Susie O’Brien: Why Daniel Andrews’ mask rules are still on the nose

Coronavirus numbers are decreasing and masks alone won’t offer much protection, so it’s time the Andrews government let us move on, writes Susie O’Brien.

Welcome to Victoria, the Sausage Sizzle state.

On Sunday Premier Daniel Andrews used hardware store Bunnings to illustrate his new mask-wearing rules.

He was trying to show he’s one of us, but all he did was illustrate how silly his restrictions are.

“If you go to Bunnings and you are inside the store, you are wearing a mask. If you are in the car park, you do not have to wear your mask,” Andrews said.

“But if you are queuing up for a sausage, and you are with other people, and you are simply not keeping a distance — you are part of a crowd, you need to put the mask on.”

It is absurd. Masks are just about useless when they are constantly put on and taken off — whether you are inside or not. Why not just walk away and forget the sausage?

The fear, as Australian National University professor Peter Collignon points out, is that it will make people think that social distancing and good hygiene is less important.

Masks alone — especially ones that have spent most of the day stuffed in grotty pockets — won’t help much.

These rules are not driven by the data or the science, but the fragile ego of a Premier who’s unable to trust his own experts to control an outbreak.

Doesn’t it bring back former Liberal opposition leader John Hewson and his disastrous rules about the GST on birthday cakes?

Masks are hot, uncomfortable and a barrier to good communication. We wore them willingly when we had thousands of cases of coronavirus. And we should now be trusted to wear them when we see fit — either inside or outside.

The Premier wants to continue to tell us what to do even though there is just one case in the entire state and we are heading towards what epidemiologist Tony Blakely calls Elimination Day.

Despite what Daniel Andrews exhorts, mask-wearing is not a part of our culture. Picture: Getty Images

As usual, Andrews’ new rule rollout is full of annoying inconsistencies.

In Victoria you can now have sex in a brothel with strangers, but you’re not allowed to sell books in a shop without a mask. And you can have 50 people in a brothel but only 15 in your own home.

And teachers, educators and carers can choose when they wear masks while they are working, but a whole host of other professionals cannot.

We’ve done the hard work for many long months and now Victorians should have the right to decide when it’s safe to wear or not wear a mask.

According to Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton — who was pictured without a mask himself last weekend — we have no community transmission of the virus in this state.

Sutton may be right that the wearing of masks in Victoria has possibly “reduced transmission by a quarter”. But why keep wearing them inside if we can socially distance from others and don’t need them? No other Australian state is subject to such rules.

Victorians have successfully eliminated the virus and don’t deserve to be treated like fools.

Rather than avoid or leave a crowded place, Andrews wants us to pull out the mask we’ve been carrying around all day and put it on. And he wants to make it compulsory for us to wear them inside, even if there is low — or no — risk.

The rules continue to discriminate against workers in hospitality and retail who have to wear masks regardless of where they are and what they are doing. Even if they are inside and alone, they still have to wear masks.

It doesn’t seem right that someone on a treadmill in a gym can take their mask off, but a waitress in a hot, busy cafe has to wear one.

Why should people sitting down eating and drinking in a cafe be able to have their masks off, but not the person serving them or greeting them?

And why shouldn’t hotel workers wear masks if they are working outside? Or Bunnings workers, as Prof Collignon says, given that their stores are large and well-ventilated?

With numbers steadily decreasing, more and more people are voting with their chins and wearing their mask with their noses and even mouths poking out.

Despite what Andrews exhorts, mask-wearing is not a part of our culture. We have only been wearing them to avoid transmission of the virus and because we don’t want to pay those pesky fines.

So, let’s move on from this ludicrous charade that makes the government look effective but provides very little advantage to the rest of us.

Isn’t it typical Daniel Andrews? All sizzle and no sausage.

Susie O’Brien is a Herald Sun columnist

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