Infectious diseases expert calls for Victoria to ditch mask mandate

Pressure is growing on Victoria to scrap the mask mandate on trains, trams and buses.

It comes after announcements this week in New South Wales and South Australia that masks would no longer be mandatory on public transport.

Victoria, Queensland and Canberra are now the only states and territories in the country where masks must still be worn on public transport.

Infectious diseases expert from the Australian National University, Professor Peter Collignon, says the mandates should be scrapped.

“All the available evidence, when you compare one place that has it and one place that doesn’t, you’re really hard pressed to show a difference,” he told Jacqui Felgate and Jimmy Bartel, filling in for Ross and Russel.

Professor Collignon says masks are “still useful” for individuals, particularly the vulnerable, to protect themselves.

“They probably decrease your risk by about 15 per cent,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear why Professor Collignon wants the public transport mask mandate to be ditched