Sydney was set to reopen after months in lockdown, officials said, with businesses reading themselves to welcome fully vaccinated residents from Monday.

New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, reported 477 new coronavirus cases and six deaths on Sunday, in an outbreak that has kept five million people in state capital Sydney in a lockdown for 100 days.

But as the state has met the threshold of 70 per cent of its people fully vaccinated, New South Wales was ready to ease some restrictions and reopen many businesses, said state Premier Dominic Perrottet.

“It's a big day for our state, and to everyone across the New South Wales: you've earned it,” Perrottet said. “It's been a hundred days of blood, sweat, no beers, but we've got it back in action tomorrow.”

Medical staff walk past the emergency entrance at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne on October 9. — AFP
Medical staff walk past the emergency entrance at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne on October 9. — AFP

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