Retail returns from Friday as ACT adjusts restrictions post 80% target

Quarantine-free travel will also be allowed between the ACT and NSW, including Greater Sydney, from November 1.

Hospitality venues will be allowed to have up to 300 people from October 29, up from an expected maximum of 150 people.

Further restrictions will be eased on November 26, including changes to the density limits and the removal of a limit on household visitors, an updated pathway forward published on Tuesday showed.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said in a joint statement the changes had been made possible by the nation-leading vaccination coverage in the territory.

Non-essential retail will be able to reopen from 11.59pm on Thursday, with strict density limits of one person for every 4 square metres.

Essential retailers that have been operating under click-and-collect or click-and-deliver models will also be able to reopen to customers with the same density limit from Friday.

The ACT government said the territory was the first Australian jurisdiction to reach 80 per cent full vaccination of the population aged 12 and over, which allowed for changes to the restrictions.

More changes will be made to restrictions on October 29, the date face masks will no longer be needed outdoors.

"This includes the relaxation of capacity limits across a number of different industries including hospitality and major events. From 29 October, food courts in the ACT will also be able to reopen under a 1 per 4 square metre model," the ACT government said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ACT will also remove its COVID hotspot declaration for NSW from November 1. This will significantly ease travel restrictions between NSW and the ACT and remove the requirement to quarantine.

The ACT government said the decision aligned with the NSW government's move to allow travel between Greater Sydney and the state's regional areas from November 1.

Chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman will instead be able to declare individual local government areas as COVID hotspots.

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The ACT would also align its quarantine requirements for overseas arrivals with NSW from November 1.

The updated pathway forward said businesses would be able to have one person for every 2 square metres from November 26, while drinking and eating standing up and dancing would be allowed.

Ticketed outdoor events of up 1000 people would be allowed, including organised sport and swimming pools.

From that point, face masks would only be required indoors in high-risk settings and cinemas could use their full seated capacity.

Hairdressers, beauty and personal services businesses will be able to operate without density limits up to 25 people from November 26.

Density limits would remain in event and performance venues, while galleries and museums would be open with restrictions.

The territory government said it would continue to focus on vaccinated the remainder of Canberrans yet to receive their second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

"While we have reached the 80 per cent across the entire eligible population, a number of younger age cohorts are yet to reach the milestone. Ensuring these Canberrans are fully vaccinated before moving to baseline [public health social measures] will be critical to a successful reopening of our local economy," Mr Barr and Ms Stephen-Smith said in a joint statement.

The Canberra Liberals welcomed the changes and said the new rules were a common sense decision, but Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said Mr Barr was making up policy on the run.

"This is welcome news for Canberra businesses that sees sensible changes in the way they are able to trade, however, these changes should have come into effect when the cross-border travel arrangements were amended last week," Ms Lee said.

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