Rutland has now gone 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.

Over the weekend, Rutland recorded 39 positives tests with virus, pushing the 7-day rate back down from earlier highs of the highest in 5 weeks.

This follows 25 tests on Friday, 21 on Thursday, 34 last weekend, and 43 the weekend before.

The 7-day rate now stands at 303.9 cases per 100,000 of population, compared with 321.2 on Friday, 298.9 on Thursday, 326.1 last Sunday and 259.4 the Sunday before.

The county now has recorded 2839 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.

Meanwhile, in Lincolnshire, South Kesteven has recorded its first fatality of September.

The death recorded over the weekend follows one last weekend, which was the district's tenth during August.

Before these latest fatalities, the previous Covid-related deaths in the district were reported on May 5 and March 25, giving us 13 deaths in over 5 months.

It means since the pandemic started, official government figures record 281 fatalities in South Kesteven within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.

The total amounts to 196.2 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.

Over the weekend, there were 118 positive tests recorded in South Kesteven, the same as last weekend, and down on the 156 recorded the weekend before.

The current weekly rate of 323.3 cases per 100,000 is down on the 335.1 of Friday and 350.5 of Thursday.

Last Sunday saw the figure at 365.2 ands it was at 365.9 the previous Sunday and 329.6 the Sunday before that.

With its fluctuations, South Kesteven now has a higher 7-day infection rate than both Lincolnshire's 300 and England's 303.2, both of which have been far more consistent.

Overall, since the pandemic started, South Kesteven has recorded 11,793 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, currently running around 1.2 million a day or 6.1 million over a week nationally.

Overall, across Greater Lincolnshire, there were 4,381 cases of coronavirus confirmed last week and cases increased by almost a fifth ahead of schools welcoming pupils back on Monday.

Government figures on Sunday showed 675 new cases in Lincolnshire, 122 in North East Lincolnshire and 161 in North Lincolnshire. The total weekly figure so far is 19.28% higher than last week's 3,673.

Three further deaths of Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire residents were also confirmed in the government figures. This brings the total to 16 – down on the 20 for last week.

NHS data is not updated over the weekend, leaving the weekly total at eight – one fewer than last week's nine.

Nationally, cases increased to 6,978,126 while deaths rose to 133,229.

Millions of pupils have gone back to school today with most of the restrictions of last year – including mask wearing and school bubbles – having been lifted.

However, education bosses will be keeping a close eye on the return after Scotland, which restarted the school term in August, saw a rapid increase in cases.

Older pupils have been asked to take regular tests, as cases in children are more than 30 times higher compared to last year.