Mark McGowan wears mask indoors and urges Western Australians to do the same as Covid cases surge

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has donned a face mask once again and is urging Western Australians to do the same.

Mr McGowan confirmed on Sunday wearing a face mask was ‘the right thing to do’ in ‘appropriate’ settings as Covid-19 cases surge across Australia.

The premier previously described this year’s flu season as one of the most challenging winters Western Australia has ever faced and had urged residents to wear a face mask indoors.

‘As it has been for a while now, people should feel comfortable about wearing a mask when they want to and ensure they have one at hand for when in need,’ Mr Gowan told the West Australian.

‘I’m wearing a mask as appropriate, especially in crowded indoor settings.

‘This is not a rule or requirement; however people should be reminded that masks provide added protection.’

Mr McGowan’s comments followed a state government public advertisement which urged West Australians to wear a mask indoors and to wash their hands regularly.

The full-page newspaper ad also encouraged people who have symptoms to get tested and get a fourth Covid-19 vaccine to help reduce reinfection rates.

Mr McGowan’s comments followed a state government public advertisement which urged West Australians to wear a mask indoors, wash their hands regularly, get their fourth Covid-19 vaccination and to get tested if they have symptoms (pictured)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a snap national cabinet meeting on Saturday, which was brought forward from Monday, as the country battles a third pandemic wave, fulled by the highly infectious Omicron subvariants BA.4 and bA.5. 

State and territory leaders agreed to consistent Covid-19 medical advice and were unanimous in their message for Australians to mask up when indoors.  

Mr Albanese ‘highly encouraged’ face masks to be worn in crowded indoor settings and insisted the seven-day isolation period for positive cases remain – despite NSW premier Dominic Perrottet placing pressure on him to reduce it to five days. 

‘These include wearing masks indoors where appropriate, where people are mixing and can’t have social distancing, it makes sense for that to be highly encouraged,’ Mr Albanese said. 

‘The advice from the chief medical officer … was that now is certainly not the time for (the isolation period) to be reconsidered,’ Mr Albanese told Adelaide radio 5AA on Monday.

‘That’s something that health officials will continue to look at.’

Access to COVID-19 isolation payments will resume from later this week as health authorities try to stop the rising spread of virus cases across the country.

Employees who have tested positive for the virus and need to isolate from their jobs can receive the $750 payment, which will be available from Wednesday.

Mr McGowan (left), along with other state and territory leaders , met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) in a snap national cabinet meeting on Saturday to discuss Covid-19 health advice

It comes after the federal government agreed to extend the isolation payments to the end of September. The scheme had expired on June 30.

Australians are being warned the latest Covid wave sweeping the country will peak at the end of next month with a whopping 43,391 cases in the 24 hour period ending on Saturday. 

Western Australia recorded an additional  5,933 Covid-19 cases on Sunday and set a record for the number of people in hospital with 377  – 26 more than the previous day.