London 'hit with just 24 new coronavirus cases a day' as modelling shows 'R' rate lowest in country

Fewer than 24 people are catching coronavirus each day in London, according to a report on new modelling.

Public Health England and Cambridge University research suggests that the capital's "R" reproduction rate has fallen to 0.4, down from about 2.8 before the lockdown started.

According to the Cambridge's MRC Biostatistics Unit, the city's "R" rate is the lowest in the country, having once been the worst affected in terms of coronavirus-related hospital admissions.

The research showed that for every 10 people who are infected, they are likely to pass it onto four people.

The number of new cases in the city are halving every 3.5 days, and less than 24 transmissions are said to be currently occurring daily, according to the Telegraph's report on the same modelling.

The "R" rate is a measurement of the number of people an infected person passes the disease to.

At the peak of the outbreak on March 23, the rate of infections in the capital was 230,000 a day. This dropped to around 10,000 on April 7 after the lockdown was enforced.

London was at one point the epicentre of the UK's outbreak.

The North East and Yorkshire, together, now have the highest rate of any region, with 0.8. The region is seeing around 4,320 infections a day, it was reported.

The nationwide rate of infection appears to be slowing, with academics at the University of Cambridge reporting that the R rate was now firmly under 1.0.

This is a goal the Prime Minister set in order to keep gradually releasing the lockdown in the coming months.

According to the modelling, the English region with the highest R rate is the North East and Yorkshire, with a transmission rate of 0.8.

It comes as critics are looking to drive ministers back on their plans to ease parts of the lockdown.

Despite the new figures, the Government faces fresh pressure from council leaders and Labour over its steps to return the country back to a sense of normality.

Leaders of local authorities and unions chiefs have accused ministers of going too fast on its plans to reopen schools and want more local control over their return.

Labour has taken aim at the Government's track-and-trace plans, warning ministers its team of contact tracers should be close to three times the size of the operation currently being installed.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has said schools should be allowed to make their own decisions about reopening, especially in areas where there is a higher proportion of black, Asian and minority ethnic residents.

Councillor Judith Blake, chairwoman of the LGA's children and young people board, said parents were "anxious" about sending their children back to school and said more needed to be done to reassure families.

Prime Minister Mr Johnson, when announcing his plans for taking England out of lockdown, said Reception, Y1 and Y6 pupils could go back as soon as next month.

And Education Secretary Gavin Williamson this week said medical and scientific advice was "saying it's the right time to start bringing schools back in a phased and controlled manner".

But the LGA is calling for some schools, in consultation with councils, to be given greater flexibility locally over reopening as they argue that some communities are at higher risk.