‘Emotional Day’ for Melbourne as Australia’s second-largest city set to lift COVID-19 restriction

Melbourne is set to lift the COVID-19 restrictions after no new cases or deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, AFP quoted the authorities. The lockdown will be lifted from midnight Tuesday into Wednesday, four months after the city of five million residents was placed under onerous restrictions.

Melbourne in the summer became the epicentre of the country’s second coronavirus wave, with new daily cases rising above 700 in August when the rest of Australia was already rolling back restrictions.

The city has recorded no new cases for the first time since June 8.

‘Emotional Day,’ exclaims Melbourne’s premier

Announcing the much-anticipated relaxing of restrictions, Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews’ voice cracked as he declared it an “emotional day”, AFP reported.

“This has been a very difficult year. And Victorians have given a lot and I’m proud of every single one of them,” he told reporters in Melbourne.

On being asked of the no new cases, he said, “It was worth waiting to be absolutely confident to be sure that our team had their arms around those positive cases and fundamental control of the outbreak — and that is exactly what these numbers show us.”

Asked if ale-loving Victorians could now “get on the beers”, Andrews said he “might go a little higher up the shelf”.

Meanwhile, jubilant social media users declared the return to zero cases and deaths “Donut Day”, with the hashtag trending as Twitter users posted selfies with the sweet treats in celebration.

Restrictions in Victoria

While restrictions will be lifted in capital Melbourne, Victoria state is already enjoying fewer restrictions, with gyms set to reopen and outdoor live music to resume from Tuesday.

Restrictions on travel between Melbourne and regional Victoria will be lifted from November 8, with a 25-kilometre (15-mile) travel radius for city residents also set to be removed the same day.

The state remains cut off from the rest of Australia, where regional authorities have largely taken a hyper-vigilant response to Covid-19 such as maintaining internal border restrictions.

Criticism over restrictions

Among those who have criticised the state’s strict lockdown is the country’s conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison. 

Taking a swipe at Andrew’s centre-left government, Morrison said on Sunday that Victoria’s restrictions had caused “1,000 job losses per day”, AFP reported. 

Also read: History will be ‘severe judge’: Australia PM on not sharing vaccine

Coronavirus in Australia

The country has been largely successful in containing the spread of the coronavirus. 

A nation of 25 million people has reported 27,500 cases and 905 deaths.

Also read: Australia records zero coronavirus deaths for first time in 2 months

The country also maintains strict controls on its international borders to prevent transmission of the virus from overseas, which has left tens of thousands of its own citizens stranded abroad.

Authorities now hope to remove internal travel restrictions, bring more Australians home from overseas, and create “travel bubbles” with other countries that have curbed the virus — all while continuing to maintain low case numbers.