October 22, 2021 4.35 pm This story is over 29 months old

Plan B must be ready for “rapid deployment” say scientists, after slight drop in weekly COVID cases

Cases stable after record day Wednesday
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

There have been 4,051 cases of coronavirus so far this week in Greater Lincolnshire, as UK scientists call for Plan B to be ready for “rapid deployment”.

The figure is just slightly down on the 4,075 (about -0.6%) cases at the same point last week. There have been 796 new cases in Friday evening’s figures.

The latest government data also shows there have been eight deaths of Lincolnshire residents this week – down from 12 last week – and eight deaths reported at Greater Lincolnshire’s hospitals, up from six last week.

The latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire are:

  • 796 new cases of coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire with 592 in Lincolnshire, 93 in North East Lincolnshire and 111 in North Lincolnshire
  • No further deaths were recorded in the government figures for Friday
  • Hospital data showed one further death at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has told the government that Plan B measures, which include compulsory mask-wearing, should be ready for “rapid deployment”.

As government leaders resist bringing back COVID-19 controls, the committee said that advising people to work from home could have the greatest impact on stopping viral spread.

“Cases and admissions are currently at much higher levels than in European comparators, which have retained additional measures and have greater vaccine coverage, especially in children,” the scientists say.

“Reducing prevalence from a high level requires greater intervention than reducing from a lower level.”

It comes as in national figures today the Office for National Statistics has estimated that one in 60 people in the UK had coronavirus up to the end of October 16.

Lincolnshire’s coronavirus cases up to October 22. | Image: GOV.uk

The highest age group was among school years seven to 11 which saw the infection rate increase to 7.8% – up from 7.1% the week before.

The latest increases mean England’s R number – which estimates the average number of people each COVID-positive person passes the infection on to – has risen from 0.9-1.1 to 1.0-1.2, an equivalent of between 10-12 people.

A report by The Times has found that four in 10 people admitted to hospital with COVID were not fully vaccinated.

Of the 300 people aged 18 to 29 who were admitted to hospital in recent weeks, about 66% had not been vaccinated.

Elsewhere, an investigation into a private Immensa Health Clinic lab in Wolverhampton, which have out an estimated 43,000 false test results, has found the issue began six days earlier than previously thought.

However, the UK Health Security Agency has said the findings have not changed the estimated number of people which were affected.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, October 22

131,914 cases (up 796)

  • 87,641 in Lincolnshire (up 592)
  • 21,604 in North Lincolnshire (up 111)
  • 22,669 in North East Lincolnshire (up 93)

2,384 deaths (no change)

  • 1,742 from Lincolnshire (no change)
  • 328 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
  • 314 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)

of which 1,434 hospital deaths (up one)

  • 880 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up one)
  • 44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
  • 1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
  • 509 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
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.

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Thursday, October 21

131,118 cases (up 3,255)

2,384 deaths (up eight)

of which 1,433 hospital deaths (up seven)

Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Sunday, October 17

127,863 cases

2,376 deaths

of which 1,426 hospital deaths