Coronavirus: No reason to change alert level in Lincolnshire at this point

“Looking at our current data, in my professional opinion, there is no reason to change our alert level at this point. But we do urge everybody to remember – hands, face, space.”
Coronavirus.Coronavirus.
Coronavirus.

That’s the message from Lincolnshire County Council’s Director of Public Health, Derek Ward, at today’s meeting of the Lincolnshire Outbreak Engagement Board.

Key local political oversight and leadership to any local outbreaks of Covid-19 is vital.

The Lincolnshire Outbreak Engagement Board (LOEB) has been set up with political representatives from Lincolnshire County Council and the district councils, the LEP, plus the CCG and NHS providers, Healthwatch and the Police and Crime Commissioner.

A Covid-19 Health Protection Board (HPB) has also been set up to provide further expert insight and guidance.

Councillor Martin Hill, Chairman of the LOEB and Leader of Lincolnshire County Council said: “We are monitoring a wide range of numbers which would give an early warning of a small area or whole county resurgence of Covid-19 in Lincolnshire.

“These include the results of testing carried out by our residents and hospital admissions for the disease, but also include things like sickness absence rates in some of our bigger public sector employers.”

“Although the rates everywhere else are much lower, infection rates in Lincoln itself have gone up recently but we aren’t anticipating that it will mean moving into any other tiers at this stage.

“But we are being vigilant and will do what is necessary going forward.

“Our message from the LOEB this morning is that there is a ‘status quo’ but we are very much alert to circumstances changing.”