Australia's Covid-19 face mask advice: can I reuse them, what are the best to use and where to buy?

From Wednesday, face masks and coverings will be mandatory across metropolitan Melbourne in public places as the state struggles to contain a second-wave outbreak of Covid-19.

It follows a decision by the national cabinet last week to update its position on the use of face masks, deciding that people should wear them in locations where there is community transmission of the coronavirus and where social distancing is difficult.

The announcement was a response to rising case numbers in Melbourne, which is now in the early stages of a six-week stage three lockdown.

Related: Scott Morrison says Australia cannot shut down to contain second wave of Covid-19

Authorities have stressed people in Melbourne should only leave the house for the approved reasons (which you can read about here) and practice physical distancing when doing so.

Still, they also say masks are likely to become an increasing feature of life as we learn to live with Covid-19.

Here is what we know about the use of masks in Australia.

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What is the advice on masks?

At a national level, the Department of Health now says in advice published on 9 July that masks are recommended in areas where community transmission is occurring and where physical distancing is difficult.

In Victoria the premier, Daniel Andrews, has now made it mandatory to wear masks or face coverings – including scarves or bandannas – when in public in metropolitan Melbourne or the Mitchell shire.

The rule will come into place at midnight on Wednesday, 22 July, but there are a few exceptions; people with a medical reason are exempt, as are children younger than 12. Those who have a professional reason “or if it’s just not practical, like when running” are also exempt, however those people will still be expected to carry a face covering at all times “to wear when you can”.

In schools, teachers will not need to wear a face covering while teaching, but students attending classes will. Both teachers and students will need to wear a mask on the way to and from school.

Overall Andrews said “common sense” would guide how the new rules are enforced. People would not be required to wear one when it was impractical, such as when exercising or visiting a bank.

The new rules will also be punishable by a $200 fine, Andrews announced on Sunday.

Community transmission is occurring in Melbourne. It is also occurring on a much smaller scale in parts of metropolitan Sydney. That has prompted the Queensland government to list these “hotspots” there.

The Department of Health says wearing a mask is also an “important protective measure” for people at increased risk of severe Covid-19 due to older age or chronic illness.

If you don’t live in an area where there is community transmission, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee’s advice is you do not need to wear a mask.

You can read the official advice at a national level here, or in Victoria, here.

Why wear a mask?

The primary reason to wear a mask is to protect others. If you are unknowingly infected with coronavirus, a mask will help reduce the chance that you could spread the virus to others.

Related: What kind of face mask gives the best protection against Covid-19?

However, authorities stress that masks are no substitute for physical distancing and good hygiene practices.

What are some examples of when I might use a mask?

In Victoria, masks are now mandatory whenever in public.

In other states, New South Wales recommends wearings masks “in situations where you are unable to social distance”. Andrews has previously listed examples such as taking a taxi or during a ride-sharing trip, using public transport, and while at the shops.

In general, though, the advice is to wear a mask whenever you are in a situation where it will be difficult to physical distance at all times.

What sort of mask should I use?

In general, there are surgical masks and cloth masks. Surgical masks – the blue ones that you would have seen at hospitals – are single-use. They cannot be washed and should not be reused. Instead, they should be disposed into a closed bin.

In an instructional video posted last week, Victoria’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, recommended the use of cloth masks. Here’s a list created by Finder of places to buy reusable masks.

But the Victorian government has said that any face covering will be enough to avoid a fine.

“It need not be a hospital-grade mask, it’d not be one of the handmade masks like I was wearing when I came in today. It can be a scarf, it can be a homemade mask,” Andrews said when announcing the change on Sunday.

The Guardian has also published a graphic which demonstrates how to make your own mask.

P2 and N95 masks are not recommended for community use.

How do I wear one?

Sutton demonstrated the correct use of a face mask in this video below.

“A mask should fit securely around the face, specifically covering your nose and mouth areas,” he says. “The mask should fit snugly on your face and be secured by ties at the back of your head or ear loops.”

It is also important that you wash or sanitise your hands before putting and taking off your mask and don’t touch the front of the mask while it’s on. You should not take off your mask to talk with others. Remove it by the ear straps, not by pulling it off from the front, which could be contaminated.

The Guardian also spoke to Trish Hann, a Sydney-based diagnostic radiographer and clinical educator, about how to correctly use masks and gloves. Hann warns: “Don’t touch your face when you’ve got your mask on.

“It’s very, very tempting to try and adjust it, maybe pull it down and try to adjust the nose again but as soon as you touch your mask, you’re at risk of contaminating your hands and then contaminating yourself.”

Why have masks been recommended now?

Victorian authorities say the change is a response to the higher number of cases in the community.

Sutton said last week that mask use could reduce transmission by up to two-thirds. “When they are worn very broadly across a population where people can’t distance that 1.5 metres then they can make a difference,” he said.

Is the government planning to provide masks?

The Victorian government has said it will order two million reusable masks and one million more single-use masks, while the federal government says it will release an additional five million masks to Victoria. However, no further details have been given about how or when these will be distributed.

What about at work?

Related: Masked not muzzled - the art of the political mask

The broad advice is masks should be worn in situations where you can’t physically distance. Some companies, such as McDonald’s and KFC, have made masks compulsory for staff, while others like Coles, Woolworths and Kmart have left the decision up to their employees.

Another thing: if you take public transport to work, Victorian authorities recommend using two masks, one for the trip to work and a second for the ride home. You would place the first mask in a zip lock bag to be washed later if it is reusable or throw it in a closed bin if it is disposable.

The new rules in Victoria do extend to workplaces, unless your job makes it impractical to wear one. On Sunday Victoria’s chief medical officer Brett Sutton said it would not be mandatory for childcare workers to wear a mask, for example.

Previously the Victorian health department has said scarves or bandanas do not offer the same protection as face masks, but that appears to have changed given the short amount of time given for people in the state to access a cloth mask. Ideally though your mask also should not have a valve or holes – which risks you breathing out the virus if you’re unknowingly infected.

What about children?

Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services says it is not recommending children wear face masks, although “individual families can make their own decisions regarding their children”.

Children younger than 12 are exempt from Victoria’s mandatory mask rule, but Sutton said on Sunday that it was “a consideration” for children younger than 12.

“We say not for toddlers, but it’s a consideration for all other children,” he said.

“But it is mandatory, really from that high school age onwards.”

Children under two should never wear a mask due to choking risks.

Are masks mandatory?

As stated above, masks are now mandatory in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell shire of Victoria.

No other states have made masks mandatory but in NSW, which is also grappling with a Covid-19 outbreak, authorities have stressed masks should be worn in situations where social distancing is not possible.