Coronavirus R-number remains steady for second consecutive week, government’s scientific advisers say
The figure stayed between 0.7 and 1
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The reproductive rate of coronavirus has remained steady for the second week in a row, scientific advisers have said.
The so-called R-number – the average number of people that will contract coronavirus from an infected person – was between 0.7 and 1 across the UK.
There is a time lag in the calculations, with the latest R value relating to the situation two to three weeks ago.
Last week, the rate was also between 0.7 and 1. Worryingly, the figure has increased – the weekly figure before that was between 0.5 and 0.9.
The upward trend is thought to be driven by the continued spread of the virus in care homes and hospitals during the period covered, rather than transmission in the wider community.
The R number must stay below 1 in order for the government to ease the lockdown.
If the figure is above one, the virus will spread exponentially. An R number of less than one indicates the virus is in decline.
Boris Johnson has said ministers would reimpose controls if the value started to pick up again.
Announcing his “road map” out of lockdown, the prime minister said: “We must make sure that any measures we take do not force the reproduction rate of the disease – the R – back up over one, so that we have the kind of exponential growth we were facing a few weeks ago.”
PA
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments