Queensland health experts won’t back mask mandate amid fresh Covid wave

Health experts have delivered their verdict on bringing back mask mandates amid another Covid wave.

Queensland health chiefs say they won’t bring back “disproportionate” mask mandates during a fresh wave of Covid.

Queensland Health chief health officer Dr John Gerrard provided an update on the state’s Covid situation on Wednesday afternoon, where he said that while the pandemic was not over, the public health emergency was.

Despite the new wave of infections on the way, he said he won’t recommend mask mandates because any approach must be “consistent with the risk.”

Queensland chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said he won’t recommend a new mask mandate. Picture: Glenn Campbell/NCA NewsWire

“It is important that I do not overstate the risk … or this office will lose credibility,” Dr Gerrard said.

“We do have a wave, but these waves are getting milder.

“I am making no general recommendation about mask wearing in public, or in healthcare facilities; that would be disproportionate to the level of risk.

“If I were to recommend general mask-wearing, people would not follow it, because it would be disproportionate. I am not going to do that.”

He said individual healthcare facilities can determine their own need for masking, which will vary.

Dr Gerrard added that if people want to wear masks in public, they should feel free to do so.

“They should not feel pressured or intimidated because they choose to wear a mask; that’s their right,” he said.

“Individual health facilities may ask you to wear a mask, and I ask you to please honour that … and individual households may ask individuals to wear a mask, and I ask you to please honour that.”

Dr Gerrard is also recommending anyone over the age of 65 who hasn’t been vaccinated so far in 2023 to do so. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

Instead, the chief health officer’s recommendation is for anyone over the age of 65 who is not up to date with the Covid vaccine booster should get one before the end of the year i.e. people 65 or over who have not had a booster in 2023.

“It’s particularly important in aged care, and that message is not getting through … I am concerned about aged care facilities, because I think there is some slippage there, so I would encourage relatives to get their relatives vaccinated,” Dr Gerrard said.

“We have not reported a single death so far this wave … it’s unlikely we will get through this wave without someone dying, but the response need to be proportionate.

“We see the results of people not getting vaccinated … we talk about vaccinating against Covid-19, people glaze over. They’re getting a bit sick of hearing about vaccines.

“But this particular group, particularly anyone over the age of 75, but anyone over the age of 65 who hasn’t been vaccinated this year, get vaccinated now.”