Sydney celebrates the end of the lockdown after 106 days

Sydney residents today celebrate the end of an anti-Covid lockdown that lasted 106 days, almost four months.

Since midnight on Monday, pubs, restaurants and bars have reopened their doors to all those who can prove they are vaccinated and the more than five million residents of the capital of New South Wales have returned to normal life thanks to a vaccination rate of over 70% among the over 16s.

The coronavirus, however, has not yet been defeated in the state, which in the last 24 hours has registered 496 cases of contagion and despite the festive air, fears of a possible new worsening of the situation remain.

A first call for caution came from the Australian Medical Association, according to which the reopening should be gradual "otherwise New South Wales could still see hospitals completely overwhelmed despite high vaccination rates"