Yorkshire's Covid-19 infection rate falls while it increases in parts of England

Statistics released by the government today (Friday, July 10) shows the region’s Covid-19 infection rate – known as the R number - and growth rate have decreased this week, despite other parts of the country experiencing an increase.

The data revealed that in Yorkshire the R number, which tracks the number of people a person could pass the disease onto if they became infected, has dropped slightly from between 0.8 and 1 last week, to between 0.7 and 1 this week.

If the Covid-19 infection rate rises to more than one then it means the virus will keep on spreading and infecting more people.

The region’s growth rate, which reflects how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day and is a form of keeping track of the virus, has also fallen – from minus 5% - 0% the week before, to minus 5% to minus 1%.

A growth rate higher than zero would enable coronavirus to grow, but if the rate is less than zero then the disease will shrink.

It comes after the Covid-19 infection rate was reported to have fallen sharply in Sheffield according to the latest data from Public Health England, out today (Friday, July 10).

There were 14.8 confirmed cases across the city per 100,000 people during the week ending Sunday, July 5, down from 24.4 cases per 100,000 the previous week.

While the growth rate of coronavirus transmissions in the UK has dropped slightly, parts of England have confirmed an increase.

Data revealed the UK’s growth rate dropped to between minus 5% and minus 2% per day, compared with a rate of minus 6% to 0% per day last week.

In the East of England, the growth rate rose from minus 5% – 0% last week, to between minus 4% and plus 1%, indicating the rate of spread of the disease is growing in the area.

In London, the growth rate is between minus 5% and plus 1%, compared to between minus 4% and plus 2% last week.

The growth rate in England has risen to be closer to zero, it is currently between minus 4% and minus 1%, from between minus 5% and minus 2% the previous week.

Meanwhile, the current rate of transmission for Covid-19 for the country as a whole remains at less than one.

The R value, which is the number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect, remains unchanged, sitting at between 0.7 and 0.9.

The figures, were published by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

Sage said: "When case numbers are low uncertainty increases and fluctuations in the data can have a significant impact on the estimates.

"Furthermore, when there is a significant amount of variability across a region, for example due to a local outbreak, then a single average doesn't accurately reflect the way infections are changing throughout the region."

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