Wishing Victoria all the best…

As Victoria continues to record hundreds of cases of COVID-19 each and every day, Premier Daniel Andrews has now announced that face masks will be mandatory in public, effective from 11:59pm on Wednesday, July 22.

Specifically, anyone living in the COVID-19 hotspots of Melbourne & Mitchell Shire will have to wear a face mask whenever they leave the house, or risk copping a $200 fine. Along with the announcement, Victoria has extended its state of emergency until midnight on August 16.

There are a couple of reasons that could excuse people not wearing a mask, for example medical reasons, children under 12, professional reasons or running – but Victorians will have to carry a mask with them regardless.

Speaking on the new rule, the Victorian Premier said “If you’re out running, part of your daily exercise, then it may not be practical to wear the mask while you are running. But you should bring the mask with you and you should wear it before and after you have gone for your run. There’ll be some other environments, for instance, where you’re going into a bank, when you would need to take your mask off.”

In order to respond to the increasing demand for the face coverings, up to three million masks have been ordered by the Victorian government, with the first batch expected to arrive this week. Check out the full announcement from the Premier below.