University prepares for Royal visit

There have been now been more than 10,000 COVID-19 cases in Greater Lincolnshire since the pandemic started, as 341 new cases and 10 deaths were confirmed on Tuesday.

The latest UK coronavirus dashboard figures as of Tuesday evening showed 176 new cases in Lincolnshire, 66 in North Lincolnshire and 99 in North East Lincolnshire.

It takes Lincolnshire’s cumulative total since the pandemic began to 10,178 cases. There have been 5,586 cases confirmed in October alone.

The number of people who have died with coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire’s hospitals has now passed 300.

NHS figures reported six COVID-related deaths at hospitals across Greater Lincolnshire, including four at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and two at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals Trust.

The government’s coronavirus dashboard, which includes those both in and out of hospitals and those of residents in hospitals outside the county, showed 10 new deaths in the figures, with nine in Lincolnshire and one in North East Lincolnshire

Nationally, cases increased by 22,885 to 917,575, while deaths jumped by 367 to 45,365.

A chart showing Lincolnshire’s case numbers up to October 27.

Lincolnshire is currently still on the medium (tier 1) level for the the new three-tier lockdown system of COVID-19 risk, which means it has no extra restrictions on top of the nation-wide ones.

However, Lincoln could be in discussions over tier 2 (high) restrictions by the weekend, health bosses have said.

Three wards at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital were earlier today, confirmed to have closed to new admissions and are restricting visits due to a COVID outbreak.

Neighbouring South Yorkshire moved into tier 3 at the weekend. Meanwhile Nottingham, Rushcliffe, Gedling and Broxtowe, face tier 3 lockdown from midnight on Thursday — but Newark on the county’s border managed to escape, staying in tier 2 for now.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire for Tuesday, October 27

10,178 cases (up 341)

• 6,513 in Lincolnshire (up 176)
• 2,013 in North Lincolnshire (up 66)
• 1,652 in North East Lincolnshire (up 99)

461 deaths (up 10)

• 311 from Lincolnshire (up nine)
• 95 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
• 45 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)

of which 301 hospital deaths (up six)

• 160 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up four)
• 6 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
• 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
• 134 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up two)

917,575 UK cases, 45,365 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.

Lincoln could be in discussions over tier 2 (high) restrictions by the weekend, health bosses have said.

Lincolnshire County Council’s public health officials are advising that the city — at least — could be put into a higher tier as numbers continue to rise across the county.

Lincoln’s rate of infection per 100,000 of the population alone rose from 154.1 on October 16 to 213.5 on October 23, just above the England average of 212.5.

The city has had 1,063 cases since the pandemic began, with the number on Monday increasing by 59.

How cases have increased in the city of Lincoln up to October 26.

On Monday, 346 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Greater Lincolnshire, pushing October’s total to more than 5,000.

The county’s Outbreak Management Board, which includes representatives from councils, health and other response bodies, will meet on Wednesday to discuss the next steps.

Neighbours Nottinghamshire on Monday confirmed that Nottingham city along with the districts of Rushcliffe, Gedling and Broxtowe face tier 3 lockdown from midnight on Thursday — though Newark on the Lincolnshire border will stay in tier 2 for now.

Lincolnshire’s neighbours in Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire have much higher COVID-19 infection rates. | Data: GOV UK

Lincolnshire County Council’s assistant director of public health Tony McGinty said Lincolnshire was “fairly close” to having similar conversations.

“If you look at the numbers in some of our districts we probably are going to be wanting to talk about taking additional measures over the coming week or two,” he said.

“Some of those numbers […] are looking quite difficult.”

He added: “Lincoln is having some particularly challenging times at the moment with its numbers […] for me at the moment, the district I’m spending most of my time talking to colleagues about and talking to City of Lincoln Council colleagues about is Lincoln.”

He said local and national leaders may want to have that conversation “over the coming days or weeks”.

The restrictions for tier 2 – high – lockdown.

Lincolnshire is tier 1 – medium – lockdown.

Lincolnshire is currently still on the medium (tier 1) level for the the new three-tier lockdown system of COVID-19 risk, which means it has no extra restrictions on top of the nation-wide ones.

If that decision is made to move up a tier, the next steps will include discussions over what the additional measures will mean and what extra funding will be made available.

A 12-year-old boy from Boston said he was mind blown when he was cast alongside Anne Hathaway, Chris Rock and Stanley Tucci in The Witches, which is now available in the UK to watch on streaming platforms.

Codie-Lei Eastick starred as Young Watson alongside Will Ferrell in the film Holmes and Watson in 2018 when he was 10 years old, and The Witches, which is based on Roald Dahl’s classic book, is his second big break.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was released in USA last week and on Thursday Codie-Lei had a virtual private premiere with LA manager, James Symington of Symington Talent Management, and his parents Grant and Lucy.

The film has skipped cinemas and is available to purchase and rent for £15.99 on services in the UK, including Sky and Amazon Prime and iTunes Store.

In the film Codie plays the role of a greedy and lonely child Bruno Jenkins, the sidekick of Hero Boy Jahzir Bruno, and they have to stop the witches from turning them into mice.

Last spring Codie, talent agent Abi Kingsley-Parker and his dad Grant went to Warner Bros Studios to meet director Robert Zemeckis and some of the team before doing screen tests at the studio.

Filming took place at the Leavesden studios over several months last year.

Codie told The Lincolnite: “When I found out I’d got the part it was amazing because I have always wanted to be an actor. I was mind blown, going all over the house and I nearly stubbed my toe in the excitement.

“I got to work with more Hollywood actors and to meet a famous director. Getting to work on scenes with Anne Hathaway was incredible.”

Codie working on his script for the test casting.

After recently watching a premiere with his family, Codie said: “It felt weird because I would never have imagined being on the Hollywood screen, but it felt good. I watched it with my family and we all enjoyed it.”

Codie’s passion for acting and performing started when he was only three years old as he loved dressing up as superheroes and re-enacting scenes from films around the house.

He joined a local theatre company when he was six and UK talent agent Abi Kingsley-Parker, who was teaching at the academy at the time, invited him to further pursue his passion with private acting training at her one-to-one drama school AKP Performing Arts.

Codie-Lei Eastick. | Photo: Teele Photography

After Holmes and Watson and The Witches, Codie is now working with the UK talent agent doing auditions and warm-up training, and has another exciting project in the pipeline.

He will play the lead role in an upcoming animation series about football, although the title and further details are currently being kept under wraps.

Abi, who launched AKP Management Agency in May 2018, said: “Codie-Lei is an absolute joy to work with and has me laughing all the time!”

Other young Lincolnshire actors from the agency enjoying success include Stephen Thompson, who recently appeared on BBC’s Casualty, Freddie Garnham who wrapped a short film, and Olivia Boyne, who has been working on an exciting project set for film festivals next year.

Abi added: “My private drama school AKP Performing Arts and agency AKP Management Agency run side by side, many of my students are now also represented by the agency and it’s great be able to support so much local talent as well as international actors also.”

Five more schools and one nursery in Lincolnshire have positive cases of coronavirus on Tuesday.

Lincolnshire County Council said on October 27 that it is working with 94 schools with COVID-19 infections.

It is also working with 11 nurseries, with Young Tots Nursery in Lincoln the most recent addition.

The latest schools to be added to the county council’s list are Caistor Grammar School, St Thomas’ CE Primary Academy (Boston), White Wood’s Academy (Gainsborough), Scotter Primary School and Village pre-school at Manor Farm (North Hykeham).

Hawthorn Tree School (Boston), Woodlands Academy (Spilsby), Springwell Alternative Academy (Grantham), St George’s Academy (Ruskington) and Little Learners Pre-School (Lincoln) are the schools currently closed, according to the county council’s list.

Meanwhile, some 176 students and staff at the University of Lincoln have tested positive for coronavirus. The number of students at Bishop Grosseteste University currently self-isolating due to a positive test result has risen to 12.

Tony McGinty, consultant in public health, said: “As of this Tuesday, Lincolnshire’s Health Protection Team is currently working with 94 schools that have had confirmed cases of coronavirus.

“All schools continue to report the situation to us and are taking action to limit the potential spread of the virus when schools return – this will mean some pupils and staff self-isolating as a precaution where necessary during half term. Because of the length of isolation periods involved this may affect return to school for some people.

“Like the rest of the country, Lincolnshire has seen case numbers rise in recent weeks, and an increasing number of schools affected.

“However, the majority of schools will fully open next week, and those affected are working really well to limit both the risk of the virus spreading and the impact on the pupils’ education.”

Schools with current confirmed cases (new in bold at the top):

• Caistor Grammar School
• St Thomas CE Primary Academy, Boston
• White Wood’s Academy, Gainsborough 
• Scotter Primary School
• Village pre-school at Manor Farm, North Hykeham
• Lincoln College
• Queen Elizabeth High School, Gainsborough
• Hackthorn Primary School
• Kesteven and Sleaford High School
• Lincoln Castle Academy
• Lincoln Carlton Academy
• Bluecoat Meres Academy, Grantham
• Kesteven and Grantham Girls School
• Barrowby Primary School
• Billingborough Primary School
• The Priory Academy LSST
• Priory Ruskin Academy, Grantham
• Boston College
• Hawthorn Tree School, Boston (closed)
• Caistor Yarborough Academy
• Haven High Academy, Boston
• Malcolm Sargent Primary School, Stamford
• St George’s Academy, Sleaford
• St Peter and St Paul Academy, Lincoln
• Kirkstone House School, Baston
• Stamford Endowed Schools
• Manor Leas Junior School, Lincoln
• St Hugh’s Catholic Primary, Lincoln
• Ermine Academy, Lincoln
• St Giles Academy, Lincoln
• Branston Community College Academy
• Grantham College
• Kelsey Primary School
• Birchwood Junior School, Lincoln
• Great Steeping Primary School, Spilsby
• Walton Academy, Grantham
• Woodlands Academy, Spilsby (closed)
• Skegness Academy
• Blyton Cum Laughton Primary School
• Castle Wood Academy, Gainsborough
• The King’s School, Grantham
• Westgate Academy, Lincoln
• William Farr School, Welton, Lincoln
• Sir William Robertson Academy, Welbourn, Lincoln
• Kisimul School Acacia Hall, Freisthorpe
• Leslie Manser Primary, Lincoln
• Lincoln St Christopher’s Special School
• Long Sutton Primary School
• Market Deeping Community Primary
• Springwell Alternative Academy, Grantham (closed)
• St Nicholas Primary, Boston
• Community Learning in Partnership, Gainsborough
• Grantham Preparatory International School
• Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Horncastle
• St Michael’s Primary School, Thorpe on the Hill
• University Academy Long Sutton
• Denton Primary School, Grantham
• Bridge House Independent School, Boston
• Charles Read Academy, Grantham
• De Aston School, Market Rasen
• The Lancaster School, Lincoln
• The St Sebastian Primary School, Grantham
• Waddington All Saints Academy
• Bourne Academy
• Claypole Primary School
• St George’s Academy, Ruskington (closed)
• Swinderby All Saints Primary School
• University Academy Holbeach
• Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford
• Louth Academy
• Boston Grammar School
• Hartsholme Academy, Lincoln
• Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School
• Harlaxton Primary School, Grantham
• Holbeach Primary Academy
• Priory Pembroke Academy, Cherry Willingham
• Little Learners Pre-School, Lincoln (closed)
• The Deepings School
• Spalding High School
• Manor Farm Academy, North Hykeham
• Scampton Primary School
• Sutterton Fourfields Primary School, Boston
• St Botolph’s Primary School, Sleaford
• Fleet Wood Lane Primary School, Spalding
• King Edward VI Academy, Spilsby
• Kirkby on Bain Primary School
• Spalding Parish School
• The National Junior School, Grantham
• William Alvey School, Sleaford
• Barnes Wallis Academy, Tattershall
• Bourne Grammar School
• Spalding Academy
• Tedder County Primary School, Ashby de la Launde, Lincoln
• Alford Primary School

Public Health are also aware of the following 11 nurseries with positive cases (new in bold at the top):

• Young Tots Nursery, Lincoln
• Town and Country Kiddies Nursery, Louth
• Seashells Nursery, Mablethorpe
• Angels Childcare, Lincoln
• Little Learners Nursery, Skegness
• Nutwood Day Nursery, Lincoln
• Clarence House Day Nursery, Grantham
• Little Acorns Day Nursery, Boston
• Elsaforde Nursery, Sleaford
• Sunflowers Nursery, Saxilby
• Mon Ami Day Nursery, Alford

North East Lincolnshire

There are 31 schools, pre-schools/early years and other education settings with active cases in North East Lincolnshire, according to the latest available data provided on Monday.

The list includes the following schools with active cases:

• Tollbar Academy
• Grimsby Institute
• Ormiston Maritime Academy
• Cleethorpes Academy
• Franklin College
• Healing Science Academy
• Humberston Academy
• William Barcroft Junior School
• Humberston CE Primary School
• Signhills Academy
• Havelock Academy
• Weelsby Academy

North Lincolnshire

There have been at least seven schools with cases in North Lincolnshire since term restarted.

However, North Lincolnshire Council said it was unable to provide any data regarding schools in the region with coronavirus cases.