R rate in England as high as 1 as Prime Minister warns people not to mix indoors at Easter

England's coronavirus reproduction rate remains as high as 1, according to latest estimates from Sage.

No UK-wide estimates for the virus reproduction and growth rate have been agreed by scientists this week, the Department of Health has said, reports the Mirror.

Last week, the R number was between 0.7 and 0.9 across the UK.

But this week in England, the R is between 0.8 and 1 and in seven NHS regions it is as high as one.

And the R value means that, on average, every 10 people infected with coronavirus will infect between eight and 10 other people.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned Brits not to meet indoors over Easter or stay overnight at another person's home.

The warning comes 10 days before non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants are scheduled to reopen on April 12.

Trafford Council bosses have urged people to stick to the rules this Easter weekend (Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

England's R number means the coronavirus numbers are shrinking by minus 4 per cent to 0 per cent - which means the number of new infections is broadly flat or shrinking slightly.

The Department of Health said: "The UK estimates of R and growth rates are averages over different epidemiological situations and should be regarded as a guide to the general trend, rather than a description of the epidemic state.

"Given the increasingly localised approach to managing the epidemic, particularly between nations, UK-level estimates are less meaningful than previously and may not accurately reflect the current picture of the epidemic.

"The R value and growth rates for the four nations and NHS England regions are more robust and useful metrics than those for the whole UK."

During a question and answer session on Twitter, Boris Johnson said that people should not mix indoors at Easter.

He said: "We're not yet at this stage. We're very much in a world where you can meet friends and family outdoors under the rule of six or two households.

"And even though friends and family members may be vaccinated, the vaccines are not giving 100 per cent protection and that's why we just need to be cautious.

"We don't think they entirely reduce or remove the risk of transmission."