Social Distancing: 2 Metre Rule

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 3:35 pm on 15 June 2020.

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Photo of Edward Argar Edward Argar Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care) 3:35, 15 June 2020

I am always grateful for questions from my hon. and gallant Friend. The latest figures—as of last week—are that R is not near zero, but is between 0.7 and 0.9. That shows that the infection and transmission rate is going down, but it is still only just below 1, which is why we must keep up the pressure on this disease and keep transmission rates down. He is right, as my hon. Friend Jerome Mayhew alluded to, that as that figure and the transmission rate falls further, there will be more opportunities to relax, step by step and cautiously, the restrictions, but we are not there yet.