Mayor Dan Jarvis says the decision came after virus cases doubled in local hospitals over the last ten days
South Yorkshire is to become the latest part of England to introduce tighter COVID-19 restrictions amid rising coranavirus cases of the virus in the county.
The county, which includes the city of Sheffield, is set to move to Tier 3, indicating a "very high" level of alert.
It means people will not be able to meet friends or family outside of their household indoors or outdoors, while pubs and bars not serving substantial meals will have to close.
Dan Jarvis, the mayor of the region, said he had secured €45 million of funding from the UK government to support local people and businesses.
He said in a statement on Wednesday morning: "More older people are contracting the virus. The number of people with COVID in our hospitals has doubled over the last ten days, with no signs this will relent over the coming weeks.
"Inaction was not an option."
The measures will take effect on Saturday morning, the same time that Tier 3 restrictions will be controversially introduced in nearby Greater Manchester.
This story is being updated by our journalists.