MANDATORY face mask requirements in Canberra will ease from 6pm on Friday (February 25), the ACT government has confirmed.

From Friday, it will only be mandatory to wear a face mask if you’re:

• On public transport, including buses, light rail, taxis, rideshare and demand response vehicles. Drivers of these vehicles must wear a mask when transporting passengers
• An employee or visitor in a high-risk setting, including hospitals, residential aged care facilities, correctional facilities or residential accommodation facilities
• A worker who provides services to a person with a disability
• A worker for in-home and community aged care providers
• A staff member or visitor in all indoor spaces at a school or early childhood education and care setting. Students in years 7 to 12 are also required to wear a face mask while in an indoor space at school
• Inside the Canberra Airport terminal or on a domestic flight in or out of Canberra Airport.

These changes bring the ACT into line with similar mask requirements in NSW and Victoria.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said Canberrans are “encouraged to continue wearing a face mask in public indoor settings, particularly where it may be difficult to maintain appropriate physical distancing.”

“Workplaces should consider what mask wearing policies they should implement consistent with the requirements under the Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Act, both for employees and any clients or visitors that may visit their premises,” said Ms Stephen-Smith.

“This is particularly important for businesses that employ staff with customer-facing roles, and especially for those who are likely to be interacting with vulnerable community members. Information to assist businesses, venues and organisations in developing and updating COVID Safety Plans can be found on the Business Hub.”

In addition, from 11.59pm on Friday, the ACT Government says anyone who tests positive to a rapid antigen test (RAT) must report their result to ACT Health via the online form on the ACT covid website. They must also isolate for seven days, in the same way as those who test positive to a PCR test.

Anyone who tests positive, either by PCR test or RAT, will now also be encouraged to take reasonable steps to notify any potential high risk or moderate risk contacts.

Also from 11.59pm on Friday, organisers of events with more than 2,000 attendees will no longer be required to seek an exemption – as long as they are ticketed, or attendees pre-register or use the Check In CBR app.

Organisers for events of more than 5,000 people will still need to submit their COVID Safety Plans for review by ACT Health.

The ACT Government also said that by the end of February, an update to Check In CBR will enable app notifications about potential COVID-19 exposures so Canberrans know to monitor for symptoms.