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[VIC] Free N95 and KN95 Masks to Victorians Who Takes a RAT/PCR Test

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[VIC] Free N95 and KN95 Masks to Victorians Who Takes a RAT/PCR Test
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Pnicholasv on 09/08/2022 - 11:33 premier.vic.gov.au (2009 clicks)
Last edited 09/08/2022 - 16:55 by 1 other user

Hi all,

Saw this update from Dan Andrews stating that free N95 and KN95 Masks will be provided over the next 4 to 6 weeks.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas today announced that more than three million masks will be handed out to the community through our state-run testing sites, community health services across Victoria and across the public transport network.

Over the next four to six weeks every person that presents for either a free rapid antigen or PCR test will receive one box of 10 N95 masks, along with instructions on how best to wear them to reduce transmission.

Can read up more here:
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/free-masks-keep-victorians-sa…

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    • ghoulie1 on 09/08/2022 - 13:20
      +1

      Mostly the ones that overcharge. They are cheap in pretty much every other country.

    • ReaperX22 on 09/08/2022 - 11:53
      +18

      That's not the point.. If MORE people started wearing masks again and were more cautious it'd be less of an issue..

      The fact is whilst a lot of the working population (i.e. those not vulnerable) go about their days pretty normally, there's still a lot of people who ARE vulnerable (immunocompromised, elderly, etc) and the point is prevention of their hospitalisations and deaths.. It's not about you. It's about those who might actually be seriously affected by it. I've had it, was a bad cold, had 1 bad day of it really but otherwise fine. But if I saw my Grandfather for example during this time because I 'didn't test' I'm pretty sure it could have killed him. So please don't promote not-testing just to save yourself a whole entire week of isolation.. Boo hoo.

      • vash5 on 10/08/2022 - 20:31

        That's not the point.. If MORE people started wearing masks again and were more cautious it'd be less of an issue..

        Except thats reality because even with 80% jab rate, mask mandates and iso in place we went through the worst outbreak in late 2021. The same time we broke the PCR testing sites and contact tracing.

        It's not about you. It's about those who might actually be seriously affected by it.

        We are never going to get rid of cv, does this mean you will wear a n95 for the rest of your life when an any social setting?

    • hunter_syd on 09/08/2022 - 11:55
      +11

      I don't think you're being punished for testing positive. The isolation time frame now is also much shorter than it used to be AND you get paid while off work. I don't want to get COVID but if I did and it wasn't so serious, I'd be happy to spend a week chilling at home watching Netflix and get paid money PLUS not spread it to the community potentially infecting someone who would have more serious side effects or die.

      Yes, its everywhere… we all know that. Doesn't mean you bury your head in the sand and add to the spread. Also probably the people who don't believe in testing and isolation wouldn't bother with masks, so there's little chance they are about to be duped to get a free mask.

    • mcha16 on 09/08/2022 - 12:01
      +8

      Such a self centered

    • jv on 09/08/2022 - 12:50
      +11

      It's people like you and the rubbish you are preaching that are making it so widespread and we are getting so many deaths…

      • vash5 on 10/08/2022 - 20:40

        making it so widespread and we are getting so many deaths

        Dont worry the jab will save them

        • jv on 10/08/2022 - 21:58

          Dont worry the jab will save them

          It certainly reduces your chance of dying from covid.

          • ozhunter on 10/08/2022 - 22:03
            +1

            @jv: From what, almost zero to almost zero…

            • jv on 10/08/2022 - 22:19

              @ozhunter: #MoreOzHunterFakeNews

              • ozhunter on 10/08/2022 - 22:23

                @jv: The truth hurts, lol.

                Many more people fully vaccinated, double boosted, have covid antivirals, weaker variant and the deaths just keep going up.

                • jv on 10/08/2022 - 22:28

                  @ozhunter:

                  The truth hurts

                  I guess that's what made you reply to my truth…

            • vash5 on 10/08/2022 - 22:48

              @ozhunter:

              From what, almost zero to almost zero…

              Bahahaha.. exactly :P

          • vash5 on 10/08/2022 - 23:02

            @jv:

            It certainly reduces your chance of dying from covid.

            Unless you died as a result of taking it or have chronic health issues now.

            If you ever have the chance to talk to people who have suffered at the hand of these shots and how they are gas lit, passed onto from doc to doc or ignored it would shock you to the core. You would have a hard time believing them because its unthinkable that it's happening.

            While I can only assume your intent is coming from the best of places, look at those left in the wake and tell me why are they treated so poorly. Not even allowed to set up communities to help support one another online.

            Perhaps it's not easy to find unless you know where to look because of the censorship around everything cv. I can give you a few from testimony hearings.

            If you are truly sincere about the welfare of peoples health, you would stand in solidarity with them and hear there side because there voices are all but lost through the "just take the shot" narrative.

    • Creamsoda on 09/08/2022 - 13:21
      +2

      If COVID is everywhere it's more important for the demographic who gets affected by COVID the most get their hands on better masks.

    • eraser215 on 09/08/2022 - 14:03
      +3

      Your comments suggest that you're part of the problem @Eatslikeacat. Attitudes like yours draw the pandemic out longer and lead to more illness and death.

      • lesher on 09/08/2022 - 15:04
        +1

        Eats like cat, acts like cat

      • infinite on 09/08/2022 - 21:19
        +2

        Covid ceased being a pandemic over a year ago. How is anyone "drawing it out longer" ???

    • Lv80 on 11/08/2022 - 02:27

      You'd be surprised how many very well positioned people in society and educated people (not just bogans…but high brow, rich and intellectuals) adopted this very principal. Why on earth would people be stupid enough to give the government an excuse to lock them up in their own homes!!

      I've had a bloody runny nose for the last 5 years…going by the governments health advice I'd be testing myself weekly, at the expense of the public…only so I would no doubt get false positive results and loose my income.

      What a mad world we live in. If you are scared, hide yourself away. Let the rest of us that either aren't affected by it or happy to accept the consequences (big or small) to get on with life.

      Agree with you completely Eats! Had a lot of friends in my industry sidelined sitting at home after a positive test but no symptoms while they lost a weeks worth of work.

      Madness

  • superforever on 09/08/2022 - 11:44
    +6

    Overstocked Mask and test kits?

  • organamisms on 09/08/2022 - 11:55
    +124

    I don't get this COVID defeatism, with people saying shit like "COVID's everywhere anyway", "no one else is wearing a mask so stop wasting taxpayer dollars", or getting political about it and throwing in a "Dictator Dan" for the hell of it.

    1. COVID is here, no one's debating that - it's about minimising how many people get sick
    2. Yes it's like a bad flu for most, but you're still sick and that blows
    3. There's vulnerable groups like the elderly, those undergoing medical treatments like chemo, and immunocompromised people - getting COVID may just push them over the edge
    4. COVID hospitalisation rates are causing elective surgery to be cancelled and delayed, meaning people can't get treatment and staff are overworked and quitting the industry
    5. Masks help protect yourself and others from getting COVID - what happened to the Aussie value of mateship and helping each other out? Just because it doesn't directly benefit you, doesn't mean it's not worth doing

    This isn't about the individual - never has been. Wearing a mask is about looking out for your fellow Aussie that may not be in as good health as you, or can't afford to take sick leave because they're struggling to make rent.

    • Shane034 on 09/08/2022 - 11:59
      +27

      Unfortunately common sense like this ain't so common anymore..

      • Bretttick on 09/08/2022 - 12:09
        +6

        Common sense went out the window a long time ago, I guess it's the same common sense we let Tahlia McGrath play while he tested positive to c19 because the science said it was fine and he was not a risk to public health 🙄

      • pichxlonco on 09/08/2022 - 12:22
        +2

        the least common of all senses, it seems.

      • [Deactivated] on 10/08/2022 - 13:20
        -1

        Complete and utter asshats like this are why "free speech" is a failing experiment. I'm not against this idiot being jailed for pushing this attitude.

    • krazek on 09/08/2022 - 12:00
      +10

      The question is, did we have this same mentality Pre-Covid for the Flu or other contagious diseases?

      • pichxlonco on 09/08/2022 - 12:26
        +16

        not really, but remember that the issue with covid is that it is HIGHLY contagious. We never had hospitals full of people sick with the flu or other contagious diseases, and don't remember seeing cargo trucks being repurposed for morgues in the US for the other contagious diseases, so i guess now a mentality change is needed.

        In my case, i'm alone in aus with my partner and kids (all our relatives are overseas), so risking getting sick might means we don't have support network to help us with the kids if anything were to happen, so i'd rather use the mask a little bit longer during the cold months just to be safe.

        • Grayfox on 09/08/2022 - 16:03
          -1

          Daughter got Covid from school. 5 days in and 3 other household members still negative here. It is clearly contagious, but not anymore so than the flu in my experience.

          • sexilexi on 09/08/2022 - 16:28
            +7

            @Grayfox: That's great to hear your personal experience, however repeating the thoughts of another commenter, anecdotes ≠ evidence

            The R0 (average number of other people a single infected person will go on to infect if no precautions taken) of newer omicron variants BA4 and BA5 is over 18. Flu R0 is usually between 1-2.

            • tharlow on 09/08/2022 - 22:01
              +1

              @sexilexi: Well, one can’t faithfully compare R0s when the background level of immunity in the population is vastly different. The sooner this thing goes truly endemic, the sooner we can file this nightmare in the annals of history

          • [Deactivated] on 10/08/2022 - 13:21
            -1

            @Grayfox: Are you saying none of these people under discussion are vaccinated?

            • Grayfox on 10/08/2022 - 14:24

              @[Deactivated]: What’s your point? I got it soon after I was double jabbed lol.

      • smartazz104 on 09/08/2022 - 15:10
        +2

        Usually people know they have the flu before potentially passing it onto someone else; that's not the case with COVID-19.

        • Rick Sanchez on 09/08/2022 - 22:29
          +3

          With these controls flu deaths have also gone down. Maybe we should have also been wearing masks and staying home when sick back then as well.

    • ENSLAVER on 09/08/2022 - 12:06
      +2

      They've had their consent manufactured by watching commercial television, sky news, even the ABC.

      • eraser215 on 09/08/2022 - 14:04

        What does that mean?

      • Rick Sanchez on 22/08/2022 - 08:30

        Lmao. And you've believed a bunch of online grifters and conspiracy theorists.
        Commercial TV is dumb, but ignoring scientific data and believing skewed online posts and propaganda is so so much dumber.

    • nicholasv on 09/08/2022 - 12:11
      +7

      Well said. I am glad all the negative comments are getting down voted though, the majority of the OzB community are level headed at least

      • Lv80 on 25/08/2022 - 22:56

        So level headed is only those that side with your view?

        Most sides of almost any argument can be had with a level head. A viewpoint doesn't necessitate level headedness. How one communicates and the reasons behind it dictate this.

        Surprising you consider yourself level headed whilst deciding negative comments about something are obviously from those not level headed. Inflated opinion of ones self perhaps?

    • Daz91 on 09/08/2022 - 12:12
      +2

      Literally all of the above applied pre-2020 with any form of infectious disease spread via coughing etc. where were you then?

      • krazek on 09/08/2022 - 12:45
        +1

        I don't remember anyone wearing a mask pre 2020 in this country other than in a hospital?

        • sween64 on 09/08/2022 - 13:16
          +5

          Yeah, but maybe we should have been.

          • Daz91 on 09/08/2022 - 13:17
            +2

            @sween64: Feel free to walk around with a mask 24/7 then

            • sween64 on 09/08/2022 - 13:21
              +6

              @Daz91: I wear one if it’s crowded and indoors. Anything to reduce my chances of catching or spreading Covid.

              • Lv80 on 25/08/2022 - 22:58

                @sween64: Guessing you don't drive or get rides in cars or cross roads or even walk near them…you know…so you can reduce your chances of being hit by a car?

                bubbleboy

                I mean…good for you..if you want to live in a constant state of stress and fear…because you know…that hasn't been absolutely proven to cause serious health issues also.

            • jv on 09/08/2022 - 13:42
              +9

              @Daz91:

              Feel free to walk around with a mask 24/7 then

              I only wear one where it is crowded and there is a high volume of people passing nearby.
              eg. supermarket, public transport and entry/exit at the footy… probably 5% of the day…

              That 5% wearing of the mask probably reduces the chance of catching/spreading > 80%

        • NiteMice on 09/08/2022 - 17:36
          +2

          Then obviously you never spent any time in a CBD or near an uni campus. I'd admit the numbers were pretty small, but every winter you'd see a handful of people (usually foreign students) wearing masks to protect themselves from getting sick or to stop other people from getting sick.

          • krazek on 09/08/2022 - 18:41
            -2

            @NiteMice: Not sure what city you're referring to but I've been working in Sydney CBD for years and never saw anyone wearing a mask pre Covid other than during the bushfires in 19/20

        • smartazz104 on 09/08/2022 - 23:12
          +5

          You mean, you don’t remember any Caucasian people wearing a mask; plenty of Asians wore masks.

          • Lv80 on 25/08/2022 - 23:00
            -1

            @smartazz104: So you are telling someone what their antidotal observations are now?
            You and your argument are as hilarious as each other.

            You can dispute it with fact or your own lived experience…but telling someone what you think they mean is the dumbest counter argument I've ever heard.

      • TimApple on 09/08/2022 - 13:50
        +9

        Well the difference is the chance of you spreading cold/flu pre-2020 to others in a train is probably to only 1-2 other people. With COVID-19 you can easily spread it to 10-20 other people who sits in the train with you, plus with COVID you don't even have to show symptomps in order to spread it. I don't get why this is so hard to get, we've known this for a while.

        • Duck Mode on 09/08/2022 - 15:04
          +4

          Unfortunately there are a lot of conspiracy theories and propaganda floating around.

      • floraposte on 09/08/2022 - 13:47
        +4

        Not all vulnerable people are in hospitals or nursing homes. There are plenty of vulnerable people in the community who are more at risk than they should be due to others not taking personal responsibility for their actions during this pandemic.

        "Living with Covid" was never meant to mean act like everything is normal, let it rip and let thousands of people die. It actually means total elimination of this virus is impossible and people can't stay locked down forever so let's proceed with caution, accept personal responsibility for minimising the spread by getting vaccinated, physical distancing when it's possible and masking up when it's not.

        Even if people are confident that they and their family are healthy enough to survive this variant they should be concerned about overwhelmed hospitals not being able to prevent a non-covid related, otherwise avoidable, death.

        Apologies for the imperfect grammar. I can't be bothered fixing it because I am totally exhausted by our society.

        • superforever on 09/08/2022 - 13:49
          -2

          let it rip and let thousands of people die

          die with COVID or by COVID?

        • Lv80 on 25/08/2022 - 23:06

          "due to others not taking personal responsibility for their actions during this pandemic."

          Hang on…so it's up to others to take personal responsibility but not those at risk? We live on a frikkin island and had the benefit of time to lock it down and put in proper quarantine policies…and you want to blame people and not government for the situation we are in?

          If masks are so god damn great….then double or triple mask yourself. if you are vulnerable then perhaps alter your life to be restricted.

          Plenty of those people that are at risk are at risk of things like the common cold and flu…and yet there's no outcry and demand and mandate to mask everyone up to protect these people pre-covid…why? Because it's pretty bloody stupid to suggest everyone wears masks any time they are outside…which given the asymptomatic nature of viruses and infected people, would be required if we were to protect the at risk.

          In a hospital or nursing home..sure…but walking around in public? yeah nah. Let's get back to living please. I find it incredible people are still sticking with no human contact when greeting someone. We need physical validation. Hugs, cheek kisses, hand shakes, physical greetings are an important aspect of human engagement and interaction and our society.

          But if you want to live in a bubble, never go out unless absolutely necessary, double mask, quadruple vax….sure…go ahead.

          No-one is stopping you from protecting yourself.

      • eraser215 on 09/08/2022 - 14:05
        +1

        Luckily we have your expertise to save us!

    • superforever on 09/08/2022 - 12:29
      +1

      In reality the way people wear mask won't minimize the transmission.

      In the pass, no need to have everybody wear mask during flu season, so?

      • jv on 09/08/2022 - 13:44
        +6

        In the pass, no need to have everybody wear mask during flu season

        It's not the past now, and some of us know better…

        If you prefer to live in the past, go ahead…

        • Lv80 on 25/08/2022 - 23:10

          You know better do you? Because? Someone on a tv told you? Fascinating.

          You know what would be far more beneficial to people's health? A focus on getting fit, cutting out the crap we are stuffing into ourselves and creating an obese population that is actually causing far more deaths EVERY YEAR than covid has or will or would have. Heart conditions are not some unknown quantity….a lot of them are due to stresses on the body. Mostly from inflammation…caused by a bad lifestyle.

          But then…governments were handing out free shitty hot dogs if you got vaccinated…but obviously the experts advising the government know better right?

          Here…have this bit of lard and crap on a piece of completely void of nutrition refined carb bread, and top it off with a sugar loaded 'tomato' sauce. Oh…and don't forget to look after your heath and get jabbed.

          FFS

          • jv on 25/08/2022 - 23:21

            @Lv80:

            You know better do you?

            yes

    • dufflover on 09/08/2022 - 12:36
      +11

      You forgot the most important point; no one is making them wear a mask anymore for the most part. Yet there's this seeming obsession to keep complaining about them. You got your "freedom" to not wear one. Other people were exercising their "freedom" to choose to wear one.

        • sween64 on 09/08/2022 - 13:17
          +5

          Also don't put mask on your kids, especially when they are playing or sport, it will kill them

          Care to back up that outrageous claim with some evidence? Even a case study would be interesting.

        • smartazz104 on 09/08/2022 - 15:13
          +1

          Surgeons wear masks for most of the day; perhaps in the future, if you were to ever require surgery, they could remove their mask so it's "easier to breathe".

          • superforever on 09/08/2022 - 15:15

            @smartazz104: Up to you, you can put N95 on your kids all day.

            • smartazz104 on 09/08/2022 - 15:16
              +1

              @superforever: Well no one wants to breathe in what your expelling, that's for sure.

              • superforever on 09/08/2022 - 15:17
                +2

                @smartazz104: See what happen to your kids if you put N95 on them when playing sport.

                Surgeons wear masks for most of the day

                They change it every few hours but most people won't.

    • ozhunter on 09/08/2022 - 12:45
      -1

      If people breathing freely wherever you go, it's just better for you and everyone else to just stay home.

      These masks are really effective for the person wearing them? Then those people can wear them. They can even 2 or 3 at the same time.

      • greatlamp on 09/08/2022 - 12:54
        +12

        Where did this idea that masks don't work come from.

        N95 masks work, that has never been in question.

        • ozhunter on 09/08/2022 - 13:17
          -2

          Huge emphasis before to wear a mask to protect others as they don't provide much protection at all to the person wearing them.

          These masks apparently protect the wearer much more effectively than cloth masks, so if people are so concerned about covid, they themselves can wear a mask without expecting others to do so.

        • superforever on 09/08/2022 - 15:24
          +1

          N95 masks work, that has never been in question.

          Depends on how they wear it and how long they change it.

        • infinite on 09/08/2022 - 21:31
          -1

          Professionals who wear them all day and even change them over for new masks throughout every day, still got Covid like everyone else. Masks didn't protect them or anyone else who caught it.

          • greatlamp on 10/08/2022 - 09:08
            -1

            @infinite: They caught COVID because it's highly contagious and survives on surfaces for several days.

            If the masks didn't work the entire staff would get sick on the first day.

            • infinite on 10/08/2022 - 15:38

              @greatlamp: They all did get sick and catch it though. Then those who got the vax or boosters got it over and over and over again. Masks didn't stop them any of those times either, interestingly enough.

              • greatlamp on 10/08/2022 - 16:44
                -1

                @infinite: Over what timescale?

                Unless you live in the vacuum of space there will be occasions where the mask isn't creating a perfect seal.

                That doesn't mean the mask doesn't work

                Show me a respected source that says masks don't work. You are acting like it is commonly accepted that since healthcare workers caught COVID that somehow 'proved' masks don't work.

                • infinite on 10/08/2022 - 23:15

                  @greatlamp: If the masks worked, people wouldn't be catching it & the spread would have slowed down. Instead, the complete opposite happened.

                  • greatlamp on 11/08/2022 - 11:55
                    -1

                    @infinite:

                    Instead, the complete opposite happened.

                    No, it didn't

                    The spread did slow down. Hospitals remained open. Tens of thousands of deaths were avoided (in combination with lockdowns). How do you determine that masks didn't do anything? What is your comparison?

                    N95 masks are already proven to reduce spread of disease. You cannot just declare that they don't without proof.

                    We can discuss whether enforcing masks is an example of government overreach, we can discuss whether purchasing and supplying masks is a useful use of public money, considering their impact on disease spread.

                    We cannot have a discussion where you and I disagree on facts and reality.

                    • infinite on 11/08/2022 - 15:35
                      -2

                      @greatlamp: No one here is debating you can't seem to acknowledge facts or reality.

    • TEER3X on 09/08/2022 - 12:59
      +5

      This isn't about the individual - never has been. Wearing a mask is about looking out for your fellow Aussie that may not be in as good health as you,

      True but masks also protect the wearer, there's countless studies on this. The estimate is that it cuts your chances of getting covid by about half.

      I don't think the current strain is as vicious as previous strains, so I have no issues with people not wearing masks and building natural immunity. The current vaccines are largely ineffective against ba5, save for the memory b and t cells which it invokes.

    • pdtmathieson on 09/08/2022 - 13:31
      +1

      About time I found some sense in these comments, I ran out of downvotes by the time I got to something I wanted to upvote

    • 1st-Amendment on 09/08/2022 - 15:03

      Masks help protect yourself and others from getting COVID

      Do they? Feel free to show the data that supports this.

      • superforever on 09/08/2022 - 15:19

        People forgot they have immune system, put mask on all day everyday.

        Also they forgot microplastic on mask, especially those cheap one.

        • greatlamp on 10/08/2022 - 09:12
          +2

          Why do we need antibiotics when we all have an immune system?

          Why do we need medicine at all! All medical knowledge is useless right?

          People still dying on the roads even though every car has seatbelts. Can't explain that?

          • superforever on 10/08/2022 - 09:24

            @greatlamp: Do you know the difference between bacteria vs virus?

            COVID is like flu, only deadly to very small % of people but they need 100% people to take vaccine but flu only recommended to high risk people but now is changing and want more people to take it.

            • greatlamp on 10/08/2022 - 11:42

              @superforever: I don't think you appreciate how deadly the flu is, and how much more virulent and deadly COVID is compared to the flu.

              If you did you would understand why COVID is treated more seriously.

              • superforever on 10/08/2022 - 12:13

                @greatlamp: The current variants wasn't that deadly anymore, the same dead rate as flu.

                You should do more research by yourself instead of just listen to somebody else or news.

                I am talking about now not before and we should treat it the same way as flu now and no need to too panic.

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