December 16, 2020 7.34 pm This story is over 39 months old

316 COVID-19 cases, 31 deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday

Christmas is not cancelled yet
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

There have been 316 new coronavirus cases and 31 COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday.

The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 230 new cases in Lincolnshire, 58 in North Lincolnshire and 28 in North East Lincolnshire.

On Wednesday, 29 deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and two in North East Lincolnshire. No deaths were recorded in North Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.

NHS England reported 13 new local hospital deaths on Wednesday, including 10 at United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust and three at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust (NLAG). NLAG has now hit 300 hospital deaths since the start of the pandemic.

On Wednesday, national cases increased by 25,161 to 1,913,277, while deaths rose by 612 to 65,520.

Most Lincolnshire NHS staff will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine until the end of March 2021, according to hospital bosses. 1,200 high risk staff will receive the jab in January.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust had a total of 204 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday, with 126 at Lincoln and 78 at Boston Pilgrim. The total moved up by one to 205 during the morning of Wednesday, December 16.

40 members of staff are currently absent from William Farr C of E Comprehensive School in Welton, with three year groups of students also sent home for remote learning after an increase in coronavirus cases.

Some 15 schools across Lincolnshire have recorded positive cases of COVID-19 in either staff or students in the last seven days.

The current rate of infection in school age children in Lincolnshire is 177 cases per 100,000 over the last seven days, which is lower than the rate of 231 cases per 100,000 for all ages.

In national news, a relaxation of coronavirus rules over Christmas will still go ahead despite calls for them to be toughened, the four UK nations have agreed.

However, PM Boris Johnson said in his Downing Street briefing: “Have yourself a merry little Christmas and I’m afraid this year, I do mean little,” urging England to have a smaller and shorter festive period to be safe.

The announcement on tiers has been delayed until Thursday — but Greater Lincolnshire is expected to stay in tier 3.

Over 137,000 people received the coronavirus Pfizer vaccine in the UK last week, 108,000 of the jabs were given in England.

Wales will move to alert level 4 and go into lockdown on December 28. It will begin shutting services on Christmas Eve, while advising people to reduce the number of households meeting over the festive period.

Meanwhile in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon said: “The safest way to spend Christmas this year is within your own household and within your own home.”

Five Greater Lincolnshire authorities are now below the national average infection rate of 196.3, however, five authorities have also seen increases in their infection rates.

Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate up to December 16 according to the government dashboard:

Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rate from Dec 9 to Dec 16. | Data: GOV UK / Table: The Lincolnite

Lincolnshire’s cases up to December 16.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire for Wednesday, December 16

32,001 cases (up 316)

  • 20,936 in Lincolnshire (up 230)
  • 5,414 in North Lincolnshire (up 58)
  • 5,651 in North East Lincolnshire (up 28)

1,216 deaths (up 31)

  • 832 from Lincolnshire (up 29)
  • 198 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
  • 186 from North East Lincolnshire (up two)

of which 726 hospital deaths (up 13)

  • 411 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up 10)
  • 17 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
  • 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
  • 300 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (up three)

1,913,277 UK cases, 65,520 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.