Scott Morrison has challenged states and territories to keep borders and businesses open if coronavirus outbreaks flare up.
The prime minister said he was thrilled Queensland was preparing to welcome back visitors from Victoria and NSW on December 1.
He urged the state government, and others around the country, to have faith in their health systems.
"With Christmas coming up, that's especially important," Mr Morrison told 2GB radio.
"It's important now that we open safely in Queensland and we remain safely open. I think business needs that assurance."
Tasmania will open its borders to Victoria on Friday for the first time in more than eight months.
All states except Western Australia are committed to reopening their borders by Christmas.
WA Premier Mark McGowan remains defiant and unapologetic for his hard border stance shutting the state off from large parts of the country.
South Australia is introducing stricter protocols for hotel quarantine after a coronavirus cluster triggered a short-lived statewide shutdown.
Further restrictions are set to ease in SA from December 1 amid hopes states will look at relaxing hard borders after there were no new cases on Wednesday.
"We had that hiccup in South Australia last week, a bit of a false alarm, and it's important for businesses that there is that certainty," the prime minister said.
Victoria is free of active cases after 26 days without recording a new infection.
NSW will allow 50 people to gather outdoors including backyards from Tuesday, while 30 people can gather indoors.
The state also eased hospitality limits after going 18 days without a locally acquired case of the disease.
Mr Morrison is confident Australians will start receiving a coronavirus vaccine early next year after more encouraging late-stage trials.
The AstraZeneca-University of Oxford candidate has reported up to 90 per cent effectiveness, fuelling hopes an end to the pandemic could be possible.
Australia has a contract for 33.8 million doses of that vaccine, which will be manufactured in Melbourne.
Mr Morrison said it was clear the world was on track to start immunising people for coronavirus in 2021.
Pfizer and Moderna's candidates reported a 95 per cent effectiveness rate, with Australia contracted for 10 million doses of the former.
Mr Morrison said the University of Queensland vaccine was also showing strong signs, describing the performance of vaccines as being beyond the government's best hopes.
Health workers and elderly people would be the first to receive the free vaccine, with the wider population set for the jab before the end of 2021.
