Advice on using face masks during the coronavirus pandemic has changed — here’s what you need to know – ABC News

There’s been a lot of talk about the use of face masks since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic way back in March.
Australians have watched as various COVID-19 hotspots across the globe have declared masks essential or highly recommended.
Nations such as Singapore have even introduced fines for people who don’t wear them.
But Australian health experts have not been recommending healthy people wear face masks and have warned wearing them incorrectly can put us at risk during the pandemic.
That messaging changed in Victoria on Saturday when Premier Daniel Andrews said masks would not be made mandatory, but people in his state’s locked-down areas should wear them when they could not maintain physical distancing.
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So, should you wear a face mask? Which ones are the best? And how do you wear them properly?
We answer some of the most common questions about mask use below.
Do we all need to wear masks?
Authorities says disposable face masks must be safely disposed of after use to prevent them becoming a hazard.(Pixabay: coyot)
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Mr Andrews’ advice is not a “broad recommendation” for people across the country.
This means the Australian Government’s stance remains that the routine use of face masks is not recommended.
There has been a major shift in health policy in Victoria and across Australia.
“While the rate of community transmission is low, the routine use of face masks in the community is not recommended,” the Department of Health says.
“A face mask is not a substitute for other precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
It says those other precautions are:

• Staying home when sick
• Physical distancing
• Hand hygiene
• Cough etiquette and respiratory hygiene

That said, this advice is different for Melburnians, as stated above.
Melburnians have been advised to wear a mask in situations where physical distancing “can’t be guaranteed”.
The advice for people in Melbourne has changed due to the rise of community transmission in the city.
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The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), the Australian Medical Association and Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, have all supported the change.
Speaking after Friday’s National Cabinet meeting, Mr Andrews said he had ordered 2 million reusable masks to be distributed to the public, with a further 1 million single-use masks to be given to at-risk people first.
He said he predicted the advice regarding face masks in the Victorian capital would stand for “many, many months”.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth stressed that masks are just “part of a suite of measures” being employed to slow the spread of the virus.
“There is a tendency, and there are those that we might even describe as ‘mask messiahs’ who would put a lot of faith in the ability of the mask to control these outbreaks,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“We accept, as the AHPPC, that they have a role.
“We also know that the main game in controlling COVID-19

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