There have been 1,877 new coronavirus cases and 109 COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire this week.

This comes as Friday saw 396 new cases and 27 deaths in Greater Lincolnshire.

The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 319 new cases in Lincolnshire, 44 in North Lincolnshire and 33 in North East Lincolnshire.

On Friday, 19 deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, four in North East Lincolnshire and four 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 13 new local hospital deaths on Friday, including nine at United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust and four at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust.

On Friday, national cases increased by 16,298 to 1,690,432 while deaths rose by 504 to 60,617.

In local news, COVID infection rates in Lincolnshire schools have risen, but are still too low to justify closing them early, health bosses said. There have been a further 18 Lincolnshire schools with positive cases of coronavirus over the last seven days.

Lincolnshire received 20,000 lateral flow (rapid) tests for mass or community testing along with protective and IT equipment. The county can get tests for up to 10% of the population (around 75,000 kits), but it doesn’t yet have the capacity or staff to do so.

A donor centre in Scunthorpe will be one of 14 new locations used to urgently collect blood plasma for COVID-19 treatment trials and potential general use in hospitals.

This week saw the UK’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine. It is 95% effective and United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust is one of the fifty trusts which will get the vaccine next week. Here are the groups who will get the jab first.

Greater Lincolnshire entered tier 3 on Wednesday, the toughest restrictions. Here’s everything you need to know about travelling during the festive period.

Nationally, the R (rate of infection) number for Greater Lincolnshire has fallen slightly between 0.8 and 1, meaning for every 10 people who are infected with COVID-19, they will pass it on to eight others.

The UK has said it is “confident” it will have 800,000 vaccine doses by next week – immunisations will start Tuesday. 40 million doses have been ordered.

Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate over the last week:

Infection rate from November 27 to December 4. | Data: GOV UK / Table: The Lincolnite

Lincolnshire COVID-19 cases up to December 4. | Data: GOV UK

Lincolnshire COVID-related deaths up to December 4. | Data: GOV UK

A breast radiologist at Lincoln County Hospital has been suspended for nine months after turning up for work having drunk a whole bottle of vodka and ending up at A&E.

A Medical Practitioners Tribunal was held between November 12 to 20 to look into allegations that Dr Sarka Bakalarova attended work at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust whilst under the influence of alcohol, which was determined and proved.

She was so intoxicated colleagues realised she “had no idea where she was”.

Dr Bakalarova qualified in 1988 and practiced in Czech Republic as a radiologist from 1989 until 2017. At the time of the alleged events she was working as a locum at ULHT, but after the tribunal the trust said she “will not be coming back”.

Initial concerns were raised with the General Medical Council on November 18, 2018 by the medical director of the trust.

The tribunal received evidence on behalf of the GMC from Mr D, Radiology Operational Manager at ULHT, as well as witness statements from Mr C, General Manager, Clinical Lead and Professional Lead for Diagnostics, and Mr E, Consultant Mammographer.

Mr D’s written account stated: “In my view it was clear that Dr Bakalarova was under the influence at this point. I can’t remember the exact figure of the blood alcohol level, but I know it was very significant, maybe 10 or 11 times the legal limit.

“She was slurring some words quite badly, she had poor balance and she kept repeating things.”

In another witness statement it states that on the journey to A&E she became extremely agitated and repeatedly tried to get off the trolley and refused to let go of a consultant’s arm.

When in A&E she carried on in an agitated and aggressive manner. Occasionally she would fall asleep then awake very confused and agitated again.

The report states that Dr Bakalarova also provided her own witness statement dated October 29, 2020.

A spokesperson for United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Dr Sarka Bakalarova was working at the trust as a locum radiologist in November 2018. She has not worked at the trust since this incident and will not be coming back.”

There will be a new speed limit of 60mph when the Lincoln Eastern Bypass opens “before the end of the year”.

The £120 million single carriageway bypass will start at a new roundabout on the A15 Sleaford Road and finish at the A158 Wragby Road.

An exact competition date for the bypass, which will become the new A15, has not yet been revealed by the county council. However, councillor Richard Davies said it will be ready ahead of Christmas.

There will also be new road layouts in place, which are expected to divert up to 25% of traffic from Broadgate in Lincoln.

Speed limits

• The new bypass’ speed limit will be 60mph
• A 40mph speed limit will be in place at Wragby Road roundabout
• A 50mph speed limit will be in place on Hawthorn Road, between the new bypass and Cherry Willingham (the existing 40mph in Cherry Willingham will remain)
• Speed limits on Greetwell Road, Washingborough Road, B1188 Lincoln Road, A15 Sleaford Road and Bloxholm Lane will remain as they were before construction started

New junction layout at Hawthorn Road. | Photo: LCC

New road layouts

Hawthorn Road

Drivers will be able to access Hawthorn Road east from the new bypass with a permanent closure of Hawthorn Road from the west for drivers.

No access to Cherry Willingham will be available via the Hawthorn Road junction with Bunkers Hill.

Access to Cherry Willingham from the new bypass will only be available for southbound traffic from Wragby Road roundabout. Traffic accessing the bypass from Cherry Willingham will only be able to enter southbound towards Greetwell Road.

Greetwell Road, Washingborough Road and B1188 Lincoln Road

New bypass roundabouts at each of these locations will provide access in all directions.

A15 Sleaford Road / Bloxholm Lane

Bloxholm Lane has been split in half by the new bypass, so its existing junction with Sleaford Road will be marked as ‘no through road’.

The new A15 Sleaford Road roundabout will provide a connection between northbound and southbound Sleaford Road, the Lincoln Eastern Bypass and the re-aligned Bloxholm Lane.

Heighington Road

The road will pass over the new bypass from above via a new bridge. There will be no access from Heighington Road to the new bypass or vice versa.

New road names

• The Lincoln Eastern Bypass will become the new A15
• The current section of bypass between Riseholme Roundabout and Wragby Road Roundabout will also become the A15 (currently the A46 and A158)
• The current section of A15 from Sleaford Road Roundabout, through Bracebridge Heath and to the bottom of Cross O’Cliff Hill will become the A607
• The current A15 through Lincoln (starting at Cross O’Cliff Hill, over Pelham Bridge and to Wragby Road Roundabout) will become the A1434

The bypass will also be added to the council’s gritting schedule and local highway officers will regularly monitor wear and tear on the road.

Meanwhile, over 300 new trees, 10,000 smaller shrubs and plants, and an extensive new drainage system are just some of the ways county engineers are lessening the road’s impact on local ecology.

Lincolnshire county councillor, Richard Davies, executive member for highways. | Photo: Steve Smailes.

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “Although we don’t have a specific date set just yet, we’re just weeks away from Lincoln’s new bypass opening ahead of Christmas.

“And when it opens, people can expect some changes to how the road network in and around Lincoln works.

“This includes re-familiarising with the previous speed limits, adjusting to new ones and re-planning journeys to make the most of the bypass while factoring in some new road layouts.”

The Red Arrows will be temporarily operating from RAF Waddington ahead of the team’s permanent move from RAF Scampton.

It isn’t that far a journey for the Reds, moving just 10 miles down the road from Scampton to Waddington, crucially staying in Lincolnshire.

The jets will be based at RAF Waddington between December 7 and 11 as a test to see how the new home will work.

The Reds will still continue to practice at RAF Scampton, but will test how the jets can be integrated into the Waddington base operations.

The move is in preparation of the Red Arrows moving to RAF Waddington once Scampton closes.

The closure date for RAF Scampton is still unknown, but is believed to be at some point by 2022.