Sydney pubs to open in mid-Oct as end of COVID lockdown looms - with cases set to rise

FILE PHOTO: A pedestrian wearing a protective face mask walks through the city centre during a lockdown to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Sydney, Australia, September 7, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Sydney's cafes, restaurants and pubs are set to reopen in the second half of October after months of strict COVID-19 lockdown, even as the Prime Minister warned higher case numbers will follow the easing of curbs and leaders must "hold their nerve".

Authorities said Sydney bars and eateries, as well as gyms, across the city of five million people would be able to reopen at reduced capacity within days once New South Wales (NSW) reached a 70% double-vaccination target, now expected around mid-October.