Not Quite: Go Melbourne.
Wild scenes in Melbourne as the city celebrates the end of lockdownLong-suffering Melburnians are finally free after enduring 262 days living under stay-at-home orders
Swarms of residents flocked to bars, clubs and restaurants at midnight after Victoria hit 70% vaccination rate
Queues were seen outside bars and even McDonald's as eager Melburnians celebrated the end of curfew
For months, millions had been forced to stay in their homes between 9pm and 5am thanks to the hated rule
The city was ordered into six lockdowns over the past two years, holding recorded for most locked down city
Residents could be heard screaming in celebration on apartment balconies at midnight as car horns blared
Mates reunited, beers were sunk and millions rejoiced in jubilant scenes across the streets of Melbourne as the clock struck midnight, with long-suffering residents cheering on the end of the world's longest lockdown.
Victoria officially lifted its stay-at-home orders at 11:59pm on Thursday after the beleaguered state smashed its 70 per cent Covid vaccination target late into the evening.
Revellers screamed in celebration from their apartment balconies, while car horns could be heard blaring in the background as overjoyed Melburnians got their first taste of freedom since August.
The city has endured a cumulative 262 gruelling days in lockdown - a world record - with non-essential businesses forced to shut and millions trapped in their homes, banned from going outside after 9pm or travelling more than 5km.
Now that double-jabbed residents are finally free, it mirrored a wild New Year's Eve celebration in the nation's culinary capital as party animals descended on pubs proudly flashing their vaccination status upon entry to eagerly awaiting hospitality staff, who had spent much of the day getting ready for the influx of patrons.
Jubilant scenes played out as swarms of residents descended on bars and restaurants to finally reunite with their mates at long last.
Even fast food chains like McDonald's saw staggering crowds with video showing diners lined out into the parking lot, keen to finally enjoy a late night feast after months under a tough 9pm curfew.
Some hair salons also opened their doors for those who couldn't wait a moment longer to get a much needed cut.
But while there's a major sense of relief that the worst of the coronavirus crisis is now over, it's still too early to ditch face masks which remains mandatory indoors and outdoors unless eating or drinking.
A number of other hated restrictions will also still be in place along with strict capacity limits on venues and events.
MELBOURNE'S LITANY OF LOCKDOWNS
Lockdown 1: March 31, 2020 to May 12 May 2020 - 43 days
Lockdown 2: July 9, 2020 to October 27, 2020 - 111 days
Lockdown 3: February 13, 2021 to February 17 2021 - 5 days
Lockdown 4: May 28, 2021 to June 10, 2021 - 14 days
Lockdown 5: July 16, 2021 to July 27, 2021 - 12 days
Lockdown 6: August 5, 2021 to October 21 - 78 days as of October 14
The good news is that the city's reviled and highly controversial 9pm curfew is now scrapped along with the dreaded 15km travel limit.
Residents can now freely move around the Metropolitan area however regional travel is still off the cards for now.
Hospitality venues like pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants are allowed to reopen for seated and outdoor service only, with a capacity limit of 20 fully-vaccinated patrons indoors and 50 outdoors.
The vaccination rate will have to surpass 80 per cent before nightclubs, dancing in venues and stand-up drinking is allowed.
General retail shops will also have to wait until the next vaccination milestone, predicted to be achieved in early November, before trading can return to normal.
From midnight non-essential stores can only operate outdoors or with click and collect services.
Entertainment venues, including cinemas and physical recreation, can go ahead with a maximum of 20 people indoors and 50 outdoor.
Personal services like hairdressers and beauty salons can get back to work with a limit of five patrons after the fashion-conscious city went without a trim for 78 straight-days.
But anyone entering any non-essential venue in the state must prove their vaccination status upon entry when they check in via QR code with the Service Victoria app.
Visitors can also show the green tick in their Medicare Express app. Those who can't prove they've had the jab will be refused entry.
Residents can have up to 10 visitors at their homes while outdoor gathering limits will increase from 10 to 15.
Visitors to homes don't have to be fully vaccinated but is highly recommended by the state government and health officials. The same rule applies for outdoor gatherings.
Religious services, weddings and funerals will be able to take place with 50 fully-vaccinated guests outdoors and 20 indoors.
While school children from Year 3 to Year 11 will start returning to the classroom part-time.
Early childcare will also reopen for children of fully vaccinated parents.
The long awaited reopening was originally supposed to take place on October 26, but was fast-tracked by premier Andrews who praised Victorians on their 'mighty' effort rolling their sleeves.
'These are things we can bring forward because the Victorian community has done so well in getting vaccinated so fast and in such great numbers,' Mr Andrews said on Sunday when he announced the lockdown would finally end.
'I could not be more proud of our community for coming forward and making these decisions to protect themselves, to protect the people they love, and to protect all of us against this global pandemic.'
'To allow us to change the rules to open up, to normalise this, to get our friends back, to be focused on living our lives as close to normal as possible.'
Mr Andrews later tweeted: 'Bring forward the haircut and tell Mum you'll be round for dinner.'
Melburnians have spent an agonising 262 days in lockdown since the pandemic began in early 2020, enduring six separate stints under stay-at-home orders with all non-essential businesses forced to shut.
The city recently surpassed Argentinian capital Buenos Aires as the world's most locked-down location.
In the lead up to the clock striking midnight, the city was technically still in lockdown and subject to the curfew leaving Melburnians in what opposition Liberal MP Michael O'Brien called 'twilight zone'.
'I can't leave home and break curfew because science/Covid - but in 40 minutes I can travel anywhere in all of Melbourne because science/Covid,' he tweeted.
During the gruelling lockdown period, the city has been marred by violent anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown protests which have seen hundreds arrested for clashing with police.
Victoria Police has also copped criticism for its heavy-handed approach to enforcing the harsh lockdown restrictions.
But the vast majority of weary residents complied with the restrictions and raced to get vaccinated.
As well as eclipsing the 70 per cent target on Thursday, another significant milestone was also reached with over 90 of the state having received their first dose.
'The longest road has been journeyed in Victoria and that long road really starts to open up tonight,' Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.
'This is not a big opening in that first step. In the Australian way, we move cautiously but deliberately, so we can safely open up.
'That is the key. We want to stay open once we get open.'
But despite the success of the vaccination campaign, Covid cases in Victoria are still stubbornly high.
There were 2,232 new locally-acquired infections on Thursday as well as 12 more deaths.
The number of fatalities in Victoria since the pandemic has now risen to 1,005, with majority coming during the state's disastrous second wave from July to October in 2020.
The total number of cases in Victoria since the pandemic reached Australians shores now sits at 73,151, with 22,889 infections still active.
There are 779 Covid patients currently in hospital in the state and 141 of those cases are in intensive care, with 96 people breathing through a ventilator.
