After more than two and a half years, the ACT’s Public Health Emergency Declaration has been revoked with the Government transitioning the Territory’s pandemic response to a COVID‑19 Management Declaration and associated Directions.
Announcing the change, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the Declaration recognised the need to provide ongoing surveillance and management of the virus as the Territory transitioned to living with COVID‑19.
“This is the next stage in our COVID-19 response,” Mr Barr said.
“There will need to be ongoing support for Canberrans who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, and a mechanism that allows the Government to swiftly implement the public health measures that have proven to be highly successful in suppressing the virus in the Territory.”
Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith said some public health measures would remain in place to ensure the ACT protected people in the community who were most at risk of severe health outcomes from COVID-19.
“The new COVID-19 settings are part of our staged plan to managing COVID-19 in a similar way to other infectious diseases like influenza,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“Canberrans should be reassured that if there is any significant development in relation to COVID-19, we will continue to take appropriate actions to keep our community safe, just as we have throughout the pandemic.”
She said the changes, now in effect, included face masks no longer mandatory on public and shared transport; household contacts no longer need to report to ACT Health; COVID safety plans were no longer required for Canberra businesses and events; and vaccine mandates had been lifted for workers in aged care facilities or disability care settings.
