The coronavirus R number in England is between 0.9 and 1.1, according to the latest Government figures, a drop from last week's when it was between 1.0 and 1.1.
The Reproduction number represents the average number of people each Covid-positive person goes on to infect.
When the figure is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially but when it is below 1, it means the epidemic is shrinking.
An R number between 0.9 and 1.1 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 9 and 11 other people.
The estimated daily growth of infections was between -2% to +2%, compared to 0% to +2% estimated last week.
The growth rate reflects how quickly the numbers of infections are changing day by day.
It is an approximation of the percentage change in the number of infections each day.
If the growth rate is greater than 0 (+ positive), then the epidemic is growing. If the growth rate is less than 0 (- negative) then the epidemic is shrinking.
The R number in all regions of England is:
East of England – 0.9 to 1.2
London – 0.8 to 1.1
Midlands – 0.9 to 1.1
North East and Yorkshire – 0.9 to 1.1
North West –0.9 to 1.1
South East – 1.0 to 1.2
South West – 1.0 to 1.04
Estimates for R and growth rates are shown as a range, and the true values are likely to lie within this range.
They represent the transmission of coronavirus 2 to 3 weeks ago, due to the time delay between someone being infected, developing symptoms, and needing healthcare.
