Nearly a third of Lincolnshire residents have received their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but the number of jabs being given out dropped by 17% last week, according to the latest figures.

Data released on Thursday shows altogether 634,706 jabs have taken place in the county between December 8 and May 2 — a further 38,553 in the last week, and down on the 46,631 jabs given the week before.

The latest figures show that some 443,360 Lincolnshire residents have received their first vaccine dose (70%) and 191,346 have been given their second (30%).

Of those over the age of 45, a total of 365,828 have received their first vaccination and another 168,943 have had their second.

Some 77,532 people aged under 45 received their first dose, with a further 22,403 receiving a second jab so far. This includes those aged between 16 to 64 who are clinically vulnerable and at more risk of serious symptoms of coronavirus.

Office for National Statistics estimates put the total adult (16+) Lincolnshire population at 629,926, meaning that around 70.38% of residents have now received their first jab and 30.37% their second.

In North Lincolnshire, a total of 143,459 (47,259 second doses) vaccines have been distributed and 117,722 (33,302 second doses) have received a jab in North East Lincolnshire.

The mass COVID-19 vaccination centre at Lincolnshire Showground hit a huge milestone recently, having reached an incredible 50,000 vaccinations so far.

On Wednesday, the first hospital death in 17 days was recorded in Lincolnshire, while in Northern Lincs there have been no hospital deaths recorded in more than three weeks. There were 17 hospital patients across the entire region with COVID-19. Low hospitalisations and death figures are a major factor in how the vaccine’s success is recorded.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed that vaccine take up in the Over-50s is lower among ethnic minorities, those living in deprived areas, the disabled and those who did not speak English well or at all.

The full list of sites operating as vaccination hubs in Lincolnshire so far:

Hospital Hubs

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust 

• Lincoln County Hospital
• Boston Pilgrim Hospital

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust

• Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby
• Scunthorpe General Hospital

Local community hubs

Lincolnshire

• Louth Community Hospital
• John Coupland Hospital, Gainsborough
• Meres Leisure Centre, Grantham
• Waddington Branch Surgery, South Lincoln
• St Marys Medical Practice, Stamford
• Franklin Hall, Spilsby
• Sidings Medical Practice, Boston
• Rustons Sports and Social Club, Lincoln
• Portland Medical Practice, Lincoln
• The Storehouse, Skegness
• Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln
• Springfields, Spalding
• Marisco Medical Practice, Mablethorpe
• Princess Royal Sports Arena, Boston

North Lincolnshire 

• Cedar Medical Practice, Scunthorpe
• Riverside Surgery, Brigg
• South Axholme Practice, Epworth
• The Central Surgery, Barton

North East Lincolnshire 

• Beacon Medical Practice, Cleethorpes
• Open Door, Grimsby
• Pilgrim Primary Care Centre, Immingham
• Scartho Medical Centre, Grimsby

A Lincoln man who returned to selling cannabis by post has been given a last chance to avoid going back to prison.

George Holmes, 48, was jailed for two years in 2016 after he was caught despatching vacuum sealed bags from post offices in North Hykeham and the south of Lincoln.

Holmes, who was then living at an address in Victoria Street, Bracebridge, was traced after sending out packages from Swanpool post office and then being spotted using a nearby cash machine.

Lincoln Crown Court heard at that time Holmes was such a prolific customer at Hykeham post office that staff openly referred to him as “the cannabis man” as they could smell the contents of his parcels.

Subsequent investigations revealed that customers were making regular payments directly into his bank account and concealing the transaction under the heading of computer repairs.

Holmes was jailed for 24 months for the drugs offences in March 2016 but again came to the attention of the authorities in the Summer of 2019.

Caroline Bradley, prosecuting, said: “On July 19, 2019 the post office reported to the police that they had intercepted 18 packages which they suspected to contain cannabis.”

Miss Bradley told the court eleven packages containing cannabis were recovered during the investigation and police searched Holmes’ flat.

“There was some organisation in this case,” Miss Bradley added.

During his police interview Holmes denied supplying drugs and claimed that no-one else had been in his flat for several months.

However Holmes, now of St Rumbold Street, Lincoln, later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

The court heard Holmes was now free of his previous heroin addiction and had been making great progress for four months since moving to a settled address at the YMCA.

Neil Sands, mitigating, told the court: “They regard him as a model tenant.”

Recorder Michael Auty QC told Holmes: “You were going back to what you did in 2016.”

The Recorder agreed to defer sentence on Holmes for six months but warned him that he would return to jail if he did not stay clean or committed any other offences.

Recorder Auty added: “You have been to jail, and jail did not cure you.”

Holmes agreed to sentence being deferred for six months. Mr Sands added: “He would like the chance to prove he can be a model citizen.”

New CCTV and a well-being hub for people seeking help are among the improvements at the Humber Bridge as the footpaths and cycleways reopened on Thursday.

They had been closed for more than a month in an emergency move after six people, including a teenage girl from Willerby near Hull, lost their lives at the bridge between March 3 and April 3 this year.

New CCTV has been installed and the paths on either side of the bridge will be open between 5am and 9pm every day. Pedestrians and cyclists who intend to cross must also register with the bridge board beforehand, according to Labour MP Emma Hardy.

Specially trained mental health volunteers will patrol the area and the new well-being hub in the country park will provide a place for people to seek help.

Staff from Lincolnshire charity Bearded Fishermen will walk over the bridge to support people during the evenings between 7.30 to 9.30pm.

Hull and East Yorkshire MIND will be working in the hub and also going around the park talking to people.

It is estimated that over 200 people were reported to have jumped or fallen from the bridge, with only five survivors, in the first 26 years since its opening.

The father of a young man who lost his life previously said more needed to be done to prevent suicides in the area, but closing the footpath was not the answer.

Almost 10,000 people signed a petition to improve safety measures at the bridge. Those who backed the campaign called for more physical safety measures such as barriers.

Cycle UK Has also been campaigning for action over the closure of the bridge to pedestrians and cyclists since it was closed in April.

Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK head of campaigns, said: “For over a month the Humber Bridge has been closed to all pedestrians and anyone cycling save for those commuter cyclists who managed to get through a cumbersome registration process, so a partial reopening tomorrow is welcome progress.

“But the tragic loss of life along the bridge has been a chronic problem for over a decade, requiring investment in long term infrastructure and intervention measures, whilst banning people on foot or a bike from crossing the bridge was only ever a kneejerk reaction which didn’t address the causes or long-term solutions.

“Cycling UK hopes that the Humber Bridge Board will at last recognise the importance of maintaining cycle and pedestrian access while improving suicide prevention measures, and if they must have a registration system for people to cross, make it simple, easily accessible, with registration and other restrictions being time-limited rather than permanent.”