Once the TGA gives tick of approval on VIRALEZE™ nasal spray...

Once the TGA gives tick of approval on VIRALEZE™ nasal spray will masks be mandatory

Patrick Durkin
BOSS Deputy editor

Melbourne mask backflip ‘unwarranted’

Five million Melburnians will be required to wear masks whenever they leave their home, as Victorian health authorities work to connect four new COVID-19 cases to the current outbreak.
The backflip comes as more than 200 of Melbourne’s leading figures across the arts, entertainment and hospitality sectors have signed an open letter urging the Victorian Chief Health Officer and government to ease venue restrictions as quickly as possible, warning Melbourne’s status as the food, cultural and entertainment capital of Australia is at risk.
Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said the planned lifting of a two-week lockdown for Melbourne would go ahead as planned on Friday but with one “small change”, being all Melburnians would need to wear masks whenever they leave their home.

The Acting Premier, James Merlino, (pictured) is making all Melburnians keep masks on.  JOE ARMAO
Four new cases were recorded in a household in the northern suburb of Reservoir which authorities are seeking to connect to the outbreak, in addition to the Melbourne couple in their 40s who drove through New South Wales before testing positive in Queensland.
Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng confirmed there have been no cases of transmission outdoors in this outbreak but there have been in the past and the risk was not zero.
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“Perhaps 5 per cent [of transmission has occurred outdoors] which would be in line with that 20 times more risk in an indoor setting but it can be hard to tell,” he said.
“To have a mask in that situation when there are active cases about, and hopefully for not too much longer, I think is still one of the most effective tools.
“What does a mask do? 20 times less likely [to contract the virus] doesn’t mean it is zero. There is still a risk and there have been transmissions documented outdoors.”
“I think it is also a reminder to everyone that we do have active cases in the community and we want to stop every last transmission,” Professor Cheng said.

Melbourne mask rules will now not change on Friday in a government backflip.  Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
Mr Merlino said wearing a mask was a small price to pay to ensure other restrictions are eased from midnight Thursday.
“The public health advice is comfortable that the easing of restrictions we talked through yesterday that come into effect tonight...will all proceed,” Mr Merlino said.
“I have said a number of times that we don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing the public health advice we like or don’t like, and not go ahead with elements of it. It is inconvenient but an easy thing to do.
“I think [masks are] a logical and common sense step to take, and it allows all of the businesses we have outlined yesterday that they can open.”