Queensland CHO Resists Calls for New Mask Mandate

The top health bureaucrat in Queensland has refused calls to introduce a mask mandate amid another COVID-19 wave. Queensland Chief Health Officer (CHO) John Gerrard will not recommend the public start wearing masks again, noting, however, that individuals were free to do so. His stance comes after Dr. Maria Bolton, president of the Queensland Australian Medical Association (AMA), urged people to “put a mask on” before Christmas. “We just don’t want a repeat of previous Christmases. We don’t want to overwhelm the hospital system, and we don’t want to lose any lives,” she said on Sky News. “Which is why it is really important for people to go back to what we know they do really well, which is getting the boosters if they need one, putting a mask on if they need to wear one, washing their hands, and also avoiding going out if they are sick.”...