Excerpt:
Australia’s largest city of Sydney on Monday ended an almost four-month coronavirus
lockdown, easing restrictions after hitting a targeted 70 per cent of the eligible population being fully vaccinated.
The state of New South Wales (NSW), of which Sydney is the capital, has relaxed a number of restrictions for only the fully vaccinated, including allowing visits to other households and access to restaurants, retail stores, cinemas and gyms that open with strict density caps in place.
“I say to everyone today: New South Wales, you have earned it,” NSW State Premier Dominic Perrottet said at a press conference.
Under the relaxed restrictions, fully inoculated people can gather in groups of 10 in homes or 30 outdoors, while groups of 100 can attend weddings and funerals. Those in the Greater Sydney area will also be able to travel beyond their local council boundary or 5km from their homes for the first time since August.
More curbs will be relaxed around late October, once the state reaches 80 per cent of the population aged 16 and over being fully vaccinated. However, the unvaccinated will have to wait until December 1 to enjoy any of the new freedoms.
