‘Blood, sweat and no beers’: Sydney lifts Covid lockdown after 106 days

Elated Sydneysiders were emerging from almost four months of “blood, sweat and no beers” early on Monday as a long coronavirus lockdown was lifted in Australia’s largest city.

Sydney’s more than five million residents had been subjected to a 106-day lockdown, designed to limit the march of the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus.

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

A handful of venues - including some bars and slot machine rooms - planned to open at 12.01am local time to customers vaccinated against Covid-19.

Hairdressers will be among those businesses throwing open their doors later in the day, although many have been booked out for weeks to come by shaggy-haired customers.

Since June, shops, schools, salons and offices have been closed for non-essential workers and there have been unprecedented restrictions on personal freedom.

There were bans on everything from travelling more than 5km from home, visiting family, playing squash, browsing in supermarkets to attending funerals.

“It’s a big day for our state,” said New South Wales’ recently appointed conservative premier Dominic Perrottet. After “100 days of blood, sweat and no beers,” he said, “you’ve earned it.”

Malaysia eases travel curbs as outbreak slows

Malaysia eased domestic and international travel curbs on Sunday for those fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, as a fierce outbreak slows and inoculation rates rise.

The Southeast Asian nation had faced its worst Covid-19 wave in recent months, prompting authorities to impose a tough nationwide lockdown.

But with case numbers falling and the inoculation roll-out picking up speed, authorities began lifting curbs, with businesses allowed to reopen and workers slowly returning to offices.

In a televised address on Sunday, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced fully inoculated people can move freely within the country, as well as fly overseas without special permission.

“According to the ministry of health, the vaccination rate for the adult population... has reached 90%,” he said to explain the move that takes effect on Monday. But Ismail Sabri warned people to continue abiding by rules such as mask-wearing to keep the virus in check.

“Do not be complacent... This is important in the government’s efforts to reopen the economy.”

Thousands in Rome rally against Covid health pass

Thousands of protesters including members of far-right groups demonstrated in central Rome on Saturday against the extension of the Covid-19 health pass system to all workplaces.

There were scuffles with police as the demonstrators took aim at the health pass, which has been a requirement to enter museums, sporting events and restaurants since August.

A separate protest took place in the capital and others in the northern city of Milan and in Cesena, central Italy.