Smart to wear masks

Get them on, urge docs

Coasters should embrace wearing masks as part of daily life – before it is too late.

Doctors Sonu Haikerwal, Katrina McLean and Philip Morris all support the wearing of masks in crowded areas on the Gold Coast, but say it should not yet be made mandatory.

Dr Haikerwal, who runs a Gold Coast COVID-19 clinic, said Queenslanders should be learning from the outbreaks in Victoria and NSW and doing everything they could to combat further spread.

“It is about using common sense, when deciding where to wear them,” Dr Haikerwal said.

“I think people have started to see mask-wearing as an authoritarian thing, which is a shame.

“Wearing a mask just makes sense if you are in a polluted environment. You wear a mask to protect yourself – coronavirus is the same situation.”

“It is a simple, low-impact, non-invasive and affordable thing to do to lower your risk.”

Dr Haikerwal said while a blanket rule in place in Queensland was not needed, the public should take it upon themselves to “pivot” to wearing the masks in high-contact situations.

“There is no special power here protecting us in Queensland,” she said.

“This is our chance to learn from what has happened down south and make changes accordingly.”

Dr McLean said residents should reserve limited supplies of medical masks for health professionals and opt instead for cloth or fabric masks.

“Activities that are higher risk, like bars or supermarkets, should be thinking about the risk factor and start wearing masks promptly,” the president of the Gold Coast General Practitioners Association said.

“This is not something we need to wait for the government to decide. Locals should be thinking about sourcing masks now and considering the right situations to wear them.”

Dr Morris said people should be wearing masks in crowded locations and on public transport.

“That would certainly have an impact on the potential for community spread,” the boss of the Gold Coast Medical Association said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk this week said a mandatory ruling around masks would be considered, but only if case numbers exploded like those in Victoria.

Victoria is the only region in Australia with a mask mandate to stop the spread.

Those outside of their home who live in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire must wear a mask or face covering from 11.59pm on Wednesday.

WEARING A MASK JUST MAKES SENSE IF YOU ARE IN A POLLUTED ENVIRONMENT. YOU WEAR A MASK TO PROTECT YOURSELF – CORONAVIRUS IS THE SAME SITUATION.

DR SONU HAIKERWAL