People in Lincolnshire are still being encouraged to get their annual flu jab despite the start of the new England-wide coronavirus lockdown today.

The Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group is advising people to contact their GP or pharmacist to see if they're eligible for a free vaccine:

BBC Weather

It will be a dry end to the day in Lincolnshire.

Here's the latest forecast:

A total of 61 schools across Lincolnshire currently have confirmed cases of coronavirus among staff and/or pupils, the county council has confirmed.

Image source, Reuters/Eddie Keogh

The county's Health Protection Team is working with all those schools which are affected, according to Lincolnshire County Council.

All the schools are taking action to limit the potential spread of the virus, with some pupils and staff self-isolating as a precaution where necessary, the authority adds.

David Eldridge was jailed for six months after admitting causing the death of Geoffrey Saville.

People in East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire who willingly break the law over the coronavirus lockdown should expect to be fined, according to Humberside Police.

From today, many shops have been forced to close and households cannot mix, except for childcare or those in support bubbles.

Assistant Ch Con Chris Noble, from Humberside Police, has thanked those people East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire who have been following the rules so far.

However, people who plan to willingly break the rules will be dealt with through fines, he says.

"I would appeal to anyone thinking about this [breaking the rules] to think very carefully about their actions and about how they would feel if others were endangering their loved ones, and I would ask you to make the right choice," he says.

"As has been our approach throughout the pandemic, we will continue to engage with people sensibly and fairly, explaining and encouraging people to follow the restrictions in place."

He adds that enforcement will be a "last resort", saying people who "recklessly" ignore the rules and organise gatherings should "expect to receive a fixed penalty notice".

All 15 core libraries and a number of community hubs across Lincolnshire will remain open during the new England-wide coronavirus lockdown, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Google

But Lincolnshire County Council says they'll have to be run differently for the duration of the new restrictions.

Residents will be able to collect reserved books and use pre-booked public access computers, the council says.

Core libraries are located in Boston, Bourne, Gainsborough, Grantham, Horncastle, Lincoln, Long Sutton, Louth, Mablethorpe, Market Rasen, Sleaford, Spalding, Skegness, Stamford and Woodhall Spa.

Community hubs currently offering services are: Deepings, Welton, Pinchbeck, Navenby, Cherry Willingham, Crowland, Heckington, Sutton on Sea, Caistor, Wainfleet, Sutton Bridge, Swineshead, Bracebridge and Bracebridge Heath.

BBC Weather

Mist and fog patches may linger through this morning.

These will then clear to give spells of hazy sunshine through this afternoon.

A slightly cooler day.

It will stay dry and calm this evening and overnight.

Patches of mist, fog and low cloud developing through the course of the night.

Fog perhaps becoming quite dense in places:

Three more people have died in Lincolnshire's hospitals after testing positive for Covid-19.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has confirmed the deaths today.

That means 180 people have died in hospitals run by the trust after testing positive for the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, a total of 143 people have died at sites run by the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Trust after testing positive for Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.

David Turner, 50, died in hospital three days after he fell and hit his head on a city street.

Two puppies found abandoned on a Lincolnshire beach have been restored back to health by one of the county's animal charities.

Lucky and Dodger were found abandoned on a beach at Chapel St Leonards about a year ago.

The puppies (pictured above soon after being found) had worms and parasites and had lost a lot of their fur from skin conditions.

But The Greyhound Trust took the dogs in and, after an appeal, were nursed back to health.

The dogs have now found two homes and their owners say they're happy and healthy.

A man from Lincolnshire says he felt like "it was a crime to be black" after being racially abused at a grassroots football match.

Image source, Allan Ross

Allan Ross, from Horncastle, says he went to watch Pinchbeck United play last weekend when a man insulted him with a racial slur.

Mr Ross says despite raising concerns, he felt ignored by other supporters and the club.

He says: "You feel worthless. You feel as though it's a crime to be black. You feel ashamed. There's rage, frustration, anger. You go through every single emotion."

Gary Coombes, chairman of Pinchbeck United, says he was "absolutely disgusted" at the incident and has since banned the man responsible for the slur from attending future games.

The Lincolnshire FA, the governing body for grassroots football in the county, says it's investigating the incident.

In a statement, it says it "strongly condemns all forms of discrimination" and is working closely with local organisations to "ensure racism is eradicated from the game".

Meanwhile, Lincolnshire Police says it's aware of the incident and an investigation is ongoing.

Family and friends will not be able to visit patients in Lincolnshire's three biggest hospitals from tomorrow as the new England-wide lockdown gets under way.

Image source, Google

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT), which runs Boston's Pilgrim Hospital, Grantham Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital (pictured), says it knows the move will be "upsetting" for patients and visitors alike.

There will be some exceptions to the ban on visitors, mostly related to maternity services, the trust says.

Birthing partners will still be able to attend a birth, partners can also attend scans at 12 and 20 weeks and consultant appointments at 36 weeks into a pregnancy, the trust says.

There are also exceptions for visiting children on children's wards, for end-of-life patients and for significantly distressed patients with mental health conditions or learning disabilities.

Dr Karen Dunderdale, director of nursing at ULHT, says: "We must prioritise the safety of our patients and staff at this time.

"We hope to be able to review these restrictions following the end of the national lockdown period."

BBC Weather

A chilly start this morning. The day will be dry and fine, with plenty of sunshine.

Remaining dry this evening, and turning chilly under clear skies.

Overnight, mist and fog patches may form, persisting through till morning:

Grimsby chalk up their first victory in five League Two games with a win against new boys Barrow.

Family and friends will not be able to visit patients in Lincolnshire's three biggest hospitals from Thursday, it's been confirmed.

A new England-wide coronavirus lockdown starts on Thursday, during which many shops and services will be closed.

The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT), which runs Boston's Pilgrim Hospital (pictured), Grantham Hospital and Lincoln County Hospital, announced the change earlier.

However, ULHT says there will be some exceptions to the ban on visitors, mostly related to maternity services.

Birthing partners will still be able to attend a birth, partners can also attend scans at 12 and 20 weeks and consultant appointments at 36 weeks into a pregnancy, the trust says.

There are also exceptions for visiting children on children's wards, for end-of-life patients and for significantly distressed patients with mental health conditions or learning disabilities.

A total of 50 workers at the Moy Park factory near Sleaford have tested positive for Covid-19.

A mostly sunny and dry afternoon is expected, although there will be some patches of cloud around for some.

Feeling noticeably colder than recent days with a brisk northwest breeze.

Patchy cloud will clear tonight, and clear skies will remain for the remainder of the night.

Staying dry with gentle winds, and feeling cool.

The odd patch of mist or fog may form in the early hours:

The reserve in Lincolnshire normally attracts thousands to see the grey seals during pupping season.

A woman from Lincolnshire has spoken of her shock and frustration after discovering she had breast cancer for the second time in two years.

Image source, Laura McGill

Laura McGill, who's originally from Bardney, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 and went through radiotherapy and chemotherapy for treatment before being given the all-clear before Christmas.

But after the coronavirus lockdown eased this year she says she felt a nagging urge to have a scan despite the fact doctors told her she didn't need one.

She went ahead and paid for the scan anyway for her own "peace of mind" and was told the cancer had returned.

Despite that, she says she was very lucky to have found the cancer so early and believes she "was very grateful" she was able to have the scan, but also "frustrated that if I didn't then it could have been missed".

Doctors have now told her that the outlook is good after surgery and more rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

But, speaking on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, she says the message she wants people to take away from her tale is to "listen to your body".

Five more people died at the weekend in Lincolnshire's hospitals after earlier testing positive for coronavirus, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Reuters/Phil Noble

Three deaths were recorded by the trust which runs Boston, Lincoln and Grantham Hospitals, according to official Data from NHS England.

Meanwhile, two deaths were recorded by the North Lincolnshire and Goole Trust.

That brings the number of people in Lincolnshire who've died after testing positive for Covid-19 to 315.