World's longest COVID-19 lockdown comes to an end "today"

The world changed forever in December 2019 when the first few people started to die because of unknown pneumonia liked disease. Just days after, the World Health Organization declared a worldwide emergency. Everybody panicked; the disease started to spread faster than a rumour. Soon after it entered a larger number of countries, the government's declared a lockdown, closing down its borders and prohibiting any type of mobility within and beyond their boundaries. While many countries and cities resumed their operations by the beginning of 2021, one such country was still under lockdown. Melbourne, an Australian city that spent more time under COVID-19 related restrictions than any other city in the world, is set to cancel its stay-at-home orders this week. Daniel Andrews, the premier of Victoria State, of which Melbourne is the capital, announced the relief of restrictions on Sunday. The move comes with officials predicting that the state's double vaccination rate will reach 70 percent this week. "Today is a great day," Andrews said. "Today is a day when we can be proud of what we have accomplished." "As of 11.59 am on Thursday, there will be no blockade, no restrictions on leaving home and no airport," he said. When the hump is lifted, the city of five million people under six has been locked up for a total of 262 days since March 2020. The reports suggest that it is the longest in the world, followed by 234 days of lockdown in Buenos Aires. Australia, once a winner of a COVID-zero plan to manage the pandemic, has moved towards the virus through widespread immunizations, as the Delta variant has shown too viable to sustain. The new strategy makes losses highly unlikely once 80 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. As of this weekend, about 68 per cent of qualified Australians have been fully vaccinated for coronavirus. In Victoria alone, around 65% f people over 16-year-old received a second dose while 89% were fully vaccinated. Andrews stated with the abolition of the stay at home order; people are allowed to have ten visitors to their homes every day. Outdoor meetings are limited to 15 people. Most outdoor venues are open to up to 50 people, subject to density limits, while indoor venues, including cafés and restaurants, can accommodate up to 20 people, even below density limits. There are no travel boundaries in the metropolis of Melbourne, said the Prime Minister, even though residents of the city are not allowed to travel outside the city without permission. More relief, including the opening of many retailers, will come once 80 per cent of eligible Victorians are fully vaccinated - by November 5 at the latest. "We are no longer blocking people across the board; We are instead blocking people who are not vaccinated to protect themselves and to protect everyone else." " Andrews said. Australian health officials also said on Sunday that travel from the southern island of New Zealand, where there would be no outbreak, would be quarantined again on Wednesday.

World's longest COVID-19 lockdown comes to an end "today"

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