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Epidemiologists warned that given the growing Christmas population and uncertainty about the severity of the Omicron strain, the requirement for Victorian shoppers to wear masks indoors should not be lifted this week.

Governor Daniel Andrews announced last month that unless the number of hospitalizations increases significantly, the requirement for retail customers to wear masks will be lifted by Thursday.

However, this public guarantee is now shrouded in clouds, and state officials declined to comment on whether it will proceed as planned, citing the legal requirements of the new pandemic law.

Victoria’s state of emergency powers will expire at 11:59 pm on Wednesday and will be replaced by the government’s new pandemic law. It is expected that in the next few days a major announcement will be made on the restrictions on the coronavirus under the legislation, but no matter what is announced, epidemiologists have stated that the requirement to wear masks should be retained for the time being.

Professor Adrian Esterman, an epidemiologist at the University of South Australia, said: “As the ugliness of Omicron rises, especially for those who should receive boosters but have not yet been vaccinated, it would be very wise for people to continue to wear masks in retail establishments. We know whether Omicron is more serious than Delta."

Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, said that given people’s knowledge of the Omicron strain has been considered more contagious than Delta, if the government decides to delay the mandatory wearing of masks for shoppers, she will not Will be surprised.

She pointed to the growing number of clusters in a nightclub in Newcastle, which is one of the largest known spread of the virus in Australia and is now associated with more than 80 cases of related variants.

Professor Bennett added that if the government does decide to abandon the mask rule, it may eventually force more people to quarantine.

She said: “If no one is wearing a mask and they are indoors with someone they don’t know, the Ministry of Health will expand this range when assessing who is in close contact.”

"And if we wear masks, the compromise may be that even if there is exposure, you are unlikely to be required to be quarantined during Christmas.

Governor Daniel Andrews announced last month that unless the number of hospitalizations increases significantly, the requirement for retail customers to wear masks on Thursday will be lifted. The crowd lined up to watch the Myer Christmas window. Credit: Chris Hopkins

"So maybe [retaining the mask] is the better of the two strategies."

Under the pandemic law, the current instructions of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton will be replaced by a new public health order, which will be signed by the governor and health secretary Martin Foley .

These changes give Mr. Andrews and Mr. Welfare the power to enforce restrictions (such as wearing masks) and declare pandemics.

Currently, Victorians must wear masks in all retail establishments, but not in hospitality establishments. For the foreseeable future, face shields must still be worn in high-risk environments and workplaces, as well as on public transportation.

Mr. Andrews stated on November 18 that unless the state’s health services report a “significant increase in hospitalizations”, according to New South Wales regulations, retail customers will no longer need to wear masks after December 15.

Hospitals in Victoria are flooded with a surge in the number of coronavirus hospitalizations, which peaked in October, but the number of hospital admissions has declined since then, and then stabilized as the vaccination rate increased.

When Mr. Andrews issued a statement on November 18 announcing the possible relaxation of shop mask requirements, 337 Victorians were hospitalized due to the coronavirus, and 323 remained in the hospital this week.

Professor Bennett said that as the number of COVID-19 cases may increase further, she does not expect to relax the regulations that prohibit unvaccinated people from using the vaccine in restaurants, non-essential stores and other places.

However, she said that she did not think it necessary to apply these rules to people between 12 and 15 years old as they currently do.

When asked whether it is safe to relax any existing coronavirus restrictions, including the removal of controversial vaccine regulations, because of increasing criticism of the rules that force people to prove their vaccination status in stores, Professor Esterman It is recommended not to do this.

"We know that Omicron is already in Victoria, and I tend not to change anything until we know how bad the situation is."

The Times contacted the Ministry of Health, the Governor’s Office and Mr. Foley’s office, but could not clarify which restrictions will be relaxed on Thursday.

A government spokesperson said: “Victorians in Victoria have done an incredible job of vaccinating, enabling businesses to open up and everyone can get back to what they love.” “We will soon be concerned about the future. The settings have more to say."

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