Canberra business welcomes eased mask rules

As of 6pm Friday, some mask-wearing requirements were lifted.

However, masks will still be required in some situations such as on buses, public transport and for workers who provide services to vulnerable people.

Cataldo's Salon in the City manager Michael Cataldo welcomed the eased rules but said people were able to continue to wear masks if they felt uncomfortable.

He said hairdressers at the salon were pleased to have the option to breathe freely.

"[Wearing a mask all day] is not the worst, but it can be quite uncomfortable having to wear a mask eight hours a day. Especially when we're working with blowdryers, it can get quite hot," he said.

"I think it is really a positive change and you can tell that clients do enjoy it.

"It's actually a lot easier for us to be able to see the client's face ... and read their body language. It makes it a lot easier for us to be able to do our job."

The eased restrictions were good news for many other businesses across the capital.

Patrons at King O'Malley's also welcomed the opportunity to leave their masks behind, with many people soaking up the Saturday sun in the courtyard.

Pub managing director Peter Barclay said the majority of customers on Saturday had not worn masks.

"We really appreciate all the support that Canberrans have given to our venue, through the difficult times that we've been through. And we really appreciate it, we want to say come out and enjoy hospitality venues," he said.

"We're all taking precautions that are needed."

However, he had encouraged his staff to wear masks in crowded situations if if made them feel more comfortable.

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This comes as 478 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday.

There were 41 people in hospital with COVID-19 as of 8pm Thursday, with two people in intensive care and none currently under ventilation.

The new cases reported on Saturday brought the total number of active cases in the ACT to 3922, down from the 4050 reported on Friday.

This comes after the ACT recorded a jump in COVID infections with 946 earlier this week, spurred on by an outbreak at ANU residences which has surpassed 600 cases.

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