THE growth rate for the South West's 'R rate' is now the lowest in the country as Covid-19 cases across the region and Dorset continue to fall. 

The fresh data, which has been released by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) on Friday, March 12 rates the ability to spread Covid-19 and the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average.

The updated 'R rate' for the South West, including Dorset, has decreased to between 0.5 - 0.8, which is below the latest R number range for the UK of 0.6 - 0.8.

The Government says an R-value between 0.5 and 0.8 means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between five and eight other people.

The current growth rate in the South West is set at -8 to -5. The size of the growth rate indicates the speed of change.

A growth rate of between -10 per cent and -6  per cent means that the number of new infections is shrinking by between six and 10 per cent every day.

Last week, the South West had an R rate of 0.6 - 0.8, with a growth rate between -8 per cent to -5 per cent.

The R rate for the South West is now the lowest in the country as the R Rate for multiple regions of the country continues to fall due to the lockdown measures.

These are the latest R estimates by NHS England regions: 

Region - R Growth rate - per day

England: 0.6 to 0.8, -6 to -4

East of England: 0.6 to 0.8, -9 to -5

London: 0.6 to 0.8, -8 to -4

Midlands: 0.6 to 0.8, -8 to -4

North East and Yorkshire: 0.7 to 0.9, -6 to -3

North West: 0.6 to 0.8, -8 to -5

South East: 0.6 to 0.8, -8 to -4

South West: 0.5 to 0.8, -10 to -6