England’s Covid R has risen to between 1.0 and 1.2, according to the latest government figures.
Last week it was estimated to be between 0.9 and 1.1. If R is greater than 1 the epidemic is generally seen to be growing; if R is less than 1 the epidemic is shrinking.
However the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned today’s figures would “not fully reflect the recent rapid growth of the Omicron variant”.
This is because there is a delay in the reporting and more time is needed to see its impact.
Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at the UKHSA, told MPs on Thursday the R rate of Omicron was estimated to be “between 3 and 5”.
Here’s what the R rate is in each region of England:
East of England - 0.1 to 1.2 (up from 0.9 to 1.1)
London – 1.1 to 1.3 (up from 1.0 to 1.2)
Midlands – 0.9 to 1.1 (up from 0.9 to 1.0)
North-east and Yorkshire – 0.9 to 1.1 ((unchanged))
North-west – 0.9 to 1.1 (up from 0.9 to 1.0)
South-east – 0.9 to 1.2 (up from 0.9 to 1.1)
South west – 0.9 to 1.1 (unchanged)
Boris Johnson warned today there was a “big wave of Omicron coming through”.
“People need to be prudent. You need to think about your budget of risk as it were,” he said.
There are currently two variants circulating in the UK, Delta and Omicron. While the spread of Delta has remained stable, the number of Omicron infections has been increasingly rapidly.
The spread of Omicron is likely to be reflected in future R number estimates.