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Queensland to ditch mask mandates, density limits

Most Australians believe the worst of the pandemic is behind them despite signs of a new COVID wave.

Most Australians believe the worst of the pandemic is behind them despite signs of a new COVID wave. Photo: AAP

Queenslanders will ditch indoor face masks and density limits from 6 pm as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to ease.

The mandatory requirement for masks at indoor workplaces and workplaces will be officially scrapped from 6 pm Friday.

Masks will still be mandatory in healthcare settings, residential aged care, disability accommodation, prisons, public transport, airports and on planes.

Density limits will also be scrapped for private homes, weddings and funerals and there will be no limited in food courts, hairdressers, gyms, private venues and universities.

A ban on school excursions, assemblies and inter-school visits will also be ditched from 6 pm on March 4.

However, masks will still be essential if people are not able to socially distance.

Deputy Chief Health Officer Peter Aitken said lifting the mandate would be a welcome relief — but said people sweating through the flood clean-up did not need to wait.

“The big thing to people is from six o’clock tonight the mass mandate is lifted,” Dr Aitken told the ABC.

“That’s a really important thing that people can get out and about and start to do more.

“But if you’re outdoors, you don’t need to wear a mask.

“Don’t feel that if you’re outdoors, suffering, and the cleaning up in the mud, some people have got some horrible conditions to contend with. If they’re outdoors doing that they don’t need to wait till six o’clock tonight to take that mask off.”

While Friday’s figures have not been released, virus numbers continue to fall.

On Thursday the state recorded six COVID-19 deaths and 6479 new cases with hundreds still in hospital with the virus.

There are 315 patients being treated for COVID-19 in hospital and another 26 in intensive care with 30,126 active cases across the state.

“The numbers are decreasing and that’s a really good thing, and that continues to be the trend with overall case numbers, and also the numbers of people in hospital and in ICU,” Dr Aitken said.

– AAP

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