March 17, 2021 5.34 pm This story is over 36 months old

173 COVID cases and seven deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday

Over 25 million receive first COVID jab as infections rise
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

There have been 173 new coronavirus cases and seven COVID-related deaths in Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday — compared to 200 cases and five deaths last Wednesday.

The government’s COVID-19 dashboard recorded 111 new cases in Lincolnshire, 39 in North Lincolnshire and 23 in North East Lincolnshire.

On Wednesday, four deaths were registered in Lincolnshire, two in North East Lincolnshire and one 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 one new local hospital death on Wednesday at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust.

On Wednesday, national cases increased by 5,758 to 4,274,579, while deaths rose by 141 to 125,831.

This comes as more than 25 million people have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock calling it “an extraordinary feat”.

The coronavirus vaccination programme has been in operation for 100 days, and people aged 50 and over are now being invited to book their first dose.

Wednesday March 17 marks 100 days since the NHS administered the first ever dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the UK, when Margaret Keenan was vaccinated on December 8, 2020.

The milestone comes alongside news that people aged 50 or over are now being invited by the NHS to accept the vaccine and book an appointment.

Special trees have been planted outside Lincoln County and Boston Pilgrim hospitals this week in memory of those affected by the pandemic and to mark a year since the first coronavirus patient in Lincolnshire.

Since March 17, 2020, ULHT has seen a total number of 2,981 COVID inpatient cases, with 2,075 COVID patients have been discharged during that time.

Greater Lincolnshire has seen an increase in its infection rate since Monday, passing 100 infections per 100,000 people.

All districts have seen a rise since Monday with only South Holland seeing a small decrease.

North East Lincolnshire currently stands at 6th in the UK for highest infection rate and is more than twice the rate of North Kesteven which sits 133rd nationally.

Since Monday, the England average infection rate has remained the same at 58.7.

Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates up to March 17, according to the government dashboard:

Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Mar 10 to Mar 17. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite

In national news, The health department was a “smoking ruin” in the early days of the COVID pandemic, the prime minister’s former chief aide has told MPs.

Dominic Cummings revealed how the UK’s vaccine programme was moved out of Matt Hancock’s Department of Health and Social Care following the problems health officials had in buying protective equipment for NHS staff.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to block vaccine exports to the UK and other countries with markedly higher rollouts of coronavirus jabs.

The EU’s delivery of COVID vaccines has been slower compared with the UK rollout, where nearly 25 million adults have now had their first dose.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Wednesday, March 17

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

55,937 cases (up 173)

  • 39,251 in Lincolnshire (up 111)
  • 8,522 in North Lincolnshire (up 39)
  • 8,164 in North East Lincolnshire (up 23)

2,144 deaths (up seven)

  • 1,579 from Lincolnshire (up four)
  • 300 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
  • 265 from North East Lincolnshire (up two)

of which 1,280 hospital deaths (up one)

  • 795 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up one)
  • 41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
  • 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
  • 443 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)

4,274,579 UK cases, 125,831 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.