A woman walks by coronavirus related graffiti on a wall, in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020.
Instead, it has adopted a three-tier system for England, with areas classed as medium, high or very high virus risk.
The measures have caused tension between Johnson’s Conservative government and local authorities in northern England, which has the country’s highest infection rates.
Wednesday’s announcement about South Yorkshire means 7.3 million people, or 13% of England’s population, have been placed under the toughest restrictions — all of them in the north.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said Burnham had rejected an offer of 60 million pounds ($78 million) in additional funding.