NSW Government Supports Optional Face Mask Wearing Amid Calls to Make it Mandatory

A man wearing a face mask walks before the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, NSW, Australia on July 22, 2020. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said she believes mask-wearing should be optional during a press conference on July 29. Meanwhile, the Committee for Sydney group has called for it to be mandatory, fearing a return to strict lockdowns much like Melbourne is experiencing.

“We’ve said from day dot in February that it’s completely optional,” said Berejiklian.