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Regional lockdowns could be introduced as 'R' rate increases in some areas of England

Photo credit: Ollie Millington - Getty Images
Photo credit: Ollie Millington - Getty Images

From Harper's BAZAAR

The government has warned regional lockdowns could be introduced as new findings show the rate of coronavirus infection is increasing in some areas of the country.

According to new research by Public Health England and Cambridge University, the R rate – the measure used to track on average how many people one infected person will pass on the virus to – has increased in all regions.

The study found that the number was close to one in the north-west and south-west of England. Getting the number to below one is one of the government’s five checkpoints for relaxing lockdown.

Photo credit: Ollie Millington - Getty Images
Photo credit: Ollie Millington - Getty Images

"We want to increasingly have an approach of tackling local lockdowns where we spot a flare-up,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. “There is a challenge in the north-west of England to address, and to a lesser degree in the south-west of England.

“Both the north-west and the south-west are big areas themselves, and we need to get more granular and more focused and find the source of the local outbreak and then deal with it."

PHE’s study somewhat conflicts with the Office for National Statistics’ latest data which suggested coronavirus cases had fallen in recent weeks.

The latest ONS survey found that during the last two weeks of May (between 17 and 30 May) and average of 53,000 in England had the virus. This was more than half of the number infections of the weeks previous.

Photo credit: TOLGA AKMEN - Getty Images
Photo credit: TOLGA AKMEN - Getty Images

However, the latest data doesn’t take into consideration the latest easing of lockdown measures. As of Monday 1 June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced groups of six are allowed to meet up while socially distancing either outdoors in a public space or private garden.

Additionally, some shops were allowed to open while implementing social distancing measures, including outdoor markets and car showrooms.

Most recently, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced it will be compulsory to wear face masks on public transport from 15 June.

“As of Monday 15 June, face coverings will become mandatory on public transport,” Shapps said. “That doesn’t mean surgical masks, which we must keep for clinical settings, it means the kind of face covering you can easily make at home.

“The evidence suggests that wearing face coverings offers some, albeit limited, protection, against the spread of the virus.”

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