Praise from Gainsborough MP for following lockdown guidelines during coronavirus pandemic

At the start of May, figures showed that Lincolnshire has recorded 11 coronavirus-related deaths per 100,000 people in the population. Nationally, that number stands at 36.

It was further revealed that Boston recorded the highest number in the county with 22 deaths per 100,000.

But West Lindsey had the lowest in Lincolnshire at just four, the second lowest figure nationally.

Now, Sir Edward Leigh has commended the residents of West Lindsey for following the guidelines and keeping the death rate low.

The MP said: “Those who saw the recent figures released by the Office for National Statistics will have noticed that, of local authorities in England, West Lindsey has come second lowest in terms of Covid-19 fatalities.

“People only die from the virus if they catch it, and people's chances of catching it are radically reduced if people stay at home and wash their hands frequently, especially when returning from outdoors.

“People across West Lindsey have been doing so, which is to be commended and helps explain why our rate is lower than the national average.”

Meanwhile, Sir Edward is also looking at ways to get businesses in the area back up and running.

He said: “I asked the Business Secretary a virtual question, saying that the best way to help small businesses in rural areas like ours is to beef up broadband in the long term, but that in the short term we need to let businesses do business, not subsidise them to close. The Government needs to work full pelt to get our businesses back to work.”

And the MP has praised the NHS for everything it is doing, as well as West Lindsey District Council.

“Our NHS has fulfilled the most noteworthy achievements though. Setting up the Nightingale hospitals to massively increase our capacity, in alliance with British manufacturers introducing and upscaling ventilator production has been a sight to behold.”