‘The plan is to drink all day’: sunny Melbourne celebrates its freedom day. First stop – brunch!

As the first hints of summer creep into the air, residents crowd into cafes - but a grim new record Covid death toll casts a shadow

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For the first time in a long time, there are plenty of people out on Melbourne streets as the sun rises over the city.

Just hours after lockdown lifted, cafe workers are out in the cool morning air, dragging chairs and tables out the front of the stores, anticipating hordes of brunch-starved customers.