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'An important step forward': ACT Chief MinisterABC News

The ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has just been speaking from a very dark-looking Canberra.

"This is an important step forward and after nine weeks in a lockdown that has been gradually easing through that period, today is a gentle step forward," Mr Barr says.

"The pandemic isn't over.But we are able with high first dose vaccination rates to take this step forward."

Mr Barr says that four-fifth of people surveyed are more worried about what's happening in NSW than they are about the differing levels of freedoms.

"Canberra has approached this in a very different way. Yousee that in the vaccination uptake, you see that in the adherence to public health, social measures for example and our willingness to get tested to do the tracing and isolating and quarantining that's been necessary to protect the community."

In terms of the NSW border, Mr Barr says there is an exemption for the 27 surrounding postcodes, which covers a radius of 100 to 150km from the ACT, but he would be looking to extend this further in the coming days, as long as it can be done safely.

He adds that the ACT "finally" has enough vaccine supply.

"Being acity state helps [with the high vaccination rates]," he says.

"We have had the most effective system in every single dose from the Commonwealth and getting that quickly into the arm of a Canberran.

"We have done more than our fair share supporting our region, around 12 per centof all of the doses allocated to the ACT have actually vaccinated people in NewSouth Wales in the surrounding regions, so we have taken responsibility also for our region."

He puts that down to "better education levels" in the ACT.

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