England's Covid R rate has risen yet again to an estimated 1.1 to 1.3, the UK Health Security Agency said.
An R number between 1.1 and 1.3 means that for every 10 people infected, they will on average infect between 11 and 13 other people.
The R number in England was estimated to have risen to between 1.0 and 1.2 last Friday - showing coronavirus cases in the country were growing at their fastest rate in months.
The previous week's R rate was estimated between 0.9 and 1.1.
Following today's figures, the epidemic is estimated to be growing.
The figures come as one in 50 people in private households in England tested positive for coronavirus last week as cases hit January levels.
Weekly data from the Office for National Statistics found more than 1.1 million people had Covid-19 in the week leading up to October 22.
The latest figures show a rise from the previous week, when 977,900 people were infected by the virus - or one in 55.
At the peak of the second wave in early January, around one in 50 were estimated to have Covid.
Coronavirus rates have risen across all age groups except for those from school year 12 to age 24 and for those aged 25 to 34, where the trend was uncertain, the ONS said.
Nearly one in 10 (9.1%) of school pupils in years 7 to 11 tested positive for Covid-19.
Coronavirus infection levels have risen across the UK as new estimates show the same proportion of people in England have Covid-19 as at the peak of the second wave.
In Wales, the level is at its highest since estimates began in summer last year.
Despite the prevalence of Covid-19 across the four nations, hospital admissions and deaths remain well below levels seen during the second wave in January.
The vaccine rollout is largely credited as the reason for the lower figures.
