New infection rate data from the UK’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) suggests the outbreak in England may no longer be shrinking.

The crucial coronavirus ‘R’ number  has edged up in England since last week and could now be as high as 1, the Government said today.

The reproduction number across the UK overall is unchanged at between 0.7 and 0.9.

But in England it is between 0.8 and 1, compared to 0.8 to 0.9 last week.

Leicester still has the highest rate of infections – but Public Health England figures show the number of infections is on the rise in Blackburn, Bedford and Peterborough.

SAGE now believes the virus spreads at an “optimal temperature” of 4C and is braced for a fresh winter crisis.

A source told the Mirror: “If the number overall increases then I would expect to have to impose some national measures. The aim is always to reduce close contacts.”

The England-only measure means anyone travelling back from those countries will not have to self-isolate for 14 days on their return.

Gatwick Airport chief executive Stewart Wingate said the changes would make a “massive difference.”

“About 75% of the destinations we serve are now quarantine free for passengers coming back into Gatwick.

“From a consumer point of view what we’re hoping is that will persuade people to take advantage of the flights,” he said.

But quarantine measures will stay in place in Scotland and Wales.

World Health Organisation Director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the virus is not under control “in most of the world” and is in fact “getting worse”.

He said: “The virus has upended health systems in some of the world’s wealthiest nations, while some countries that have mounted a successful response have been of modest means.

“We know that when countries take a comprehensive approach based on fundamental public health measures – such as find, isolate, test and treat cases, and trace and quarantine contacts – the outbreak can be brought under control. But in most of the world the virus is not under control.

“It is getting worse. More than 11.8 million cases of Covid-19 have now been reported to WHO. More than 544,000 lives have been lost – and the pandemic is still accelerating.

“The total number of cases has doubled in the last six weeks.”

Agafya Lykova, 76, lives as if she was an 18th century peasant in the Siberian wilderness, 150 miles from the nearest small town.

A Russian icon, she is the last survivor of a family who in 1936 fled into the forest where she was born, to avoid religious persecution under Stalin.

They remained undetected by the Soviet authorities for more than 40 years until their remote homestead – where Agafya still lives – was spotted from the air by Soviet geologists.

But travel blogger Arina Shumakova is accused of flouting safety measures and flying in with her team by helicopter to “hug” Agafya.

She now faces legal action for her “unauthorised” jaunt.

“They simply ignored all the legal requirements and visited,” said a spokesman for the nature reserve in remote Khakassia where she lives in the tumbledown shack built by her father despite winter temperatures as low as minus 45C.

“We asked the blogger to provide negative COVID-19 tests.”

The social media star with two million followers did not do so and also failed to wear PPE.

“We are now very worried for Agafya,” said the spokesman.