READ MORE: Mask mandate to end in a range of Tasmanian settings

Under the new regulations, the mask mandate has been removed for retail settings, and will be similarly dropped for restaurants, cafes, events and office spaces from 5pm on Friday next week.

That said, the mandate remains in place for pubs and clubs, with Premier Peter Gutwein expected to assess mandate changes for those venues in the coming weeks.

The new regulations arrive amid a changing public sentiment to mask-wearing in recent weeks.

That change was on full display at the Launceston Harvest Market on Saturday, where a mix of retail, grocery, coffee and food stalls show the range of regulations and attitudes now present across the state.

Many of the stall operators remain masked, though certain gazebos are classified as open air while other similar structures require mask wearing.

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For the public visiting the market, the market's operators now have a discretionary policy in place, meaning staff at the entrance to the market are encouraging patrons to wear masks but no firm requirement is in effect.

According to the market's chief operating officer Amanda Woollams, when the mandate first came in the number of locals visiting the market dropped off.

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"We saw a lot more tourists coming through but less locals. You can tell by what people are buying. Locals buy the fresh flowers, meat, things like that, while tourists might buy something like a bottle of gin," she said.

That trend was also noted by the market's manager Rhys Hannan, though he has seen those numbers begin recovering over the last few weeks. He also noted that the ratio of attendees choosing to wear masks has also been changing, even before the new regulations came into effect.

"When we first went to that discretionary option, it was probably 50-50 [masked versus non-masked], but now we're seeing that ratio slide and slide [...] Today it's probably more like one in 10, " he said.

Among the market's attendees that remained masked were paramedics on a coffee break - still required to wear masks under current regulations - the elderly, and family groups with small children. One mother of a two-year-old who has asked to remain anonymous said her family was choosing to remain masked out of caution for their young child.

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"I understand the hospitals are coping but it can be a bit nerve-wracking if you've got a child that isn't eligible for the vaccine and everyone starts taking off masks," she said.

Meanwhile, over at the Cock'n'Bull British Pub where the mask mandate remains in place, publican Al Williams said he's been frustrated by the inconsistent approach to venues, which he thinks may further confuse the public when the mandate lifts for restaurants and cafes next week.

"A lot of people are coming in assuming they don't have to wear a mask and we're constantly having to explain to them. It's frustrating for staff and the patrons to have very similar businesses but different rules," he said.

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