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The reproduction number (R) of the coronavirus in the UK has declined slightly to a high of 1.5, according to the latest government figures.
The government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) said the R number is now between 1.2 and 1.5, down from between 1.3 and 1.6 last week.
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The R number is one of many indicators scientists use to determine how fast COVID-19 the virus is spreading.
Reproduction rate means the average number of people each person has coronavirus continues to infect.
So an R number between 1.2 and 1.5 means that, on average, every 10 people with the virus will infect 12 to 15 more.
If the reproduction rate is higher than one, it means that the number of cases will increase exponentially. But if it is below one, the disease will eventually go away.
SAGE said it was almost certain that the epidemic continues to grow exponentially across the country and is confident that transmission is not slowing down.
“While the R value remains above 1.0, infections will continue to grow at an exponential rate,” the group said.
“This is currently the case for all regions of England and they all have positive growth rates, reflecting increases in the number of new infections across the country. “
The change comes amid government proposals to divide the coronavirus restrictions in England into three levels from next week, after infection rates skyrocketed in the North and Midlands.
Sources have told Sky News that parts of the North that will undergo the most stringent measures, level three, will see the closure of pubs, restaurants and cafes and a ban on all contact between households.
A Whitehall source described the number of COVID-19 Cases in Northern England as “Alarming”, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson Under Pressure to Follow Scotland’s “Circuit Breaker” two-week closure of hospitality venues in the most affected areas.
A total of 17,540 new coronavirus cases were reported in the UK on Thursday, along with another 77 deaths.
