World’s longest lockdown ends, Melbourne opens

​By a staff reporter: Five million people in Melbourne celebrated their freedom as the world’s longest lockdown ended on Thursday night after 262 days. The  curbs were lifted after the second largest city in Australia

 crossed 70% double vaccination rate. People hit the beaches and bars at midnight while Friday morning saw crowds making beelines at pubs, starting their day with champagne. In one of the suburbs, Southbank, hundreds took to their balconies to chant “We are finally out”. The lockdown was the world’s longest and also among the harshest with people allowed to leave the house only for grocery, exercise, medical needs, caregiver responsibilities and vaccination. Curfew was on after 9 pm. People were barred from venturing farther than 5km from home. The world’s second longest lockdown is reported to be in Buenos Aires where people lived with mobility restrictions for 234 days.