18Sep
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Survey Reveals: Majority of Australians Support Mandatory Face Masks in Public Places

September 18, 2020By

As part of the COVID-19 Monitor Australia, conducted by Vox Pop Labs in partnership with the ABC, Australians have been asked every week for more than three months whether they support mandatory mask rules.

Two-thirds of Australians think mask use should be mandatory in all public places, even though far fewer people outside hotspot states are themselves wearing face coverings.

Victoria is the only state that has implemented compulsory mask rules, but authorities are recommending they be worn in hotspot areas in Sydney and Brisbane too.

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11Sep
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Questions Raised Over Face Masks Used In Australian Hospitals

September 11, 2020By

Victorian and NSW public hospitals are using a batch of respirators that are at risk of tearing and may not meet Australian manufacturing standards.

The masks did not gain National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certification as an N95 respirator until 7 June; however, many of the respirators currently in use across Victoria and New South Wales come from a batch manufactured on 5 May.

Wing You, General Manager of BYD Australia, told newsGP the respirator is ‘fully compliant with Australian standards’ and the batch is ‘definitely’ safe.

‘These masks were manufactured in May. They didn’t get approval from NIOSH, but they are the same model,’ he said.

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05Aug
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Coronavirus Update: Countries Are Extending the Rules. You Might Have To Wear Face Masks Outdoors.

August 5, 2020By

Cases are ticking upwards in parts of Europe and the Americas are still battling to contain vast Covid-19 outbreaks.

The second wave of infections are starting to be felt, some governments are reaching for a new tool that many public health experts have been touting for months: stricter mask mandates.

In recent days, masks have become mandatory in all public spaces — indoors or outdoors — in Madrid, Greece, Portugal’s Madeira Islands and Hong Kong.

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07Jul
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Coronavirus Update: Do Face Masks Really Reduce COVID-19 Spread?

July 7, 2020By

With the recent spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, people are looking to face masks as a way of protecting themselves and others from the virus, which causes the disease COVID-19.

But does wearing a face mask prevents the spread of coronaviruses?

Yes, wearing a face mask can help reduce the spread of the coronavirus by people who have COVID-19 but don’t realize it.

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