Weekly COVID cases drop by 20% so far in Greater Lincolnshire as national rate soars

There have been 3,360 cases of coronavirus so far this week in Greater Lincolnshire, but cases nationally continue to increase.

The figure is just 17% down on the 4,051 cases at the same point last week. There have been 746 new cases in Friday evening’s figures.

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

The latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire are:

• 746 new cases of coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire with 536 in Lincolnshire, 133 in North East Lincolnshire and 77 in North Lincolnshire
• Three further deaths were recorded in the government figures including two Lincolnshire and one North East Lincolnshire resident
• Three further deaths were recorded in Greater Lincolnshire Hospitals with one at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and two at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Trust

Despite lower figures this week locally, nationally, infection rates have risen to their highest level since January.

England’s R number – which symbolises how many people each infected person passes the virus on to – has risen slightly from between 1.1 and 1.2 to between 1.1 and 1.3.

The Office for National Statistics said one in 50 people in England had the virus in the week ending October 22, the highest level since January 2 and up from one in 55 the previous week.

The ONS said the positivity rate for COVID-19 was estimated to have increased in all regions except the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

South-west England had the highest proportion for any region with a rate of one in 40 people.

The UK Health Security Agency has urged caution among students returning to school next week.

Cases among 10 to 19-year-olds are currently the highest of any age group, with a weekly rate of 1,201 per 100,000 people nationally, and pupils are now being asked to take a test before going back.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, said: “As students prepare to go back to school and college after half term, it is vital that they are taking free and easy rapid tests that will help detect COVID-19 infections from those who are not showing symptoms to keep the virus at bay.”

The UKHSA has also said that only 19.3% of 12-15 year olds nationally after revising the figure down from 22.1% following a change in official counting measures.

In Greater Lincolnshire the figure was hovering around a third, but it is unclear whether the latest changes will bring the number down.