Melbourne toasts end of long Covid lockdown

Ryan McLerie said he had been unable to give haircuts for too long

Melbourne reopened Friday after enduring one of the world's most prolonged series of lockdowns, with relieved residents toasting their freedom in bars and restaurants or queueing for desperately needed haircuts.

The five million people living in Australia's second-biggest city have spent more than 260 days under lockdown since the beginning of the pandemic.

"As my kids say - there's a big vibe today," Victoria state premier Dan Andrews joked. "You can feel the optimism. You can sense the pride in what's been achieved."

He urged residents to "get out there" and "get a trim, order a meal or buy a mate a drink".

In 2021, it lost the mantle of Australia's most liveable city amid violent anti-lockdown protests and residents leaving to Covid-free regional towns.

"We're waiting to really start celebrating properly," he told AFP. "We're just going to go crazy."

"People are just going nuts, trying to book and calling: 'Please can you squeeze me in?'," said Marcela Rodriguez, co-founder of Vamos Fitzroy in Melbourne's Latin quarter.

One inner-city hairdresser said people had been queueing since 4.30 am and were still waiting for cuts.

At another salon, Ryan McLerie said he had been unable to give haircuts for too long. "It is super nuts to be back today and it is a sunny day so it's perfect," he told AFP.

Limits on patrons at cafes, bars and restaurants will remain in place, squeezing business owners who are also grappling with staff shortages caused by international border closures.

While varying rules make it difficult to directly compare lockdowns -- Toronto eateries were reportedly closed to diners for more than 360 days, while Buenos Aires was under harsh restrictions for much of 2020 -- Melbourne has spent among the most days under stay-at-home orders.

Authorities in Victoria have warned hospitals will likely come under "intense pressure" as a result of the decision to reopen even as Covid surges there, with 2,232 new cases recorded Thursday.

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Originally published as Melbourne toasts end of long Covid lockdown