On Friday, shops across Canberra reopened, and businesses (as well as consumers) heaved a sigh of relief.

NSW and Victoria have had similar celebratory scenes that make all the difference to the atmosphere after these drawn-out, locked down weeks and months.

As was the case last year, each week will bring new changes and easing of restrictions until, one day in the hopefully not-too-distant future, we will all wake up one day and realise the pandemic is finally in the past tense.

But for now, we're in the fast-but-slow phase. On Friday, the ACT government announced free travel between the ACT and Victoria from November 1, in line with NSW. It will be the first time in more than three months the significant number of Canberra residents with family, friends or other links with those states will be able to move freely from here to there.

While some details are still being ironed out, it's understood certain rules will remain in place for the foreseeable future, but not forever.

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For example, NSW, will not allow unvaccinated Victorians to enter the state for holiday or recreation, while the ACT does not have a two-tier system separating vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors, meaning all Victorians would be welcome in the capital but would have to adhere to NSW rules if they cross the border.

But these are practical hurdles that do little to dim the excitement of the prospect of travel out of the ACT.

Not so the stubborn outliers, particularly Queensland and Western Australia. It can be easy for many of us to disregard, as much as possible, the fact these states remain closed to Canberrans, especially as Sydney, Melbourne and the South Coast are all open for Canberra's business.

But, Canberra being a transient, outward-looking town, a great many residents have just as pressing needs to visit friends and family in, say, Queensland or Tasmania.

With vaccination rates steadily climbing - not to mention Canberra is soon to become one of the most-vaccinated cities in the world - it's time to resolve these lingering questions around state and territory borders.

November is approaching, and people want to plan summer holidays and Christmas get-togethers. With the announcement overseas travel in and out of Australia is imminent, and the arrival of overseas students back to Canberra in 2022, it seems ever more ludicrous to contemplate a Christmas without Australians being able to travel to their home state, wherever that may be.

This is especially the case if they are fully vaccinated, which many Australians have been for some months.

There's a real sense of unity here in Canberra, with most people focused on the same goal - getting out of lockdown and into the post-COVID future.

The sense increases with each border reopening, so it feels surreal to be reminded there are still significant chunks of the country holding out for, seemingly, a different or varied outcome.

Australia is not a country made up of separate kingdoms; federalism should not entail a splintering of a common goal that benefits all people. It's time for these states to present a clear roadmap of when they're planning to come out of hibernation.

We need to put this sorry chapter of feudal states and people being locked out of their own homes behind us.

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