Today is the day — businesses across Melbourne are opening their doors this morning for the first time in 112 days bringing the city back to life. When the clock struck midnight, COVID restrictions were eased allowing pubs, cafes, retail and beautitions to begin trading again. It's a huge relief for Melburnians who have endured a hard winter lockdown. And it's coming off the back of two straight days with zero new cases.
Intense rain and flash flooding have lashed south east Queensland for the second time in three days. The downpour caused chaos on the roads with some cars trapped by rising water. The state emergency service has responsed to almost 200 callouts and the weather bureau is warning more storms are likely today.
A new health alert has been issued for Sydney. Residents of the city's south-west are being urged to get tested after COVID-19 was detected in a waste water treatment plant. Cases have already been identified in the area, but officials are concerned there could be more going undetected.
There have been violent clashes in the United States after police fatally shot a black man in Philadelphia. More than a dozen people have been arrested and around 30 officers injured in the protests. 27-year-old Walter Wallace was shot in the shoulder and chest as officers responded to a report of a person with a weapon.