ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr will today outline further detail how Canberra will emerge out of COVID-19 lockdown, ahead of stay-at-home orders easing later this week.
Canberra’s lockdown will end on October 15, which will see the reopening of cafes, bars, restaurants and gyms, with up to five visitors allowed in the home.
While the ACT’s road map out of lockdown has already been unveiled, Mr Barr said finer detail would be announced on Tuesday ahead of the reopening.
Mr Barr said an announcement was also expected later this week on travel arrangements between ACT and NSW once Canberra ends its lockdown.
“I also hope by probably Wednesday or Thursday to have confirmation from NSW as to how they regard the ACT in terms of their own COVID arrangements.”
Canberrans can still face heavy fines for crossing the border for the next few days for non-essential reasons, following the easing of restrictions in NSW.
Further relaxation of travel restrictions between the two jurisdictions is expected in coming weeks, in line with NSW allowing freedoms to the unvaccinated in December.
“Travel will change this Friday and further at the end of October and then in December when NSW drop their vaccinated versus unvaccinated status,” Mr Barr said.
Further changes are also on the cards for coming weeks in how ACT health authorities will report COVID-19 cases and exposure sites.
The chief minister said changes would be outlined shortly on who would need to quarantine, should they come into contact with the virus.
Mr Barr said as the reopening took place, there would be less emphasis on case numbers and more on vaccine figures.
“The disease is endemic in our community and there will be hundreds of cases, but vaccines prevent serious illnesses,” he said.
“If you are carrying the virus and you are a case then you will still have to quarantine, but there will certainly be changes around casual contact settings.”
The ACT recorded 32 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, 25 of those being linked to known cases.
There are 18 people in hospital with the virus, seven of those being in intensive care and six on a ventilator.
The ACT on Monday also became the first jurisdiction in the country to record 70 per cent of its residents aged over 12 being fully vaccinated.
There are now 71.1 per cent of over-12s having both doses while 97.8 per cent have had one dose.
Mr Barr said Canberra was on track to become one of the most vaccinated cities in the world.
By Andrew Brown in Canberra, AAP
