Sheffield's Covid-19 infection rate falls by a fifth as Tier 3 lockdown looms

There were 2,301 confirmed cases of Covid-19 during the week to October 15 – the latest date for which reliable numbers are available – giving a weekly infection rate of 393.4 new cases per 100,000 people.

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That’s down from 496.0 during the previous week, according to the most recent data released by Public Health England on the afternoon of Monday, October 19 – a fall of just under 21 per cent.

At this time last week, Sheffield had the eighth highest infection rate nationally, but now it is down to 18th in the table.

The weekly infection rate has fallen elsewhere, with Nottingham’s down from 1001.2 to 711.3, Liverpool’s falling from 684.7 to 606.6 and Manchester’s down from 511.5 to 424.7.

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It is too early to say whether the Tier 2 restrictions, including a ban on households mixing indoors, have made a difference since they came into force last Wednesday, October 14.

The reduction coincides with a drop in the number of new cases being reported by Sheffield’s two universities in recent days.

Despite Sheffield’s falling infection rate, talks are taking place about placing South Yorkshire into the highest Tier 3 lockdown, which, among other regulations, would force pubs and bars not serving meals to close.

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The infection rate has risen in other parts of South Yorkshire, with Barnsley’s up from 248.7 to 364.6, Rotherham’s increasing from 269.8 to 336.5, and Doncaster’s rising from 203.0 to 271.2.