Volunteers on Grimsby's Nunsthorpe estate helped out with shopping and odd jobs during the lockdowns.

Four public health directors look back on 12 months of managing the response to coronavirus.

BBC Weather

Lincolnshire will remain largely dry and overcast tonight.

There'll be the odd spot of rain or drizzle drifting in from the west.

There is a chance of the occasional clear break in the early hours:

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Four Greater Lincolnshire districts have Covid-19 infection rates over twice the England average, it's been confirmed.

Image source, Reuters/Lee Smith

As of Sunday, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, South Holland and Boston all have infection rates of over 124 per 100,000 people – more than double the current England average of 57.1.

This puts all four authorities in the top 20 highest infection rates nationally, with only one Greater Lincolnshire district being below the national average – North Kesteven (55.6), and Lincoln not far behind at 65.5.

Over the past few weeks, North Lincolnshire has risen up the ranks and currently has the highest infection rate in Greater Lincolnshire.

In the authority’s Cabinet meeting on Monday morning, Stephen Pintus, the joint director of public health for North and North East Lincolnshire gave an update on the current Covid situation in North Lincolnshire.

He said: “The number of tests we’re carrying out has increased dramatically with a return to school, and that accounts for an increase in cases.

“The highest rate is in our school age children, and also high rates in our early years settings and that fortunately is coming down now.”

Mr Pintus added that there have been “school outbreaks, but also some smaller workplace outbreaks”.

Breaking news, sport, weather and travel updates from across North, West, East and South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

George Williams rescues a late 2-2 draw for League Two strugglers Grimsby in a thrilling finish at Mansfield.

A live Instagram broadcast includes comments about gang rape and equating women to objects.

A cat is recovering from surgery after managing to crawl to his home in Lincolnshire despite suffering serious stab wounds in an attack.

Image source, RSPCA

One of the stab wounds suffered by Lynx punctured his liver and he needed emergency surgery on 1 March to save his life, according to the RSPCA in Grimsby.

RSPCA inspector Thomas Hutton, who's now investigating the attack, says the fact Lynx is still alive is a "miracle".

"Vets said the two wounds were around 3cm deep and had been caused by some sort of blade. One had punctured his liver and the other had gone straight through his spleen.

"Thankfully, Lynx was lucky to survive and has now recovered from his surgery and is doing really well."

Mr Hutton added: "It’s incredibly concerning to think someone may have inflicted these wounds on Lynx deliberately."

The RSPCA in Grimsby has asked anyone with information about the incident to get in touch.

Warmer weather and the easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions could lead to a surge in wildlife crime, according to Lincolnshire Police.

Image source, Lincolnshire police

Wildlife crime is any activity that goes against legislation protecting the UK's wild animals and plants.

It includes causing pain and suffering to animals and pushing species closer to extinction and it can be linked to other serious crimes like firearms offences and organised crime.

Lincolnshire Police said: "We are asking the public to remain vigilant and report any incidents or suspicious activity to us.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

More than half of eligible adults in Lincolnshire have now been given their first dose of Covid-19 vaccination.

The latest data shows 321,832 of Lincolnshire’s estimated 640,000 people aged over 18 have been vaccinated.

Lincolnshire County Council’s director of public health Derek Ward said the latest figures were “fantastic”.

However, there is a warning from public health bosses to Lincolnshire residents not to get too complacent.

It comes as Lincolnshire’s infection rate sits around 85 per 100,000 population, compared to England’s 60, with nearly 130,000 tests having now been carried out.

However, Mr Ward said the prospect of people getting relaxed about the numbers was an “ongoing concern”.

"It’s really important we remember we’re still in a stay-at-home lockdown. I know you know everybody’s sick and tired of it.

"But if we want to avoid an increase in our cases, let’s not make any mistake here. If everybody just goes out and forgets the rules we will see a big increase in our cases."

BBC Weather

A dull day today for Lincolnshire, with widespread cloud.

There is a chance of some drizzle or light rain developing under thick cloud cover through the day, but this will be showery in nature.

Tonight will see widespread cloud persist, but it is expected to remain dry throughout.

Light and variable winds:

There have been no blanket "Do Not Resuscitate" - or DNR - orders in place in Lincolnshire's hospitals, the county's hospitals boss has said.

The Care Quality Commission care watchdog has said that individuals' human rights may have been breached in more than 500 cases in England where DNR decisions were made during the pandemic.

Some 508 such decisions made since March 2020 were not agreed in discussion with the person or their family, a report has found.

The Care Quality Commission is calling for improvements to care planning.

An NHS spokesman said decisions should be made in consultation with families.

Andrew Morgan, chief executive of United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, says the trust's policy is "absolutely not to have any such blanket arrangements".

"They are taken on an individual basis," he added.

An audit would now take place on some cases to "assure ourselves the policy we've got is the one that's being applied", Mr Morgan said.

The incident was attended by a bomb disposal team after chemicals were found at the property.

Historic England research identifies four places in Lincolnshire with a "slavery past".

A petition calling for street lights in Lincolnshire to be switched on at night doubles in two days.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

There will be enough Covid vaccine doses to cover the first phase of the government’s rollout and some second doses as well despite supply issues, Lincolnshire's health bosses have said.

The UK's vaccine supply has been affected by a delay to a shipment from the Serum Institute of India, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

A separate batch of 1.7 million doses was also held up as it needed to be retested, Mr Hancock said.

A spokesperson for NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) says staff still aim to finish vaccinating people aged 50 and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable before mid-April.

"We have enough vaccines coming to do that over coming weeks. We will spend some time delivering second doses over the coming weeks for those people that are due them.”

However, the CCG urges people who have not yet had their first jab and are supposed to be getting one to make an appointment and make sure they attend.

The growth in offshore wind turbines off the Lincolnshire coast could have a major impact on local wildlife, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has said.

Speaking to a parliamentary committee, Helen Quayle, from the RSPB, said many birds and fish species were already struggling because of previous development.

The impact of offshore wind and other developments in the North Sea can include "habitat loss, displacement, disturbance", Ms Quayle told the committee.

Coronavirus lockdown restrictions are becoming "almost unpoliceable", a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has warned.

Image source, Labour Party

Humberside PCC Keith Hunter (pictured) said fewer people were sticking to the rules since plans for easing lockdown were announced.

The force has issued 555 fixed penalty notices since 1 January, almost double the number issued in 2020.

Speaking to the force's Police and Crime Panel, Mr Hunter said: "Lockdown's becoming almost unpoliceable since restrictions started to ease, the College of Policing has said it is becoming unpoliceable.

"We're still in lockdown now and I've never seen the roads as busy. The signal has been put out there that things are going back to normal."

He said he understood the reason for outlining a relaxation, but said expecting officers "to police the whole population is unreasonable"

"Doing that would take us away from policing everything else," he added

Humberside Chief Constable Lee Freeman said the force had received a total of 11,633 reports of coronavirus breaches, but only had the resources to respond to 44% of them.

The Home Office has been contacted for a comment.

England's deputy chief medical officer has compared the risks of taking the AstraZeneca vaccine to taking over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol.

At Wednesday's Covid briefing, Professor Jonathan Van Tam, who's Lincolnshire-based and has administered vaccines himself in the county, took out the instructional booklet found in a box of paracetamol and read out the long list of possible side effects.

He was responding to news that a number of EU countries have suspended their rollout of the Oxford jab while they investigate claims of it causing blood clots.

He also said it was key that Britain pressed on with its vaccination programme.

BBC Weather

This afternoon in Lincolnshire will be dull and cloudy, with patchy rain pushing in from the northeast. A moderate northerly wind.

Rain will become more widespread and prolonged this evening, but it should be light.

Rain will tend to ease later in the night, but it will stay cloudy and a few odd spots of rain may linger. Breezy: