Post Desk : The UK’s coronavirus reproduction (R) number has decreased slightly to a maximum of 1.5, according to the latest government figures.

The government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) said the R number is now between 1.2 and 1.5 – down from between 1.3 and 1.6 last week.

The R number is one of many indicators scientists use to determine how quickly COVID-19 the virus is spreading.

Reproduction rate means the average number of people each person with coronavirus goes on to infect.

So an R number of between 1.2 and 1.5 means on average every 10 people with the virus will infect between 12 and 15 others.

If the reproduction rate is above one, it means the number of cases will increase exponentially. But if it is below one, the disease will eventually peter out.