December 8, 2020 10.27 am This story is over 39 months old

Time running out for Lincolnshire to avoid a tier 3 Christmas

The numbers “speak for themselves”
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lincolnshire is “struggling” and time is “ticking away” to get us out of tier 3 lockdown in time for Christmas — and the numbers don’t look “massively favourable” according to health bosses.

Tony McGinty, assistant director of public health at Lincolnshire County Council, said we have just a few days left until the government took a snapshot of figures ahead of its review of the tiers, due to be announced on December 16.

“We’re not out of the woods yet with COVID-19. In the most recent seven days, infection rates in Lincolnshire are worse than the England average.

“We are still struggling somewhat at county level, though those numbers are being held relatively high in a couple of districts still.”

Infection rates from Nov 30 to Dec 7. | Data: GOV UK / Table: The Lincolnite

The county was put into the toughest tier 3 restrictions, along with much of the country, on December 2 after numbers spiked rapidly during the second lockdown.

The government will announce any changes to the tiering on December 16.

According to the latest figures, Lincolnshire’s seven-day average is 234 per 100,000, compared to a national average of 148.7

Boston and Lincoln are the two highest districts sitting at fifth and 12th out of all local authorities respectively.

Mr McGinty said the reasons for the districts with higher infection rates were varied. Boston saw more outbreaks in care homes, while Lincoln has to deal with an increase in shopping and people going to work.

“At the moment, sadly, the numbers in Lincolnshire are speaking for themselves,” said Mr McGinty.

“That might suggest that Lincolnshire needs to stay in the tier that it’s in to get more downward pressure on those numbers.

“Having said that, there are a few days at least to get the [numbers] down before the government takes the snapshot of the numbers across the country to form the decisions that are then announced on the 16th .”

“At the moment it’s looking like it would be difficult for the government to decide that Lincolnshire’s ready to go down a tier.”