Lockdown legacy: Melbourne’s Covid years in pictures

Five years on from the start of the Covid pandemic, the Herald Sun looks back on life in lockdown and how the virus changed our city.

On the five-year anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Herald Sun looks back on life in lockdown and how the virus changed our city.

Empty Melbourne

Melbourne’s empty streets in lockdown. Picture: Luis Ascui

Bourke Street Mall. Picture: Luis Ascui

Bourke Street Mall. Picture: Daniel Pockett

Melbourne’s empty roads. Picture: Alex Coppel

The Bolte Bridge. Picture: Alex Coppel

Princes Bridge. Picture: Alex Coppel

An aerial view of the city overlooking Aami Park. Picture: Alex Coppel

St Kilda Beach. Picture: Alex Coppel

The West Gate Bridge. Picture: Alex Coppel

Flinders Street Station. Picture: Luis Ascui

Flinders Street. Picture: David Geraghty

Chadstone Shopping Centre. Picture: Alex Coppel

The Block Arcade. Picture: David Crosling

Bourke Street Mall. Picture: Daniel Pockett

Flinders Street Station. Picture: David Geraghty

Bourke Street Mall. Picture: Getty Images

St Kilda Rd. Picture: Getty Images

Elizabeth St. Picture: Getty Images

Swanston St. Picture: Ian Currie

The MCG. Picture: Ian Currie

Hotel quarantine

The Stamford Plaza Hotel was a source of a Covid outbreak. Picture Jay Town

A quarantine hotel in Melbourne. Picture: Sarah Matray

Rydges on Swanston was the source of an outbreak. Picture: David Geraghty

A sign on the door of Rydges Hotel during hotel quarantine. Picture: Sarah Matray

Police and Army personnel monitor international arrivals. David Crosling

The Pan Pacific at South Wharf. Picture: Ian Currie

Visitors arrive on a Sky Bus and enter hotel quarantine. Picture: Jason Edwards

The Novotel in Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Jason Edwards

Overseas travellers check into the Crown Promenade Hotel. Picture: AAP

Travellers arrive at the Intercontinental Hotel. Picture: Getty Images

A SkyBus transports passengers to hotel quarantine. Picture: David Crosling

People in hotel quarantine at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport. Picture: Ian Currie

Panic buying

Panic buying after Melbourne enters Stage 4 lockdown. Picture: Ian Currie

Shoppers empty supermarkets of toilet paper as lockdowns are announced. Picture: David Geraghty

Empty shelves as stores are cleared out. Picture: Ian Currie

Shoppers load up trolleys as they prepare to enter lockdown. Picture: AFP

Shoppers wait in a long queue outside a Costco outlet in Melbourne. Picture: AFP

People load up with supplies in Docklands. Picture: David Crosling

Empty toilet paper shelves in a Woolworths as lockdown kicks in. Picture: AAP

Product buying limits are enforced. Picture: AAP

Empty vegetable stands in Coles in South Melbourne. Picture: David Crosling

People queue for groceries in Coburb. Picture: AAP

Covid testing

Crowds queue for Covid testing at Melbourne Town Hall. Picture: David Crosling

A Covid testing site at Tullamarine. Picture: David Geraghty

Covid testing at Albert Park. Picture: Nicki Connolly

A pop-up Covid testing site in St Kilda. Picture: David Geraghty

Drive-through Covid testing in Broadmeadows. Picture: Sarah Matray

Queues for testing at The Alfred hospital. Picture: Aaron Francis

A man gets a Covid test. Picture: AAP

A woman is tested at Albert Park. Picture: Ian Currie

Queues for testing at the Showgrounds in Shepparton. Picture: Alex Coppel

Cars line up at a Covid testing site in Dandenong. Picture: David Crosling

Nursing homes

A Covid outbreak at Basil's Aged Care at Fawkner. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Ambulances arrive to remove residents from St Basil’s. Picture: Stefan Postles

Residents are removed from St Basil’s. Picture: Stefan Postles

Waste is removed by staff. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Workers in full protective gear dispose of waste. Picture: Jason Edwards

Staff get into PPE outside St Basil’s. Picture: Nicki Connolly

An exhausted healthcare worker at St Basil’s. Picture: Jason Edwards

An outbreak at Epping Gardens Aged Care home. Picture: David Crosling

Members of the ADF arrive at Epping Gardens nursing home. Picture: David Crosling

Epping Gardens residents are evacuated. Picture: Tony Gough

Clinical waste is removed from Epping Gardens Aged Care Facility. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Military personnel outside the aged care home Picture: Getty Images

Medical workers speak at the entrance to the aged care facility. Picture: AFP

Victorians in lockdown

Benjamin, 18 months, and his grandmother, Nella Sinkovic, socially isolate in lockdown. Picture: Josie Hayden

George and Shirley Fielding celebrate their 70th weddng anniversary through the glass window of her aged care facility. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Tejinder Dhaliwal from Australia Post with Annnika, 8, getting her contactless book delivery. Picture: Jason Edwards

Oscar, 9, in his Kew East garden. Picture: David Caird

Gus Rogers socialises from a distance with his neighbours, Christine and Stephen Bailey at Point Lonsdale Picture: Rob Leeson

Home schooling

Olivia, 7, Annalise, 9, and George, 5, learn from home. Picture: Rebecca Michael

The fed-up Lund family Alana and Ben and kids Grace, 10, Jack,8, and Willa, 5, with dog Fly. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Jeruisha Williams-Kerr with her husband Dean Kerr, and kids Campbell, 5, and Scarlett, 8. Picture: Alex Coppel

Carly Ravenhall with Finn, 1, Noah, 3, Lexi, 6, Zach, 9, and Oscar, 8. Picture: David Caird

Luna is fed up with home schooling. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Protests

Police prepare to face off with anti-lockdown protesters at the Shrine of Remembrance. Picture: Alex Coppel

A protester is pepper sprayed by police. Picture: Jason Edwards

An anti-lockdown protest in Melbourne. Picture: Alex Coppel

Protesters march along the West Gate Bridge. Picture: Jason Edwards

Police follow protesters on Church st Richmond. Picture: Alex Coppel

Police tackle an anti-lockdown protester. Picture: Alex Coppel

Angry construction workers protest during Covid. Picture: David Crosling

Construction workers protest vaccine rules. Picture: Jason Edwards

Riot police at a Freedom Rally in Melbourne’s CBD. Picture: Sarah Matray

A Freedom Day protest at the Shrine of Remembrance. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Police tackle protesters on the West Gate Bridge. Picture: Jason Edwards

Protesters rally against mandatory Covid vaccines. Picture: Getty Images

A Freedom Rally on the steps of parliament. Picture: Jason Edwards

Playgrounds

A sign reveals a playground is closed during Covid restrictions. Picture: Getty Images

Tom, 5, Manon, 9, Marcus, 9, and Olive, 6 at a closed playground. Picture: Alex Coppel

A closed-off playground at Albert Park. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Tape blocks a playground entry during lockdowns. Picture: Getty Images

Hazard tape on a play area during restrictions. Picture: Getty Images

Public housing lockdown

Police and healthcare workers at the locked-down North Melbourne public housing. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The Flemington public housing towers in lockdown. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A resident waves from the front door. Picture: Getty Images

Police detain a woman in Flemington before releasing her. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Healthcare workers prepare to enter the North Melbourne tower. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

A sign in the window of the Flemington towers. Picture: Getty Images

Residents receive supplies during the public housing lockdown. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Health workers deliver food to locked-down residents. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

A police officer outside the Flemington towers. Picture: David Crosling

Police and health workers outside the North Melbourne towers. Picture: Ian Currie

Vaccinations

People line up at a vaccination hub in St Kilda. Picture: David Crosling

Queues for Covid vaccines at the Exhibition Centre. Picture: David Crosling

David gets his jab in Epping. Picture: David Crosling

A Covid vaccination hub at the Melbourne Showgrounds. Picture: Getty Images

A drive-through vaccination centre in Melton. Picture: Getty Images

Vaccines at a hub in Melbourne Town Hall. Picture: David Crosling

A vaccine centre at the Royal Exhibition Building. Picture: Ian Currie

Sport

Richmond vs Carlton at an empty MCG. Picture: Michael Klein

Mitch McGovern competes for the ball against Marlion Pickett in front of empty stands.

Dustin Martin of the Tigers runs with the ball while the MCG sits empty. Picture: Getty Images

Disappointed fans outside the F1 Grand Prix after it was cancelled last minute. Picture: Getty Images

Regional Victoria

West Gate Bridge traffic as people flock to regional Victoria as restrictions ease. Picture: Paul Jeffers

Operation Sentinel is enforced along the Victorian/NSW border. Picture: Simon Dallinger

A checkpoint in Albury ahead of the border closing. Picture: Getty Images

Police check vehicles at the border near Wodonga. Picture: Simon Dallinger

Cars enter Victoria from NSW. Picture: Simon Dallinger

Police pull over cars entering Victoria. Picture: Simon Dallinger

St Kilda

Authorities tell Victorians to stay home. Picture: AFP

Police patrol a crowded St Kilda beach as restrictions ease. Picture: David Geraghty

Beachgoers wear masks as social restrictions loosen. Picture: Getty Images

Circles for social isolation in St Kilda as restrictions loosen. Picture: Getty Images

Mounted police patrol St Kilda foreshore. Picture: Daniel Pockett

Families and friends get together for picnics as the restrictions ease. Picture: AFP