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People coming to Canberra from South Australia will still have to complete a COVID declaration despite changes to state rules, but restrictions on visitors from Victoria are set to be lifted. Unrestricted travel between Victoria and the ACT will be allowed once again from next week. The border between the two jurisdictions will reopen 12.01am on Monday. ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said exemptions for travel to Victoria would no longer be required. “It is great to see Victoria has now gone three weeks without recording a COVID-19 case,” Dr Coleman said. “Given this, it is now safe to lift restrictions so we can welcome Victorian visitors to Canberra, and there will be no requirement to quarantine for any Canberrans returning from Victoria. “The lifting of restrictions will give people the confidence to make plans, book holidays and reunite with family members in Victoria in the lead up to Christmas. It will be a boost for local business as we welcome more people from Victoria.” READ MORE: Passengers arriving at Canberra Airport from Melbourne will no longer be screened after they land, and quarantine requirements for Canberrans returning from Victoria won’t be required. Border restrictions between NSW and Victoria were implemented in July after a surge in cases in Victoria, which led to a months-long lockdown in Melbourne. Canberrans trying to return home to the ACT were caught up in the border closure, after they were barred from driving back. A deal was struck between the ACT and NSW government to allow stranded Canberrans to return home after an initial impase. Dr Coleman said the borders between the two jurisdictions will open on Monday, provided there was no significant change in the COVID situation in Victoria in that time Meanwhile, South Australians will come out of their six-day lockdown three days earlier than expected on Saturday night, after it was revealed the lockdown was sparked by an Adelaide pizza shop worker, who had deliberately lied about how he had contracted COVID-19. While the man originally told health authorities he had caught coronavirus after buying a pizza, it was later found out he was an employee, and was also an employee at a quarantine hotel. The man is not expected to be charged by authorities. South Australian police commissioner Grant Stevens said the pizza worker had worked alongside a security guard who had contracted the virus at a quarantine hotel. “We were operating on a premise that this person had simply gone to a pizza shop, [with] very short exposure and walked away having contracted the virus,” Mr Stevens said. “We now know they are a very close contact of another person who has been confirmed as being positive with COVID. It has changed the dynamic substantially,” Despite South Australians coming out of lockdown early, ACT health authorities have not changed their travel advice, urging all Canberrans to cancel non-essential travel to the state ACT Health said people arriving in Canberra would have to fill out an online declaration before entering the territory. “We are assessing new information that has come to light in South Australia, but at this time, there is no change to our advice,” a spokesman said. “If you have been in South Australia in the past 14 days, you must complete an online declaration to be permitted to enter the ACT, prior to entry. “ACT residents returning from South Australia must also complete this declaration.” Those who had been in known COVID hot spots in South Australia would be expected to quarantine.

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