People, some wearing protective face masks, stand on a train platform at Central Station after new public health regulations were announced for greater Sydney, including compulsory mask-wearing on public transport, following the emergence of new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, May 6, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Australia’s second largest city Melbourne will exit a COVID-19 hard lockdown as planned on Thursday night, authorities said on Wednesday, although some restrictions on travel and gatherings will remain.
Residents will have more freedom to step outside their homes but must stay within 25 kilometres (15 miles) and there will be a total ban on house gatherings, Victoria state Acting Premier James Merlino told reporters in Melbourne.
Melbourne entered a snap lockdown on May 27 to quash its latest virus outbreak forcing its five million residents to remain home except for essential business.
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