Melbourne celebrates as Daniel Andrews declares end of Covid-19 lockdowns

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has declared the end of blanket lockdowns in the state as Melbourne rejoiced in newly returned freedom’s after the city’s sixth lockdown lifted.

Friends gather on Lygon Street, Carlton, to celebrate the end of Melbourne’s sixth lockdown. Picture: Ian Currie

Victorian Premier Daniel ­Andrews declared the end of blanket lockdowns in the state as Melbourne rejoiced in newly ­returned freedoms after the city’s sixth lockdown lifted on Friday.

With the double-dose vaccine rate soaring past 71 per cent on Friday, health authorities are hopeful the state will hit the 80 per cent vaccine target by next weekend, triggering the easing of more restrictions.

Melburnians are still prohibited from travelling to the regions, while restrictions remain on retail and entertainment businesses.

Mr Andrews said while there was the possibility in the future of targeted lockdowns – for ­instance, if there was an outbreak in a community with low vaccine coverage – there would be no more state or citywide lockdowns.

“We’re not having statewide lockdowns, we’re not having citywide lockdowns, because people have gone and done what we’ve asked them to do,” he said.

“Now we’re delivering what we said we’d do … we’d said we’d open the place up if people got vaccinated and that’s what today’s all about.”

Mr Andrews said he’d celebrate the end of lockdown with a game of golf on Saturday and, in response to a question on his now famous 2020 catchphrase, said if punters wanted to get on the beers they could.

After spending more than 260 days in lockdown, Melburnians emerged to reclaim their city on Friday. Degraves Street jostled with friends drinking coffee while on Swanston Street a long line formed outside the Alahair barbershop.

Mother and daughter Franca and Melinda Giogha decided to grab lunch at Arbory Afloat on the Yarra River.

“It’s exciting after such a long lockdown,” Melinda said. “But still a bit scary,” her mum added.

Arbory spokeswoman Georgie Larkins said staff had worked into the night to be ready for the end of hibernation. “I am so pumped to be reopening and returning to normalcy. We can’t wait to bring on a big summer,” she said.

Kate Stockwin enjoys a swim at Prahran pool, in Melbourne’s inner east. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Andrews confirmed international flights into Melbourne would resume from November 1 but said unvaccinated travellers, or those who received jabs not ­approved by the Victorian government, would still have to quarantine for 14 days, either in hotel quarantine or at Mickleham.

“We need to make sure we safeguard what we’ve built,” he said. “The Victorian and the Australian community have built something precious and it’s been bloody hard to get to this point.”

Returning travellers can apply for exemptions, while the recognised vaccines are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Janssen, Sinovac and Covidshield. International arrivals will also be required to test negative within 72 hours of their departure and undergo a test within 24 hours of their arrival in Victoria.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lyell Strambi said preparations were under way for the return of international travellers from November 1 and the airport was in discussions with Qantas, but said the industry needed federal government assistance to reboot.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said Victoria had a first-dose vaccination rate of about 20 per cent when Victoria went into its sixth lockdown at 8pm on August 5. Professor Sutton said it was critical the state continued onwards to achieve 90 per cent double-dose vaccination coverage to protect the newly regained freedoms and the state’s healthcare system.

“As people start to move around there will be more virus than at any other point,” he said.

Victoria recorded 2189 new cases and 16 new deaths on ­Friday.