England's Covid reproduction number dips, epidemic could be shrinking

England's Covid-19 weekly reproduction "R" number was estimated to have fallen to between 0.8 and 1.0, the government said on Friday, amid hopes that the epidemic could finally be shrinking in the country.

An R number between 0.8 and 1.0 means that for every 10 people infected, they will on average infect between 8 and 10 other people. Last week the R number was estimated between 0.9 and 1.1.

The daily growth of infections was estimated to have fallen to between -3 per cent and -1 per cent, suggesting the pandemic is shrinking, down from -1 per cent and +1 per cent last week.