While face masks were first mandated in Melbourne back in mid-July, the Queensland Government spent 2020 encouraging its citizens to cover up, rather than making face coverings compulsory. Then, on Friday, January 8 when the Greater Brisbane area went into lockdown, that changed — and masks remained mandatory in some situations once the city emerged from its three-day shutdown, too. All of these most recent rule changes have happened in a mere two-week period but, from 1am on Friday, January 22, another shift is coming. As confirmed by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at her daily press conference today, Thursday, January 21 — which outlined a rollback of restrictions in general — the compulsory mask requirement will lift overnight. After more than two weeks of donning face coverings, Brisbanites will no longer have to wear masks in most situations — except in airports and on planes, as required by the Federal Government. The change is also outlined in the state's current COVID-19-safe roadmap, but a number of recommendations are still in place about wearing masks going forward, too. https://twitter.com/qldhealthnews/status/1352042161030668291 It's still advised that folks wear masks if they can't social distance, whether indoors or outdoors. And, if you're in a shopping centre, travelling on public transport or using a taxi or rideshare service, they're recommended there as well. Basically, Queenslanders are encouraged to still carry masks with them at all times when leaving home — and pop one on if they find themselves in any of the above circumstances. As always, the usual hygiene and social-distancing advice still applies, too — including frequent hand-washing, maintaining a 1.5-metre distance from other people and getting tested if you have even the slightest of COVID-19 symptoms. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Queensland, head to the QLD COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website.