FREE AT LAST: Melbourne reopens TODAY as 6.4million people who suffered through one of the world's harshest lockdowns for 110 days finally hit pubs and cafes brought to the brink of bankruptcy by Dan Andrews' restrictions
Melburnians who have suffered through four months of excruciating lockdown are finally free to drink a pint, chow down on a steak, or see their mums.
As midnight struck across the long-suffering city, the shackles of Premier Daniel Andrews' restrictions were thrown off - at least a little.
Two adults from one household can now visit each other's homes accompanied by any children, reuniting families and best mates at long last.
Pubs, restaurants and cafes are free to open once again, after being closed, and later restricted to takeaway, and many going to the brink of ruin as a result.
New York-style steakhouse Angus & Bon - on the famous Chapel St - was one of the first venues to welcome guests inside after midnight
Owner Liam Ganley instructed staff to pop wine corks and confetti guns when the clock stuck midnight, signalling the easing of restrictions
Nick & Nora's bar on Collins Street also reopened at midnight and was serving up cocktails with masked waitresses
Streets were alive on Tuesday with staff and business owners eagerly preparing for their first day opening - and some getting in even earlier.
New York-style steakhouse Angus & Bon - on the famous Chapel St - was one of the first venues to welcome guests inside after midnight.
The restaurant was fully booked within minutes of the announcement it would open its doors at 12am people wearing masks lined up around the block.
Excited patrons joined in a rousing countdown as the seconds ticked down, just like New Year's Eve only perhaps even more satisfying.
Owner Liam Ganley instructed staff to pop wine corks and confetti guns when the clock stuck midnight, signalling the easing of restrictions.
Several Restaurants, bars and pubs were seen opening up around Melbourne as the clock tick over to midnight on the 28th of October in celebration of easing of lockdown restrictions allowing dining and drinking inside venues. Pictured are patrons at The Cherry Bar in Melbourne's CBD
New York steakhouse Angus & Bon - on the famous Chapel St - was one of the first establishments to welcome guests in after midnight (pictured, staff making a cocktail)
Bar staff theatrically snap the cap of a bottle with a pirate sword to add to the drama of a long-awaited evening
Cheers! A group of women toast the end of lockdown minutes after midnight when bars were finally able to open legally
Champagne flowed happily as drinkers were overjoyed to swill glasses of bubbly at a pub for the first time in months
Shots! Melburnians celebrate with a rounds of shots poured by a bartender instead of among a few housemates stuck in never-ending lockdown
A red ribbon was then cut as the first group skipped inside to enjoy a sit-down meal, specially prepared by the late-night kitchen staff.
Households are restricted to one social gathering per day, meaning those who receive visitors can't go to someone else's home that same day.
Pubs, shops and restaurants are allowed to open with 20 people indoors and 50 outside - and these limits will increase in two weeks time.
But hotel operators are concerned strict crowd limits will prevent them from turning a profit.
Tattoo parlours and beauty services are also reopened, in addition to non-contact sport for adults.
The restaurant was fully booked within minutes of the announcement it would open its doors at midnight - with people wearing masks lining up around the block
A red ribbon was then cut as the first group skipped inside to enjoy a sit-down meal, specially prepared by the late-night kitchen staff
Angus & Bon was one of the first establishments to open up in Melbourne following the easing of restrictions
Patrons are seen enjoying eased covid19 restrictions inside of Angus & Bon New York steakhouse
Victoria free at last: What are the changes?
From Tuesday 27 October, 11.59pm
All retail, bars and restaurants open with 20 indoors and 50 outdoors
Beauty services and tattoo parlours open
Outdoor contact sport for under 18s back on and non-contact sport for adults
Four reasons to leave home removed
25km travel limit remains in place
Melbourne to regional VIC border remains
Outdoor gatherings up to 10 people
Gatherings can be of more than two households
Weddings increase to 10 attendees, funerals to 20
Church services open with 10 indoors and 20 outdoors
PT, fitness and dance classes can be held outdoors with up to 10 people
Number of people at outdoor pools can increase to 50, subject to density limits
Must work from home if you can
Regional Victoria from 11.59pm October 27
Gym and fitness studios can open for up to 20 people
Twenty people for indoor religious gatherings and 50 people for outdoor religious gatherings
Funerals can have 20 people indoors and 50 people outdoors
Indoor non-contact sport returns for children
Indoor pools open up to 20 people
From 8 November
25km travel limit scrapped
Travel to regional VIC allowed
Retail, pubs and restaurants allowed 40 people indoors, 70 outdoors
Funerals allowed indoors with 20 and outdoors with 50
Non-contact sport for U18s allowed indoors
Gyms and indoor fitness will be able to reopen
Holiday accommodation to re-open
Religious gatherings will expand with up 20 people and a faith leader indoors, and 50 outside
Residents can gather outside with up to 10 people and there is no longer be any limit on the number of households that can come together at once.
Melburnians had only been able to welcome partners into their homes, or friends via the 'singles bubble'.
Under the latest arrangements, people will also have to stay within their 25km travel limit - which was expanded from the initial 5km rule.
Mr Andrews described the home as the 'most dangerous place' for the spread of coronavirus.
'I know that jars with people, it may not sound right, but when you think about it, that's where people let their guard down, where people are not being supervised,' he told reporters on Tuesday.
His argument was that homes were not a controlled environment like hospitality venues where social distancing can be enforced and industrial cleaning takes place.
Pubs, restaurants (pictured, staff in Southgate prepping a restaurant) and cafes will be free to open once again, after being closed by the government and being restricted to takeaway services only in recent weeks
Pubs, shops and restaurants will be allowed to open with 20 people indoors and 50 outside (pictured, staff prepping for opening)
Melbourne entered Stage 4 lockdown in June - and from Wednesday people no longer require one of the four reasons to leave their home
Eased restrictions still mandate that Melburnians stay within 25km of their home
Households were asked to keep a record of who visited their home and when to enable easy contact if an infection emerged.
Mr Andrews encouraged people to wear masks while visiting but conceded it was impossible to enforce.
'I'm just being frank about it. We're not going to have police knocking on every door every day, but we just ask people to use some common sense,' he said.
The restrictions on gatherings at home will remain in place beyond November 8, when the 25km limit and the 'ring of steel' separating the city from regional Victoria is lifted.
Masks will remain mandatory outdoors across the state for the rest of the year and probably into 2021, and should be worn inside gyms for most activities apart from running on a treadmill.
The government also released advice that home businesses such as hairdressers will be able to reopen if they have a 'discrete retail area'.
Cleaners and maintenance workers may attend homes provided they wear a mask and keep to the minimum necessary.
Mr Andrews described the home as the 'most dangerous place' for the spread of coronavirus as businesses can enforce COVID-safe rules
A man looks in a shop window as restaurants and cafes prepare for opening in Melbourne on October 27
Halloween trick-or-treating is permitted on Saturday so long as it's 'contactless', with people still barred from entering property including front yards and doorknocking.
Victoria recorded a second consecutive day of no new cases of coronavirus or deaths on Tuesday. The last time the state reported consecutive days of zero cases was March 5 and 6.
Melbourne's 14-day case average is down to 2.8 and there were six mystery cases in the fortnight to October 24. The corresponding figures for regional Victoria are 0.2 and zero.
There are 87 active cases of Covid-19 in Victoria, with five in hospital and one in intensive care.
From Wednesday, retail will reopen along with cafes, restaurants and pubs, though there are some restrictions on numbers.
Mr Andrews says it's important Victorians continue to get tested for Covid-19, even if they have only the mildest symptoms.
Pictured: Staff member brings heaters outside in preparation of businesses being allowed to reopen
There are 87 active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria, with five in hospital and one in intensive care
Some 15,000 people were tested on Monday.
'There's no vaccine, which means getting tested, following the rules, playing your part, making good choices for your family and every family,' he said.
He conceded there would be new Covid-19 cases and outbreaks, but the state was 'well-placed' to manage them.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton claimed the state's contact tracing was the best in Australia.
'Our biggest challenge now is complacency,' he said.
Professor Sutton was confident an outbreak in Melbourne's northern suburbs, which delayed the easing of restrictions by 24 hours, was under control.
To date, 817 Victorians have died from the virus, while the national figure stands at 905.
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Pictured: Staff washing windows at businesses in Southbank ahead of Melbourne's shops and restaurants reopening
Pictured: Staff at Left Bank and in Southgate prepare for re opening on October 27
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