States make big call on key Covid rule

A snap meeting of national cabinet agreed to implement a consistent message on mask wearing but stopped short of mandating them.

Instead, face coverings have been “highly encouraged” in indoor settings and where people cannot social distance.

Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth backed the call on Monday, telling Sky News antivirals and booster shots have a greater impact than masks.

“Anyone advocating for mandates needs to move on from that because unless significant things change with … the way this virus behaves, we’re not going to be bringing in restrictions or mandates,” he said.

He labelled the argument around mask mandates a “distraction” from efforts to ramp up the uptake of boosters and antivirals.

Former health department boss Jane Halton agreed.

“I’m not a big fan actually, in the environment we’re in at the moment, of forcing people,” she told ABC’s RN.

“When it comes to things like masks, I think there are places where, if we don’t see adherence go up, voluntary adherence, there needs to be a conversation.”

Ms Halton, who is now leading the review of Australia’s vaccine contracts, said she was “pretty confident” about the community’s ability to pick up a mask amid surging cases.

“I’m seeing increasingly people in supermarkets for example, or indeed on public transport, people are starting to wear masks again,” she added.

Earlier, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the nation needed to move away from public health orders and accept the virus as flu-like illness.

“We need to move away from those mandated public health orders and get to a point where if you’re sick, you just stay at home. If you’re not, you go to work,” he said.

Australians needed to take personal responsibility for their health and make a decision themselves on whether they require a mask, he said.

Originally published as Mask mandate argument distracting, former top doc says