Tasmanian Government announces an end to mask mandates

Tasmania’s mask mandate has begun lifting in stages however there’s still a number of venues where you’ll still have to mask up. FULL LIST OF RESTRICTIONS FOR VENUES >>

Following the announcement that restrictions on masks would ease from Friday last week residents across the state have made the decision to ditch them when going about their day to day.

However the mandate is still required in a number of different settings and changes to the restriction will be made in stages throughout the week. Here’s a full list of venues where it’s still compulsory to mask up and when the restriction will be lifted in a number of different places.

Coronavirus is finish. The end of quarantine and Corona Virus pandemic. Woman taking off and throw away medical protective mask. Enjoying life and fresh air after coronavirus pandemic.

Where you still need to wear a mask

• Restaurants - easing on Friday
• Cafes - easing on Friday
• Offices - easing on Friday
• Salamanca Markets - lifting on Saturday
• Large outdoor events - lifting on Saturday
• Public transport
• Hospitals
• Schools
• Aged cares
• Pubs and clubs
• Hotels
• Service providers and community venues - eg. banks, GPs, pharmacies, optometrists, funeral homes, Centrelink, Foodbanks
• Gyms
• Airports, Spirit of Tasmania

*Staff in these settings are still required to mask-up

Where you don’t need to wear a mask

• Grocery store
• Shopping centres

For more information visit coronavirus.tas.gov.au

Face masks come off in shopping frenzy

Lorraine Williams and Claire Jones are ready to pull the masks from their faces amid a shopping frenzy.

The mother and daughter spent Friday in Hobart’s CBD shopping for family birthday presents.

Ms Williams said they had worn their masks according to the rules, despite the humidity making things a little uncomfortable.

But both were glad to learn they would no longer need to mask-up in shopping centres, supermarkets and retail outlets from Saturday onwards.

“I do feel for the retail workers in the supermarkets and things,” Ms Williams said.

“They’ve got to wear them for eight-hour shifts.”

Ms Jones, who has been donning a mask all day working as a nurse, was happy the easing of the mandate meant she could spend less time covering her mouth and nose.

Mask reax

“You feel like you wear one more than you don’t at the moment,” she said.

As of Friday night, a Mercury social media poll asking Facebook users if they thought it was time for mask mandates to be eased drew a large response. About 2700 said yes, and 336 said no.

Ms Jones hoped scaling back masks in retail settings this week, and in offices and hospitality settings next week, wouldn’t cause another Covid spike.

Ms Williams expected some Tasmanians would still choose to wear masks once restrictions lifted.

“We’re following the mainland by abandoning the masks and we’ve come to a stage where we really do have to live with it I think. Just be careful.”

EXPLAINED: When Tasmania can ditch the masks

Tasmania’s mask mandate will begin easing in stages from tonight, Premier Peter Gutwein has announced today.

From midnight on Friday masks will no longer be mandatory in retail settings, including shopping centres and grocery stores.

Next Friday they will not be required for hospitality venues such as restaurants, cafes, and offices, although retail staff will still need to wear masks.

From Saturday next week masks won’t need to be worn at large outdoor events such as the Salamanca Market.

Premier Gutwein said they would be making further announcements on clubs, pubs, and other “high risk” settings next week.

The rules for hospitals, aged care centres, and schools will not be changing for the time being.

The announcement coincides with Queensland lifting its own mask mandate today, with the Australian Capital Territory due to follow suit on Monday.

Mr Gutwein said the time was right to ease Tasmania’s mask rules, especially with Covid-19 caseloads starting to come under control.

“Step by step we’ve been easing restrictions in line with public health advice,” Mr Gutwein said.

“In terms of mask wearing, we will continue to keep it under advisement from public health.”

It marks the beginning of the end of 73 days of mask mandates, which were first handed down on December 21 last year in response to a particularly bad Covid outbreak.

Friday’s Covid caseload was 937, bringing the total number of currently active cases to 5432.

Tasmanian Small Business Council CEO Robert Mallett was delighted to hear about the changes to mask rules, saying it felt like a return towards normal.

‘One of the most obvious signs that we are a community under siege is the consistent and mandatory wearing of masks,” Mr Mallett said.

‘That customers can now freely enter most public premises without one will bring a greater sense of normality and should increase customer visitations.”

However Mr Mallett said he remained “puzzled” as to why Mr Gutwein was staggering the relaxation over two weeks instead of lifting the mandates outright.

Tasmanian Hospitality Association chief executive Steve Old said Friday’s announcement was good news for restaurants and cafes, but a “kick in the guts” for pubs and clubs.

Mr Old said Steve Old said frustrations were beginning to reach boiling point in some areas of the hospitality industry, brought on by differing rules.

“While it is great that from next weekend masks will not be mandatory at outdoor events of more than 1000 people, it is absolutely ludicrous that punters who head to their local bar will still be forced to,” Mr Old said.

KIWI'S ARRIVE

“There is little consistency with the implementation of the phasing out of masks, and it is causing extreme frustrations for many operators.”

Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff said Mr Gutwein’s removal of mask mandates was a reckless move that would put Tasmanians in harm’s way.

“The Gutwein Government’s decision to remove universal mask wearing requirements for retail settings, and in hospitality and markets in a week, is a preposterous move,” Dr Woodruff said.

“The decision follows a week of sustained high Covid case numbers, including in primary schools, and denies the reality that many Tasmanians are not fully vaccinated, with three doses.”

Premier Gutwein also announced on Friday that Covid-19 booster shots would become mandatory for aged care and hospital settings.

Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff.

More than 58 per cent of people over the age of 16 have now had a booster dose, and booster clinics will be set up in Georgetown tomorrow.

There will soon be clinics set up in Bridgewater, Ravenswood, Wynyard, and other neighbourhoods with low booster rates.

Labor MLC Josh Willie said the government needed to come clean about the number of teachers on leave due to COVID and the number of relief teachers who have come forward to work as COVID cases continue to rise in the school community.

“Now that we know there are currently 1,600 primary and secondary students diagnosed with COVID can Mr Jaensch provide actual data about how many of those teachers are now working in Tasmanian schools?” Mr Willie said.

“Or, alternately, can the Education Minister provide an honest picture of how many schools will be forced to close as the pandemic continues? We know the Department of Education has modelled the impact of COVID.

“Parents in particular need to know if they need to be making plans to keep their children at home and that is not planning that can take place overnight – they need and deserve notice well in advance.”