The 'R' rate in the South West is now the joint-highest in England. 

It now stands at 0.8 to 1.1 which is the same level as London and the North West. 

Parts of the North West recently went into local lockdown after a spike in coronavirus cases left them with a similar rate.

The 'R' rate is the average number of secondary infections produced by a single infected person. 

The South West has risen to same level as three other regions but the average in the UK is 0.8 to 1. 

But the growth rate is decreasing across the UK with it shrinking between 0 per cent and 5 per cent each day. 

The current lowest is in the East of England with 0.7 to 0.9.