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Around 1.4 million people in South Yorkshire are now under England’s strictest coronavirus restrictions.
From 12:01 a.m. On Saturday, Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield were covered by Level 3 restrictions, designed to reduce the spread of the virus.
Homes will be prohibited from mingling except in parks and other open spaces, while pubs and bars must close unless they serve “large meals.”
It comes after nearly fifteen days of negotiations between local leaders and the UK government, which agreed on a £ 41m support package for the region.
Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis said in a letter to residents just hours before the new rules went into effect that he had “moved heaven and earth to secure the maximum amount of resources we could.” .
He added: “After the progress we made over the summer, the return to tighter restrictions is deeply frustrating.
“Many of you will be fearing for your families, your livelihoods, your future.
“Some of you may be wondering if these measures are worth it.
“Those feelings are understandable.
“But we must not be under any illusions: these measures are necessary.
“The scientific advice is that they can help.
“We still have a difficult road ahead, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
“These restrictions will help us get there sooner and at a lower cost.”
Coventry, Stoke and Slough also entered Level 2 on Saturday.
Warrington will enter Level 3 next week and discussions continue for Nottinghamshire.
Friday morning, Greater Manchester moved to level 3, joining Lancashire and Liverpool City Region. Also, on Friday night Wales began a two-week lockdown.
On Friday, 20,530 positives coronavirus Cases were reported in the UK: a drop of 712 cases from 21,242 recorded on Thursday, and a further drop in the record set on Wednesday.
Some 224 people died within 28 days of testing positive, an increase from Thursday’s count, which was 189.
The Office for National Statistics has estimated that there were an average of 35,200 new cases of COVID-19 per day in the community of England between 10 and 16 October.
This was 26% more than an estimated 27,900 new cases per day from October 2-8.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies said on Friday that the breeding number (R-value) for the UK had dropped slightly to between 1.2 and 1.4. Last week it was between 1.3 and 1.5.
