City relishes freedom
Elated Melburnians hit shops
MELBURNIANS have rushed to celebrate the end of the state’s record sixth lockdown, giving a much-needed cash boost to long-suffering businesses.
Cafes, pubs and hairdressers across the city were booked to capacity, with many operating extended opening hours to accommodate 77 days of pent-up demand.
Many treated the opening up, after a world record 263 days of lockdown, as a soft opening ahead of further expected restriction easings next weekend, when Victoria is set to hit its 80 per cent fully vaccinated target.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra said only then would many businesses start making a profit.
“Hitting the 70 per cent double vaccination milestone is an incredible achievement and demonstrates the commitment Victorians have for our state,” he said. “It’s not quite the end of the road – we now turn our attention to the next significant milestone of 80 per cent of the eligible population being double vaccinated.
“The Victorian chamber hopes that on Sunday, Premier Daniel Andrews will announce that 80 per cent settings will be implemented on Friday, and that’s when we can lift the lid and show the rest of Australia that we are back. There is no question it’s good to be open but many businesses won’t start making a profit until we get to 80 per cent levels.”
City streets were buzzing after enduring the world’s longest lockdown, with some venues wasting no time getting back to business, opening at midnight as lockdown ended.
Queues 30 people deep formed outside hairdressing salons as punters rushed to tidy up three months’ worth of growth. Outdoor dining areas were packed to capacity as family and friends took the chance to catch up for a meal for the first time in months.
Centro Espresso cafe owner Mardy Farrant said there was “a good buzz in the air” on reopening day.
“It’s a better vibe for sure, it’s good to see more people about but it’ll be better when office workers are back,” she said. The Flinders Lane cafe owner bought the business three years ago and said trading had plunged 80 per cent during lockdown.
“I’m quite proud of the fact that we’ve really persevered.”
She said she wasn’t “terribly thrilled” about the government directive forcing businesses to check the vaccination status of customers.
Australia Hotels Association president David Canny said pubs across the state had been booked to capacity.