Local gyms react to extra weight before reopening

There was a sense of excitement in the air on Monday as pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues reopened indoors as the easing of the coronavirus lockdown continues.

Cosy Club and The Botanist in the Cornhill area of the city, and Royal William IV on Brayford Wharf North, were the venues looking very busy on May 17, with others also enjoying a steady stream of customers.

The reopening of the hospitality industry on Monday, with no curfew this time, but table service only, was part of the government’s roadmap, which is now on step three of four, ahead of all restrictions being lifted on June 21.

Cinemas, museums, children’s play areas, theatres, concert halls, conference centre and sports stadiums are also allowed to reopen, while hotels, hostels and B&Bs can welcome back all customers.

The latest lockdown rules also mean that indoor socialising of up to six people or two households is permitted, along with overnight stays – see the latest rules here.

See the latest rolling list here of bars and restaurants opening indoors from May 17.

See the rest of our gallery below:

Monday has marked the first COVID-related hospital death in 10 days across Greater Lincolnshire’s hospitals, as inpatient numbers have fallen.

The death was recorded in United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (ULHT), which currently stands at 813 deaths in hospitals since the pandemic started.

Hospital spokespeople confirmed as of this morning, six patients were in ULHT facilities with coronavirus and four (one in Grimsby and three in Scunthorpe) in NLAG, a total of 10, down 41% from the start of May.

The last time there a coronavirus death was recorded in Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG) was May 7, but before that it had been over a month.

There were no COVID-related deaths recorded last week (in and out of hospitals) in Greater Lincolnshire, with 307 cases – a slight drop on the previous week.

Pubs, bars, restaurants, and other hospitality venues are reopening indoors as the easing of the coronavirus lockdown continues from Monday, May 17, part of the government’s roadmap, which is moving onto step three of four, ahead of all restrictions being lifted on June 21.

However, there are fears that the easing of restrictions will lead to an increase in the more transmissible Indian variant of coronavirus, which has lead to an increase in hospitalisations in areas in the country such a Bolton, where mass vaccination and surge testing is ongoing.

Police were out on Monday reminding drivers in Lincoln about the driving restrictions on Brayford Wharf East.

The road was closed to through-traffic in October 2020 for a one-year trial to provide a virtually traffic-free route for cyclists and pedestrians to the River Witham path, the university, and to the city centre.

It means motorists cannot turn from St Mark’s Street or Rope Walk into Brayford Wharf East, although access will still be given to emergency vehicles and for business access.

This was introduced in a bid to encourage cycling in the area and a pop-up cycle lane was created as part of the Department for Transport’s emergency active travel fund.

However, this has not stopped drivers ignoring the road closures signs and using it as a rat-run avoiding Tentercroft Street (East West Link Road) and Pelham Bridge (soon to closed for repairs).

Two police officers and a marked car blocked Brayford Wharf East at the level crossing on Monday morning, reminding motorists the road is closed — as the big red signs at the junction show.

A decision will be made later in the year as to whether to keep the new arrangement in place permanently.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire County Council said: “We’ve just finished consulting on eight further prospective schemes to make cycling and walking easier across the county.

“Only those schemes – or elements of those schemes – with public support will be implemented. We’re analysing the results of the consultation now and will publish them soon.”

The county council was granted £105,500 from the first round of the fund to support temporary projects during the recovery from the coronavirus crisis, although there is scope for them to become permanent.

The Department for Transport announced the funding allocations for the second round of its active travel fund in November last year, with nearly £800,000 more government funding for Lincolnshire’s pedestrians and cyclists.

The council previously said that this money could fund measures including ‘school streets, where roads around schools are closed to motorists at school times, improvements to pedestrian environments and segregated cycle lanes.

It could also help fund low traffic neighbourhoods, where residential side streets are closed to through traffic to stop rat-running.