Twenty Covid-19 cases were recorded in Rutland today, causing yet another drop in the 7-day rate, making it well below the England average.

The 20 positive tests compared with 11 yesterday, 10 on Monday, 10 last Wednesday and 16 the Wednesday before.

The current Rutland 7-day case rate is now 227.3 cases per 100,000, compared with 259.4 cases per 100,000 yesterday, 281.6 cases on Monday, a recent peak of 313.1 last Wednesday and 290.5 the Wednesday before.

England's smallest county also continues to record no fatalities, after the weekend ten days ago saw the first death since April.

Rutland has now recorded 2406 cases recorded since the start of the pandemic- about one case for every 18 residents. This compares with the England average of about one-in-11.

The number of deaths is now 66, about one for every 600 residents, which compares with the national average of one-in-500 residents.

Prior to the latest fatality about ten days ago, 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, the number of recorded cases of Covid-19 in South Kesteven has now topped 10,000.

The milestone- equivalent to about one case for each 14 residents- was reached today after 51 positive tests were recorded.

The 51 cases now gives a grand total of 10,011, compared with yesterday's total of 9960.

It also compares with the 76 positive tests recorded yesterday, 43 on Monday, 64 last Wednesday and 48 the Wednesday before.

The number has further increased the district's 7-day infection rate to its highest in more than 2 weeks, and higher than the England average.

The 7-day rate for South Kesteven is now 300.9 cases per 100,000, compared with 294.6 yesterday, 277.2 on Monday, 231.7 last Wednesday and 245 the Wednesday before.

This compares with the England average of 296.6 cases per 100,000, which has crept up from 291.9 yesterday, 286.9 yesterday on Monday, 283.9 on Sunday and a low of 282.1 on Friday.

The figures come amid much testing, currently running around 750,000 a day or 5.3 million over a week.

Overall, the 10,011 cases in South Kesteven since the start of the pandemic- equivalent to about one for about 14 residents in the district, which compares to the England average of one-in-11.

The number of fatalities stands at 272, after increasing one on Tuesday, which followed on from a further fatality last weekend.

Prior to those cases, the only other recent cases of people dying with Covid in South Kesteven were on May 5 and March 25.

This means the district has recorded 4 deaths in just over 4 months.

In Lincolnshire today, 406 cases were recorded compared with 294 yesterday, giving a grand total of 57,277 positive tests since the start of the pandemic.

The county has recorded 2723 cases over the past week, giving it a 7-day case rate of 355.3 cases per 100,000, which is higher than the England and South Kesteven averages.

The number of recorded deaths remained the same at 1636.

Nationally, 104 deaths were recorded, with 607 recorded over the past week. This is an increase of 37 or 6.5% over the week before. The total number of UK deaths now stands at 130,607.

Today, 29,612 cases were recorded, or 196,347 over the past week. This is an increase of 12,039 or 6.5 % over the previous week.

The number of hospital admissions is recorded as 712 today, amounting to 5358, a drop of 504 or 8.6 per cent over the past week.