Sheffield will be placed in Tier 2 of new Coronavirus restrictions, the region’s mayor, Dan Jarvis, has confirmed.
From Wednesday there will be a ban on two households mixing indoors with the Government’s ‘rule of six’ now applying in all outdoor public spaces.
Tier 2 is the second highest level in the Government’s newly devised Covid-19 alert system and will be imposed on local authorities where the current rate of transmission is deemed ‘high’.
Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Jarvis said that “everything possible” was being done to prepare the region for new restrictions but warned that the new measures were unaffordable without additional support.
He also warned that Sheffield will “languish in local restrictions with no clear way out.” Adding that he had put an alternate plan to the government and was awaiting a response.
The intensity of local restrictions will be reviewed on a monthly basis but there are concerns local leaders are being shut out of the decision- making process.
Responding to Boris Johnson’s announcement this afternoon, Jarvis added: “Local leaders face a situation where we are left without the tools and resources to control the virus, until cases spiral to the ‘very high’ alert level.”
He also suggested ministers risked “further losing the public’s trust” if the current rules failed to bring the virus under control.
Despite Sheffield’s infection rate standing over five times above the national average in the week up to 8 October, the city has avoided imposition of harsh ‘Tier 3’ restrictions seen in Merseyside.
The Liverpool area will see, gyms, casinos, pubs and bars closed from Wednesday with a total ban on social mixing between households.
Along with schools and retail outlets, universities are expected to remain open nationally regardless of the local restriction level. However, the extent of in-person, on-campus teaching is likely to vary as rates of infection change.
Image: Rebekah Lowri
