# ‘Freedom Day’: Sydney reopens as Australia looks to live with COVID-19 Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-10-11 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Sydney Emerges from Pandemic Lockdown with Reopened Pubs Meta Description: Sydney cafes, gyms, and pubs are back as Australia aims to live with COVID-19. Progression towards normality with high vaccination rates. URL: https://financedigest.com/freedom-day-sydney-reopens-as-australia-looks-to-live-with-covid-19html ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2021-10-11t005606z1lynxmpeh9a013rtroptp4health-coronavirus-australia-1-1736837691266-compressed.jpg) By Renju Jose and Jonathan Barrett SYDNEY (Reuters) -Sydney’s cafes, gyms and restaurants welcomed back fully vaccinated customers on Monday after nearly four months of lockdown, as Australia aims to begin living with the coronavirus and gradually reopen with high rates of inoculation. Some pubs in Sydney, Australia’s largest city, opened at 12:01 a.m. (1301 GMT Sunday) and friends and families huddled together for a midnight beer, television footage and [social media](https://www.financedigest.com/saudi-snitching-app-turns-citizens-into-social-media-police.html "Saudi snitching app turns citizens into social media police") images showed. I [see it as a day](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-retailers-see-40-jump-in-boxing-day-shoppers-springboard.html "UK retailers see 40% jump in Boxing Day shoppers -Springboard") of freedom, it’s a freedom day,” New South Wales (NSW) state Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters in Sydney, the state capital. We are [leading the nation out of this pandemic but this will be a challenge.”](https://www.financedigest.com/bank-of-the-future-challengers-leading-the-way-to-cloud-adoption.html "Bank of the future – challengers leading the way to cloud adoption") Perrottet warned that infections would rise after reopening, and virus-free states such as Western Australia and Queensland are watching what [living with COVID-19 is going to look like amid](https://www.financedigest.com/estonias-pro-kyiv-government-faces-election-test-amid-cost-of-living-crisis.html "Estonia’s pro-Kyiv government faces election test amid cost of living crisis") concerns health systems could be overwhelmed. While NSW’s dual-dose vaccination [rate in people above 16 hit](https://www.financedigest.com/european-stocks-hit-six-week-high-on-hopes-for-rate-hike-slowdown.html "European stocks hit six-week high on hopes for rate hike slowdown") 74%, in neighbouring Queensland, whose borders remain closed to Sydney-siders, the rate is only 52% and the state government is following an elimination strategy with rapid lockdowns to control any outbreak. Perrottet has declared an [end to lockdowns](https://www.financedigest.com/shanghai-finds-cases-after-five-days-of-zero-covid-but-end-of-lockdown-on-track.html "Shanghai finds cases after five days of ‘zero COVID’ but end of lockdown on track") in NSW and has strong support for reopening in Sydney, whose more than 5 million residents endured severe restrictions from mid-June following an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant. The outbreak has since spread to Melbourne and Canberra, forcing lockdowns in those cities, even as case numbers dwindle in NSW. New South Wales on Monday reported 496 new locally acquired cases, well down from their peak last month, while Victoria logged 1,612 new infections, the lowest in five days. Under the relaxed rules for NSW, retail stores and restaurants reopened with reduced capacity, and more vaccinated people were allowed to gather in homes and [attend weddings and funerals](https://www.financedigest.com/world-leaders-to-attend-queen-elizabeths-funeral.html "World leaders to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral"). The state [aims to hit an 80%](https://www.financedigest.com/varo-energy-buys-80-of-dutch-biogas-firm-aims-to-double-capacity-by-2026.html "Varo Energy buys 80% of Dutch biogas firm; aims to double capacity by 2026") vaccine rate around late October, when more curbs will be relaxed. But the unvaccinated must remain at home until Dec. 1. Steven Speed, the publican at Sydney’s oldest pub, Fortune of War, told Reuters he [hoped it was the last lockdown](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-eases-as-weak-asian-data-more-lockdowns-dampen-demand-hopes.html "Oil eases as weak Asian data, more lockdowns dampen demand hopes") after 18 months of restrictions. Just the costs of [closing down and opening](https://www.financedigest.com/andalucian-open-returns-to-costa-del-golf-as-golfers-go-in-search-of-the-perfect-pad-close-to-the-fairway.html "Andalucian Open returns to ‘Costa del Golf’ as golfers go in search of the perfect pad close to the fairway") up, closing down and opening up – they’re huge,” said Speed, whose most loyal customers returned from 9:00 a.m. on Monday for the first post-lockdown beers with friends https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-sydney/sydney-emerges-from-pandemic-lockdown-beer-in-hand-idUSL4N2R30ZI. Kyl Raggio, owner of the KR Performance gym in the Sydney suburb of Randwick, said Australia could no longer afford to rely on rolling lockdowns to combat the virus. I [hope that we can deal](https://www.financedigest.com/gazprom-gas-cut-tempers-economic-hopes-after-ukraine-grain-deal.html "Gazprom gas cut tempers economic hopes after Ukraine grain deal") with whatever happens now moving forward, looking at the rest of the world hopefully we can stay open and do our thing,” said Raggio, who welcomed his clients back into his training facility early Monday morning. ELECTION LOOMING Prime [Minister Scott Morrison urged](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-will-not-urge-public-to-cut-energy-use-minister-says.html "UK will not urge public to cut energy use, minister says") Sydney residents to “enjoy the moment. “Today is a day so many have been looking forward to – a day when things we take for granted, we will celebrate,” he said. Morrison, who must call an election before next May, has come under pressure to press all states to reopen borders to bolster the economy and allow families separated by state [border closures to reunite by Christmas](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-airports-face-christmas-disruption-as-border-staff-to-strike.html "UK airports face Christmas disruption as border staff to strike"). Some states with few cases have not said when they will re-open their borders. With the vaccine rollout [gaining momentum](https://www.financedigest.com/quest-gains-momentum-as-growth-of-devops-open-source-and-hybrid-database-environments-fuels-adoption-of-modern-database-management-solutions.html "Quest Gains Momentum as Growth of DevOps, Open Source and Hybrid Database Environments Fuels Adoption of Modern Database Management Solutions"), Australia is planning a staggered return to normal, letting fully vaccinated residents enter and leave the country freely from November, although New South Wales plans to bring forward those dates. Australia shut its international borders in March 2020, helping [keep its coronavirus numbers relatively low](https://www.financedigest.com/how-analytics-can-keep-your-cost-base-low-plus-deliver-improved-cx.html "How Analytics Can Keep Your Cost Base Low Plus Deliver Improved CX"), with 130,000 cases and 1,448 deaths. (Reporting by Renju Jose and Jonathan Barrett; additional reporting by Jill Gralow; editing by Stephen Coates) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---