Face Masks Won't Be Mandatory in Most Situations in Greater Brisbane From January 22
You'll only need to keep wearing them at airports and on planes, but it's still recommended you don them in places were you can't social distance.
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.
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.
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