Containment intended to fight the coronavirus epidemic will be lifted on Tuesday in Melbourne, where authorities in Australia's second city say the spread of the Delta variant has been contained.
Schools, restaurants and shops will reopen but some restrictions, such as wearing masks, will remain in place.
For at least two more weeks, the population will not be able to invite other people to their homes and a gauge will remain in effect for outdoor activities.
Read also: Australia, a decried fortress of zero Covid
After nearly two weeks confined to their homes, millions of inhabitants of Melbourne and the state of Victoria, where the city is located, will be able to regain their freedom just before midnight Tuesday (2 p.m. GMT), at the end of this fifth confinement since the start of the epidemic.
“This is not over, and we need to be vigilant for this virus, the spread of the Delta variant, over the days, weeks and months to come, until we have as many people vaccinated as possible. "
however warned the Prime Minister of the State of Victoria, Dan Andrews.
“And that will take time,”
he added.
Read also: Variant Delta: like Australia, could France be forced to reconfine certain areas?
Victoria state recorded 10 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, but in Sydney authorities announced 172 new cases linked to a resurgence of the epidemic in June. The neighboring state of South Australia will also lift exit restrictions for its population. The largest city in the country, Sydney, on the other hand, will probably strengthen its containment, in force for five weeks. Australia, largely spared by the pandemic during its first waves, is now affected by the highly contagious Delta variant, especially since only 13% of the 25 million inhabitants are vaccinated.
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