Experts weigh in on pros and cons of Victoria’s mask rules

Should mask rules be scrapped for primary school students and hospitality workers? Leading health experts have their say.

More than two weeks after the state’s mask mandates eased for most Victorians, primary school students and hospitality workers are among those still required to wear face coverings.

Now, leading experts have weighed in on the pros and cons of wearing masks.

Who needs to wear a mask?

• Primary school students in years 3 to 6

• Childcare centre and primary school workers

• Hospitality and retail workers

• Court, justice and correctional facilities staff

• Visitors and workers in hospital, healthcare and aged care facilities

• Public transport, taxi and rideshare users

• Passengers and staff on flights and at the airport

• Workers at indoor events with more than 30,000

Customers have been allowed to do away with masks, while retailers and hospitality staff still have to wear them. Picture: Josie Hayden

Masks should stay

Burnett Institute Professor Michael Toole wants to see a substantial decline in the number of daily cases and an increase in vaccinations before mask restrictions can be lifted in children.

“While Omicron tends to be milder in children – that’s not always the case,” Professor Toole said.

“Victoria’s figures are still quite high … and I don’t think we should do anything to increase the risk of the virus spreading among children.

“Masks shouldn’t be worn forever, of course, but it’s just not practical to rely on ventilation and social distancing while the case numbers are still high and there are low levels of vaccination.”

Meanwhile, Deakin University chair in epidemiology Catherine Bennett says it’s important to continue practising habits built over the pandemic to halt the virus spread.

“People choosing to wear masks, even though no longer required under the Public Health Act — that’s helping to keep a lid on things,” Professor Bennett said.

“The more dampening and vaccine coverage we have, then it will take more for us to go back to official control measures (such as lockdowns)— and that’s a good thing.”

Deakin University chair in epidemiology Professor Catherine Bennett says masks are helping to keep a lid on Covid.

Masks should go

Infectious diseases physician Peter Collignon believes all primary school children should be free from masks.

“The biggest spreading events come from bars, pubs and clubs, but they don’t wear masks,” he said.

“It’s good news that younger children are now exempt (from masks) but it really should be all primary school children.”

Meanwhile, James Cook University professor of infectious diseases modelling Emma McBryde says enforcing mask mandates for a small cohort of young children is a “silly measure”.

“I would recommend they draw the line at no schoolchildren needing to wear masks anymore,” she said.

“We should be focusing on the people who are vulnerable at the moment, not the transmitters, because Covid is everywhere.

“It almost feels as though they can’t let go of control. To me, there’s no genuine rationale of it.”

On Monday, infectious disease expert and former deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth said he opposed mask mandates in schools.

“I understand there might be increases in local number of cases at the schools, but at the end of the day, that’s not going to have any effects on the kids there — a lot of them are vaccinated,” he told 2GB.

Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth opposes mask mandates in schools. Picture: Gary Ramage

Speaking on the Sky News Outsiders program on Sunday, Stanford University medicine professor Jay Bhattacharya said a return to mask rules could be seen as “anti-vaccine”, causing fewer people to get the jab.

“Basically, a very large fraction of the Australian population is vaccinated,” he said.

“The vaccine works well against severe disease and death – that’s why Australia has had so few disease deaths from Covid relative to much of Europe and the Americas – the vaccine has worked.

“Why would you need to return to masks?”