Overview
If you're a Melburnian heading interstate for the holidays — and to a part of the country that hasn't mandated mask-wearing this year — you might be planning to leave your facial covering at home. But, if your trip involves flying, you'll need to make sure you're still donning a mask when you're at a Victorian airport.
The Department of Health and Human Services has advised that wearing a fitted face mask is now mandatory at Victorian airports — from today, Saturday, December 19. It has also stated that it's "strongly recommended you wear a mask while on your flight" as well.
Although Victoria's mask rules have changed several times over the past month or so, you could've safely assumed that wearing a mask at the airport was required anyway — it is a busy indoor space where you can't guarantee that you'll be able to maintain social distancing. But, with Sydney now experiencing a growing cluster of COVID-19 cases in its northern beaches area, and the Christmas travel period upon us, DHHS is making mask-wearing at airports official.
As a reminder, donning faces masks in general was made compulsory in Victoria back in mid-July, with the the mask rules loosening in outdoor situations in mid-November. Since Sunday, December 6, they've no longer been mandatory in all indoor circumstances — but you do need to wear them in specified crowded spots, such as indoors at shopping centres, in retail stores inside shopping centres, at indoor markets, on public transport, when using ride shares or other commercial passenger vehicles, and when you're in a large crowd of people you do not know or where QR codes for contact tracing haven't been used. And, if you've been diagnosed with COVID-19, are suspected of having it, or you're a close contact of someone with it, you must wear a face covering if you're leaving the house, even if you're going to the doctor.
If you're still wondering where to grab a mask, we've put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them.
For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.