Coronavirus R rate in the South East revealed for the first time

[Cookham v Coronavirus]

The coronavirus "R" rate for the South East has been revealed for the first time - and it's the joint lowest in the whole country.

The R number, which is also known as 'reproduction rate', measures how many new people are infected by each case of coronavirus.

If the number goes above 1, the government has warned areas could face new lockdown restrictions and tougher social distancing, reports Kent Live.
It is estimated the South East, which includes Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Kent, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex, has an infection rate of 0.7.

The highest area is the South West, with 0.9, followed by the North East, East Midlands and the North West.

The data was compiled by the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The UK as a whole has an R number of between 0.7 and 0.9.

The government's chief Scientific Officer Sir Patrick Vallance has said a slight increase could be dangerous.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "I think we have arrived at quite a dangerous moment.

"This is premature, this easing of the lockdown.