Everything we know about coronavirus in Sheffield as city is upgraded to 'area of enhanced support'

In the weekly watchlist, published by Public Health England, enhanced support is given to ‘areas at medium/high risk of intervention’.

The main reason for this enhanced level is down to the ever-increasing infection rate in Sheffield.

The city’s latest weekly infection rate, as of September 28, was 105.3 cases per 100,000 people, considerably higher than 70.6 the previous week.

A local lockdown could be the next step if the intervention support fails.

This week Sheffield has reached ‘red level’ as coronavirus cases continue to rise and spread across the city, Sheffield City Council has warned.

The authority said that there had been ‘a sustained rise’ in cases of the deadly bug over the last 21 days- and on (Wednesday, September 30) the city recorded its highest number of cases in a single day since the pandemic hit.

Government statistics showed a concerning 159 people in the city tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.

The previous highest figure was 110 on March 30, when testing was largely restricted to hospital settings.

There have been nearly 160 Covid-19 cases reported at Sheffield’s two universities since students returned.

Figures by the University of Sheffield revealed that in the first three days of this week, 116 students and two members of the staff had tested positive.

Sheffield Hallam said that there had been 40 confirmed cases amongst their university community.

Nearly 160 Covid-19 cases reported at Sheffield's two universities as students return

South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson recently outlined the forces policing approach to the latest Covid-19 restrictions and insisted that action will be taken if people do not abide by the regulations.

Mr Watson said that officers would try to engage, encourage and educate people about the rules, with enforcement being the last option but now that looks to change.

Speaking to the Sheffield Star, last week, he said: “There is something of a subtle recalibration in our approach. Six months ago this was entirely new and it isn't entirely new now.

"You'd be hard-pressed to find somebody who hasn't come to understand the importance of the regime that we are all having to put up with.

“In respect to that very small number of people who are perhaps blatantly flouting the regulations, we will start moving to get reinforcement more quickly.

Hospitals in the city have seen a rise of nearly 75 per cent in coronavirus admissions.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, which runs the Royal Hallamshire and Northern General hospitals, admitted 52 patients with Covid-19 between September 18 and September 28.

The trust also recorded its third coronavirus death in the space of a week on Tuesday, September 29.

The total number of Covid-19 hospital deaths in Sheffield now stands at 299.

A new testing centre opened in Burngreave this week, while the mobile testing unit based at the Olympic Legacy Park in Attercliffe has moved to Milton Street car park in Broomhall.

The total number of confirmed positive cases in Sheffield stands at 6,914.