Wearing masks will be made compulsory for people out in public in coronavirus-hit Melbourne and the adjacent Mitchell Shire from 11: 59pm on Wednesday.
Here’s what we know about the new rules.
Why do you need to wear a mask?
Mr Andrews says the new rule is “commonsense”, “relatively simple” and about “embedding behaviour” to bring COVID-19 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 warns.
“There’s no vaccine to this wildly infectious virus and it’s a simple thing, but it’s about changing habits, it’s about becoming a simple part of your routine.
“Most of us wouldn’t leave home without our keys, we wouldn’t leave our home without our mobile phone.”
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says universal mask wearing is important because an infected person wearing a mask sheds less of the virus and people around them are less exposed.
Who needs to wear a mask?
In metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, everyone over the age of 12 needs to wear a mask or face covering when they leave their house for one of the four allowed reasons.
- Study or work — if you cannot work from home
- Medical care and caregiving
- Shopping for essentials
- Daily exercise
This applies to everyone in these areas, including people who live outside these ar