The Imperial College London researchers say there was "no strong evidence" of these high infection levels.

But the Imperial College London researchers say their data - based on swab tests from 143,000 people across England, of which nearly 2,000 were positive for the virus - is more up to date because it does not rely on those being tested developing symptoms and then waiting to have their infections confirmed by a laboratory.

Before the Covid rules were tightened when the national lockdown came into effect on 6 January, the restrictions faced by people in England varied depending on where they lived.

Ministers say the Imperial College London report does not yet reflect the impact of the national lockdown in England.

The director of the Imperial College London programme, Prof Paul Elliott, said the third lockdown was not having the same impact as the first, in April.

And Prof Elliott said everyone should "reduce their mobility as much as we can".

The latest round of results from Imperial College's React-1 infection survey are interim and have not yet been published.

The survey is one source of data used to estimate the UK's reproduction (R) number, along with other surveys, from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for example, and figures on confirmed cases and hospital admissions.

Prof Elliott said the data would be monitored closely.

Who is Amanda Gorman, Biden's inauguration poet?

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