Containment will finally be lifted in Melbourne, three months after being imposed there to stem the second epidemic wave, authorities announced on Monday (October 26th).

No new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the past 24 hours in the state of Victoria.

The obligation to stay at home will be lifted overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, and restaurants, beauty salons and shops will once again be able to welcome customers.

The state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, has for the first time since the beginning of June not register any new cases in 24 hours.

While the country had been relatively effective in containing the first wave of coronavirus, Melbourne experienced a surge in cases this summer, due to neglect in hotels where people returning from abroad were doing their quarantine.

Announcing the long-awaited lifting of restrictions, Prime Minister Daniel Andrews spoke of an "emotional day".

"It is a very difficult year, the people of Victoria have given a lot and I am proud of each of them," he told reporters.

Borders between Victoria and other states remain closed

Melbourne's five million residents were subjected to drastic restrictions this summer, including a nighttime curfew, which was lifted at the end of September after nearly two months.

Residents were also required to stay at home and could only move within a radius of five kilometers for a number of clearly defined activities.

Some restrictions were lifted last week, with residents being allowed to play golf or go to the hairdresser.

And there was strong pressure to lift restrictions more widely against the backdrop of falling cases.

The lockdown came in July, when the number of new cases was around 190 per day.

That figure had climbed to 700 in August.

The borders between Victoria and the other states remain closed, and arrivals from foreign countries are tightly controlled.

Australia, with a population of 25 million, has a total of around 27,500 cases since the start of the pandemic, and 905 deaths from Covid-19.

With AFP

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