Coronavirus: R number jumps to 1.79 in Germany after abattoir outbreak

The coronavirus reproduction rate, known as the R number, has jumped to 1.79 in Germany. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for public health confirmed the rate was now far above what is needed to contain the outbreak over the longer term. The R number equates to how many people, on average, will be infected by each person who has COVID-19. If R is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially, but if it is below 1, the number of infections shrink and coronavirus can be brought under control.