Local Democracy Reporting Service

Lincolnshire health bosses say they want a slow re-opening of the country, with schools first, amid hopes of a more positive Easter.

Image source, Reuters/Eddie Keogh

They say they have been feeding back to central government the need to “make one change” first and wait two weeks in order to test the waters and monitor Covid-19.

They hope that after Easter it will be a “very different situation” with lower rates of coronavirus and a larger vaccine rollout.

Professor Derek Ward, director of public health for Lincolnshire County Council, said: “My preference would be to open the education setting first.

“My preference would be to make one change. It could be a significant change so for example, it might be opening primary schools or it might be opening primary and secondary schools.

“Do one thing. Wait for two weeks. See what the impact is on the numbers and transmission before you then go on to do anything else.

Professor Ward added: “I think after Easter, it will feel like a very different situation. We will feel a lot more positive and hopefully, lower rates and much greater vaccine rollout."

Josh Willis says he became a mental health ambassador to help those struggling to find support.

BBC Weather

Through this evening and tonight, it will become quite chilly with a few clear intervals.

However, one or two showers are likely in places.

Local mist and fog forming later in the night:

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Adult social care and children's services in Lincolnshire have "really struggled" as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, say service bosses.

Image source, Google

Councillor Patricia Bradwell, Lincolnshire County Council’s executive member for children’s services, said the pandemic had put "immense pressure” on departments.

She said since the outbreak began, the number of children in care had increased by 10%, with an extra 60 children needing support.

However, the number of people applying to become foster carers has continued to grow, despite a reduction in the number of families available and an increase in the number of children having to be placed elsewhere due to self-isolation requirements.

Mrs Bradwell told the authority’s leadership: “Very vulnerable adults and very vulnerable children have not been able to get out or actually live their normal lives like going to school, and young people in care really did struggle.

“We did have more children come into care...There has been a lot of fallout with the children and older people who we look after because of the way the pandemic has affected us.”

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Nearly 130,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have now been administered in Lincolnshire, latest NHS England figures show.

The weekly data released on Thursday show 127,606 jabs were administered between 8 December and 31 January – that number's up by 40,206 on last week.

The data doesn’t include the new vaccination centre at the Lincolnshire Showground that opened on Tuesday which aims to administer over 1,000 doses a day.

The Showground centre is the second largest in the county, with another at the Princess Arena Sports Centre in Boston able to handle over 1,500 vaccines per day.

The figures show show 81,663 people under the age of 80 have received their first vaccination and another 1,321 have been given their second.

Some 43,035 people aged over 80 have received their first dose, with a further 1,587 receiving a second jab, the statistics reveal.

This means 92.5% of all over-80s in Lincolnshire have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

The site at Wressle near Scunthorpe could produce up to two million barrels of oil.

Local elections in England will go ahead as planned in May, government sources say.

Image source, Reuters

Doubts had been raised about whether it was possible to hold the ballots during the pandemic, but council, mayoral, and police and crime commissioner elections will take place.

In Lincolnshire all 70 seats on the county council and a third of the seats on City of Lincoln Council are being contested.

The post of Lincolnshire's Police and Crime Commissioner is also up for election.

The city council and police commissioner elections were postponed last year due to the pandemic.

There will be some safety measures, with voters asked to bring their own pen or pencil to mark their ballots.

In all, £70m will be made available to make polling stations Covid-secure.

Masks will be compulsory in polling stations and there will be divider screens and sanitiser.

BBC Weather

There'll be some rain around in Lincolnshire tonight.

Here's the latest forecast:

The number of people being treated in Lincolnshire’s main hospitals for Covid-19 is falling.

Image source, Google

However, hospital bosses say they still have no spare intensive care beds.

Andrew Morgan, chief executive at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "Intensive care unit – 31 beds open and 31 beds occupied, including 20 with Covid."

A total of just over 100 patients with the virus are being treated at Lincoln County and Boston’s Pilgrim, Mr Morgan added.

Three people have been arrested in northern Lincolnshire in connection with thefts of catalytic converters.

Officers searched three addresses in Waltham, Brigg and Grimsby on Wednesday and found and seized a total of 24 catalytic converters, according to Humberside Police.

Two men, aged 31 and 34, and a 39-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit theft from a motor vehicle.

All three have been released under investigation as investigations continue, the force added.

Sarah Ayers urges people to obey lockdown rules after losing four of her relatives to coronavirus.

The Met Office is warning snow and ice will affect most of the East Midlands over the weekend and Monday.

The yellow warning is in place from 15:00 on Saturday until 00:00 on Monday, external and it means there's a small chance of travel delays and power cuts.

The Met Office said: "Cold conditions will persist through the weekend and into the following week with some disruption from snow and ice possible."

Image source, Met Office

A head teacher welcomes the deletion of a bogus account asking pupils to send in clips of themselves.

Today will turn largely cloudy with patches of lingering mist for some.

Showers will push in from the south through the day, turning heavy in places.

This evening, the showers will begin to ease, and will clear during the night. It will be cloudy throughout, with a light breeze.

A healthcare worker who has lost four family members to Covid-19 has described the "devastating" impact the virus has had on her life and urged people to follow the rules.

Sarah Ayers, from Cleethorpes, lost her aunt and father to coronavirus in 2020 and, last month, her two uncles died after testing positive for the disease.

She said: "I feel like Covid is a little sniper waiting behind the bushes, waiting for my family to come outside.

"I live in fear of what's going to happen next, who it's going to take away from me, it's just devastating.

"I understand that people desire to be with their friends and family, I would give anything to be with mine right now, but I can't take that risk, I can't put them at risk because I can't lose anybody else."

More about coronavirus:

• OXFORD JAB: What is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine?
• YOUR QUESTIONS: We answer your queries
• VACCINE: When will I get the jab?
• NEW VARIANTS: How worried should we be?
• COVID IMMUNITY: Can you catch it twice?

BBC Weather

Cloud and showers are expected to gradually give way to a few clear spells from the south.

A touch chillier than last night.

A moderate south-westerly wind:

Kitchen cupboards, a bike seat and a coffee machine are among the items wrongly dumped in recycling bins across North East Lincolnshire.

Image source, North East Lincolnshire Council

The items were found during a clampdown on householders using their recycling bins to dispose of the wrong things.

North East Lincolnshire Council said other items regularly found in recycling bins were food waste, bubble wrap, nappies and wipes.

As part of the effort to highlight the problem, red tags were placed on bins incorrectly filled.

Stewart Swinburn, the council's portfolio holder for Environment and Transport, said: “Putting the wrong thing in the wrong bin can contaminate the whole load.

"If people put the wrong things in their recycling bins, we will not empty them until they put it right."

Westgate Academy says it has failed to get a bogus profile in its name removed despite many complaints.

Councillors have approved plans to invest £2.2m in drainage repairs and projects to reduce the risk of flooding across the county.

Image source, Lincolnshire Police

Lincolnshrie County Council said the money will be spent on work such as repairing banks, reconstructing culverts and replacing drainage pipes at 34 locations, including Kirton, Binbrook, Cherry Willingham and Woodhall Spa.

Councillor Colin Davie, executive member for environment, said: "We've had a pretty challenging few years with unprecedented amounts of rain, causing significant flooding issues for many residents, so as well as addressing drainage issues we will be working hard to understand why certain places have flooded and what action may be necessary in the future."

He said the work planned comes on top of £500,000 of investment at sites including Gosberton, Wickenby and the maintenance of the River Steeping catchment.

Sharon Edwards
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire County Council says it's dipping into its cash reserves to help businesses through the coronavirus pandemic - with £12m set to be up for grabs

Image source, Google

The Federation of Small Businesses in Lincolnshire says up to 20% of the 43,000 local companies haven't been eligible for any of the current coronavirus support schemes.

Freelancers, firms operating from home, and those less than a year old are on the list of those which have have missed out.

These grants are intended to plug the gaps and there will also be money for companies to invest in digital technology.

Applications open on the 23rd of this month.

Meanwhile, the council has also revealed its budget plans which include more spending for roads, day-to-day services and flooding.

It's allocated over half-a-billion pounds for things like adult care and children's services, £200m for building projects, £10m for road repairs and an extra £200,000 for flood response.

But it means council tax rates will be going up by just short of 2% to pay for it.