The UK's coronavirus R rate has dropped for the second week in a row, despite case numbers rising.
A Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) subgroup said the R for the UK is now 1.1-1.3, with a growth rate range of 2% to 4%.
R represents the average number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect.
However, the R number is still as high as 1.5 in the South West - one of the shrinking numbers of areas without toughened Tier restrictions.
It remains above 1 in all areas - and while it remained static or dropped in most regions, it lifted slightly in the Midlands, and Sage warned today it continues to grow 'rapidly'.
This time last week the R was at 1.3-1.6, with a growth rate of 3% to 6%, which was also a slight dip from the previous week.
The estimates for R and the growth rate are provided by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, a subgroup of Sage.
The growth rate, which estimates how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day, and is between 2% to 4% for the UK as a whole.
Sage also said England's figures, published Friday, more accurately represent the average situation over the past few weeks rather than the present situation.
The latest 'R' number update comes after latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data today estimated cases were growing by an average of 51,900 new cases per day in private households in England.
Cases remained highest among teens and young adults, the weekly infections survey showed.
But they were also rising steeply among secondary schoolchildren and continue to be highest in the North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
The survey noted a drop in infection numbers in the North East compared to other hard-hit northern regions of England.
And a separate set of estimates this week showed some estimates putting the 'R' much higher than the official weekly Sage figure.
The analysis from Imperial College London yesterday estimated the ‘R’ was closer to 1.56 nationally, and 2.86 in London.
The interim analysis was based on data from October 16-25 and suggested there were around 96,000 new infections per day.
Imperial's scientists estimated the R number was above 2 in London, the South East, East of England and South West, despite none of those areas being in Tier 3.
The study's author suggested the current lockdown measures are not sufficient, and that some kind of national policy would hold 'genuine benefits'.
Allies of the London mayor today suggested the capital could be weeks away from a stricter lockdown.
However there have been no official talks reported between Sadiq Khan and the Government on London following the latest areas, including West Yorkshire, into Tier 3.
There are fears Teeside will be next to be plunged into Tier 3, as the region braces for an announcement expected today following crunch-talks between local leaders and the Government.
England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty tweeted today: "Over 50,000 new infections a day, and it is rising in almost every region of England.
"Deaths and pressure on the NHS are increasing. We all have a role in reducing the risk of passing the virus on."
