February 23, 2021 10.34 am This story is over 37 months old

Lincolnshire health bosses “very optimistic” lockdown will be eased on time

Hopes for some normality by summer

Nightclubs are finally back open. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Lincolnshire health bosses are “very optimistic” that lockdown restrictions will be eased on time as there’s a “good chance” all four COVID precautionary tests will be met — but warned “this isn’t over yet”.

Lincolnshire County Council’s assistant director of public health Andy Fox praised the government’s “intelligent” five-week gap in between each eased restriction, so that they can decide if freedoms needs pausing.

This comes as Monday Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his roadmap out of the third lockdown which will start with schools opening on March 8 and non-essential shops open by April 12.

Four requirements for easing lockdown:

Vaccine deployment programme successful
Vaccines effective in reducing hospitalisation and deaths
Infections do not risk a surge that would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS
Assessments of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of concern

Mr Fox said: “I think there’s a good chance that those four tests will be met and that the lockdown restrictions will be lifted at the times indicated. I’m very optimistic about that.”

He added: “The five-week gap is to allow them to understand the impact of the lifting of each date of restrictions […] and then to have a way to analyse that data, and then to make a decision whether or not they need to pause it. That gives them the ability to stop if it’s causing problems.”

He added: “I think that’s quite intelligent, because without that […] we could just find ourselves in a situation where incidents get out of control again, and nobody wants that.”

“This isn’t over yet. It’s great we’ve got a roadmap for getting out of lockdown, but we still have to make sure that at every stage we are following the lockdown restrictions.”

East Lindsey currently has the lowest infection rate in Greater Lincolnshire of 49.4 per 100,000 people.

Over 7,000 COVID-19 tests were carried out in the district in the last seven days, the second highest number of tests in Lincolnshire before North Kesteven which carried out 8,000 in the last week.

Mr Fox put this down to a “couple of factors”.

“One is that they have an ageing population, compared to other areas in Lincolnshire.

“We think those people are often very willing to just stay at home and to follow the lockdown measures […] but more importantly, you might just be starting to see the impact of vaccination coverage.”

Lincolnshire has seen 9,601 rapid lateral flow COVID tests taken so far, with 291 positive cases.

Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Feb 15 to Feb 22. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite

The roadmap out of lockdown

March 8

All schools return
Allowed to meet outside with one other outside your household for outdoor recreation
England care homes can have one named regular visitor provided testing and PPE
Amend regulation for COVID-secure campaign activities for May elections

March 29

Outdoor gathering of six people or two households
Outdoor sports areas can open
Organised adult and children’s sports return subject to guidance
Travel outside the local area allowed
Not legally required to stay at home but work from home where can

April 12

Non-essential retail opens, hairdressers and public buildings like libraries and museums
Outdoor settings like alcohol takeaways, beer gardens, zoos and theme parks
Indoor leisure like swimming pools and gyms
Self-contained holiday accommodation, such as self-catering and camp sites

May 17

Rule of six outdoors abolished
Pubs, bars and restaurants to reopen
Two households can mix indoors – with the rule of six applied in hospitality settings like pubs
Cinemas, hotels, performances and sporting events reopen – though social distancing remains
Up to 10,000 spectators can attend the very largest outdoor seated venues like football stadiums
Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions, funerals and wakes.

June 21

Remove limits of social contact and weddings
Night clubs open
Theatre performances open

July

Life broadly back to normality

International travel is expected to return at some point this summer, with more details expected by April 12.

March 15, 2024 2.46 pm

Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2024 now open for entries
Celebrate innovation and achievement in the Greater Lincolnshire area with a chance to spotlight your business

By Katrina Burrill Partnerships Director

The 2024 Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are now open for nominations, seeking to spotlight outstanding businesses within the Greater Lincolnshire area.

Hosted by Stonebow Media, the publisher behind The Lincolnite and the MyLocal platform, this prestigious event is designed to honour the achievements of the regional business community.

Thanks to the headline sponsorship from the University of Lincoln Enterprise & Research department, the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of local enterprises.

The awards are also sponsored by Ringrose Law, Duncan & Toplis, Sills & Betteridge and Pearson Hydraulics. A small number of sponsorship opportunities remain available. Contact [email protected] to discuss partnerships.

Businesses can nominate themselves across eleven awards categories:

SME of the Year
Family Business of the Year
International Business Achiever of the Year
Business Innovation/Innovator of the Year
Emerging Business of the Year
Charitable Business of the Year
Environmental/Sustainable Business of the Year
Rising Star of the Year
Business Leader of the Year
Business of the Year
Tech Business of the Year

Nominate now! Entries open on the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards website.

The deadline for nominations is May 24, with the judges’ deliberation lunch set for May 29. The judging panel includes business experts and professionals from Lincolnshire and event sponsors.

The Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2024 gala will take place at the Engine Shed on July 12, 2024.

For more details on the categories, sponsors, and judges, visit the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards website.

Reasons to enter:

Enhance profile & credibility: Securing an award or being shortlisted acts as a powerful endorsement, signaling trustworthiness to potential customers and helping to distinguish your business from competitors. Displaying the award on your communications can significantly boost your brand’s perception.
Insightful focus & feedback: The application process encourages deep reflection on your business strategy and direction, offering invaluable feedback and clarity, even for new ventures.
Team confidence boost: Recognition from the awards can significantly uplift your team’s morale, affirming the value and potential of your business in the eyes of industry experts.
Marketing & PR boost: Being associated with the awards, even as a nominee, can enhance brand visibility, providing ample content opportunities for social media and other marketing channels.
Networking opportunities: The awards connect you with local business leaders and experts, offering a platform to seek advice, share ideas, and foster future partnerships. The ceremony itself is an excellent occasion for networking with peers and celebrating mutual successes.
Potential to win: Entering offers a chance to win and gain all the associated benefits, but even without taking home a trophy, the process can yield significant advantages for your business.

Lincolnshire health bosses “very optimistic” lockdown will be eased on time