The number of Covid-19 infections across England is continuing to drop as a whole.

Short for the reproductive rate, the R rate measures the average number of people that an infection could pass to another - if below 1, then the number of cases are declining.

And while the R rate has not dropped drastically since the last week, the trend continues to show that infections are dropping.

In the South East of England, the R rate is now measured to be between 0.7 and 0.9, compared to 0.7 to 1.0 last week.

And in London, the R rate is now believed to be 0.6 to 0.9, compared to 0.7 to 0.9 last week.

UK-wide, the R rate is now between 0.7 and 1.1.

Data by January 15 marked the first time the R rate dropped below 1 since the third lockdown, and at the moment it appears lockdown measures are continuing to work in containing the virus.

But the ONS said the percentage of people testing positive in England “remains high”, with more than one million people infected in the most recent week’s data.

An estimated one in 55 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between January 17 and 23, broadly unchanged on the previous estimates for the period January 10 to 16.