Crucial ‘R’ infection rate rises

The crucial coronavirus infection rate in Kent is only just below 1, new figures show.

As lockdown is eased the government is tracking the ‘R number’ across the country to see how more freedom affects the spread of the virus.

The figure relates directly to how many people someone with Covid-19 is likely to spread the virus to – below 1 and the spread slowly decreases, above and it increases.

In the south east, including Kent, the figure is now 0.97, the third highest in the country.

Only the south west (1) and north west (1.01) are higher, while London has a rate of 0.95.

The figures were released as scientists warned we are moving out of lockdown too quickly after Boris Johnson’s government allowed people to meet up in groups of six.

Many experts are worried the NHS track and trace system for keeping tabs on infected people to curb further spread is not up to scratch.

Schools and businesses have also started opening and from Monday shops will welcome back customers.

But throughout the public have been warned to maintain social distancing rules and that if the infection rate begins to exceed 1 lockdown measures will be put back in place.

According to the data released by Public Health England and the University of Cambridge the median R number for the south east dropped to its lowest point (0.7) on April 13, three weeks in to lockdown.

Since then it has steadily increased and has gone from 0.92 on May 13, when Boris Johnson further eased lockdown, to 0.98 before dipping slightly.

Before lockdown it was 2.42. The current research technique would not paint an accurate picture for more localised results but authorities plan to provide that over the coming weeks.