The R value for coronavirus has increased slightly in the UK.
It is now between 0.8 and 0.9 - a change from 0.7 to 0.9.
Data released on Friday (July 31) also revealed the growth rate is now between minus 4 per cent to -1pc.
Last week, the rate was between minus 5pc to -1pc per day.
The figures are published by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
A growth rate between -1pc to -4pc means the number of new infections is shrinking by between 1pc to 4pc every day, the report said.
It added: "However, we are starting to see early indications that these values may be increasing.
"This is not yet reflected in these estimates because the data used to calculate R and growth rate reflect the situation from a few weeks ago."
Growth rates and R value estimates are provided by the scientific pandemic influenza group on modelling (SPI-M), a subgroup of Sage.
They are calculated using data gathered from multiple sources, such as hospital admissions and deaths, admissions to the intensive care unit, as well as epidemiological data.
A time delay between initial infection and the need for hospital care usually means it may take between two to three weeks for the changes in the spread of Covid-19 to be reflected in the estimates.
But models that use Covid-19 testing data, which have less of a time delay, indicate higher values for R in England, the report said.
It added: "For this reason, Sage does not have confidence that R is currently below 1 in England.
"We would expect to see this change in transmission reflected in the R and growth rate published over the next few weeks."
