Liverpool stars stroll on the Brayford in Lincoln

There have been 181 new coronavirus cases and six COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday — compared to 217 cases and four deaths last Wednesday.

The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 106 new cases in Lincolnshire, 42 in North East Lincolnshire and 33 in North Lincolnshire.

On Wednesday, five deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and one in North East Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England reported five new local hospital deaths on Wednesday, three at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and two at at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

On Wednesday, national cases increased by 6,385 to 4,194,785, while deaths rose by 315 to 123,783.

In local news, Lincolnshire’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have reassured that vaccination sites remain open across the county after concerns of jab supply.

The CCG said: “All of our sites will remain open and continue to offer the vaccination. Not all sites are operational every day of the week as they are dependent on demand for vaccinations and supply of the vaccines.”

Vaccine stock is controlled nationally, so each site runs on the supply it receives. Supply that arrives on any given day is administered the next day.

North East Lincolnshire’s infection rate is on the rise as two Grimsby factory workers have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Hilton Seafood confirmed two staff members of the 300 overall died after testing positive for COVID-19 and were treated at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital.

This comes as North East Lincolnshire’s infection rate has risen over the past week, placing the authority third place in Greater Lincolnshire and above the England average, as of Monday.

Since then, six of the nine Greater Lincolnshire districts have seen a fall in their infection rates, with Boston remaining at the same rate since February 26.

North Lincolnshire and East Lindsey have seen small increases in their infection rates but are two of the lowest rates across Greater Lincolnshire.

Both Greater Lincolnshire and England’s rate of infections have fallen, but our region still remains above the national average, with 122 cases per 100,000 people.

Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate up to March 3, according to the government dashboard:

Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Feb 24 to Mar 3. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite

In national news, the Chancellor has revealed his 2021 Budget which includes extensions to the furlough scheme and stamp duty relief, as well as increases in Universal Credit and National Living Wage.

Rishi Sunak said in the House of Commons: “Coronavirus has caused one of the largest most comprehensive and sustained economic shocks this country has ever faced.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace absences due to illness fell during 2020, official figures reveal, as pandemic restrictions helped some workers dodge their colleagues’ coughs and colds.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the UK’s sickness absence rate declined from 1.9% to 1.8% last year – the lowest level since its records began in 1995, when the rate was 3.1%.

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Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, March 3

Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.

53,882 cases (up 181)

• 38,010 in Lincolnshire (up 106)
• 8,109 in North Lincolnshire (up 33)
• 7,763 in North East Lincolnshire (up 42)

2,092 deaths (up six)

• 1,538 from Lincolnshire (up five)
• 299 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
• 255 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)

of which 1,235 hospital deaths (up five)

• 766 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up two)
• 41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
• 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
• 427 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up three)

4,194,785 UK cases, 123,783 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.

What were we hoping for or anticipating on a grey day in March, nearly 12 months since the start of lockdown? Perhaps for many it wasn’t all a ray of sunshine from the Chancellor Rishi Sunak as he delivered the 2021 Budget. Whilst the announcements might not have us grabbing for the factor 50 sun cream, he certainly did provide a level of optimism for businesses and business owners.

The Chancellor highlighted that we were experiencing a swift and sustained economic recovery in the face of the pandemic. Whilst the cost of the necessary measures to support the economy, jobs and livelihoods was at a level only comparable with that faced over the period of the world wars, our long-term economic prosperity would be underpinned through investment in improving productivity, harnessing innovation and through focusing on a more sustainable and green economy which embraced technology and skills.

Our journey to the future though starts in the here and now, with, in the coming months, a focus on supporting the economy and businesses whilst at the same time safeguarding jobs, as well as ensuring those out of work or looking for work can find suitable vacancies. Certainly, it’s clear support through apprenticeships and skills training is high on the agenda.

In outlining the government’s response and support for those affected and impacted by the pandemic, the Chancellor reiterated that the roadmap for our exit out of lockdown was irreversible. It was then great to hear that measures of support for businesses, including the employees and the self employed are going to be in place for perhaps much longer, perhaps longer than might have been thought prior today. This takes into account that for many, getting back to business, reopening and returning to pre-pandemic trading levels is going to take some time, not least for sectors like the entertainment, hospitality and leisure, bricks and mortar non-essential retail, the arts and sport.

Looking at the key announcements and measures to support businesses, the workforce and the self-employed, the following were perhaps key:

• Furlough to remain in place until the end of September, with employers being asked to contribute towards salary at the rate of 10% in July and 20% in August and September
• For businesses looking for support to ‘restart’ their business there was the introduction of the Business Restart Grant, with £6,000 available to non-essential retail and £18,000 available to those in the hospitality sector. This is in addition to the provision of the new Recovery Loan Scheme which will provides loans from £25,000 up to £10,000,000.
• Those benefiting from the business rates holiday will be able to continue to do so until the end of June at which time relief will be reduced to two thirds.
• Those who are self-employed will benefit from an extension to the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the provision of a 4th and 5th grant application. The scheme will also now be open to those who have not been able to apply and the newly self-employed if they filed a Self-Assessment Tax Return by midnight on 2^nd March.
• The hospitality and tourism sector will benefit from a continuation in the rate of VAT charged from 20% to 5% until the end of September, at which time the rate will increase to 12.5% for 6 months.
• For many small businesses facing increased and tough competition, the Chancellor announced measures to introduce a Help to Grow programme which provides management training and access to technology and financial support for purchasing software – hopefully accounting software
• In addition, the housing sector received perhaps an already anticipated boost with the extension of the removal of stamp duty on house sales up to £500,000. This will remain in place until 30th June.

Perhaps the headline grabber wasn’t the pending increase to Corporation Tax (from 19% to 25% in 2023), or the fact that duties on fuel and alcohol remain unchanged, but it was the introduction of the ‘super deduction’ tax relief available to those making business investments. The two-year tax break would allow companies to deduct 130% of their investment from their taxable income, cutting their taxes by the equivalent of 25p in the pound.

Overall it was perhaps as expected a Budget for the here and now, but the Chancellor was more than clear about the need to ensure government borrowing and the budget deficit are not only kept in check, but that the national burden of debt is reduced, whether this is in his lifetime or the next generation of chancellors, only time will tell. 

We would though be naive to think we shouldn’t expect tax hikes and reform of tax legislation at a time when it might at least be more palatable. For now, given the element of certainty provided, the scene and conditions have been set for businesses to work on and put in place their roadmap to recovery.

More of our budget coverage:

• Budget 2021: What you need to know
• Budget brings renewable energy funding in North Lincolnshire
• The Humber, and East Midlands Airport, two of eight UK freeports
• Lincolnshire towns and city get over £130m regeneration funds

James Pinchbeck is Marketing Partner at Streets Chartered Accountants, a top 40 UK accountancy practice. James, as a specialist in marketing professional services, is responsible for the development and implementation of the firm's strategic marketing as well as its engagement in the community it which it works and serves. His role allows him to capitalise on his broad interest in the national and local economy as well as his passion for enterprise. As part of his wider interest in enterprise, marketing and education, James is a board member of NBV – the East Midlands Enterprise Agency, an FE College Governor and a board member of the University of Lincoln’s Business School. He is also an Institute of Director’s past Branch Chairman.

An appeal has been launched to help a Lincolnshire war veteran celebrate his 100th birthday, with people being asked to send him cards for his big day.

Bob Sargent, an RAF veteran from Lincoln, will turn 100 years old on March 24, and a volunteer at a veteran’s club he is part of has launched a campaign to make it a birthday to remember.

Pauline Sidebottom, a volunteer at the veteran dedicated Camaraderie Club in Lincoln, has been speaking to Bob regularly on the phone, due to not being able to meet up in person as a result of lockdown, just to check in with him and make sure he is okay.

She has asked for people to send Bob a birthday card to celebrate his 100 years of life.

Bob served for five years in the RAF during the early 1940s, first training as a technician and going on to become a leading aircraftman.

He served in the Middle East, including in Iran and Iraq, and is noted as working on famous aircraft such as the Halifax and the Spitfire.

Bob said his time in the force was “the best years of my life” before the tragic passing of his father, where a touching anecdote shared by Bob shows how much his job meant to him.

Bob took compassionate leave to visit his father in hospital when he was at the end of his life. When he arrived, his dad told him: “I’m so proud of you son.”

The message was particularly poignant given that his father would die the very next day, but that didn’t stop Bob from pursuing his love of aircraft.

He left the Air Force and went to work at Luton airport, where he worked on Rolls Royce aero-engines among other huge aircraft.

Pauline told The Lincolnite that Bob “comes alive when I talk to him about his days in the RAF”, and it inspired her to give him the best birthday possible.

“I want to try and make it as special as I can, and let him know people are outside of his four walls and thinking about him.

“I did ask him what he wanted for his birthday (thinking he would say Thornton’s or Lindt because he loves them) and he said “just some birthday wishes” bless his heart, I think we can do better than that as a city can’t we?”

The Red Arrows have already agreed to donate a signed photo for Bob’s birthday, and Pauline is asking for the community to also chip in for him.

If you wand to send Bob a card, please send it to 32 St Edwards Drive, Sudbrooke, Lincoln, LN2 2QR, the address of someone who will deliver these cards for his big day.