Britain’s coronavirus R rate is UP to 1.5 in London, 1.3 across the UK and RISING in all southern regions as super-infectious variant sweeps across the country
The coronavirus R rate in Britain has risen to between 1.1 and 1.3 and it is at least one or higher in every region of England except the North East and North West.
Government advisers on SAGE today estimated the outbreak is spreading fastest in London and the East of England, where the R could be as high as a shocking 1.5.
R is a number used to show how many people each person who catches the coronavirus infects before they recover. It must be at one or lower to stop the outbreak shrinking.
This week marks the third week in a row that the figure has risen since the national lockdown brought it down to 1.0 in November.
SAGE, which is headed up by chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance, said: ‘All NHS England regions have R estimates that are above or span 1, suggesting the epidemic is growing in much of the country, with London, the South East, and the East of England clearly above 1.’
