Daniel Andrews Announces Face Masks To Be Mandatory In Melbourne From Wednesday
The fine will be $200.
With another 363 new Victorian COVID-19 cases today, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced that masks or face coverings will be mandatory in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from midnight Wednesday.
Premier Andrews has announced that anyone living in Melbourne or Mitchell Shire will be required to wear a mask or face-covering from midnight Wednesday. If residents are out of their home for one of the currently permitted four reasons of work/education, food, exercise, or caregiving, they must be wearing a mask or face covering. The fine from police for not wearing a mask will be $200. Andrews specified that any face covering will qualify, saying “It need not be a hospital-grade mask it may not be one of the handmade masks like I was wearing when I came in today. It can be a scarf, it can be a homemade mask.”
MELBOURNE/VICTORIA:
WEAR A DANG MASK WHEN YOU’RE OUTSIDE THE HOME FROM WEDNESDAY ONWARDS LEST YOU GET A $200 FINE— maddi ⁷ | HYYH IS BACK (@itsminyooniie) July 19, 2020
Some people were wondering why fines were immediately going to be implemented, instead of a system ensuring everyone was given a mask and encouraged to wear it.
Would be cute if they carried masks to hand out to people instead of fines but hey that’s just me!!!!!!! https://t.co/MxIGNbMRbc
— Brodie Lancaster (@brodielancaster) July 19, 2020
How about instead of handing someone a $200 fine you hand them a pack of masks? This is outrageous. https://t.co/rttgCxEKvP
— Witt (@WittGorrie) July 19, 2020
Andrews stated that people who can do it should start wearing masks immediately. “It’s a relatively simple thing, but it’s also about embedding behaviour – which I think is just as important on the other side of this second wave as it is in bringing case numbers down. We’re going to be wearing masks in Victoria, and potentially in other parts of the country, for a very long time.” He suggested a new routine for people to adopt when leaving the house.
Masks are mandatory when leaving home in Melbourne from Thursday. @DanielAndrewsMP says there’s a new routine when leaving home: keys, wallet, mask. #covidmelbourne
— Tim Doutré (@Timdoutre) July 19, 2020
If you can’t buy a mask, the Department of Health and Human Services has instructions on making your own cloth mask.