The Centre, in its recent communications to states, has been pointing out to an increase in R factor of Covid-19, urging the states to practice caution. R factor refers to the reproduction rate which denotes the number of people getting infected by one infected person. "You may be aware that any increase in R factor above 1.0 is an indicator of spread of Covid-19. According to reports, Kerala and northeast states have an increased R factor, which is why the decline in cases has become sluggish. In June end, the R factor was 0.88 and in the middle of May, it was 0.78.

Source: Hindustan Times July 15, 2021 01:30 UTC