Canberra's small businesses putting own rules in place with no mask mandate implemented

Medical experts are growing increasingly frustrated with the Labor government's communication on masks which remains "strongly recommended" indoors but not mandated.

The lack of government direction has meant some Canberra businesses are taking matters into their own hands, such as 85C Daily Cafe in the City.

Since the pandemic began in 2020, manager Skye Lei directed staff to wear masks as people are less likely to catch the virus, keeping everyone safe.

"I think it's much safer because we're making food, we're selling food all day," she said.

Ms Lei has found this rule has kept the cafe ahead of the curb as government mandates come and go during waves of the virus.

"We started to wear the mask when the pandemic started for about two years already ... it makes us safer, especially now there are so many flu cases," she said.

While Ms Lei didn't think it was her "business" to enforce a mask mandate onto customers, she believed the government should institute a policy to keep herself and those around her safer.

"I think that should be mandatory because we are so close to each other," Ms Lei said.

"When only some people wear masks it can reduce some cases, but if more people wear masks, it would be better."

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Similar sentiments are felt by Pushpa Prafai, manager of Rye Cafe in Braddon, as some of his staff were beginning to wear a mask out of choice.

"I think at this time, when the cases are rising a little bit more and with the flu coming in the environment, most people are getting sick and there are no mask mandates at the moment so the disease is spreading quickly," he said.

"I think that a mask mandate would definitely help to control like it did in the past as well."

The ACT had an average 1101 COVID-19 cases a day, while Wednesday had a slight dip of 961 new cases.

High numbers continue to translate onto hospitals as 160 people were in a Canberra hospital on Wednesday with COVID-19.

Canberra Health Services Chief Operating Officer Cathie O'Neill said Canberra hospitals keep managing high admissions as many people visit the emergency department out of convenience over necessity.

"We know that there's a lot of people that access the emergency department because it's easy. And they know themselves that they don't have an emergency or a condition that can't wait a couple of days," she said.

"Some of this is commonsense. The majority of people I think know when it is an emergency. And people just need to trust their instincts."

Ms O'Neill said the current pressure felt by emergency departments was not due to COVID-19 patients as reasons for visits vary.

"I think people with COVID are being very responsible," she said, adding the Garran Surge Clinic was available for COVID-19 patients with any concerns or injuries.

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