The Covid-19 R number has fallen to between 0.8 and 1 across the UK, according to the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
The latest figures means that, on average, every person infected with Covid-19 will infect between 8 and 10 people.
It is the first time since the beginning of December that the virus’s reproductive rate has fallen below 1 with Sage estimating the growth rate of the outbreak is now between -4 and 0 per cent.
Despite the drop in the rate of infections SAGE scientists are still asking the public to ‘play their part’ saying: “It is essential that everyone continues to stay at home, whether they have had the vaccine or not.
“We all need to play our part, and if everyone continues to follow the rules, we can expect to drive down the R number across the country.”
