The ACT won't follow other states and start easing coronavirus restrictions from this week, despite being in a seemingly stronger position in the fight against COVID-19.
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Chief Minister Andrew Barr said it wasn't a "race or contest between jurisdictions" to exit from the shutdown, as he again warned of the risks of prematurely lifting the restrictions which have proven so successful in curtailing the spread of the virus across the country.
The premiers of WA, QLD and the NT have moved to ease some restrictions as the rate of new coronavirus cases inside their borders continues to flatline.
From Saturday, Queenslanders will be able to travel up to 50 kilometres from their home to visit parks for picnics and recreation. Shopping for non-essential items will also be allowed.
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While WA and QLD have managed to dramatically slow the spread of the COVID-19 in their jurisdictions, there are still far more active cases of the virus in those states compared to the ACT.
Despite the territory's strong position, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the ACT wouldn't be rushing to relax restrictions on the back of other states' announcements.
"This is not a race or a contest between jurisdictions," he said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
"We are in a great position here in the ACT, largely thanks to the great community effort in complying with the rules around physical distancing.
"However, we have seen around the world what can happen when restrictions are imposed too late or taken away too early."
Mr Barr noted that many of the restrictions relaxed by the other states were never introduced in the ACT.
He said the results of a two-week COVID-19 testing blitz in the ACT, which started on Friday and will run until May 8, would be "critical" in dictating the government's decisions on relaxing restrictions.
Discussions at Friday's national cabinet meeting and ongoing talks with NSW would also shape the response, he said.
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is keeping restrictions in place in her state for the time being, despite it recording just two new cases of COVID-19 on Monday - its lowest daily rise since March 8.
Mr Barr repeated that the restrictions would be rolled back slowly and incrementally, giving authorities time to assess the consequences of each change before further decisions were made.
"It is reasonable to assume that we will be living with COVID-19 for some time," he said.
"We need to be cautious and understand that lifting restrictions might result in the virus spreading again.
"Therefore, we will adopt a risk minimisation approach to the weeks and months ahead. We can't eliminate risk but we can try and manage it sensibly through our higher-risk winter period."
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
