Melbourne residents savour freedom

Melbourne reopened to exhilaration and relief yesterday, as residents began trickling back to shops and restaurants after a months-long coronavirus lockdown was lifted, Reuters reported.

Department store manager Magda Combrinck said it was "exciting" to reopen after a 100-plus-day forced closure that scuttled many businesses and tested residents' resolve. Victoria state reported two cases and two deaths yesterday. With tracing and testing beefed up, the authorities hope further clusters can be contained.