The rate of new coronavirus cases in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has actually fallen in the most recent data.

Figures show that in the seven days leading up to Sunday, October 5 there had been 151 new cases, which represented a rate of 26.4 cases per 100,000 people.

This was compared to 213 recorded over the week leading up to the previous Sunday, September 28, which had led to a rate of 37.3 cases per 100,000 people.

However, today's update from the government and SAGE (the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) suggests that new infections could be growing in the south west region as a whole.

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The R number, which stands for the rate of reproduction, is now estimated to be between 1.3 and 1.6, compared to between 1.1 and 1.4 last week, while the growth rate is now between +3 per cent and +8 per cent, compared to between +2 per cent and +7 per cent last week.

It means that SAGE now believes that for every one person with the infection in the south west, a further 1.3 and 1.7 people are likely to go on to be infected, while the infection is growing between 3 per cent and 8 per each day.

Nationally the latest R number range for the UK is 1.2 to 1.5, with a growth rate of +4 per cent to +9 per cent.

SAGE said that an R number between 1.2 and 1.5 meant that on average every ten people infected will infect between 12 and 15 other people.

It added that both the R number and growth rate should be regarded "as a guide to the general trend" rather than a description of the epidemic state, and went on to state: "It is SAGE’s expert view that this week’s estimates are reliable, and that there is still widespread growth of the epidemic across the country.

"These estimates represent the transmission of Covid-19 over the past few weeks due to the time delay between someone being infected, having symptoms and needing healthcare.

"Estimates for R and growth rates are shown as a range, and the true values are likely to lie within this range."

These are the latest R and growth rate estimates by NHS England regions:

Region R Growth rate % per day

England 1.2-1.5 +4 to +8

East of England 1.3-1.6 +5 to +11

London 1.2-1.4 +2 to +6

Midlands 1.2-1.5 +4 to +8

North East and Yorkshire 1.3-1.5 +4 to +8

North West 1.2-1.4 +4 to +7

South East 1.2-1.4 +2 to +7

South West 1.3-1.6 +3 to +8