Left to right: Dean Cross (Waterside Shopping), Val Johnson (St Marks Shopping), Richard Baxter (Lincoln BIG), Laura Dunne (Cornhill Quarter), Sarah Loftus (Lincoln BIG). Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Rewind the week 20 coronavirus lockdown updates from Lincoln and Lincolnshire.
3,529 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire (up from 3,515)
2,570 in Lincolnshire (up from 2,558)
739 in North Lincolnshire (no change)
220 in North East Lincolnshire (up from 218)
439 COVID-19 deaths in Greater Lincolnshire healthcare (no change)
143 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
4 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
118 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
114 in Lincolnshire care homes (no change)
52 in North Lincolnshire care homes (no change)
7 in North East Lincolnshire care homes (no change)
465 COVID-19 deaths from Greater Lincolnshire postcodes (no change)
323 from Lincolnshire (no change)
106 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
36 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
310,825 cases, 46,574 deaths in total
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.
Spotted an error? Please notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.
Live blog finished. Updates are displayed chronologically.
3rd August 2020 11:17am
Eight new COVID-19 cases as lockdown enters week 20
There have been eight new cases but no deaths in Greater Lincolnshire over the weekend as the UK enters the 20th week of coronavirus restrictions.
NHS figures showed no new deaths across the region’s hospitals, while the government’s postcode data also showed no additional deaths of residents.
However, the data showed another seven confirmed cases in Lincolnshire and one further one in North Lincolnshire.
Nationally, the number of cases increased to 304,695 while the death toll rose to 46,201.
Monday, August 3 is also the start date of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme which allows people to get 50% off meals and non-alcoholic drinks, up to £10 a head, when they dine in, every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, until the end of the month.
A list of confirmed businesses carrying out the scheme is available here.
However, the weekend also saw bad news for businesses including bowling alleys, skating rinks and casinos as Prime Minister Boris Johnson postponed the easing of further restrictions on Friday.
Mr Johnson also used a press briefing to urge people to wear face coverings in more venues such as museums, galleries, cinemas and places of worship.
The measures were in response to increases in cases in the north of England, including a tightening of restrictions in Greater Manchester.
4th August 2020 11:03am
No contact tracing needed in Lincolnshire pubs in first month
Lincolnshire health bosses have not yet had to use any pub or restaurant COVID-19 contact tracing data, a month on from the venues reopening.
Lincolnshire County Council’s consultant in public health Andy Fox also revealed that around 80% of people with coronavirus symptoms were being monitored, and a further 80% of close contacts traced.
Pubs and restaurants reopened on July 4 as part of the governments relaxation of coronavirus lockdown. So far, two pubs have had coronavirus scares:
On Monday, the new Eat Out to Help Out scheme launched for the month, aiming to bolster the hospitality trade Mondays through to Wednesday with up to £10 off per person on food and soft drinks.
Mr Fox said so far no local outbreaks had occurred in businesses, meaning the data pubs and restaurants had collected to help with contact tracing had not been needed.
“Our team, I’m very pleased to say, haven’t been having to deal with many outbreaks associated with specific businesses that have been capturing contact information at this point, that’s good news,” he said.
Second Lincolnshire business faces lockdown licence loss
A second Lincolnshire business faces having its licence revoked for breaching coronavirus lockdown after people were seen eating and drinking inside.
Jorge Carmezim, the designated premises supervisor at Raphael’s Coffee Shop on Westlode Street in Spalding, will appear before South Holland District Council’s licensing committee next Tuesday.
Lincolnshire Police said the premises had allowed “multiple customers on the premises consuming alcoholic drinks during the period when non-essential premises were required to be closed.”
A statement issued on behalf of Chief Constable Bill Skelly said police received a call stating Rafeal’s had 20 customers inside eating, drinking and playing music on Saturday, June 20.
An officer using a body worn camera recorded “numerous” customers “sat at the bar drinking out of bottles” in the middle of the premises and in an outside seating area at the rear with “plates with remnants of food on and bottles on the tables in front of them”.
There have been six coronavirus cases confirmed across Lincolnshire on Wednesday, but no new deaths.
Government figures released this afternoon also confirmed there had been no further cases in North and North East Lincolnshire.
Nationally there were an additional 892 cases bringing the total to 307,184.
The breakdown of the 3,498 cases is:
2,543 in Lincolnshire (up from 2,537)
737 in North Lincolnshire (no change)
218 in North East Lincolnshire (no change)
NHS figures earlier today showed no new COVID-19 related deaths in any of the hospital trust covering Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.
It means the region has now gone seven days without any extra deaths in hospitals.
The government figures also showed no new deaths of patients from each of the region’s postcodes outside of hospitals leaving the total at 463.
The breakdown of hospital deaths for the county is:
143 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
4 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
118 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
Nationally, 65 further deaths were reported with the UK death tally rising to 46,364.
6th August 2020 3:28pm
COVID-19 cases at Lincolnshire border tripled in a week
Lincolnshire’s health bosses are monitoring the coronavirus situation in neighbouring Newark, where cases tripled in the last week.
Eight cases of COVID-19 were also reported at the Bakkavor Dessert Factory in Newark on Wednesday, sparking warnings from the MP Robert Jenrick and other authorities.
According to the government’s dashboard, cases in Newark and Sherwood have increased by nine since Saturday, August 1. Since July 27 there have been 27 extra cases recorded officially.
However, it is unclear whether this includes the cases at the factory or if they are still to be added on to the figures.
BBC’s East Midlands Today reported this afternoon that the increase in Newark and Sherwood puts the region among the top 25 local authorities in the UK for cases.
With many commuting into the region, Lincolnshire County Council’s Director of Public Health Derek Ward said: “We continue to monitor our own figures and are sharing information across our border authorities to make sure we are aware and linked in with relevant incidents.”
Lincolnshire health bosses say they are not seeing any concerning patterns in the spread of coronavirus cases in the county, despite a recent outbreak in neighbouring Newark.
Derek Ward, Lincolnshire County Council’s director for public services, said he and his team were “keeping a close eye on” the situation and talking with Newark and Sherwood authorities.
It was confirmed on Wednesday that Newark had seen an outbreak of eight new cases at a factory in the region and MP Robert Jenrick warned people not be complacent about social distancing guidance.
However, Mr Ward said figures in Lincolnshire were broadly in line with those from last week. “We’re certainly paying close attention to it because there’s clearly a number of cases. We’re in touch with Newark and Sherwood Council and talking to them just to get the most up to date data and keeping it keeping a close eye on it,” he said.
He added that his team had not seen a discernible pattern of COVID-19 in the county from the postcode level data they were receiving, and that infection rates in Lincolnshire remained the lowest in the Midlands.
However, this data does not include whether residents commute to work – only where they live.
More money still needed to tackle COVID-19 impact, says council leader
Lincoln County Council is still calling for more funding and powers to help tackle the impact of coronavirus on the “vulnerable” rural economy.
Leader Councillor Martin Hill said in a video statement on Friday that further measures would help the authority determine “what is best for our county”.
“This would mean we could help to provide what businesses and workers need for secure and high quality employment.”
Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership this week received nearly £26 million for “shovel ready” projects including the Centre for Innovation in Rural Health, the Holbeach Food Enterprise Zone and the creation of new cycle links across the region.
“Research […] shows that county areas are more vulnerable to the economic effects of COVID-19,” said Councillor Hill.
“This is because of our higher proportion of staff working in sectors such as tourism, food services, manufacturing, construction and retail.
“In Lincolnshire we are working on an economic recovery plan and we’ve put considerable focus on trying to address this.”
Lincolnshire COVID-19 cases rise by 34 this week, four deaths
There have been 34 confirmed coronavirus cases and four deaths in Greater Lincolnshire this week.
However, hospitals have not seen any new COVID-19 deaths in nine days.
The latest government figures released today show seven new cases for Friday, with six in Lincolnshire and one in North Lincolnshire.
It means the the total number of confirmed cases in Lincolnshire is 3,515.
The figures also included COVID-19 related deaths for two more people living in Lincolnshire taking the total for deaths both in and out of the region’s hospitals to 465.
2,558 in Lincolnshire (up from 2,552)
739 in North Lincolnshire (up from 738)
218 in North East Lincolnshire (no change)
Taking into account the eight deaths over the weekend, it means there have been 42 cases in the region so far in August, including 37 in Lincolnshire, four in North Lincolnshire, and one in North East Lincolnshire.
The latest NHS figures showed no new COVID-19 related deaths at any of the region’s hospitals for the ninth day in a row.
The latest breakdown remains at:
143 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust
4 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust
118 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG)
However, government figures earlier this week added two further deaths to the tally of those who live in Lincolnshire, bringing the total across the region including North and North East Lincolnshire to 465.
They total:
323 from Lincolnshire (up from 321)
106 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
36 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
Nationally, the number of cases increased by 871 to 809,005, while deaths in the UK rose by 98 to 46,511.
Two Lincolnshire criminals sentenced to a combined total of 40 years in prison for sickening sex offences against children were among those jailed in Lincolnshire in February.
The Lincolnite‘s court reporters cover all the biggest cases heard in courts in our region every day.
Here’s a round up of signifiant cases resulting in prison sentences in and near the county.
In addition, William Clawson was arrested this month and recalled to prison after a fourth time on the run from police.
Timothy Mawer
Tim Mawer, 52, committed 62 sexual offences on 13 different boys in an 18-year period. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Former Lincoln area badminton coach Timothy Mawer, 52, was jailed for 20 years after grooming and then carrying out “vile” sexual assaults on young boys over an 18-year period.
Pawel Relowicz was found guilty of the murder and rape of Libby Squire. | Photo: Humberside Police
Butcher and serial sex offender Pawel Relowicz, who raped and murdered University of Hull student Libby Squire, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years in prison. Her body was found near Grimsby Docks.
Martin Ashmore was jailed for six years and nine months. | Photo: Nottinghamshire Police
Sleaford man Martin Ashmore, 58, was described by Nottinghamshire Police as a “manipulative and predatory” offender after being jailed for six years and nine months for indecently assaulting two girls in the early to mid-1990s.
A BMW driver who caused a double fatal collision when she overtook a line of traffic at an estimated 80mph and struck an oncoming vehicle head-on was jailed for four-and-a-half years.
This isn’t the first time Claire Parker has been in prison as she was previously jailed for hosting dog fights.
Daniel Noddings was jailed for 40 months. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
A driver caused devastating injuries to a Lincolnshire police officer when she went to help him after he was found slumped over his steering wheel in a supermarket car park. Daniel Noddings, 37, of no fixed address, was jailed for three years and four months.
Svajunas Navagruckas was jailed for over two years. | Photo: HMRC
The ringleader of an illegal cigarettes smuggling plot at a Lincoln farm was jailed. Svajunas Navagruckas, 51, was one of HMRC’s most wanted tax fugitives and was sentenced to 28 months in prison, three years after he flew to Lithuania to avoid the investigation.
Mark Elsworth was jailed for 18 months, but is likely to be released immediately because of the length of time he was remanded in custody. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police
Mark Elsworth was jailed for 18 months for terrifying his neighbours with his behaviour, but he is likely to be released immediately because of the length of time he was remanded in custody.
There have been 1,005 new coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and 26 COVID-related deaths so far this week — compared to 867 cases and 40 deaths this time last week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday recorded 113 new cases in Lincolnshire, 20 in North Lincolnshire and 18 in North East Lincolnshire.
On Friday, four deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, two in North East Lincolnshire and -1 in North Lincolnshire. Fluctuations in data are usually due to some deaths in those areas being reallocated to other regions across the UK or a miscount. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England reported two new local hospital deaths at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and one at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, bringing the total so far this week to 11, a drop from 20 last week.
On Friday, national cases increased by 8,523 to 4,163,085, deaths rose by 345 to 122,415 while COVID first jab numbers hit over 19 million.
This week has seen Greater Lincolnshire overtake the England average infection rate by seven cases per 100,000.
Six of the nine districts have seen an increase in their infection rates since Wednesday but health bosses expect to see numbers going up and down, so it isn’t too concerning.
The England average has continued to fall over the past week.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates over the last week up to February 26:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Feb 19 to Feb 26. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
Local health bosses said there are no COVID mutations of concern in Lincolnshire currently, but they have a plan if new variants enter the county.
The plan is called ‘Operation Eagle’ and would include surge testing and contact tracing to find where the variant first appeared in Lincolnshire.
The Kent mutation is present in the majority of cases in Lincolnshire and is known to be around 70% more transmissible, but not more dangerous.
Variants of concern include the South African mutation which can spread more rapidly and vaccines might not work quite as well against it.
However, there is no evidence it causes more serious illness for the majority of those who come into contact with it either.
In national news, the UK’s coronavirus reproduction number – or R number – remains between 0.6 and 0.9 from last week, meaning for every 10 people infected, they will pass COVID on to between six and nine others.
Vaccinating people in order of age is the fastest way to cut COVID-19 deaths in the next phase of the roll-out, say experts advising the UK government.
People in their 40s will be next, once the current phase is completed, not key workers. Here’s when you could get your coronavirus vaccine.
Some of the first people to check into quarantine hotels have had their first taste of freedom upon their release today after self-isolating for 11 nights.
From last Monday, UK and Irish nationals returning to England from a “red list” country deemed at high risk for COVID-19 have had to check into quarantine hotels.
The 15 areas of England to have vaccinated the lowest proportion of adults against COVID-19 are all in London.
In some boroughs, including Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham, just one in five adults have received a single dose of a vaccine, according to NHS England data up to 25 February.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, February 26
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
53,205 cases (up 151)
37,581 in Lincolnshire (up 113)
7,989 in North Lincolnshire (up 20)
7,635 in North East Lincolnshire (up 18)
2,065 deaths (up six)
1,517 from Lincolnshire (up four)
299 from North Lincolnshire (down one)
249 from North East Lincolnshire (up two)
of which 1,216 hospital deaths (up three)
754 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up two)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
420 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up one)
4,163,085 UK cases, 122,415 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.
After roadside littering reared its ugly head in Lincolnshire again, councils across the county appear to be passing the buck, without taking any action.
The issue was raised by The Lincolnite reader Rebecca Dunn, who went to clean up with her friends part of the roadside on the Western Bypass in Lincoln, because she said it was “starting to look like a landfill site.”
Some of the litter that was found at the roadside dated back 17 years to 2004, suggesting that the area hadn’t been cleaned in years.
A can dating back to 2004 was found at the side of the road. | Photo: Rebecca Dunn
Rebecca had told The Lincolnite that she was consistently asking West Lindsey District Council about roadside cleaning for over two years, but nothing was done about it.
She was eventually given a response, which claimed that funds are no longer available for litter picking on roads over a 50mph speed limit — the bypass has a 60/70mph limit depending if it’s dual or single carriageway.
An alarming amount of bags filled by roadside litter on just one stretch of Lincoln’s roads. | Photo: Rebecca Dunn
When asked about this, a spokesperson for WLDC said: “Working on high speed roads is a real challenge for us, wherever possible we will work with partners to allow our staff to work safely.
“For instance, we litterpick dual-carriageways at the same time as lane closures are in place for grass cutting operations.”
Rebecca and some of her friends went to clean up the roadside. | Photo: Rebecca Dunn
The council added: “We are aware of reports of litter on this section of the highway and have been working in collaboration with the Highways Authority to get the trees cut back.
“Now that work is complete it will allow us access to the laybys to undertake litterpicking work.”
West Lindsey District Council also said that there is no specific part of the street cleansing budget, of which we weren’t given the total figure, dedicated to the stretch of road in question.
However, the council said that anyone with specific issues regarding street cleansing should call 01427 676676.
“Starting to look like a landfill site.” | Photo: Rebecca Dunn
The Lincolnite also approached Lincolnshire County Council for a response about this, who declined to comment and called it a “district matter”.
Part of the A46 ring road around Lincoln is the responsibility of Highways England, while others are under County Council management.
In response to our original story, many people pointed out that a similar issue is arising on roadsides in North Kesteven.
North Kesteven District Council were also asked to comment on the problem, but did not reply.
Whatsapp
