Masks have been re-recommended in all indoor settings and for children in schools next week following a national cabinet meeting between the prime minister and prime ministers on Saturday.
Queensland Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state was in the middle of a third wave of COVID-19 that was expected to last until the end of August nationwide.
Prime Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk is once again urging Queenslanders to wear masks indoors, even on public transport and in schools. Credit: Dan Peled – Getty
Queensland, which recorded 22 COVID-related deaths in the 24 hours on Saturday morning, has an estimated 46,000 active cases. Of these, more than 920 patients are hospitalized, including 14 in the ICU.
Palaszczuk described as “very important” the meeting of the national cabinet, which was to be held later in the year, but which was brought forward to next week and then held on Saturday.
“We strongly encourage you to wear your mask inside … we are seeing the escalation of people going to our hospitals … we hope this wave will continue until the end of August,” he said.
“I highly encourage, when I return to school on Monday as well, that children wear masks to schools as well as teachers, except where they can distance themselves socially.
“The other thing we’re going to do is also make sure we have additional RAT tests in schools and make them more available to people.”
Masks are already mandatory on public transportation, although the level of compliance varies and enforcement is a matter for the police.