Back to normal: Time to drop the masks without fear of COVID, says Geraldton GP

Geraldton residents should not be afraid to leave their masks at home now that COVID mandates are being eased in WA, says a local GP. Mask wearing in most venues became a personal choice on Friday, when the State Government introduced its “baseline settings”. Panaceum Medical’s Dr Ian Taylor said Geraldton could expect to see COVID case numbers rise in the wake of this decision, but this was no cause for concern. “I believe it is time for things to come back to a bit of normality,” he said. “We will get increased cases but given our highly vaxxed population, our hospital system is not going to get smashed,” he said. “The great news is the modelling proved to be incorrect in regards to the number of hospitalisations and deaths.” Dr Taylor said State border closures, mask and vaccine mandates, and the mild nature of the Omicron COVID variant combined with “a bit of luck” had helped Geraldton’s healthcare system weather the pandemic. “We were expecting to be treating lots of really sick people. In my practice we even allocated a special area to look after really sick people but that didn’t happen,” he said. “We have had a few staff members come down with it. But no one in my practice, that I am aware of, has caught COVID from working.” Even though masks are no longer mandatory except in “high-risk settings”, Dr Taylor said locals should do whatever feels most comfortable. “If they want to wear masks, they should do so,” he said. “For me personally, I probably will wear a mask in high risk areas. When I go to the football I wear a mask and that is just my personal choice.” Masks must still be worn in hospitals, aged and disability care facilities, prisons and correctional facilities and public transport.