Grantham A&E campaigners stage static protest outside Lincolnshire County Council offices

There have been 2,592 new cases of coronavirus so far this week in Lincolnshire as concern rises over future travel restrictions.

The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday reported 458 new cases in Lincolnshire, 93 in North East Lincolnshire and 75 in North Lincolnshire.

The figure is 2% higher than last Friday’s 612 cases – but 18% down on the 3,130 cases by this time last week.

NHS figures have reported two further hospital deaths in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole hospitals trust on Friday – bringing the weekly tally across Greater Lincolnshire’s hospitals to six.

Government figures, however, showed four further updates to their deaths data, bringing the total for the week to 10.

Nationally, cases increased by 29,622 to 5,830,774 while deaths rose by 85 to a total of 129,583.

Across England, the R number has fallen slightly to between 1.1. and 1.4 – last week it was between 1.2 and 1.4.

Meanwhile, data from the Office for National Statistics across the week ending July 24 showed approximately one in 65 people in England were estimated to have had coronavirus.

Lincolnshire’s coronavirus cases up to July 30.

The government has come under attack from French ministers today after placing the country on an “amber plus” travel list.

UK officials say the move is due to a new Beta variant, with transport secretary Grant Shapps defending the move to Sky News, he called the new variant a “big concern”.

It has left France adrift in terms of the UK’s quarantine rules with all the surrounding EU countries having self-isolation requirements removed from August 2.

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States will also be able to arrive without needing to quarantine from that date.

Meanwhile, there have been warnings that Spain could be placed on a new amber watchlist, iNews has reported, while Italy has extended its quarantine list to include Britons – despite the government’s move the opposite way.

The next update to the UK’s travel restrictions is expected on Wednesday or Thursday next week. The Telegraph has reported that up to 77 countries are being reviewed for the green list.

However, there have been warnings that stricter rules may be brought in for places such as Malta, Madeira and Israel.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, July 29

80,799 cases (up 626)

• 52,761 in Lincolnshire (up 458)
• 12,431 in North Lincolnshire (up 75)
• 15,607 in North East Lincolnshire (up 93)

2,216 deaths (up four)

• 1,630 from Lincolnshire (up one)
• 304 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
• 282 from North East Lincolnshire (up three)

of which 1,326 hospital deaths (up two)

• 820 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up one)
• 43 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
• 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
• 462 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up two)

5,830,774 UK cases, 129,583 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.

Update: Lincolnshire Police said on Saturday morning they have been found safe and well.

Two teenage girls who were last seen four days ago are missing from the Lincoln area and police are appealing for help to find them.

It is believed that Paige Morris and Daniella Halstead, who are both 16-years-old, might be together.

Paige is described as five foot, six inches tall, with a slim build and long straight brown hair.

Daniella is described as five foot, four inches tall, with shoulder length brown hair.

She was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and leggings. Police said she may have changed into a short black dress and have a pale blue shoulder bag.

Anyone with information regarding Paige and Daniella’s whereabouts is being urged to call 101 quoting incident number 369 of July 26.

A new £4.5 million specialist respiratory unit at Lincoln County Hospital was opened by the Boston-born Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Jonathan Van-Tam this week.

The 10 side rooms in the new unit are all equipped with high-tech video technology and monitoring equipment, so the team can provide patients with non-invasive ventilation and other specialist respiratory treatments.

The respiratory unit was built by ModuleCo Ltd at its Gloucestershire Assembly Facility before being delivered in sections to Lincoln County Hospital, and then craned into position over a 72-hour period.

It is hoped the unit will be able to welcome patients later this summer once final touches have been completed.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam cut the ribbon to open the new £4.5 million specialist respiratory unit at Lincoln County Hospital. | Photo: ULHT

The unit will also be home to the Captain Sir Tom Moore Pleural Procedure room. It will treat both inpatients and outpatients from across the county who have diseases of the lining of the lung.

A second Captain Sir Tom Moore Pleural Procedure room has been installed and is already being used by patients from across the county at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam with staff in the Captain Sir Tom Moore Plural Procedure room as part of the new £4.5 million specialist respiratory unit for Lincolnshire patients. | Photo: ULHT

Professor Van-Tam said: “Thank you for the terrific honour to come back to Lincoln County Hospital to open the specialist respiratory unit.

“This is something very close to my heart because of the pandemic and also because I have asthma. It is fantastic to see this happening, with this high-tech and cutting edge facility which will very much put you on the map.

“Thank you to all staff at the hospital. As a specialist respiratory team you have been very much on the frontline of this for 18 months and the pandemic is not over yet. A big thank you.”

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam in one of the new side rooms on the specialist respiratory unit. | Photo: ULHT

Andrew Morgan, Chief Executive at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “This unit is all side rooms, reducing the need for staff to enter unnecessarily, meaning they will help us to control the spread of infection.

“This will not only really help us when treating patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, but will also provide a fantastic facility to deliver a modern, high quality respiratory service for the future.”