A persistent ABC host grilled federal Health Minister Mark Butler about why mask mandates aren’t being reintroduced as Covid-related deaths surge around Australia.
ABC News Breakfast presenter Michael Rowland asked Mr Butler on Friday if he would feel more ‘comfortable’ if the states brought back loathed restrictions like mandatory mask-wearing.
Mr Butler said the advice from the chief health officers is that Australia ‘really (has) moved beyond the era of very broad mask mandates and lockdowns’, and that Aussies should ‘make your own choice’ and consider wearing a mask indoors.
But Rowland refused to accept his answer, claiming mask mandates offered close to a 100 per cent success rate in preventing transmission of the virus – and then attempted to shame him with recent death figures.
ABC News Breakfast presenter Michael Rowland grilled Health Minister Mark Butler over why he hadn’t brought back mask restrictions
Rowland said: ‘We do know there are studies reflecting this, that compulsory mask mandates have close to 100% success rate.
‘(That’s) as opposed to what you’re saying, just asking people to wear them. You’re not worried about people not making the right decision here?’
Mr Butler fired back saying he wanted to allow Australians to ‘take control of their own circumstances’ as we enter the third year of the pandemic.
Mr Rowland then brought up the more than 10,000 Australians who have died with the virus.
‘By not taking steps to minimise transmissions … aren’t we, Mark Butler, as a society, implicitly accepting that death toll?’ he said. ‘And are you comfortable with that?’
Mr Butler attempted to answer the question, noting the lives ‘tragically’ lost before he was cut off by the television host.
‘As a society, do we just sit back and accept that?’ Rowland interrupted.
‘No, we don’t sit back and accept it,’ the health minister hit back.
The health minister said Australians needed to take their own responsibility and wear masks if they couldn’t socially distance
Mr Butler said health authorities were ensuring people were up to date with their vaccinations.
The government is also looking to getting Australians better access to antivirals for those with severe cases of Covid.
‘We need a full armoury of responses to this pandemic that just continues to go on,’ Mr Butler said.
The health boss on Thursday said Australia was in the early stages of ‘a building third Omicron wave’ due to the spread of new variants BA.4 and BA.5.
‘What is clear about BA.4 and BA.5 is that they are even more transmissible, even more infectious than the earlier sub-variants that drove the summer wave,’ he said.
‘Just because you had Covid earlier this year does not mean you are now not at risk of getting Covid again.’
The number of Covid patients in intensive care has soared by 40 per cent in just the past ten days.
A total of 4,000 patients are currently in hospital around the country.
Inside the secret push to bring back loathed Covid rules from mandatory masks to working from home as Australia is hammered by a ‘multi-demic’ and ICU cases surge – and the usual suspects are behind it
- Mask mandates and work from home restrictions could return as Covid spreads
- Sinister warning on the spread of new Omicron variants has put nation on alert
- BA4 and BA5 strains are six times more contagious than original Wuhan Covid
- Now ATAGI warns of return of masks and other measures as fourth jab approved
- Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has renewed his power to implement restrictions
By Kevin Airs for Daily Mail Australia
Mandatory masks and stay at home orders could be back within weeks and some elective surgeries halted as Australia braces for a devastating new Covid wave which is already packing out ICU wards.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), backed by some of the architects of Australia’s past lockdowns, is pushing for the return of restrictive laws to stop the new and highly contagious Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants.
Australia is already battling a potentially lethal ‘multi-demic’ cocktail of respiratory viruses, including the flu, RSV, para-influenza, adenovirus and HMPV, which are spreading like wildfire through a population with immune systems weakened by two years of lockdown restrictions.
The rapid spread of the multi-demic bugs is also being fuelled by cold and damp weather.
On Thursday, the Federal government signed off on a fourth Covid booster shot for anyone over 30, with those over 50 told to get jabbed urgently.
The move was recommended by ATAGI, but hidden in the small print was a recommendation for further public health measures.
Mandatory masks and working from home could be back within weeks as the nation braces for a devastating new Covid wave which is already packing out intensive care units
The move was recommended by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, but hidden in the small print was a warning of further measures
‘The impact of this expanded vaccine booster recommendation alone is expected to be limited,’ the ATAGI statement admitted.
‘ATAGI advises other public health and social measures, in addition to vaccination, will have the greatest impact against the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 surge in infections.
‘This includes increased use of masks.’
Victoria has already flagged the return of Covid restrictions after Premier Dan Andrews extended the state’s pandemic declaration for another three months.
‘There continues to be a serious risk to public health which requires continued public health measures to reduce the risk of transmission and hospitalisation,’ he warned as he confirmed the extension.
Victoria has already flagged the return of Covid restrictions after Premier Dan Andrews extended the state’s pandemic declaration for another three months
The move was slammed by Victorian Liberals leader Matthew Guy who blasted the premier’s ‘lust for power and control’.
Mr Guy added: ‘It’s time to end the state of emergency.
‘It’s time to end mandates outside of health and aged care sector. Victorians deserve to have control of their lives handed back.
‘The threat of mandates, lockdowns and restrictions remain, which overshadows efforts for us to recover…but they play second to a premier with a lust for power and control.’
New Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas admitted the decision on the return of masks and working from home was imminent.
‘The pandemic declaration allows me to make that decision and I haven’t yet made it,’ she said on Thursday.
‘The public health team are looking at modelling and they’re consulting with their colleagues and various ideas are floated but no decisions have been taken.’
New Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas admitted the decision on the return of masks and working from home was imminent
Queensland’s health chief John Gerrard revealed the return of mask mandates was already under discussion among state health chiefs.
‘I can say that nationally, there is increasing pressure, there is a school of thought that we should be mandating masks again,’ he told 4BC radio on Saturday.
‘We are continually reviewing all aspects of our pandemic response including the potential need for mask mandates in different settings.’
The virulent new strains have the highest rate of transmission of any of the major mutant variations since the disease first spread worldwide in 2020.
BA.4 and BA.5 have a basic reproduction number (R0) rate of 18.6, meaning, without any restrictions, every infected patient would likely infect 18 or 19 people.
That compares to the original 2020 Wuhan Covid strain’s R0 of 3.3, Delta’s 5.1 and the Omicron BA.1 strain’s 9.5, which sparked the widespread outbreak that has smashed Australia since January, killing 7,000 in seven months.
The latest sub-variants are also feared to have evolved to be much more resistant to existing vaccines and acquired immunity from previous infections.
Now health chiefs are delivering grim warnings about the BA.4 and BA.5 wave about to sweep through families across the country.
On Thursday, there were 3,921 people with Covid in hospitals across the country, less than the 5,000-plus peak around Australia Day, but up 24 per cent since mid-May.
Federal health minister Mark Butler has warned of the devastating Covid wave about to hit Australia as he signed off a fourth Covid jab for anyone over 30
‘It’s becoming a very serious pressure on our health and hospital system,’ said health minister Butler.
‘States across the country are reporting increased numbers of cases and increased numbers of people requiring admission to hospital because of COVID.
Queensland’s CHO John Gerrard revealed the return of mask mandates was already under discussion among state health chiefs
‘There are now almost 4,000 hospital beds across the country filled by patients with Covid. That’s an increase of almost 1,000 in just the last few weeks.
‘And the number of people in intensive care units or ICUs is up 40 per cent in the past week to 10 days alone – and we’re only just at the early stages.
‘There’s no question those numbers are going to continue to increase.’
NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has begged locals to wear masks when in public to try to minimise the spread of the disease.
‘We have to create an enabled environment to say that actually wearing a mask is an okay thing to do,’ Dr Chant said.
NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has begged locals to wear masks when in public to try to minimise the spread of the disease
NSW health minister Brad Hazzard said the country needed to ‘go back to the basic messages’.
He added: ‘Wear a mask if you can’t socially distance, definitely wash your hands, wash your hands as much as you possibly can, and stay home if you’re sick.’
And Mr Butler echoed the need for the public to wear masks.
‘I call on people when they’re indoors, and not able to socially distance, to give very strong consideration to wearing a mask,’ he said on Thursday.
‘It will reduce the impact of transmission.’
But he added: ‘We have passed the time of very broad-based mask mandates.’
Despite giving the green light for the fourth Covid jab, federal health minister Mark Butler admitted millions of Australians had yet to even get their third dose
Despite giving the green light for the fourth Covid jab, Mr Butler admitted millions of Australians had yet to even get their third dose.
‘There are still more than five million for whom it has been more than six months since their second dose – and are eligible for a third booster dose – but have not taken it up,’ he said.
‘What is particularly unique and different about BA.4 and BA.5 is that they are very good at evading people’s immunity.
‘Just because you had Covid earlier this year does not mean you are now not at risk of getting Covid again, with this third Omicron wave.
‘Being up to date with your vaccines is crucial to protecting you against the risk of severe disease and particularly the risk of hospitalisation or worse.’
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