Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty highlighted Lincolnshire as an area of concern for COVID-19 infections during the government’s press briefing on Thursday, suggesting some areas could face even tougher restrictions.
But Lincolnshire’s health bosses have refused to speculate on the government’s imminent decision over tiering next week.
The county is currently under tier 3, the highest, and chiefs previously warned people needed to stick to the lockdown rules as the government is due to take a snapshot of the most recent data in the next few days — before the official tiering announcement on Wednesday, December 16.
Lincolnshire County Council’s director of public health Derek Ward said it was expected the data would include the days up to the middle of the week.
However, he said: “I’m not going to speculate. I didn’t in the first instance, I’m not going to do it at any point. We will be where we are based on the Prime Minister’s ultimate decision.”
He said the data showed the country and Lincolnshire had been on a downward trend since mid-November.
However, he noted that where nationally the infection rate had flattened out and in some areas had started rising, Lincolnshire was continuing downwards.
The county, however, remains above the England average of 153 cases per 100,000 population at 239.4.
At a district level Lincoln and Boston remain a concern with the county’s capital now taking the top spot in local infection rates.
Health bosses’ own data shows Lincoln has an infection rate of 490, while Boston sits at 350.
Professor Ward said, however that many of Lincoln’s cases were in specific locations. For example 150 of the most recent 480 cases in the city were staff and patients in care homes.
He confirmed there was also an outbreak at Lincoln prison.
Infection rate Dec 2 to Dec 9. | Data: GOV UK / Table: The Lincolnite
Professor Ward said the amount of variation in where infection rates were highest showed that cases were moving around the county.
He added, however: “Our overall is down, but nobody should be under any illusion that we are as a county significantly above the England rate. Clearly if Chris Whitty has mentioned us in a press briefing, we’re on the agenda.
“They are fully briefed and up to speed with what’s going on, but I think we’ll have to wait to see next week where we are.”
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The problem of cyclists ignoring signage and riding on the main pedestrian precinct in Grimsby is “really bad”, according to a local resident.
The local council has been enforcing the issue since 2019, but BBC Look North said it appears only a handful of people are actually getting off their bikes and pushing them in the precinct.
There are no cycling and pedestrian only signs and even one stating there would be a £100 fine, but some cyclists in Grimsby are still choosing to ignore the rules.
When BBC Look North visited Grimsby one cyclist admits he shouldn’t be cycling and gets off to push his bike. A man with another cyclist swears when told about the rules not being followed.
A man called Trevor who initially contacted BBC Look North about the issue said: “I come down this High Street very often and I see cyclists just rushing by. One day there’s going to be a serious accident on the High Street here.”
Another resident said: “It’s really bad, it happens every five minutes around here, especially at weekends it’s even worse. They don’t stop, they don’t care.”
A 38-year-old man from a North Lincolnshire village charged with murder will face an eight-day trial later this year.
Emergency services were called at 4.23am on Saturday, July 2 to reports that a man was seriously injured on South Parade in central Doncaster.
The 28-year-old victim was taken to hospital but was sadly pronounced dead a short time later.
A post-mortem examination found that he died of injuries to his head, chest and abdomen.
Formal identification of the victim is yet to take place, South Yorkshire Police said earlier this week.
Steven Ling, 38, of Park Drain, Westwoodside in North Lincolnshire, has been charged with murder and was remanded in custody to appear at Doncaster Magistrates Court on Monday, July 4.
Ling later appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday, July 5 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.
No pleas were entered during the hearing, but an eight-day trial was set for November 28, 2022. Ling has now been remanded into custody until the next hearing.