MELBOURNE (Reuters – Melbourne is Australia’s 2nd-largest city. This weekend saw the end of the longest-running COVID-19 lockdowns. Melbourne celebrated its debut weekend with live music, spontaneous street parties, and packed bars, bars and restaurants.

Melbourne is home to around five million people. It was the victim of 262 days (or nearly nine months) of restrictions over six lockdowns in March 2020. These lockdowns were longer than the 234 day continuous lockdown in Buenos Aires.

On Saturday, it rained, but people waited to get in the queue for breakfast and barbers.

On Friday evening, many people joined a street party in Melbourne’s southeast. They enjoyed their first drinks in months and shared it with their friends.

While the Delta epidemic continues to spread with 1750 additional cases and 9 deaths on Saturday in Victoria, Melbourne being the capital of Victoria, restrictions were eased by the 70% state-wide full vaccination rate.

Though most stores remained closed they said authorities would ease restrictions once the 80% required to be fully inoculated is achieved, which was expected by next weekend.

JeroenWeimar, Victoria’s COVID-19 Response Commander, stated on Saturday that “Let’s be consistent, let’s get there as fast as possible, and also reach the 80% milestone”

Even though there were some small, violent anti-vaccinations demonstrations that took place in Melbourne, Sydney, and elsewhere this year; Australians are overwhelmingly in favor of vaccinations. In fact, polls indicate the number who oppose it in single figures.

Nearly 72% are fully vaccinated in Australia, and almost 87% of those have had one shot. A national strategy states that lockdowns may not be necessary once the 80% are inoculated.

After reaching 70% vaccination, Sydney, Australia’s biggest city, was able to reopen two weeks ago. New South Wales, where Sydney is capital, saw 332 COVID-19 deaths and 283 COVID-19 case.

The weekend papers were filled with advertising about travel for the coming months as international border restrictions ease starting in November. Flag carrier Qantas Airways https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/qantas-bring-back-a380-earlier-than-planned-may-take-more-787s-2021-10-21 Ltd (QAN.AX) is speeding up plans to restart flights to many destinations and upsize some planes amid “massive demand”.