South Yorkshire strikes deal to enter highest level of coronavirus restrictions

South Yorkshire in northern England has agreed to enter the highest level of Covid-19 restrictions in return for £41m to support businesses that will have to close and extra council funding to tackle the spread of the virus.

Dan Jarvis, mayor of Sheffield city region, announced the deal on Wednesday morning, saying it was important to control coronavirus. Some 1.4m people in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield will face so-called tier 3 restrictions from just after midnight on Friday.

The deal with South Yorkshire authorities is a relief for the government the day after it forced Greater Manchester into tier 3 following the failure of talks with Andy Burnham, the region’s elected mayor, on financial support for the thousands of affected businesses.

Mr Burnham and leaders in the region had argued that Greater Manchester should receive £65m in business support — about £23 per head. But the government offered £60m then temporarily withdrew the offer when talks broke down.

The government has insisted there should be fairness between areas agreeing deals. Liverpool city region and Lancashire received about £20 per head for entering tier 3, the same as Sheffield.

Sheffield’s funding includes £30m to support the region’s businesses and £11m for local authorities to support public health measures such as test and trace to stop the spread of the virus.

Pubs that cannot function as restaurants must close, as must betting shops, adult gaming centres, casinos and soft play centres.

People must not socialise with anybody they do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting, in any private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events.

Mr Jarvis said: “Following extensive discussions with ministers, local council leaders and I have agreed with government that South Yorkshire will move into Tier 3, the ‘very high’ alert level for coronavirus restrictions.

“We all recognise the gravity of the situation and have taken the responsible route to ensure we save lives and livelihoods, and protect our NHS. More older people are contracting the virus. The number of people with Covid-19 in our hospitals has doubled over the last 10 days, with no signs this will relent over the coming weeks. Inaction was not an option.”

Leaders of some other areas with high infection rates, such as West Yorkshire and Nottingham, are expecting to hold discussions with central government about moving into tier 3 in the coming days.

Robert Jenrick, communities secretary, told BBC Radio that the £60m for Greater Manchester was still available but suggested the government would seek to circumvent Mr Burnham and go straight to the 10 borough councils to discuss how to disburse it.

The region is, however, receiving £22m, the standard £8 a head, to help improve contact tracing, enforcement and other measures directly related to tackling the virus.

Many local figures — including Lisa Nandy, shadow foreign secretary and MP for Wigan, part of Greater Manchester — have said any such effort to cut out Mr Burnham would be unacceptable. Council leaders have been involved in the talks throughout.

“The money is still there,” Mr Jenrick said. “It’s got Greater Manchester’s name on it.”

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The government had “very constructive” conversations with a number of council leaders, the minister said, singling out Richard Leese, leader of Manchester city council.

“If they now come to me today, they could start making the same arrangements I’ve been making with Merseyside and Lancashire,” he said, referring to the two regions that struck deals with the government last week to go into the very high alert tier.

The Labour party will seek to capitalise on the government’s discomfort on coronavirus support on Wednesday with a so-called opposition day debate ending in a non-binding vote on what it has called a fair, one-nation package of support for the worst-hit areas.

Meanwhile, Liverpool city region mayor Steve Rotheram said gyms would be allowed to open again there. They were shut a week ago but the government has not forced their closure elsewhere so agreed to let them reopen.