South Australia is set to lift its travel ban on Canberrans for the first time in five months, but only fully vaccinated visitors from the ACT will be granted entry to the state.
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South Australia will scrap its domestic border restrictions from November 23 and open up to people from all states if they have had two COVID-19 vaccination jabs.
Canberrans have been unable to visit South Australia since June, when Premier Steven Marshall shut the borders because of concerns about the NSW outbreak.
But rising vaccination rates across the country are giving people hope of relatively free travel over the Christmas period with Tasmania expected to reopen on December 15.
It means Canberrans will be able to visit anywhere in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, but it is unclear if Queensland will follow the trend and Western Australia says travel is unlikely until next year.
ACT Health will change restrictions again this week, with larger gatherings permitted before travel into any NSW region, including Sydney will be permitted from Monday.
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The ACT is leading the nation in the vaccination race despite recording another 12 cases on Tuesday.
South Australia's decision was based on the state's vaccination rate, which is expected to hit 80 per cent in late November.
South Australia will also reduce quarantine periods for overseas arrivals from 14 days to seven, while the cap on home gatherings will rise from 20 people to 30.
Other internal restrictions will remain in place but most are expected to be removed before Christmas as SA eyes a return to relative normality.
"There has to be some reward for the sacrifices that individuals and businesses have made, and today it is with great pride I announce our COVID-ready plan for South Australia," Premier Steven Marshall told reporters on Tuesday.
"I know this will be a huge relief for so many South Australians who are wanting to get back to normality as soon as possible."
People arriving from interstate after November 23 will still be required to quarantine if they are arriving from local government areas that are experiencing an outbreak or where the full vaccination rate is below 80 per cent.
Further restrictions will be eased once 90 per cent of the population aged 12 and over has been double-jabbed.
That is expected to be achieved before Christmas, allowing quarantine to be scrapped for fully vaccinated overseas and domestic arrivals.
Contact tracing and testing requirements will remain in place for the foreseeable future, as will the use of face masks in indoor public settings.
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Almost 80 per cent of South Australians have received their first dose, while the full vaccination rate is at 63 per cent.
There will be no requirement for all individual local government areas to achieve the 80 per cent full vaccination rate by November 23, but Mr Marshall said authorities would redouble their efforts in areas that were lagging.
"I think there will be a big surge now in the vaccination rate," he said.
"The health experts are now telling us that vaccination is our pathway out."
Internal restrictions will remain in place until SA reaches 90 per cent vaccination, including going to nightclubs and stand-up alcohol consumption.
"We haven't landed on the specifics of post-90 per cent but the prospects are excellent that there'll be very limited restrictions, if any," Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said.
Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier expected the roadmap to provide a strong incentive to get vaccinated for anyone who was wavering.
"This is a clear message that you don't have time to wait," she said.
Anyone who becomes infected between the 80 per cent and 90 per cent thresholds will still need to isolate, along with their close contacts.
Mr Marshall said his government was still pulling together modelling around the reopening of borders but intended to release it at a later date.
- With AAP
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