Queensland restrictions on track to ease but mask mandate may remain in place

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young has signalled it’s likely masks will continue to have to be worn in Queensland even if restrictions do ease from Friday next week.

If Queensland continues with low cases and rising vaccination rates, current restrictions are likely to ease by Friday next week – but the future of mask wearing is less certain.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath was the bearer of good news on Saturday morning when she said the left over restrictions put in place following the snap lockdown were likely to end by Friday, August 27 at 4pm.

“Everyone does the right thing, we stay on top of this virus and we can lift those restrictions even further and put the whole of Queensland in line back to those lowest levels of restrictions we were able to operate under in the past,” she said.

Chief health officer Jeannette Young. Picture: Dan Peled.

But chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young was less confident about the future of mask wearing throughout the state.

“We’ll have to wait and see next Friday whether it will be mandatory or just strongly recommended,” she said.

“I think going forward, even if it isn’t mandatory, it’s really, really important that people continue to wear masks indoors and in crowded spaces that they don’t really know who’s been there.”

She said this would apply to places like shopping centres, cinemas and other indoors spaces.

However, regardless of the state’s decision, mask wearing will still remain mandatory at airports across the country due to a national cabinet decision.

“Our international and domestic airports, once you go into that airport precinct, until you come out of the airport precinct on the other end, you must wear a mask.”

Originally published as Queensland restrictions on track to ease but mask mandate may remain in place