Covid: Lincoln shops to offer tests as infections rise

Other measures will include a roving testing unit in the High Street and outreach workers engaging with the public

Shops in the city with England's highest Covid-19 infection rate are to offer test kits amid efforts to reduce the spread.

Lincoln recorded 751 cases per 100,000 people in the week to 1 August - a 112% increase on the previous seven days.

Officials said retailers offering lateral flow tests was among new measures to bring case rates down.

A roving testing unit will be based in the city centre, and a social media drive launched.

The online campaign will urge people to get tested and to get vaccinated after officials linked an infection spike to a nightclub in the city.

Natalie Liddle, from Public Health Lincolnshire, said there were also plans to have outreach workers based in the city centre to engage with members of the public and emphasise the importance of testing and vaccination.

Bars, restaurants and nightclubs will be asked to help get the message out through their venues and their social media channels, Ms Liddle said.

Officials are also looking at working with the City of Lincoln Council's licensing team to ask taxi drivers to offer tests to passengers as they drop them off.

Ms Liddle has has previously said the majority of the city's cases were in people under 30 but said she did not want to "demonise" young people.

"What we don't want to do is blame our younger people because, if anything, we owe a great debt to them for the last 20 months.

"They have been isolating, furloughed, missing their education, and that was all to protect our older population."

She said the main message to all age groups was to get their second dose of vaccine when they were able to do.

"We do have a good uptake with the first dose, what we do need to do is some work on bringing people back," she said.