South Yorkshire is part of the only region in the country with Covid rates still on the rise

In Yorkshire and the Humber the rate of new cases stood at 150.1 per 100,000 people in the seven days to February 21, a slight increase from 149.5 the previous week.

And this increase was reflected in the rising number of new cases in both Sheffield and Barnsley.

In Sheffield, the infection rate now stands at 134.7 per 100,000 people, reflecting 788 new cases in the week to February 21. This is an increase from 118.8 (695 new cases) the week before.

And in Barnsley the rate is now 178.6 per 100,000 people (441 new cases) in the week to February 21, up from 177.4 (438 new cases).

In Doncaster and Rotherham the infection rates have been falling, in line with the trend across the rest of the country.

Sheffield will 'bounce back' but needs to 'learn to live with Covid for years to come'

In Doncaster it is 180.2 in the week to February 21, (562 new cases), down from 187.6 (585 new cases) the week before. And in Rotherham it fell to 188.0, (499 new cases) from 214.4 (569 new cases) in the same time period.

In spite of the rising case rates, South Yorkshire is still set to see lockdown restrictions lifting, beginning March 8 when schools will start to reopen.

Then, between March and June, pubs, restaurants, shops and sports and leisure facilities will gradually open up according to the Government’s ‘roadmap’.

Sheffield’s director of public health Greg Fell said that he expects the city’s infection rate to decline over this period of easing, and plateau at around 100 cases per 100,000.