In-patients at hospitals in Lincolnshire are being asked to wear face masks during the day and when leaving their beds due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Image source, Google

The masks will be provided and the policy has been put in place to keep patients and staff safe, according to United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust.

The trust, which runs Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham and District Hospital, Boston Pilgrim Hospital and Louth County Hospital, adds there will be some exceptions for those who are unable to wear them.

A total of 30 families in Lincoln received food vouchers during half-term, the council has confirmed.

Image source, Google

City of Lincoln Council was given £10,000 to provide fresh food in lieu of free school meals.

The remaining money will be offered to struggling families over the Christmas period, the authority says.

A Lincolnshire theatre is hoping a large TV screen will help turn its fortunes around as it faces difficulties during the coronavirus pandemic.

Image source, Google

The Embassy Theatre in Skegness is struggling because audiences haven't been able to return properly since March.

So it's now bought a large TV screen to allow it to show West End productions and put on competitions in front of smaller audiences.

Lincolnshire County Council is reminding people not to put batteries in their bin.

They should be taken to collection points or Household Waste Recycling centres:

A school in Lincolnshire has been forced to close for two weeks due to coronavirus, it's been confirmed.

Image source, M J ROSCOE/GEOGRAPH

King Edward VI Grammar, in Louth, will shut until 25 November after a member of the site team tested positive.

Head James Lascelles said the entire site and catering team had to isolate and as a result school could not meet its "health and safety obligations".

In a letter to parents on Wednesday, he said: "This afternoon I have been alerted to a positive case within our site team and, as I speak, their mobile phones are pinging and the NHS Test and Trace service has required the entire site and catering teams to self-isolate for 14 days.

"As a direct consequence of this, the school cannot meet any of its health and safety obligations and, regrettably, I am required to close the site to all students."

BBC Weather

It will be a dry day in Lincolnshire.

Here's the latest forecast:

At least 300 hospital and healthcare staff are currently off work due to coronavirus across Lincolnshire, it's been revealed.

The figures included 276 staff at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (ULHT) and 34 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service.

The number includes staff who are Covid-positive as well as those who are self-isolating for shielding reasons or due to close contacts having tested positive for the virus.

In total, about 8,000 members of staff are employed by ULHT.

Lincoln has made its debut as a playable location in one of the biggest videogame releases of the year.

Image source, Ubisoft

The city features in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the latest instalment in the Assassin's Creed franchise by software giant Ubisoft.

In the game, players take on the role of Viking raider Eivor, who makes his way to Saxon England.

The developers admit they've taken a bit of creative licence with the geography and layout of the city.

However, some locations - like the version of the Stonebow pictured below - are pretty clearly based on locations in Lincoln.

Image source, Ubisoft

Rob Makepeace
BBC Radio Lincolnshire sport

Darlington defender Nicky Hunt has been released from hospital after suffering a head and neck injury in last night's abandoned game with Boston United.

Hunt suffered the injury in the build up to Boston's second goal with the game abandoned two minutes from time.

He's now been given the all-clear and is back home.

It's exactly 40 years since BBC Radio Lincolnshire took to the airwaves and today the station has been looking back and celebrating its history.

Looking at these archive pictures, the fashion has certainly changed a bit since those early days...

BBC Radio Lincolnshire's current station editor has praised the work of all the staff who've worked in the building since that day in 1980.

Charlie Partridge says: "Clearly those pioneers 40 years ago didn't have to deal with what we're dealing with at the moment.

"However, they had their own challenges - floods and snow - and I'm sure they would have risen to the occasion like we've risen to the occasion over the last eight months."

The Lincolnite

Lincoln City players Jorge Grant and Lewis Montsma have come first and second in a vote for League One’s player of the month, external.

Image source, Lincoln City FC

South Kesteven council officials are refusing to say whether anyone has been sacked or disciplined after two highly critical reports.

A string of failings was identified in the way the authority conducts fire safety checks on its social housing.

Image source, Google

The council has also been criticised for leaving elderly residents at a Grantham housing complex without enough hot water and heating.

A spokesman for the authority said he couldn't comment on issues relating to individual staff members.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault on a 17-year-old boy in Grimsby.

Image source, PA

Officers say the victim was walking with a friend along Harold Street in the town at aroun 14:00 on Monday when there was an altercation with a number of other people.

The teenager was hit and pushed to the ground. He suffered a serious hand injury and bruising to his body and legs.

His motorcycle was also damaged.

Two people have been arrested and released as the investigation continues.

Hospital managers say they're doing everything possible to keep Grantham a Covid-free site.

Image source, Google

But United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) says it is running out of beds elsewhere.

Staff are caring for almost 100 coronavirus patients in Lincoln and Boston after a flurry of new cases over the weekend.

Around 1,300 operations have been carried out at Grantham Hospital since it became a Covid-free, or green, site.

Lincoln looks set to lose some of its art and historical exhibits to Nottingham after City of Lincoln Council signed a deal to move them from the Usher Gallery.

It's after a long-running row with Lincolnshire County Council which now wants to charge the authority for storing the artefacts in the building or hand them back, so the venue can be used for weddings.

Image source, Google

The city council say they were left with no choice but to cut a deal but the leader of the County Council, Martin Hill, says its ridiculous:

BBC Radio Lincolnshire turns 40 today!

As you can see, there have been some technological changes during the years.

Thankfully, the technology is a bit more up to date these days!

One of the items on the first breakfast show was an interview with a Horncastle man who'd just set up a bomb shelter business.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Lincolnshire’s public health body will get new powers to carry out more localised test and tracing.

Image source, Google

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Lincolnshire County Council’s assistant director of public health Tony McGinty said work was due to start on some cases from later this week.

It means local health officials will have access to some of the systems the national programme uses.

He said it was “definitely a step forward” to further work once the trial was over.

Bosses have argued for more control over test and trace for a while.

They say this will enable them to increase the number of close contacts being reached following positive results due to the use of local knowledge and trust, which isn’t necessarily there for national systems.

Mr McGinty added that it would enable them to better manage local outbreaks due to the use of real-time data.

Lincolnshire's Health Protection Team said on Tuesday it was working with 71 schools which have had confirmed cases of coronavirus.

The figure is up from 67 on Monday.

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

It will be a dry night in Lincolnshire. Here's the latest forecast:

Scott Dalton
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Lincolnshire

A controversial deal which has seen a private company run parts of Lincolnshire Police is to be ditched.

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The deal sparked a debate when confirmed eight years ago as to whether private companies should be running elements of the police.

G4S has an annual £22m contract to provide a number of behind the scenes operations such as the police force control room and firearms licencing.

The Lincolnsihre Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones says his decision to end the contract in 2022 is no reflection on the work of G4S or its staff, but said it was about providing the most affordable policing.

Some services could now go back to Lincolnshire Police or be provided jointly with other forces .

Another option is an off-shoot of Lincolnshire Police being set up which could also charge other forces for running some of their services.