be rolled out this month.

Government figures on Wednesday showed 382 new cases in Lincolnshire, 93 in North East Lincolnshire and 133 in North Lincolnshire.

Two further deaths of Greater Lincolnshire residents were confirmed in the government figures, with both taking place within the county.

Meanwhile, NHS data showed one further fatality at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Trust.

Nationally, cases increased by 38,975 to 7,094,592 while deaths rose by 191 to 133,674.

Health secretary Sajid Javid said on Wednesday that booster jabs will start in September.

Speaking to Sky News' Kay Burley he said: "In terms of who actually gets it and when, we're waiting for final advice which could come across, certainly, in the next few days from the JCVI."

He later added: "I'm confident that we can start the booster programme this month."

A study commissioned by the Northern Health Science Alliance – which includes universities and NHS trusts – has found people in the North of England were more likely to die from COVID-19, spent longer in lockdown, and were made poorer than the rest of the country.

Sky News said the report used government statistics to show how the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber compared to the rest of England.

It also made a number of suggestions about how the differences could be tackled.