Festival of Voices, running in Hobart until July 11, is the first major event to have face masks required at all times - with minor exemptions.

The decision was made after discussions between Festival of Voices, Public Health and the Department of State Growth.

Participants, audience members, support staff and volunteers will be required to wear a mask at all events - except when performers sing.

Exemptions are also in place for those unable to wear a mask for health and safety reasons, with masks allowed to be removed temporarily for activities such as eating and drinking. Some small events are also exempt.

People aged 11 and younger are exempt, but are encouraged.

Festival director Peter Choraziak said face masks were a welcome addition.

"I would rather have a festival where everyone was wearing masks, than no festival at all," he said.

"These new conditions are being included in an amended COVID-19 safe plan approval for our festival.

"We would like to thank the government agencies for their support and most importantly our supporters and audiences for incorporating this additional mitigation into the safe conduct of our events."

Premier Peter Gutwein said the action was taken because of the current national level of COVID-19 risk.

Public Health director Dr Mark Veitch said it was due to the increased risk of COVID-19 coming into Tasmania.

"The current risk environment, even though the number of cases scattered around the country is relatively modest outside of NSW, is quite different to what it was two or three weeks ago," he said.

"There are cases occurring in most states, and there are strong actions being taken by those states to manage the risk, but there's no doubt that there is a slightly higher risk of a case somehow or another reaching Tasmania now than there was, for example, three weeks ago, has changed."

Dr Veitch confirmed there were discussions about masks becoming mandatory in other aspects, with it being enforced at Festival of Voices due to its immediacy.

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"It met the criteria that suggested to us that mask wearing was useful mitigation," he said.

Face masks have been mandatory at airports, and on planes, since January 22

A Tasmania Police spokesperson said that officers regularly patrol the airports to ensure adherence to COVID-19 directions, and that the majority of people attending Tasmania's airports are acting correctly.

"Advice and education where compliance could be improved is provided in the first instance, with infringements only being issued as a last resort," they said.

Since January 22, 21 infringements have been issued, with nine at Launceston Airport. Five people have been recorded as being formally cautioned - one in Launceston.

The fine for mask non-compliance is $774.

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