Four areas in Greater Lincolnshire have infection rates more than twice as high as the England average, despite an Easter weekend fall in rates.
North Lincolnshire, South Holland, Boston and South Kesteven all have infection rates of more than 96 per 100,000 of the population, over double that of England’s average of 43.9.
Eight of the nine districts have seen a decrease in their infection rates since Good Friday, with the largest fall in North Lincolnshire – a third. However, the authority still has one of the highest rates in the country, ranked 11th.
North Lincolnshire’s latest epidemiology report put this down to more testing with children returning to schools. North Lincolnshire Council has been contacted by The Lincolnite for further information.
Despite its high infection rate for the past few weeks, North Lincolnshire has seen a large drop and is now at a similar level to South Holland’s infection rate.
South Holland and Boston have had some of the highest national infection rates since the pandemic started, with health bosses putting this down to a lot of the districts’ population working in employment areas with low income or low hours such as agency work, farming and factories.
As a result, some may fear taking time off work to self-isolate for financial reasons. For instance, more than a quarter of South Holland is employed in food manufacturing.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates up to April 5:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Mar 29 to Apr 5. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
Lincoln and North Kesteven have the lowest infection rates in the region and are lower than the England average, which could be put down to fewer jobs in manufacturing goods.
West Lindsey has seen a drop of almost 50% in the last week. On March 26, The Lincolnite revealed that the district had seen a care home outbreak where residents have been vaccinated.
Overall, Greater Lincolnshire has fallen by around 20 infections per 100,000 from March 29, but remains nearly double the England average.
Professor Derek Ward, director for public health at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “The more important question I think is how many people are ending up in hospital and sadly how many people are losing their lives to COVID.”
However, he added that infection rates are “definitely coming down very significantly and that’s really good news.”
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a collision caused serious injuries to a 23-year-old man.
Just before 3.30pm yesterday (2 July), we received reports of a collision on Barholm Road in Tallington. It involved a grey BMW 335D estate, a blue BMW 116D and an orange KTM motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 23-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the collision and was taken to hospital.
If you witnessed the incident and are yet to get in touch with us, please do so. If you have any other information or dashcam footage available that may have captured the road along the A1175 at the time of the collision, get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 282 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 282 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
The 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards are open for applications, and Destination Lincolnshire giving you the rare chance to co-create your application with Nell Barrington, a tourism awards veteran, who has helped hundreds of businesses write winning applications over the last 15 years – including national VisitEngland winners.
The Tourism Awards Masterclass is taking place on Tuesday 12 July at 11am for one-hour online. Laura Freer, Head of Marketing at Destination Lincolnshire said: “This is a golden opportunity, after years of hard work and heartache, to get your business and team recognised and rewarded.
“A well written application is key to achieving a coveted place on this year’s shortlist, and I’d encourage all tourism and visitor economy businesses who are thinking of entering – whether they are seasoned at writing award applications or not – to join us for this exclusive masterclass.
“Nell Barrington has worked with us and VisitEngland on the founding application processes of these awards, and she is perfectly placed to assist in co-creating applications that you can be proud of. This is a great opportunity for business development too – whether you are shortlisted for an award or not – discovering how to effectively apply for awards and talk up your business adds another string to your bow.
“Booking is essential and places are limited to just 35 – so be quick! This year we’ve made our masterclass available to partners and also to those who we are yet to work with for free. Call it an added bonus, after two years away from the awards circuit.
The awards masterclass is focussed on the application process, and it will spell out what the judges are looking for. You’ll learn how to make your application stand out from the local competition, helping your chances of going through to the national VisitEngland Awards in 2023.”
There are fifteen categories open for nominations from visitors attraction, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and many more.
The deadline for nominations is July 29, with online judging starting on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. Finalists will be announced on Monday, August 15.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.
The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, alongside headline sponsors Lincoln College and Destination Lincolnshire.
We would also like to thank our other sponsors Visit Lincolnshire, Heart of Lincs, Duncan and Toplis and LNER, insight6 and EV Camel.