Time to Cover Up!

The wearing of facial coverings is mandatory for all Victorians, in a dedicated bid to stem the spread of COVID-19.

From 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 2, face coverings are mandatory for all of Victoria.

Residents of Buloke Shire will be busy over the weekend preparing for the need to wear facial covering.

Donald’s Ned Raven, owner/ operator of the Donald Motor Lodge, has wasted no time in making a mask part of his daily apparel.

On Friday, two days prior to the government’s deadline, Ned was out and about, going about his daily routine, proudly wearing a mask.

“I suffer from asthma and diabetes, and see wearing a mask as extra insurance, protecting my own health and the health of everyone I come into contact with,” he said.

“Obviously, with underlying health issues, I’m one of the vulnerable members of the community. And there will be many others at risk if we don’t stop the virus from escaping into our community.”

A rapid increase in coronavirus cases across the State, with 725 new cased reported on Thursday, and 627, with a further eight deaths on Friday,  forced the government’s hand to make it compulsory to wear a mask or facial covering.

Farm Requirements
Premier Daniel Andrews clarified when masks need to be worn for those who live on farms.
The premier called for a common-sense approach, and gave a number of situational examples of when a mask is required.
Essentially:

• If you’re working alone on your farm and not coming into contact with other people, a mask IS NOT needed.
• If you’re working on your farm with people who live in the same house as you, a mask IS NOT needed.
• If you’re working on your farm alongside people who do not live in the same house as you, a mask is required.

“If it’s a family farm and you and members of your household, common sense tells you that you don’t need to wear a mask,” Mr Andrews said.

“But once you go past the front gate and go into town . . . you would (need to wear a mask).
“If you’ve got staff or if you’ve got people coming to your property to make deliveries or to collect livestock for instance – or if you have staff coming onto your property –  logic just says put your mask on, because that person is not part of your household. Even though the farm is your home, that’s then a workplace.”

When You Are Travelling in a Vehicle

• If you are driving lone or only travelling with people from your household, you do not need to wear a face covering.
• Put your face covering on before you leave your vehicle.
• If you drive with people for work or people you don’t live with, then you must wear a face covering unless you have a lawful excuse.
• You must wear a face covering if you are a pas­senger or driver in a commercial vehicle such as a taxi or uber, unless you have a lawful excuse.

Exemptions
The same lawful exemptions that currently apply in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, apply across Victoria. 

These include if you have a medical condition or other condition that impairs your ability to wear a face covering, doing strenuous exercise, or if you are unable to do your job while wearing a face covering.

Wearing a face covering protects you and your community by providing an additional physical barrier to coronavirus (COVID-19).

People who do not wear face coverings and do not have a lawful excuse can be fined $200.

As in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, masks will be made available to schools and vulnerable people living in regional Victoria.

Children who are under the age of 12 years old do not need to wear a face covering. Children who are two years or younger must not wear face coverings as they are a choking and suffocation risk.

Guidelines will be de­veloped about how wearing a face covering applies in different settings in regional Victoria.

Securing a supply of face masks and material to make them is proving to be the latest challenge.

The following information was available late last week:

Birchip
Birchip Neighbourhod House and Birchip Safe and Well provided a mail-out to all households on Monday, with info. on face masks; how to wear them, where to get them and where free ones will be available for community mem­­bers who aren’t able to purchase, with Simone Christie the contact person on 0429 922 735.

Donald
Supplies of masks were on sale, subject to availability, at Weirs IGA, Caremore Pharmacy, Donald Hardware and Bev’s Baubles.

“Community” masks, made by Donald High School’s  VCAL students, were snapped up very quickly late last week, when they became available at the Clothes Bin.

Looking online locally in and around Donald, the following could supply as well: Witch is Art, Angela Comer, and Brittany Egan.

The Buloke Shire advises that residents will all need to source their own face coverings. Anything is better than nothing, and they don’t need to be of surgical strength. 

The best advice the “Times” can provide is to check local suppliers when sourcing facial covering, including masks.