[VIC] Face Masks Mandatory in ALL of Victoria from August 3rd

Lmapax on 19/07/2020 - 11:23
Last edited 30/07/2020 - 11:41 by 1 other user

Update - Face masks/coverings will be mandatory from August 3rd for ALL Victorians.

Dan Andrews just announced that it will be mandatory to wear a mask when leaving the house in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown areas, anyone caught not complying will face a $200 fine.

This goes into effect 23:59 July 22nd.

Update - Mask Guidelines
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/face-coverings-1159pm-wednesday-…

Update - DHHS Guide - How to make a cloth mask
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/20…

Health & Beauty COVID-19 Surgical Mask

Comments

    • Antares on 19/07/2020 - 22:15
      +3

      Japan did 2 free masks for every household… Many of the masks were contaminated and had to be removed.
      The ones that did get distributed were generally too small for people to wear. A lot of them ended up in the bin.

      It was a waste of $500million… Hopefully if this goes ahead it will be done better.

  • BuDWiZe on 19/07/2020 - 18:46

    I'm just wondering if the people with beards n stuff will shave to make ant covering effective

    • capslock janitor on 21/07/2020 - 13:27

      interesting, a heavy beard is essentially a face covering!

  • funnysht on 19/07/2020 - 19:41
    +5

    I was wondering why this hasn't been introduced much earlier? Is it just to avoid panic buying , not enough masks to go around ?

    • Miss B on 19/07/2020 - 20:31
      +4

      At the beginning we were told they were not effective because they needed them for medical use. In the US they are still telling people to use face coverings or cloth masks instead of surgical masks, but they are honest about it being because of needing them for medical staff.

      They should be encouraging mask use and teaching people how to use them effectively.

      • Kamsi on 20/07/2020 - 10:50
        +5

        They should be encouraging mask use and teaching people how to use them effectively.

        The other day our health ministers did a wonderful job in showing how to wear a mask.

        • Miss B on 20/07/2020 - 12:08

          Attempt to flick mask at reporters. Fumble with mask rubbing on nose and face. Walk around with COVID on outside of mask. It was very impressive.

      • netjock on 21/07/2020 - 10:00
        -1

        They should be encouraging mask use and teaching people how to use them effectively.

        Shouldn't be too hard, most Australians already wear a mask of affluence. We just need the LV masks.

  • berry580 on 19/07/2020 - 23:36
    +3

    We're only 6 months late. Better than never though.

  • Trioboy on 20/07/2020 - 09:42
    +7

    Back in March, when this whole thing started, I was told by everyone not to wear a mask. People actually made an effort to make conversation, and let me know the fact that masks wont work. to What changed now?

    • OzzyOzbourne on 20/07/2020 - 09:47
      +6

      Yep throughout this, the Australian government has said masks don't help, yet I've also seen studies on how it spreads when you talk, cough, sneeze, sing, laugh… How front line workers all wear masks and how many Asian countries (especially densely populated Japan) are thought to have slowed the spread by wearing masks…. And guess what?….now we are told to wear masks

    • whooah1979 on 20/07/2020 - 09:50
      +3

      There was an oversupply of face masks from the first round of infections taking up storage space. Deals were made to make it mandatory to wear them in public.

    • mapax on 20/07/2020 - 09:58
      +10

      It's 2020 and people have short memories.

      Wearing a mask is a right wing thing
      Masks don't work for civvies
      Masks work but should be reserved for "front-line" workers
      Masks work but they're too complicated for most people to don correctly
      Masks are a left wing thing
      All masks work
      Masks are mandatory in Vic

      • zombrex on 20/07/2020 - 14:09
        +4

        The government actually blatantly lied and put out official health warnings that you should no wear a mask to PROTECT yourself from Coronavirus….
        Said information is still publicly available.

        https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/20…

        The corrupt mainstream media has given them a free pass. There should be an investigation into why this blatantly fake information was published.

        • Andard on 20/07/2020 - 15:39
          +2

          what the hell hahahaha there's one of those in my office!

      • Leeroy Jenkins on 20/07/2020 - 20:29

        I was actually surprised how people even believed masks don't work, and laughed at Asians who were smart enough to wear them from the start. I guess frontline workers aren't the same as us mere mortals.

    • Kamsi on 20/07/2020 - 17:19
      +3

      Back in March, when this whole thing started, I was told by everyone not to wear a mask.

      And the Asians who wearing mask at the time where ridicule and laugh at. I can't fathom why people persist to accept people sneezing and coughing will not transmit to or affect you.

    • netjock on 21/07/2020 - 10:02
      +1

      Masks do work but you forget in march it was mostly returning travellers in self quarantine. This is community transmission. If you don't know the difference between the two you should.

      The difference is now you don't know who is sick and walking around with it. It is a case of prevention of those people spreading it.

      You telling us you've had it since March?

      • Trioboy on 21/07/2020 - 16:08

        Yeah, I started wearing a mask in public starting in Early March, as I was catching Public Transport a lot then. At the time, I was planning to fly to Europe in late March(which didn't happen…) and didn't want to catch any respiratory illnesses. I had numerous people (self-proclaimed experts) approaching me on the train, on the road and at work "educating" me how masks won't work and I might be doing more harm by wearing it..or, I'm being paranoid… blah blah blah. …Health advice at the time was not to wear a mask and, also, masks were quite scarce at the time.
        Now I don't wear it as much, as I work from home. I only wear it if I go to do my groceries.

        The problem we have here is the inconsistent health advice from the Governments and the Authorities.

  • tik tok on 20/07/2020 - 10:11
    +1

    We are all doomed. China, even with its strictest measures has reported 15 new cases yesterday.

    • Kamsi on 20/07/2020 - 10:41
      +5

      yeah 1.5 billion people only 15 new case wow that is so insignificant.

    • Trioboy on 20/07/2020 - 10:45
      -2

      WOW! Such low numbers, China must be congratulated again….

    • Ghost47 on 20/07/2020 - 16:22
      +3

      Probably a fake number, I'd say 15,000 is more reasonable. Never ever trust Chinese media.

      • Trioboy on 20/07/2020 - 18:32
        +1

        haha I was being sarcastic. yeah, probably fake stats..

  • Hithere on 20/07/2020 - 10:23
    -2

    Not only hasn't Comrade Dan revealed how he's going to issue the millions of masks he's ordered but according to a Herald Sun article the initial order of 300,000 masks won't be arriving until later this week.

    • GG57 on 20/07/2020 - 13:19

      You don't need a face mask, issued by the Government, to comply.
      The requirement is to wear a face covering. As Victoria is reasonably cold at this time of year, most people would have a scarf or similar.

    • gesco on 20/07/2020 - 14:11
      +3

      There are ?5m people required to use masks. Single use masks are good for 1 day max.

      The 1.2m masks that they are currently talking about are not enough for even 1 days use.

      There is no way these are going to be handed out to the plebs.

      Same for the 0.3m you are talking about.

      • capslock janitor on 21/07/2020 - 13:31

        Single use masks are good for 1 day max.

        Wouldn't re-using it still be better than nothing?

        • 91rs on 21/07/2020 - 18:35

          Nope, great chance of infection that way if you're continually using the same mask, touching things, touching the mask.
          Been given these details from friends working in hospitals.

          wash or sanitise hands pre and post application and removal
          do not touch front of mask once applied
          replace after 4 hours
          replace if you need to drink eat or remove mask for any reason. (No re-using). Do not store in pocket!
          ensure nose and mouth is covered
          do not drop below your chin

          Obviously that's for more high risk situations in hospitals but i'd not be using one for more than a day, wouldn't be putting them in pockets or anywhere else touch transmission is possible.

          If you want to reuse, put it in a ziplock bag in the sun, leave it 14 days (so put the date on the bag) then re-use it after that time as hopefully anything on it is dead.

          • capslock janitor on 21/07/2020 - 19:24

            @91rs:

            do not drop below your chin

            nice,
            why is this?

            • 91rs on 21/07/2020 - 19:30

              @capslock janitor: I expect its due to skin contact to the inside of the mask, which if you then put back over your mouth gives you a higher chance of infection.
              The idea is to keep the mask on and to not let anything behind it or on the mask that would come in contact with the person wearing it, same with the no pockets rule for storage.
              The more you come in contact with something that could have the virus on it the higher chance of infection or spreading it.

              • capslock janitor on 21/07/2020 - 19:39

                @91rs: maybe i misinterpreted,
                should clarify, do they mean:
                worn/extended below the chin? or
                "resting" it under your chin, like pulling/clumping the whole mask down while you're talking to someone, or when running? or
                when applying it to face, and removing?

                • 91rs on 21/07/2020 - 19:47

                  @capslock janitor: If you're wearing it, don't touch it, move it or take it off. Ideally the inside of the mask only ever touches your face from when you put it on until you replace it or get somewhere that you don't need it and take it off to dispose.
                  So they (they are also in hospitals, so not out running) are leaving them on when talking or doing anything at all.
                  I guess that comes under "replace if you need to drink eat or remove mask for any reason. (No re-using). Do not store in pocket!"

    • [Deactivated] on 22/07/2020 - 14:12
      +1

      The Hun - lol. Useful when you're running out of dunny paper - or constipated - I suppose.

  • The8guy on 20/07/2020 - 10:59
    +10

    At first the gov said masks aren't effective, providing false sense of security, now even scarf works ?

    • GG57 on 20/07/2020 - 13:17
      +1

      It is only the PM that has promoted a false sense of security; the state premiers and the relative health officers have always promoted caution and responsible action by the public.
      The actions by some in the general public has led to this.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2020 - 13:06
    +5

    this should have been the case ages ago when we had the first wave of outbreaks. it's not the best idea to listen to the government's every order considering that not too long ago they said masks are ineffective and then Victoria mandates the use of face masks. asian countries in particular had limited to spread even before these outbreaks, such as flu seasons. a face mask culture should have been established the second that the virus landed on australian soil irrespective of its supposed effectiveness in reducing transmission. it's practically common sense that some protection is better than no protection anyways…..

    • GG57 on 20/07/2020 - 13:15
      +2

      There was nothing to stop people wearing face coverings earlier, and some did.
      The government is basing its actions on the advice of the medical experts; the view of the benefits of face coverings with COVID-19 has changed in recent months.

    • netjock on 21/07/2020 - 10:05

      This is first wave. Don't be fooled into thinking this is second wave.

      In March it was practice round of imported cases which went into quarantine / isolation pretty quickly. With number of cases over 100 contact tracing becomes a problem because of the workload.

  • Dontdoit on 20/07/2020 - 14:26

    Am I allowed to sell masks on ebay and now advertise that they help reduce the spread of covid 19?

    Is any mask retailer using this as a selling point?

    Will TGA go after me if i do like Pete Evans?

    • greatlamp on 20/07/2020 - 15:40
      +1

      "Mask for sale

      Meets official Victorian Government guidelines for COVID -19"

      • capslock janitor on 21/07/2020 - 13:33

        Meets official Victorian Government guidelines for COVID -19"

        "Subject to change later today, or after numbers are down again"

    • whooah1979 on 20/07/2020 - 17:40
      +2

      You'll be fine as long as you don't make any guarantees to their effectiveness. List them as beauty, hygiene, personal care, health care, anti-dust, breathable face masks. Include images of people using them in public, while driving, exercising, in shops, enjoying lunch at an outdoor cafe, etc.

  • silenthillrocks on 20/07/2020 - 15:16

    There are too many mask deals on OzB today. Can we filter them out properly?

  • HeWhoKnows on 20/07/2020 - 15:43
    -1

    Are the government supplying free masks?

    If not its a tall ask and easy out for anyone not wearing one since they can always say they couldnt find any or couldnt afford them.

    • Herbse on 20/07/2020 - 16:20
      -5

      Almost everyone got a $750 payment. Anyone who hasn't is on some form of benefits. You can use cloth, scarves, turtle neck, anything.

      • mapax on 20/07/2020 - 16:26
        +8

        I didn’t get a $750 payment and I’m not on benefits.

        • Herbse on 20/07/2020 - 16:28

          Can you afford a mask?

          • mapax on 20/07/2020 - 19:12
            +7

            @Herbse: Considering one could boil a rag they find in the street and use it as a mask it's likely safe to say that everyone can afford a mask (even if it looks terrible), I'm jut pointing out (aka complaining) that not everyone was lucky enough to get the $750 or receive benefits.

            • Herbse on 20/07/2020 - 19:15
              +5

              @mapax: That's fine but yea the guys question was "what about people who cant afford it"
              I was just saying that there's been benefits for everyone affected by this.

              Like you said, No excuse to not have a mask really except for being a selfish twat

      • capslock janitor on 21/07/2020 - 13:36
        +1

        turtle neck,

        Oh baby my time has come again!

    • Milk tea on 20/07/2020 - 23:14
      +1

      No only to aged care workers, other essential workers along with high school children. You can always make one or use a scarf for a physical barrier and that has been reitteraited several times in the case people use the excuse they couldn't afford one or couldnt find any in stock.

  • Herbse on 20/07/2020 - 16:21
    +9

    I'm looking forward to watching the angry anti masker videos starting Thursday. Gonna be fun watching people's true colours finally come out.

    • GG57 on 20/07/2020 - 16:35
      +2

      Apparently a column in today's Hun newspaper by Bolt has stirred things up already, firing up some to disobedience on the 'basis' that the masks won't provide any protection and it is taking away our civil rights blah blah blah

      • Herbse on 20/07/2020 - 17:35
        +7

        Bolt is a self serving hypocrite.

        He spent days criticizing Andrews that he was too heavy handed with during the first lockdown. Now he's complaining that he didn't do enough.

      • Leeroy Jenkins on 20/07/2020 - 20:35
        +4

        I'm wondering why that clown Bolt is still kicking. During serious times like this, I consider his action manslaughter which can lead to deaths of our citizens. This POS should really be stopped. Free speech is one thing, but what he's doing is harming public health and the community.

        • Herbse on 21/07/2020 - 13:39
          +4

          Because he has a platform to make himself and other people on his show profit from fear mongering and spreading unverified lies.

    • MessyG on 21/07/2020 - 17:26

      Donald Trump has just posted on Twitter a pic of himself wearing a mask and saying that many people would say this is patriotic (which is perfectly done as it sets him up in the future to say "I never said it was patriotic") and the mental gymnastics going on with all his diehard followers is a sight to behold.

      • mapax on 21/07/2020 - 17:39

        Nek minnit - left hate masks again and the right start hoarding…

      • Herbse on 21/07/2020 - 17:42

        I guess he didn't want to go into the election with another 140,000 dead citizens under his notch

  • ghostdom on 20/07/2020 - 16:44

    Let's all hope these masks won't become daily essentials like coke, which has discount if sign up automatic buy on amazon…

  • GG57 on 20/07/2020 - 16:44
    +7

    I just saw a photo of Chuck Norris wearing a mask; surely no-one can question the need to wear one now.

  • Bullion78 on 20/07/2020 - 17:38

    I just spoke with DHHS and more info is being released tomorrow in terms of what is required for an exemption and what constitutes medical reasons.

  • gstfree on 20/07/2020 - 17:50
    +2

    Good initiative just comes too rush. The rule should be masks mandatory if unable to keep 2m safety distance.

  • MementoMori on 20/07/2020 - 18:12

    Average age of Covid death - 82

    Average life expectancy in Australia - 82 (one of the highest in the world)

    • zealmax on 20/07/2020 - 19:37
      +16

      You will be surprised how much pain and irreversible damage people can endure without dying. I will take every precaution to avoid getting infected. For myself, my family and not to be a burden on the health system.

      • Carmen Sandiego on 20/07/2020 - 19:55
        +1

        As someone who will be eligible for voluntary euthanasia (not right now thankfully), hear hear

      • Leeroy Jenkins on 20/07/2020 - 20:48
        +5

        This! I think the government doesn't emphasise this enough. Do those who want their rights and disregard their own and other's wellbeing want to possibly carry a disability if they don't die from covid?

        I'm not sure why the government is not spelling it out in the face of everyone when many people are actually experiencing this. Are they are afraid of uncontrollable public panic?

    • Leeroy Jenkins on 20/07/2020 - 20:40
      +10

      Mate, death is one thing. The large number of people (including Victorians indicated by the health minister) who are experiencing chronic symptoms months after "recovery" is scaring me. A colleague's sister in the UK recovered from covid 3 months ago, but she still has huge trouble breathing even with the slightest exertion.

    • netjock on 21/07/2020 - 10:08

      We will all die at some point. No guarantee of age / circumstances.

      How do you explain people who die at 62 of heart disease?

      • OzzyOzbourne on 21/07/2020 - 18:07
        +2

        Most people try to avoid dying from ignorance or stupidity though

        • netjock on 21/07/2020 - 20:32

          That is just too logical to be true.

        • iamhurtin on 21/07/2020 - 22:57

          Easy for you to say
          You're immortal

    • MessyG on 21/07/2020 - 17:31
      +3

      A few problems with this.

      1. The chronic disease post covid is as yet uncounted and highly variable, but huge potential to burden peoples lives and cost to the health system.

      2. I think most elderly people would prefer to die differently to the way covid ends their lives. Gasping for air while isolated from all friends and family surrounded by people whose faces they can't see is indescribable.

      3. Most if not all of their families would disagree with you.

      4. This is a preventable disease. This isn't the inevitable sequelae of heart failure or emphysema or dementia. You can stop this from happening, and we should

      5. The 'let it rip' approach has killed people without much (if any) economic benefit so I just don't understand this attitude.

      • [Deactivated] on 22/07/2020 - 11:00

        Well said MissG. Ignorance and selfishness are no substitutes for social responsibility. Societies function better when social responsibility is a respected component and resources are pooled and shared for the benefit of all (most) - something which happens in pretty much every democratic advanced country. Plenty of knuckle-draggers around who prefer the law of the jungle but who would expect others to drop everything to save their own lives.

    • [Deactivated] on 22/07/2020 - 10:36

      @MementoMori - So what exactly are you suggesting? I can guess but I want to hear it from your mouth - assuming you have the balls. You'd be happy presumably to leave your older friends and family members to "natural selection" as long as you were okay? Pity you disappeared so quickly from the mask deal.

  • 91rs on 20/07/2020 - 19:34
    +5

    I have some, will comply and wear one when out, however the greater risk is touching a surface someone else has who has the virus.
    I'm not at all concerned with walking around and being breathed on enough to get COVID, if I were in close quarters with people I didn't know then sure, mask up or GTFO.
    I've avoided anywhere that looks too busy with too many people (grocery shopping mainly) and haven't been out aside from that since early in the year.

    The lack of consistent messaging from health experts (including government health dept) on this is a bit of a downfall which allows people to question it further.
    It now just creates a rush on an item that could be better used in high risk places.

    Then there is the group of people who now believe its their right to start policing this and starting sh!t with others who aren't wearing a mask or don't believe its the right thing to do.
    More division and more problems, look at how the mask is seen in the USA, if you wear one you're anti-trump if you don't you're pro trump.

    I bet there have been more suicides related to COVID, the confinement, lockdown and resulting mental health issues people are enduring than COVID deaths from the virus in Australia by the time this is all done.

  • Carmen Sandiego on 20/07/2020 - 19:39
    +7

    What I find amusing out of all of this is that I actually saw an opinion piece on news.com.au this morning about a columnist (not Andrew Bolt-ed or Miranda Un-Devine) attacking people who were whining about the masks rule. Amazing.

    As someone with a chronic illness, that makes me dangerously sick with a normal cold, I want to take a baseball bat to all those people who yell about "personal freedoms".

    To them I ask - are you going to pay for my medical and ventilator fees when it comes back that you were the reason I caught Corona?

    Also, seatbelts, glasses, and helmets etc are mandatory. If you are arguing about masks, don't use those things either and we'll see how you do.

    Wear a mask. Even my SO (who has asthma) found breathing OK when he put on a mask the other day and walked around with me.

    • mohan76 on 20/07/2020 - 19:53

      seat belts, glasses, and helmets protect person who wear. mask protect others from person who wearing . selfish people :P

      • Carmen Sandiego on 20/07/2020 - 19:54
        +1

        Masks protect themselves and others.

        And, seatbelts protect others from being attacked by your flying body

  • AS2035 on 20/07/2020 - 20:23
    +7

    Wear a mask and stop complaining!

    I've been wearing one since March, going to the shops, catching public transport etc. It's better than wearing a ventilator, benign in ICU on life support.

  • denzel on 20/07/2020 - 21:50
    +1
    Merged from Face Mask Recommendations

    With face masks now being compulsory in VIC, can anyone recommend a website where I can purchase one? TIA

    • Zephyrus on 20/07/2020 - 22:22

      Bond's sell cloth masks for ~$9 with free shipping (join their loyalty club). Not sure about quality or lead time, it's listed as 7 business days but "unprecedented times".

      • netjock on 21/07/2020 - 10:12

        I got this deal

        And it is only double layered.

        Considering retail margins are around 50% onshore then there is person in Asia that needs to take another cut I doubt material + labour is more than $2. $2 isn't much to make a decent mask.

        Would suggest you pick up a needle and thread to put as many layers in as possible.

        • greatlamp on 21/07/2020 - 11:56

          You vastly overestimate how much they get paid.

          They would get $20 to make an entire suit. They probably get 20 cents to make a mask

          The Australian distributor makes a huge profit before the retailer adds their margin

          • netjock on 21/07/2020 - 12:49

            @greatlamp: Okay "50 cent"

            You know when someone says $1, someone always say 99c or $1.01. Always.

            • greatlamp on 21/07/2020 - 15:42

              @netjock: No thats not my point. Even 50 cents is huge.

              For things like socks and underwear some brands pay by the kg. Workers make very little.

              • netjock on 21/07/2020 - 20:38

                @greatlamp: I am for pay by the kilo. Would stop people getting so obese.

    • Carmen Sandiego on 20/07/2020 - 22:24

      Etsy and eBay :)

      Filter the eBay searches to Australia only and you'll get them within a week :)

    • haji on 20/07/2020 - 22:36
      +1

      I am a signwriter and have been selling distancing stickers for a couple of months now and ended up creating a Shopify store. My 68 yr old mum is experienced with sewing (we're in Melbourne) and I've asked her if she is willing to sew some so I can sell them for her. She said she will give it a go. Once they're ready I am hoping to create a deal for the OB community and generate some extra cash for her in the meantime. I'll revert tomorrow morning hopefully.

    • jjjaar on 21/07/2020 - 07:56
      +2

      Lone sock + scissors: https://twitter.com/donalscannell/status/1259804672455557120

  • [Deactivated] on 20/07/2020 - 22:34

    I recommend: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dyi+face+mask

    better still, how to turn a bandana into a face mask: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=turn+bandana+in…

  • capslock janitor on 21/07/2020 - 12:04

    How much is this? https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/productdetails/108560/fac… Anybody see?

    • tarulov3 on 21/07/2020 - 12:17
      +1

      Says 40 for me.

  • dono2 on 21/07/2020 - 14:28
    -7

    ahhh to think we started this year as a free country and slowly by slowly this year we have lost more and more freedoms.

    These state leaders can make up any law they want under "public health" and we have to go along with it. These dont have to be passed or voted on by the citizens.

    Im over it had a gut full

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