Lidia Kelly

MELBOURNE (Reuters – Sydney is set to reopen on Sunday after being locked down for months. Business owners are encouraged to open their doors to fully vaccinated residents beginning Monday.

New South Wales in Australia, Australia’s biggest state, has reported 477 new cases of coronavirus and six deaths Sunday. The outbreak, which left Sydney state capital in lockdown for 100 consecutive days, affected 5 million Australians.

However, the state now has 70% coverage, so New South Wales is ready to relax some restrictions and open many business, according to Dominic Perrottet, state premier.

Perrottet declared, “It’s an important day for us state, and for everyone across New South Wales. You’ve earned this.” It’s taken a hundred days, blood, sweat and no beers but it’s back to action tomorrow.

Perrottet replied, “I will get a haircut.”

Local media reports that beauty and hair salons are fully booked for the next few weeks.

Joseph Hkeik from the Sydney Morning Herald, which runs several All Saints Skin Clinics in Sydney, said: “We have stretched our days and have opened up their diaries extra times so we can book out our clients in as soon possible.”

Perrett stated that there will be many social distancing and public gathering restrictions for several weeks.

The state’s neighbour Victoria reported 1,890 additional cases on Sunday. It also had five deaths. After 70% of residents have received their vaccines, the state should reopen by October.

It is estimated that 62% (16 and over) of Australians have been vaccinated with two doses. When 80% are fully vaccinated in Australia, it will begin slowly opening up its international borders. They have been closed since March 2020.

However, Australia has COVID-19 remains far below many other countries with only over 127.500 infections and just 1,432 death in a country that is just 26 million.

Although the virus had been absent from most of New Zealand’s neighbouring countries until the Delta flu in mid-August caused widespread illness, 60 local cases have now been reported, an increase of 34 over Saturday.