Victoria braces for more Covid restrictions as government refuses to rule out mask mandates

Victoria is bracing for more Covid restrictions as the government refuses to rule out changes to the current rules.

Victoria’s acting Premier James Merlino has declined to confirm if masks will be made mandatory along with other restrictions in the state soon.

Despite the promise of no more lockdowns for the state, concerns around the new Omicron variant have heated up.

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton is reportedly pushing for the return of tougher Covid restrictions.

There has also been pressure from Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly for states and territories to make face masks compulsory indoors.

Mr Merlino on Tuesday refused to rule out any new Covid restrictions or mandates.

“I’m not here to make any further announcements on what other mitigation measures we might put in place, but we’ll take the latest advice,” he said.

“Mask wearing is a prudent common sense measure. It can be inconvenient, but it’s a small inconvenience for a very significant public health benefit.

“Overall our settings aren’t changing, the partnership with the Victorian community was to get vaccinated, get to 80 per cent and 90 per cent and under the national plan there’s no lockdowns.”

Acting Premier James Merlino didn’t rule out more restrictions for the state. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews earlier promised there would be no more lockdowns in the state.

The Boxing Day Test and the upcoming Australian Open will also continue as planned with full capacity, despite earlier concern the events would be targeted.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve gatherings will also still go ahead in Victoria.

“There’s no restrictions on getting together with loved ones, with family and friends, to celebrate Christmas, to celebrate New Year, to enjoy the summer,” he said.

“None of those things are changing.”

Masks may return in indoor settings in Victoria. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

There were no new confirmed cases of the Omicron variant identified in Victoria on Tuesday from a total of 1245 new cases recorded.

There are currently 37 Omicron cases in Victoria, with 14 acquired locally.

Sources close to the government told The Herald Sun Professor Brett Sutton and other health experts were increasing the pressure to ramp up restrictions.

“The only thing I see changing at the moment is masks, but the CHO is pushing for more,” the source told the newspaper.

It comes after the government backflipped on a pledge to ditch masks in retail settings on December 15, which it had committed to unless there was a major spike in hospitalisations.

Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton has reportedly been pushing for tougher restrictions. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

Australia’s expert immunisation panel is currently reviewing Covid booster timings, as some states push for a five-month gap between the second and third doses.

Mr Merlino said he wanted the gap to be “as short as possible” and said the next few months were crucial in getting Australians vaccinated to avoid the current crisis in the northern hemisphere.

“We’ve got a window of opportunity in Australia in the southern hemisphere to get our third doses, to get our kids vaccinated so we can avoid what’s happening in Europe right now,” he said.

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