Monique Ryan still wearing mask in Parliament House

Kooyong independent Monique Ryan is still choosing to wear a face mask, despite dwindling Covid numbers and deaths across the country.

After previously scolding maskless Coalition MPs in parliament, Kooyong independent Monique Ryan was among a dwindling number of politicians still choosing to cover their faces on Monday.

Only fellow independent Helen Haines, Greens leader Adam Bandt and three other Greens MPs joined Dr Ryan in masking up during Question Time, while 145 of her other colleagues chose not to.

The ‘teal’ independent MP, who unseated former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, has continued to mask up since she lectured Coalition members during Question Time last month, telling the MPs to “put your masks on”.

Member for Kooyong Monique Ryan MP wears a mask during Question Time. Picture: Martin Ollman

A few weeks later, Sky News released a video of a maskless Dr Ryan dancing with others indoors at a community trivia night on August 19.

Questioned about the video, Dr Ryan said: “I do wear a mask … almost all of the time”.

“I think that particular instance was an unusual one,” she said.

Covid numbers and deaths across the country have dropped dramatically since the independent’s tirade in parliament and mandates have been scrapped on planes and public transport.

Infectious diseases physician Dr Nick Coatsworth said Australians who choose to mask up did not have reason to criticse those who don’t.

“Ryan, Haines and Bandt should feel perfectly at ease making a choice to wear masks, as should any Australian who chooses not to,” he told the Herald Sun on Monday.

“Importantly, no Australian politician or health leader should assert that those who do not wear masks are somehow less caring. That is clearly not true.”