Melbourne reopens after months of hard COVID-19 lockdown as cases ease

The Australian city was put into lockdown in early July after a second-wave outbreak

Last updated: October 28, 2020 | 13:13

Reuters and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor

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Australia's coronavirus hotspot of Victoria state reported two new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday after posting no infections in the previous two days, as state capital Melbourne emerged from more than three months of a hard lockdown.

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Restaurants and cafes in Melbourne - home to 5 million people - can reopen from Wednesday and limits on social gatherings at homes have been eased, allowing two adults and dependents from one house to visit another household.

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People are seen lining up outside a popular pub and restaurant in St Kilda in Melbourne, Australia.

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Melbourne, the Australian city most affected by the virus, was put into lockdown in early July after a second-wave outbreak that pushed daily case numbers to more than 700 in early August.

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Australia has recorded just over 27,500 novel coronavirus infections, far fewer than many other developed countries.

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Victoria, the second most populous state, has accounted for more than 90% of the country's 907 deaths. It reported two deaths in the past 24 hours.

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A general view of people on St Kilda Beach in Melbourne. Australia’s former coronavirus hot spot emerged from a lockdown at midnight Tuesday.

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A customer receives a consultation in a department store after measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 were eased allowing limited numbers of people back into shops, bars, cafes and restaurants in Melbourne.

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Customers wait in line outside a beauty salon while all the stores around it remain closed in Melbourne.

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The Australian city of Melbourne emerged from one of the world's strictest and longest lockdowns that shuttered businesses and confined residents to their homes for more than three months.

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People carry shopping bags after measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 were eased allowing limited numbers of people back into shops, bars, cafes and restaurants in Melbourne.

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People are seen walking through the Bourke Street Shopping mall in Melbourne, Australia.

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