Covid UK news - live: R rate and infections fall as AstraZeneca jab found to be effective against UK variant

The Independent

Covid UK news - live: R rate and infections fall as AstraZeneca jab found to be effective against UK variant

The Independent 5/02/2021 15:16:10 Samuel Osborne and Jane Dalton

Study mixing Covid vaccines launched, minister announces

The reproduction number, or R value, of coronavirus transmission across the UK has fallen to between 0.7 and 1, according to the latest government figures.

The value, which last week was between 0.7 and 1.1 represents the average number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect.

"These estimates mean we are now confident the epidemic is shrinking across England, though it remains important that everyone continues to stay at home in order to keep the R value down," the government said.

It comes as the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca has been found to remain effective against the coronavirus variant first detected in the UK.

Meanwhile, all adults aged 50 and over will have had a coronavirus vaccine by May under government plans, which also cover frontline health and care staff, and people over 16 in at-risk groups.

'Hotel quarantine': What some travellers to the UK will face from 15 February
Londoners may be told to wear higher-grade masks on Tube and bus over Covid variant fears
Country could see 'significant return to normality' by summer if most vulnerable vaccinated, says Sage adviser
When will I get the Covid vaccine? Online calculator estimates your place in the queue