COVID-19 curbs in Australia's Melbourne to ease after low cases

Australia's second largest city Melbourne will exit a COVID-19 hard lockdown as planned on Thursday night, authorities said on Wednesday, although some restrictions on travel and gatherings will remain.

Residents will have more freedom to step outside their homes but must stay within 25 kilometres (15 miles) and there will be a total ban on house gatherings, Victoria state Acting Premier James Merlino told reporters in Melbourne.

Melbourne entered a snap lockdown on May 27 to quash its latest virus outbreak forcing its five million residents to remain home except for essential business.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)