Stay-at-home orders will be lifted for six million Australians in the state of Victoria on Wednesday after a successful five-day lockdown, allowing businesses to reopen and some spectators to return to the Australian Open tennis tournament. Snap restrictions were ordered last Friday after a small outbreak of the more infectious UK coronavirus variant prompted fears Australia's successful battle to contain the pandemic could be undone. The latest five-day restrictions appear to have limited the cluster's growth to just six new cases since the lockdown began. Andrews' announcement paved the way for tennis fans to return to watch the year's first tennis Grand Slam as the Australian Open's final rounds get underway at Melbourne Park. Many regions have been enjoying relaxed restrictions for months, with large crowds returning to sporting events at stadiums across the country.

Source: News 24 February 17, 2021 04:45 UTC