COVID-19 (coronavirus) advice for the UQ community - Greater Brisbane restrictions - Face masks

No, but you are required to have a mask available to put on if someone enters or visits your office and is within 1.5 metres of you.

No, as long as physical distancing of at least 1.5 metres between people can be maintained.

Masks must be worn in work areas if physical distancing cannot be observed.

Everyone is required to carry a mask or masks when they leave their home.  Therefore, everyone will need to supply their own masks.  For environments where masks are required in order to carry out usual work in a safe manner, e.g. laboratories etc, these will be supplied.

Yes - if you are taking public transport, or using a taxi or rideshare vehicle. 

No - if you are alone in your own car or with members of your household. 

Everyone is required to carry a mask or masks when they are not at home.

Yes. More information: Qld Health - Face Masks

• In indoor places including retail areas, gyms, places of worship, libraries, museums, food courts, UQ transport and taxis/rideshare vehicles.

• When ordering at a café or restaurant – it can be removed when you are seated if you are more than 1.5 metres from other people.

• Anyone in public-facing positions eg retail, help-desk counters. 

• In work areas e.g. office spaces, where physical distancing cannot be observed.

• During classes when physical distancing of 1.5m is not possible.

Yes, if you are with people outside of your own household. 

You don’t need to wear a mask in private vehicles, while outdoors at a safe distance from other people, or in work areas where physical distancing can be observed.

You are not required to wear a face mask when outdoors if you are 1.5 metres from other people, for example, walking from Conifer Knoll carpark to the Great Court.

Same rules apply. If you cannot maintain 1.5 metres between you and others, you have to wear a mask. You will need to follow any local requirements of the facility.

No. For most lab environments, an appropriate disposable mask must be used.  These masks cannot be taken from a physical containment laboratory into the office environment.

Here: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/protect-yourself-others/face-masks

• Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub (made up of more than 60 per cent alcohol or 70 per cent isopropanol) before handling your mask.

• Hold the mask by its tapes or loops, then tie around your head, or put the loops around your ears. If using a mask with ear loops, you can use a plastic clip or tie to join the ends together at the back to fit it securely on your face.  If wearing a standard surgical mask, the coloured side - usually blue - faces out.

• Ensure the mask completely covers your mouth and nose, and that there are no gaps between your face and the mask.

Do not touch your eyes, nose, mouth, or the front of the mask, while wearing it.

Do not allow the mask to hang around your neck or under your nose.

If the mask gets soiled or damp, replace it with a new one.

Put it in general waste. Ideally the used mask should go into a sealable bag first to ensure it won’t be touched by others. Then put the sealed bag in the bin.

Clean your hands immediately after removing your mask and putting it in the bin.

A single-use surgical mask is best for wearing around campus and getting to and from -- this will protect others if you are unwell. Pharmacies and many other retail outlets sell single-use surgical masks.

If you are unable to get a surgical mask, other paper or cloth masks are fine to use. The most effective cloth masks have at least three layers.

Make sure your mask does not have holes or a valve, as if you have COVID-19, this allows the virus to escape.

Non-medical masks are typically made of breathable fabric, and are washable and reusable. These are not the same as surgical masks or masks that healthcare workers wear. These non-medical masks are not effective at protecting the wearer as they do not filter air. However, they may offer some protection to others as the fabric may restrict some particles when breathing, speaking, coughing or sneezing.

Cloth masks should be washed after every use, be made up of at least three layers of fabric and cover your nose and mouth.

Cloth face masks are not permitted in laboratories, and should be replaced by disposable single-use masks as defined by the lab's Risk Assessment.

Yes, you can. The Australian Government offers advice here.

Cloth masks should be washed after every use.

They can be washed in the washing machine with other clothes, or hand washed using soap and the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth. Dry the cloth mask well in a clothes dryer or in fresh air before you re-use it.

Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub (made up of over 60 per cent alcohol or 70 per cent isopropanol) after handling used face masks.

You should not re-use surgical masks.

You can wash and re-use cloth masks. It is a good idea to have at least two, so you will always have a clean one available. Re-using a cloth mask without washing it is not advisable, because it can become contaminated putting you at risk, and may not be as effective at reducing transmission.

For each new situation put on a clean mask. Carry your clean masks in a plastic or paper bag to keep them clean.