Is the coronavirus infection rate higher in England or Scotland? Latest update on Covid cases in the UK

The all-important 'R-rate' has risen to between 0.6 and 1 following the surge in cases in Aberdeen

(Photo: Jeff J Mitchell - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Scotland - and the other devolved nations of the UK - are generally accepted as having been more 'successful' in their approach to tackling coronavirus than England.

More cautious easings of lockdown and few highly concentrated centres of population has meant that while the virus has still had a profound effect in Scotland, on the basis of stats, the situation doesn't appear to be as bad as it is south of the border.

At peak of the pandemic, England recorded around 73 new cases per million people compared to Scotland’s 63 infections per million people.

But is that still the case? How are infection rates looking across the UK?

Here's everything you need to know:

What's the situation in Scotland?

On 5 August Nicola Sturgeon announced that the city of Aberdeen was to undergo some lockdown restrictions once again after a spike in cases in the Grampian area.

A total of over 100 new cases have been recorded in the north east cluster, centred around a city pub, and the rise in cases heightened fears the Scottish Government was "dealing with a significant outbreak in Aberdeen that may include some community transmission".

A five-mile travel rule has been put in place and residents are being told not to enter each other's houses.

All indoor and outdoor hospitality venues were told to close by 5pm on Wednesday 5 August.

On Sunday 9 August, the Scottish Government reported 48 new positive cases across the country in the last 24 hours.

The total number of positive cases in Scotland is now at 18,998. There were no new deaths reported.

Scotland has not reported a death from coronavirus by the Scottish Government measurements since July 16, meaning the number of deaths from the virus remains at 2,491.

What's the rate of infection in Scotland?

Nicola Sturgeon said on 6 August that the coronavirus reproduction rate — the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects — in Scotland may have risen to as high as one.

The all-important 'R-rate' has risen to between 0.6 and 1 following the surge in cases in Aberdeen, and a number of new infections in Glasgow and Clyde.

The R is estimated to be between 0.8 and 0.9 across the whole of the UK, and throughout the pandemic, scientists have repeatedly stressed that keeping the R below one is critical in order to curb the spread of Covid-19.

In terms of how that compares to England, it is estimated that the R rate there is between 0.8 and 1.

Wales is thought to have an R rate between 0.7 and 0.9, while Northern Ireland's rate could range between 0.8 and 1.8.

What local lockdowns are in place in England?

Tougher lockdown restrictions have been enforced in parts of Northern England, following a recent spike of coronavirus cases in some areas.

The UK government announced the strict measures on 31 July, with the new rules affecting people who live in parts of Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire.

Similar restrictions are already being enforced in Leicester as part of efforts to minimise the risk of any further spread of the virus.

The government has not confirmed any further local lockdowns will be enforced, although tougher restrictions could be imposed in areas that see a surge in coronavirus infections, as has been the case in parts of Northern England.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently expressed concerns of a second wave of coronavirus following the spike in infections in Spain, warning the UK could see a similar situation develop within as little as two weeks.