Australian city of Sydney closes due to coronavirus after 106 days

The inhabitants of Sydney, the most populated city in Australia, braved the gray sky and the rain to take to the streets this Monday after almost four months of closure due to an outbreak of the delta variant of covid-19.

The more than five million inhabitants of Sydney they passed 106 days from closing to contain the contagions of the coronavirus.

The lifting of restrictions was possible due to the decline in infections and the increase in vaccination, which reaches more than 70% of the population over 16 years of age.

Cafes and restaurants opened their doors for those vaccinated, while disheveled people lined up in front of hairdressers to get their hair cut.

“There’s a great atmosphere this morning,” said Hannah Simmons, owner of Gordon’s Café in the Clovelly beach district, who was able to keep her business going with food delivery.

Outside the cafe, builder Nick James commented that “it would be better if it was a little more sunny, but what can we do?”

For many, the end of closing it was an opportunity to go shopping. At midnight, hundreds of people flocked to the Kmart discount store, and images on social media showed long lines inside.

Since June, stores, schools, classrooms and offices have been closed to non-essential workers, with unprecedented restrictions on individual freedoms.

Restrictions were applied to everything from traveling more than five km from home, visiting relatives, playing sports, going to supermarkets and attending funerals.

“Few countries have taken such severe or extreme measures against COVID as Australia,” Tim Soutphommasane, an academic and former commissioner of racial discrimination in the country, told AFP.

There will be limits on crowds, while international borders and schools will remain completely unopened for a few weeks.

Australia had managed to contain the contagion of the coronavirus by closing border, lockdowns and an aggressive testing policy.

But the delta variant shattered the dream of “zero covid”, especially in the large cities of Sydney y Melbourne.

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