SHOULD YOU WEAR A MASK?
* Health experts say masks should be worn only in areas of increasing community transmission, where social distancing cannot be observed
* But vulnerable people who have very severe immune-suppressed conditions could consider wearing a mask
* The main way to stop the virus spreading from one person to another is to socially distance, stay at home when unwell, wash hands and practice cough etiquette
* Despite some doctors suggesting COVID-19 can stay suspended in the air longer than previously thought, the research still shows the main mode of spread is contact and droplets.
HOW TO PUT ON A MASK
* Wash your hands before putting on the mask
* Make sure it covers your nose and mouth and fits snugly under your chin, over the bridge of your nose and against the sides of your face
* Do not touch the front of the mask while it is on or when removing it, and if you do so accidentally, wash or clean your hands immediately
* Wash your hands after removing the mask.
Source: Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth; Health Department
Australian Associated Press
