Sydney opens to vaccinated after 100-plus days of lockdown

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Sydney hairdressers, gyms, cafés and bars have reopened to fully vaccinated customers for the first time in more than 100 days after Australia’s largest city achieved a vaccination benchmark. As of Monday, 73.5% of the New South Wales state population aged 16 and older have been vaccinated, exceeding the target of 70%. More than 90% have received at least one dose of a vaccine. More pandemic restrictions will be removed at the 80% benchmark, and New South Wales residents will be free to travel overseas for the first time since March last year. While Sydney infections have been trending down in recent weeks, they have yet to peak in Melbourne, Australia’s second-most populous city.