WA hits an unwanted pandemic record, with the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 in the state reaching a new peak of 329.
He acknowledged today it was a "difficult period", with COVID case numbers and hospitalisations expected to go up.He repeated he had received no advice to reinstate broader mask mandates.
He has previously not guaranteed he would follow the health advice if the Chief Health Officer did recommend increasing mask rules. It comes after Victoria rejected its Chief Health Officer's recommendations to do so, and federal Health Minister Mark Butler said last week Australia had moved beyond mask mandates and lockdowns to personal choice and responsibility.The Australian Nurses Federation and Australian Medical Association state branches both want broader mask mandates reintroduced to curb an expected peak in cases five weeks from now.
The ANF described as "pointless" the state government's current approach of telling people they could wear masks if they felt like it.
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