Freedom, of sorts, at last for Melbourne

AFTER 111 days in lockdown, Melbourne is set to open up again, with a long list of restrictions to be lifted from Wednesday.

After recording no new COVID-19 cases on Monday, an emotional Daniel Andrews (above) said he was confident it was safe to ease restrictions.

And within two weeks, the metro-regional border will be scrapped, with work now under way to reopen interstate borders.

The long-awaited news followed a massive public backlash after the Premier delayed an announcement on Sunday while awaiting further test results from the city’s northern suburbs.

No new infections were uncovered when more than 1100 test results came back negative late on Sunday, in addition to 2500 tests on Saturday.

“We are able to say that now is the time to open up,” the Premier said.

“Now is the time to congratulate every single Victorian for staying the course.”

Melbourne’s lockdown wiped almost $12bn – about $100m a day – from the national economy, with an average of 1200 jobs a day lost in August and September,

Scott Morrison said the reopening was “a reflection of the dedication and effort of Victorians”.

“Victorians have made great progress in reducing the rate of COVID-19 infections caused by the second wave,” the Prime Minister said in a joint statement with the Treasurer and Health Minister.

“This was the announcement they were expecting, one they worked hard to achieve.”

From Wednesday, Melburnians will no longer need a reason to leave home but will still have a 25km travel limit.