The UK's coronavirus infection rate has shot up to over one during the past week. New data released by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies shows that the R number is now between 1.1 and 1.2, up from 0.9 last week.
Seven days ago England's overall R number was between 0.8 and 1.0. R represents the average number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect.
When the figure is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially. An R number between 1.1 and 1.2 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 11 and 12 other people.
The group said that the daily growth rate in cases was now between 1% and 4%. Last week it was between -0.2% and 0%, meaning cases have gone from falling to rising in just a