Diminishing numbers but the threat is very much still here

DIMINISHING numbers of new coronavirus cases in northern Lincolnshire mask a continuing lethal threat to people.

After the first full day of the third national lockdown with many venues and businesses shutdown once again, there were still new cases reported.

In North East Lincolnshire 26 new cases were reported, with 52 in North Lincolnshire. East Lindsey, which stretches from Holton-le-Clay and Tetney to the outskirts of Boston had 32 new cases, all in the previous 24 hours.

That brings the total number of cases since the pandemic began to 6,250, 6,408 and 4,716 respectively.

Public health chiefs will be monitoring closely the trend at the start of Lockdown 3 to see what impact the closure of all schools, non-essential shops, and leisure facilities will have.

With thousands more vaccine jabs to be administered at GP surgeries in the coming days, the hope is it will reduce the critical levels at hospitals in our area.

That could take weeks to steady the number of Covid admissions going into hospitals in Grimsby and Scunthorpe and adding to the stressful workloads of NHS staff.

The number of patients being treated in Grimsby and Scunthorpe hospitals is nearing 100 for the first time in months.

There are 42 patients in Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital as of Tuesday morning, and 58 are in Scunthorpe General Hospital.

Five Scunthorpe patients are currently in intensive care.

There were 118 patients across the Trust at the start of the week, suggesting a significant number have been discharged over the last day.

Some stores can remain trading to provide essential services but people have been told to stay at home unless absolutely necessary, and to keep to their local area wherever possible.

Daily exercise is allowed, but again, only within a local area.

The local Covid rate has been unremitting lately, although it is still low compared to the rest of the country.