Australian medical body calls for return of face masks

Canberra: The Australian Medical Association (AMA) on Wednesday called for a return of face masks to mitigate an impending spike in Covid-19 and influenza cases.
Chris Moy, Vice-President of the AMA, warned that a double blow of Covid-19 and the flu would put “enormous pressure” on the country’s health system, reports Xinhua news agency.
Australia reported fewer than 30,000 influenza cases in 2020 and 2021 combined, with Covid-19 restrictions preventing its spread.
In comparison, there were more than 300,000 cases in 2019 and 953 deaths.
With coronavirus restrictions now lifted across the country, experts have warned of a potentially devastating winter flu season.
“We are heading into winter for our first real flu season in a couple of years,” Moy told local media.