South Yorkshire 'should be put into a Tier 2 lockdown’ following discussions over the weekend

Sources have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that one of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s advisors spoke to council leaders and Sheffield City Region Mayor Dan Jarvis on Friday night.

They said a Tier 2 lockdown - which includes a ban on households mixing indoors - was being recommended.

But further meetings have taken place today and the situation could again change.

A SCR source said that leaders agreed a unified approach in the interim but if there was a dramatic fall in Covid-19 cases in one area the situation could change but the final say still lies with Government.

Tier 1 measures with those at ‘medium risk’ will continue as current restrictions including the ‘rule of six’ and 10pm curfew on bars and restaurants.

Tier 2 - which as of Friday was what Government was advising for South Yorkshire - is expected to be a ban on meeting people you don't live with, but pubs and restaurants would be allowed to stay open.

Tier 3 measures are expected to include compulsory closure of hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants, while mixing with other homes is banned.

All leaders are unified in their ‘five point plan’ which was submitted to Government last week.

They include: Providing an immediate injection of funding for services which protect the public, stop the spread of the virus in communities and ensure the latest guidance is reaching residents and is understood.

A targeted support package for businesses in the hospitality, leisure and recreation sectors that are unable to operate at anything like normal levels of capacity, or face entire closure.

Provide additional testing capacity and put South Yorkshire Directors of Public Health in charge of Test and Trace, so they can manage outbreaks more effectively in communities, ramp up house-to-house drop off and collection of testing kits, and plug the gaps in tracing contacts who have been missed by the national system.

Increase the eligibility criteria for the Test and Trace support payment for those unable to work because they are self-isolating, above the £500 threshold.