Sydney lockdown ends after 106 days

Elated Sydneysiders were emerging from almost four months of "blood, sweat and no beers" early today as a long coronavirus lockdown was lifted in Australia's largest city.

Sydney's more than five million residents have been subjected to a 106-day lockdown, designed to limit the march of the highly transmissible Delta variant.

With new infections now falling -- New South Wales state recorded 477 cases yesterday -- and more than 70 percent of over-16s double vaccinated, Sydney was dusting off the cobwebs.