Breathe a sigh of relief for millions of people in the greater Melbourne area: In the Australian state of Victoria, the longest lockdown in the world to date ends on Friday night after 262 days.
The easing should come because 70 percent of the population are now fully vaccinated against the corona virus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed on Thursday that 70.51 percent of citizens over the age of 16 in the east coast region have now received two doses of vaccine.
The opening will take place step by step, so that initially only a few measures will be relaxed, said Morrison. “In Australian fashion, we take cautious but deliberate steps so that we can open safely and stay open.”
Restaurants, shops and hairdressers are allowed to reopen under strict rules
The residents are now allowed to receive ten guests in their homes again – not a single visitor was allowed during the lockdown. Groups of up to 15 people can gather outside. The night exit restrictions are also lifted. Restaurants, shops and hairdressers are allowed to reopen under strict rules. Students should also return to the classroom in some cases.
The metropolis of Melbourne had already overtaken the previous record holder Buenos Aires in terms of the longest lockdown at the beginning of October. Despite the restrictions, corona records continued to be reported in Victoria. The authorities had nevertheless emphasized that the rules would be relaxed with a vaccination rate of 70 percent.
The country has been isolated since the beginning of the pandemic
The neighboring state of New South Wales with the metropolis of Sydney ended its strict lockdown after 106 days ten days ago. 80 percent of adult citizens there are now fully vaccinated.
Australia, with around 25 million inhabitants, has been largely isolated from the outside world since the beginning of the crisis. Due to the progress of the vaccination campaign, the government plans to reopen the country’s international borders for the first time in November. Fully vaccinated Australians will then be allowed to travel abroad again. It is still unclear when tourists can return to Down Under. (SDA)