Mandatory indoor mask requirements will be ditched in most places in the ACT from this weekend, with the territory to be in line with similar rules in NSW and Victoria.
Masks will still need to be worn in certain places including on public transport, taxis or rideshare services, hospitals, aged care facilities and at Canberra Airport.
Staff and visitors to schools will also be required to wear masks. Students in year 7 to 12 will also continue to wear masks.
Other workers who will need to wear masks are people who provide services to a person with a disability and in-home and community aged care providers.
The new rules come into place from 6pm on Friday.
While mask rules have eased, ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said masks were still highly recommended to mitigate COVID-19 transmission.
She said certain workplaces should consider keeping mask mandates in place.
"Canberrans are encouraged to continue wearing a face mask in public indoor settings, particularly where it may be difficult to maintain appropriate physical distancing," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
"Workplaces should consider what mask wearing policies they should implement, both for employees and any clients or visitors that may visit their premises."
From 11.59pm on Friday, as previously announced, events with more than 2000 people will be allowed to go ahead without an organiser needing to seek an exemption. However, events must be ticketed or require pre-registration.
Events with more than 5000 people will still need to submit a COVID safety plan to ACT Health for review.
The ACT government foreshadowed relaxed mask rules last week when other restrictions were eased last week.
But this was a backflip from comments made earlier in the month by Ms Stephen-Smith who said mask rules were likely to be in place until the end of winter.
Last week, Ms Stephen-Smith said the situation had changed and that was the reason why the ACT had pushed ahead with relaxed rules.
However, this came only one day after NSW and Victoria announced relaxed rules.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said on Tuesday the ACT would need a good reason to have different COVID-19 restrictions to NSW, but the territory ultimately set its own restrictions.
Mr Barr said the two states were acting in unison and often not telling other states and territories ahead of announcements.
"This issue has been raised with them, not just by me but by other premiers," Mr Barr told a Legislative Assembly inquiry on Tuesday.
