Question Time heading to Grantham next month

All of Greater Lincolnshire, including North and North East Lincolnshire, will be put into the toughest COVID restrictions (tier 3) from December 2.

Newark will be in tier 3 along with the whole of Nottinghamshire, as well as all our neighbouring counties, except Cambridgeshire (tier 2).

Tier 3 means all shops can open but pubs and restaurants are only allowed to stay open for takeaway services, similarly to now.

Barbers and salons will be able to reopen but travelling outside of Lincolnshire is not advised, unless for work, care or education.

Entertainment venues such as cinemas and theatres won’t be able to reopen.

Schools, universities and places of worship will stay open, though may be subject to household bubbles.

Unlike the previous tier 3 rules, gyms will be able to open and people will be allowed to take part in outdoor sports such as golf, tennis and Sunday football.

The rule of six will apply outdoors but there will be no mixing of households.

Weddings and funerals, exercise classes and organised sport can all go ahead. Wedding receptions will not be allowed

The government continues to request people aim to work from home if possible.

Tier-three areas will also be eligible for the mass testing pilot which uses rapid or “lateral flow” coronavirus tests and gives results in about 20 minutes without the need for a lab.

NHS Test and Trace and the armed forces will support the local health leaders to deliver the programme.

Prior to today’s announcement Lincolnshire leaders had expressed concerns over a blanket ban on the region and on Wednesday voted to write to government calling for more localised restrictions and control.

There were 508 new coronavirus cases and 29 COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday.

The average infection rate for Lincolnshire is 289.5 per 100,000 people.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We’re approaching the end of a year where we’ve asked so much of the British people.

“And in response to this unprecedented threat to lives and to livelihoods, the British people have well and truly risen to the challenge by coming together to slow the spread and support each other.

“I know how difficult this has been, especially for those areas that have been in restrictions for so long. “I’m so grateful for the resolve that people have shown throughout the crisis thanks to this shared sacrifice.

“We’ve been able to announce that we will not be renewing our national restrictions in England. Scientific and medical Advice shows that “we must make the tears tougher than they were before, to protect the NHS through the winter.

“These decisions are not easy, but they are necessary.

A lorry crashed into a marked police car that was dealing with a broken down HGV on the A1 at Colsterworth on Wednesday morning.

A second HGV then crashed into the police car, causing the road to be closed in both directions for several hours. The crash happened at 11.23am on November 25.

Two police officers suffered injuries which are not thought to be life-threatening and remain in hospital for further assessment. They are believed to be in a stable condition.

The driver of the second HGV, which collided with the police car, suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital. The driver of the other HGV was uninjured.

The A1 at Colsterworth was closed in both directions before police said at around 3.45pm on Wednesday that the northbound carriage had reopened. The A1 southbound reopened shortly after 9.20pm.

Police at the scene with the road closed. | Photo: R S Mortiss

Investigations are currently ongoing and police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with dashcam footage to contact them on 101 or via email at [email protected] quoting incident 151 of November 25.

Alternatively, it can be reported through the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online here.

Lincolnshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Kerrin Wilson said: “This was a particularly difficult incident which involved two of our officers performing their duties in keeping the public of Lincolnshire safe.

“I would urge members of the public to get in touch if you have any information or dashcam footage that can assist in our investigations.

“Our officers put their lives at risk everyday – not just when confronting dangerous people.

“I’d like to wish both officers a speedy recovery and to give thanks to all services and staff involved for their professionalism in dealing with the incident.

“I’d also like to thank the public for their well-wishes to our officers.

“I have been in touch with the officers and their team this morning and the power of the public support cannot be underestimated and goes a long way in helping injured officers come back with confidence.”

There have been 508 new coronavirus cases and 29 COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday.

The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 355 new cases in Lincolnshire, 72 in North Lincolnshire and 81 in North East Lincolnshire.

It also registered 17 deaths in Lincolnshire, two in North Lincolnshire and 10 in North East Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

It means there have been 13,011 cases so far this month and 325 deaths.

NHS England reported 12 local hospital deaths on Wednesday, including six at United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust, five at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and one at Lincolnshire Community Health Service

On Wednesday, national cases increased by 18,213 to 1,557,007 while deaths rose by 696 to 56,533.

The national daily deaths figure is the highest since May.

Lincolnshire’s coronavirus cases up to November 25.

In local news today, a meeting of the Lincolnshire Coronavirus Outbreak Board agreed to pen a letter to government calling on responsibility for restrictions to be placed with the county’s public health department.

It comes after Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman said his constituency area was “highly likely” to be placed into the toughest restrictions.

In the UK, scientists have warned of a third wave of COVID-19 after Christmas. It is feared that easing restrictions over the holiday period will result in rising cases of the virus and subsequently overwhelm the NHS.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has told MPs of the “economic emergency” the UK is in due to the coronavirus pandemic. In his Spending Review, Mr Sunak announced a public sector pay freeze, a cut to foreign aid spending and pay rises for over a million nurses, doctors and other NHS staff.