Melbourne, after 262 days in lockdown, celebrates a reopening.

[maestrob]

The residents of Melbourne have spent more days in lockdown — 262, to be precise — than people anywhere else in the world. And on Friday, they emerged from it with cheers, and a dose of caution, as restrictions began to ease.

During those lockdown days, residents in Australia’s second largest city were allowed to leave their homes to buy food and to exercise, and to do authorized work. For the past two and a half months, they have also been subject to a 9 p.m. curfew.

As the clock struck midnight on Friday and these restrictions were lifted, residents greeted their new freedoms with cheers and screams.


It’s hoped that this will be Melbourne’s last lockdown — with 70 percent of residents age 16 and older now fully vaccinated, the government’s pandemic recovery plan envisages such restrictions becoming rare.

“I’m trying not to sound like some kind of soppy dad here, but I am proud, bloody proud of this state,” Daniel Andrews, the premier of Victoria, the state of which Melbourne is the capital, said on Twitter. “We’ve gone through such a hard time together, this pandemic has been exhausting in every sense of the word.”

But with case numbers still high — Victoria recorded 2,232 new infections on Thursday, its second highest daily total since the start of the pandemic — the city’s reopening is happening gradually.

Up to 10 vaccinated people can gather at home. Hairdressers, restaurants and bars can take in more customers. Retail stores can reopen — but only for outdoor business, a condition some business owners have labeled “ludicrous.”

Indoor retail outlets, gyms and entertainment venues will be able to reopen once 80 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

On Friday morning, street musicians returned to Melbourne’s central business district, which had fallen silent during the pandemic. Most shops were still closed but long lines snaked out of cafes and hair salons.

“It’s nice to see everyone out and about again,” said Lionel Lam, 33, one of a dozen people waiting outside a barbershop. He’d bought clippers to cut his own hair during lockdown, he said, “but I’m excited to get the back done.”

On Friday, the authorities in Victoria announced that, starting Nov. 1, vaccinated Australian citizens returning to the state from overseas would not need to quarantine. That brought the state in line with the state of New South Wales, which made a similar announcement last week.

— Yan Zhuang

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/10/22 ... e-boosters

[barney]

I had my first haircut in many months. It was unbelievable how good that felt. Every time I put my hand to my head before yesterday I loathed the straggly unkempt grey locks. I could do my beard with clippers, but left the moustache alone after one catastrophic attempt that removed the lower half. Luckily we had to wear masks outside, so no one saw till it regrew.

The world is a far, far better place for me. Unfortunately for everyone else, they can see my face clearly now.

[maestrob]

I had my first haircut in many months. It was unbelievable how good that felt. Every time I put my hand to my head before yesterday I loathed the straggly unkempt grey locks. I could do my beard with clippers, but left the moustache alone after one catastrophic attempt that removed the lower half. Luckily we had to wear masks outside, so no one saw till it regrew.

The world is a far, far better place for me. Unfortunately for everyone else, they can see my face clearly now.

Indeed!

Our barber shops were closed for about 1 year, and I was looking like Steve Bannon by the time they reopened.

We still wear masks around our chins when we go out and put them up when we go inside a store. Strangely, we don't have to wear them inside restaurants while we're at table, an odd contradiction, but we feel safe enough now to eat out and go to concerts and plays. Our first dinner out was in June, and all we've had is an occasional and brief case of the sniffles. Moderna is the most effective vaccine offered, and we lucked into it back in the Spring. Our booster shots have just been approved and we're scheduled to receive them next week.

[barney]

Yes, good move Brian. I had my second vaccination on August 24, so am due for a booster in late February.

[Holden Fourth]

....and now there's a whole heap of Victorians (and NSW types) already up here, south of the border, trying to take advantage of the border bubble. I got this from a mate of mine who works for the NSW government's Dept of Transport - he's seen it with his own eyes. They've had a bit of a surprise when they've learned they have to provide a local address to stand any chance of getting a border pass and they visit the NSW government offices to try and get around the system. He works in registrations and this is how they are trying to rort it by reregistering a boat or vehicle with a local address.

[Rach3]

....and now there's a whole heap of Victorians (and NSW types) already up here, south of the border, trying to take advantage of the border bubble. I got this from a mate of mine who works for the NSW government's Dept of Transport - he's seen it with his own eyes. They've had a bit of a surprise when they've learned they have to provide a local address to stand any chance of getting a border pass and they visit the NSW government offices to try and get around the system. He works in registrations and this is how they are trying to rort it by reregistering a boat or vehicle with a local address.

Looks like I need to wait a bit before booking a flight for dinner with Barney ; or re-consider coming down under at all now that I'd be able to see his face ?

Wife an I had our Moderna boosters this past Friday. I had same reaction, as with first 2 shots, just sore arm. Wife also had same reaction, but "same" was again 101F. temp, chills, aches, some nausea for 48 hours.Well worth the " price." We are still very careful , often maskas before, unless in a very small group we know for certain are all fully vaccinated, dont eat inside anywhere in public, as the number of break-through cases is still alarming and we are old folks with some maladies.