Western Australia’s Covid-freak Prime Minister Mark McGowan is back wearing a face mask indoors – and now he wants YOU to follow him
- Western Australia PM said wearing a face mask is ‘the right thing to do’
- Mr McGowan urged residents to dress up indoors if necessary
- It comes after rising Covid infections were discussed at an early national cabinet meeting
Western Australian Prime Minister Mark McGowan has donned a face mask again and is urging Western Australians to do the same.
Mr McGowan confirmed on Sunday that wearing a face mask in “appropriate” settings was “the right thing to do”. Covid-19 Cases are rising across Australia.
The Premier previously described this year’s flu season as one of the most challenging winters Western Australia had ever faced and had asked residents to wear a face mask indoors.
Western Australian Prime Minister Mark McGowan (pictured) confirmed he would wear a face mask indoors and urged residents to do the same as Covid-19 cases surge across the state
“As has been the case for some time, people should feel comfortable wearing a mask if they want to and make sure they have one on hand if needed,” Mr Gowan told the Western Australian.
“I wear a mask where appropriate, especially in crowded indoor spaces.
“This is not a rule or requirement; However, people should be reminded that masks offer additional protection.
Mr McGowan’s comments followed a public ad by the state government urging Western Australians to wear a mask indoors and wash their hands regularly.
The full-page newspaper advert also encouraged people with symptoms to get tested and receive a fourth Covid-19 vaccine to lower reinfection rates.
Mr McGowan’s comments followed a public advert from the state government urging Western Australians to wear a mask indoors, wash their hands regularly, get their fourth Covid-19 vaccination and get tested if they have symptoms have (picture).
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday called an early national cabinet meeting, brought forward from Monday, as the country battles a third pandemic wave being filled by the highly infectious Omicron subvariants BA.4 and bA.5.
State and territory leaders agreed to consistent medical advice on Covid-19 and were unanimous in their message to Australians to dress up indoors.
Mr Albanese “strongly encouraged” wearing face masks in crowded indoor spaces and insisted the seven-day isolation period for positive cases remains in place – despite pressure from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet to cut it to five days.
“This includes wearing masks, where appropriate, indoors where people can mingle and not have social distancing. It makes sense to strongly encourage this,” Albanese said.
“The advice of the Chief Medical Officer … was that now is certainly not the time to reconsider (the isolation period),” Mr Albanese told Adelaide Radio 5AA on Monday.
“This is something that health authorities will continue to look at.”
Access to COVID-19 isolation payments will resume later this week as health officials scramble to stem the rising spread of virus cases across the country.
Employees who have tested positive for the virus and are required to isolate themselves from their workplace can receive the $750 payment, available starting Wednesday.
Mr McGowan (left), along with other state and territory leaders, met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) at an early national cabinet meeting on Saturday to discuss health advice for Covid-19
It comes after the federal government agreed to extend isolation payments until the end of September. The scheme expired on June 30.
Australians are being warned that the latest wave of Covid sweeping the country will peak late next month with a whopping 43,391 cases in the 24 hours ending Saturday.
Western Australia recorded a further 5,933 Covid-19 cases on Sunday, setting a record for the number of people in hospital at 377 – 26 more than the previous day.
