Tasmania, indeed Australia, is entering a new era of its COVID journey - and not everyone is happy about it.
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On Friday Premier Peter Gutwein confirmed that from next weekend, Tasmanians will be required to wear face masks at both indoor and outdoor events where there's more than 1000 people in attendance.
The announcement was not unexpected, but that doesn't mean it wasn't met with some objection.
For a state that remains COVID-free, it can be hard for some to grapple with the intention of measures designed to act as a preventative measure for the worst case scenario.
"We don't have COVID, why do we have to wear a mask?"
It's a question we have all pondered, or perhaps overheard at recent events. But the decision is a "sensible one" according to Mr Gutwein, and is something that Tasmanians are just going to have to get used to - that's if we want to continue enjoying larger-scale events amid the continuing threat of future outbreaks.
It's a sign of the times, particularly ahead of plans to reopen Australia's borders as community's "learn to live" with the ongoing realities of COVID-19.
So rather than asking why we should have to wear masks, it's time to shift our thinking to what could happen if we don't.
Preventative health measures have been put on the backburner of our broader health system for too long. We treat people once they become sick, rather than focusing on keeping them healthy in the first place. The results are devastating.
But in the face of the pandemic, preventative measures such as social distancing and hand sanitizing have emerged as some of our greatest strengths. It's become the new normal, and wearing a mask is just another extension of this.
After all, if we see a house on fire, we don't wait until it's destroyed before we attempt to put it out. In the best case scenario, adequate safety measures would be put in place to stop the fire from starting in the first place.
The threat of an outbreak in Tasmania remains all too real. So while we could complain about having to wear a face mask, complaining won't do us any favours. Wearing a mask will.
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