There have been 266 new coronavirus cases and 23 COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday.

The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 208 new cases in Lincolnshire, 30 in North Lincolnshire and 28 in North East Lincolnshire.

On Tuesday, 16 deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, five in North East Lincolnshire and two in North Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England reported 10 new local hospital deaths on Tuesday, including five at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and five at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

On Tuesday, national cases increased by 33,355 to 3,466,849 while deaths rose by 1,610 to 91,470 – the highest daily deaths since the pandemic started.

Over 1,400 rapid COVID-19 tests have been carried out at the mass testing centre at Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium — and there were more positive results than local health bosses expected in the first eight days.

Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate up to January 18 according to the government’s dashboard:

Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Jan 11 to Jan 18. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite

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Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Tuesday, January 19

Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.

44,640 cases (up 266)

• 30,992 in Lincolnshire (up 208)
• 6,957 in North Lincolnshire (up 30)
• 6,691 in North East Lincolnshire (up 28)

1,709 deaths (up 23)

• 1,212 from Lincolnshire (up 16)
• 270 from North Lincolnshire (up two)
• 227 from North East Lincolnshire (up five)

of which 1,016 hospital deaths (up 10)

• 617 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up five)
• 30 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
• 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
• 368 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up five)

3,466,849 UK cases, 91,470 deaths

DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF the latest update. postcode data includes deaths not in healthcare facilities or in hospitals outside authority boundaries.

Eighteen residents at a care home near Spilsby died after a six-week coronavirus outbreak, which also led to two staff being treated in hospital.

All 27 residents at The Old Hall at Halton Holegate, which is run by Kesh-Care Limited, tested positive at the same time on November 16, as well as 20 staff.

Sadly, two thirds of the residents died, with most in their 90s, but their ages ranged from 79 to 99, according to The Guardian.

The first death from coronavirus at the care home was on November 18.

Some of the deaths were so sudden that staff did not have the chance to administer end-of-life treatment or arrange for loved ones to say goodbye.

Two members of staff were so ill they had to be taken to hospital and it is understood that one is still off sick. Some staff moved into a caravan nearby to be around to help.

The care home’s manager Diane Vale said:  “The outbreak started on November 16 and lasted around six weeks. All 27 residents tested positive at the same time, as well as 20 out of 28 staff. It was awful, we lost 18 residents altogether.

“I have been a manager for 40 years and have never had to deal with anything like it – it was horrendous.”

She added: “Originally there were no symptoms and the symptoms they tell you to look for, such as a continuous cough or high temperature, there was no indication of that.”

Natalie Liddle, Lincolnshire County Council’s Programme Manager for Infection Prevention & Control in Public Health, said: “The county council was notified in November about an outbreak at The Old Hall care home.

“Our Health Protection Team were supporting the home during this period and we were assured that The Old Hall had taken extraordinary measures to regain control of the outbreak and minimise further transmission within the home.

“We are actively working with all care homes across Lincolnshire that have experienced significant outbreaks to ensure that they are supported.”

The home’s infection control procedures were validated as safe by regulators at the end of November and it was rated overall as ‘Good’ after its latest inspection on November 24 last year.

This comes after it was revealed that East Lindsey was the district of Lincolnshire that recorded one of the highest weekly number of COVID care home deaths in England in December. 52 people died from coronavirus in the district’s care homes in the five weeks to January 3.

Meanwhile, COVID outbreaks in England’s care homes almost tripled in three weeks to January 10, according to data from Public Health England.

Over 1,400 rapid COVID tests have been carried out at the mass testing centre at Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium — and there were more positive results than local health bosses expected in the first eight days.

Almost 800 COVID tests were carried out in the first three days since it opened on January 11, with 15 positives detected by the temporary centre.

As of Monday, January 18, 1,420 tests have been carried out with 31 positive results.

This is a positivity rate of 2.18% and local health bosses were previously expecting between 0.5-1% by the end of the initial two-week cycle.

Inside the rapid coronavirus testing centre at Lincoln City’s LNER Stadium. | Photo: Stuart Wilde for COLC

Registering for your test on arrival. | Photo: Stuart Wilde for COLC

Andy Fox, Lincolnshire County Council’s consultant in public health, said 674 tests had been done at three community testing centres in the county on Sunday, with a total of seven positive results (around 1%).

This comes after Lincolnshire County Council’s director of public health Professor Derek Ward said last week that his team was in conversation with the government about “keeping one or two sites” in both Lincoln and Boston, as well as potentially opening further laboratory testing elsewhere in the county.

A member of staff will talk you through the test and give prompts when needed. | Photo: Stuart Wilde for COLC

Staff working at the rapid testing centre in Lincoln. | Photo: Stuart Wilde for COLC

On Saturday, January 16 the testing centre at the LNER Stadium was temporarily closed due to minor flooding, but it was soon back open again. Mr Fox said there was no concern over any impact of the flooding.

People can continue to just turn up at the testing centre on Sincil Bank, which opens 8am to 8pm Monday to Sunday, until January 25.

After this date, the testing centre will move to St Swithin’s community centre on Croft Street, so those who live in the Monks Road area of the city can attend on a walk-in basis from January 25 to February 7 (also open daily 8am to 8pm).

Before departing the centre you will be given a ‘What happens next’ leaflet. | Photo: Stuart Wilde for COLC

The rapid turnout tests are supplied by NHS Test and Trace and deliver results within an hour via text message and/or email.

There is no need to book and you will be guided through the process from when you first arrive at the site.

Meanwhile, two further sites opened in Boston from Monday, January 18 at the Peter Paine Performance Centre on Rosebery Avenue and Tollfield Campus Haven High on Tollfield Road.

Thirty dogs with fur so matted their breeds were unrecognisable, and many covered in faeces, were found in a neglected state in kennels outside a property in the Skegness area.

The RSPCA was alerted to the plight of the dogs last week and the owner agreed to sign the pets over into the care of the animal welfare charity.

The dogs were taken by rescuers for immediate veterinary attention. Several of them were so badly matted that they had to have their fur shaved off.

The matting had caused skin problems for some of the dogs. Many also needed emergency dental work to enable them to eat properly.

One dog had puss leaking from her mouth and the situation reduced the rescue staff to tears.

Thirty dogs were found in a neglected state in kennels outside a property in the Skegness area. | Photo: RSPCA

The dogs were all cross-breeds and included Dachshunds, Yorkshire Terriers, Toy Poodles and German Shepherd types.

All the dogs are in need of care and rehabilitation from the RSPCA. When they are ready they will then be rehomed at a later date.

The dogs were in such a bad way their breeds were unrecognisable. | Photo: RSPCA

Ella Carpenter, manager at RSPCA Radcliffe Animal Centre in Nottinghamshire, said: “Clearly the dogs had been neglected for a significant amount of time and required their coats to be completely shaved and urgent dentals to be carried out. They were unrecognisable as to their breeds.

“One dog was in such a state she has pus leaking from her mouth. It was so upsetting to see it reduced rescue staff to tears

“Thankfully, dematting and removing the vast majority of their overgrown fur has already given the dogs a new lease of life.

“They are now able to move freely without experiencing the pain of those heavy matts, glued together with excrement, pulling and tearing at their skin.

“We will continue to regularly bathe them to help improve their skin condition and we will spend the coming weeks rehabilitating them and will give them lots of care and attention so when we are ready to re-home the dogs we can match them with a perfect future owner.”