Daniel Andrews fined $400 for mask breaches

Victoria Police has fined Daniel Andrews twice for not wearing a mask outside parliament, the Victorian Premier apologising for an ‘oversight’.

Daniel Andrews, the leader who has overseen one of the world’s longest and toughest lockdowns, has been twice fined for breaching rules on masks as Victoria set a new national record for daily Covid-19 cases.

On the same day his government imposed mask rules on primary school students, the Premier apologised on Friday for failing to wear a mask as he walked towards a press pack waiting at the back doors of state parliament on Wednesday and Thursday.

Mr Andrews said he had ­removed his mask as an oversight after leaving his car before walking towards news cameras and reporters and said everyone needed to follow the public health orders.

“I expect Victoria Police to ­assess this and if they choose to issue a fine, of course I will pay it,” he said.

“If they do not issue a fine I will donate the same value to a charity working to support people in this pandemic because whilst this was an oversight, oversights matter – everyone needs to follow the rules and I am sorry it occurred.”

Victoria Police later issued Mr Andrews with two penalty notices, each worth $200, over the two maskless incidents. It is understood the Premier promptly paid both fines on Friday.

The mask brouhaha came as Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton announced students from grade three and above would be required to wear masks indoors as schools reopened throughout October.

They will not be required to wear masks outdoors, such as when in the playground at lunchtime.

Professor Sutton said it would be recommended that masks be worn indoors for students in prep to grade two, saying international experience with masks mandates for children had shown children were able to adapt. “Some will struggle more than others but many of them will have a bit of fun with it,” he said.

“There are pictures and faces that kids have on masks, and they will make it part and parcel of their daily learning I expect.”

Under a staggered return to classrooms, students in prep and grades one and two will return over the third week of term four, starting on October 18.

Victoria set a record for highest daily caseload reported in an Australian state or territory on Friday, recording 1838 cases and five deaths.

The previous record was ­reported on Tuesday, when the state had 1763 new cases.

Professor Sutton said daily case numbers were close to peaking, saying he was anticipating a spike in hospitalisations and deaths in three to four weeks.

“We are working to minimise all of the impacts including the tragic impact of people dying,” he said.

“But there will be a proportion of people who as yet are unvaccinated who remain vulnerable to dying but that’s a reality.”

There were 620 Victorians in hospital on Friday – a daily increase of 56 — including 114 in ­intensive care and 76 using a ventilator.

Only eight per cent were fully vaccinated.

Just to add intrigue to this Dan Andrews without a mask saga, I took this pic on Wednesday. The video is from Thursday so perhaps the premier forgot twice? More @australianpic.twitter.com/qq5oLo09yR

— Remy Varga (@RemyVarga) October 8, 2021

#BREAKING This is the video I shot yesterday of @DanielAndrewsMP approaching his press conference at the back of Parliament without a mask. I posted it as an Instagram story and now police say they are investigating whether it is a breach of CHO directions. pic.twitter.com/kZAsUirokl

— Paul Dowsley (@paul_dowsley) October 7, 2021