COVID-19: Sydney reopens after 106 days of lockdown

After months of lockdown, Sydney has finally reopened, with businesses preparing to welcome fully vaccinated residents.

A 106-day lockdown had been imposed on Sydney’s more than five million people in order to slow the spread of the highly transmissible Delta strain.

With new infections now falling – New South Wales state recorded 477 cases – and more than 70% of over-16s double vaccinated, Sydney was dusting off the cobwebs.

Since June, non-essential personnel have been barred from entering businesses, schools, salons, and workplaces, and personal freedom has been severely restricted.

There were bans on everything from travelling more than five kilometers from home, visiting family, playing squash, browsing in supermarkets to attending funerals.

There will still be limits on mass gatherings and international borders and schools will not fully reopen for a few weeks yet.

Australia effectively controlled infections for the majority of the pandemic with border closures, lockdowns, and intensive testing and tracking.