Statewide mandatory mask order includes workers and people visiting other properties
Premier Daniel Andrews today announced mandatory masks for Victoria amid a surge in coronavirus numbers, with on-farm workers asked to participate.
WORKERS and other outside visitors to Victorian farms must wear masks from next week, the Premier says.
Daniel Andrews told The Weekly Times solo farmers and on-farm family members can be mask free while on their property but any outside workers or visitors need to take the protective measures in order to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The Premier today announced the new restrictions amid a surge in coronavirus numbers, with 723 new cases recorded in Victoria on Thursday, including 13 deaths.
As a result, all regional Victorians will be required to wear masks or face coverings in public and workplaces from 11.59pm on Sunday.
“If it’s a family farm and it’s you and members of your household, then common sense tells you that you don’t need to wear a mask,” the Premier told The Weekly Times.
“But once you go past the front gate, once you go into town for instance, you would (wear a mask). If you’ve got staff or you’ve got people coming to your property to make deliveries or collect livestock for instance — use the dairy farm (scenario) for example, it might be mum and dad and a couple of kids.
“They might own the dairy farm but every morning and every night, they have a couple of staff that go in and help them milk, or when the milk is collected by the tanker, or if you’ve got staff or people coming onto your property from beyond your household, logic just says put your mask on because that person is not part of your household.”
Earlier today, Mr Andrews made the announcement while outlining further restrictions for the Geelong and Colac regions.
“To date, new cases in regional communities have largely been contained to workplaces. Increasingly though, in some locations, we’re seeing a different kind of spread,” the Premier said.
“That’s why, from 11:59pm tonight, and in the local government areas of Colac-Otway, Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Moorabool, Golden Plains, and the Borough of Queenscliffe, you will no longer be able to visit people or have visitors at home.
Polwarth MP Richard Riordan, whose constituency covers the Colac region currently hit by a coronavirus outbreak, issued an open letter to the State Health Department today.
“The rules have changed for much of my electorate, and as is expected inquiries are inundating my office,” he wrote.
“There still remains no person our community can go to for answers to many questions. “DHHS in my opinion have been grossly negligent in this regard.
“After nearly a week of ICC operation I believe this should have been a priority. It disappoints me greatly that not one of my questions in ten days has been answered, and with many more questions flooding in I can still offer no official advice.”
Mr Riordan wrote he had grave concerns many people in his community would not be “sufficiently warned of these big changes.”
“Will there be a full advertising campaign with our local country media?” he wrote.
“Local community mastheads and radio are still the most reliable and effective way to communicate with local people. It concerns me that press releases are only with the ABC and occasionally with large metropolitan newspapers. This is no way to communicate to many country people now affected by these rule changes.”
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