People refusing to wear masks in public have clashed with police and retail workers as the government doubles down on the mandatory mask requirement on a deadly day.

He said that although police do have the power to issue $200 fines, it should never ever come to that”.
They are trying to be as fair as they possibly can be, he said, but if youre just making a selfish choice based on your belief, your personal belief, quoting something youve read on some website, it’s not about human rights, he said.
People refusing to wear masks in public have clashed with Victoria Police and Bunnings employees as the government doubles down on the mandatory mask requirement for Melburnians.
Credit:The Age
There are 10 families that are going to be burying someone in the next few days wear a mask.
Victoria Police released a statement on Sunday reaffirming their intention to fine those with blatant disregard for quarantine rules.
Whilst police will use discretion in the first seven days since the [Chief Health Officer’s] direction was issued, we will not hesitate to issue fines to people who are obviously and blatantly showing a disregard for community safety by failing to wear a mask, a statement said.
Police are working incredibly hard to keep the community safe and this type of behaviour is unacceptable and unnecessary.
Police issued a total of 126 fines to individuals for breaching the CHO directions. Seventeen of these infringements were issued at checkpoints.
A total of 165,412 spot checks have been conducted since March 21, with 14,908 on major arterial roads and 1093 spot checks in the 24 hours to midday Sunday.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said he wasnt convinced by the argument that wearing a mask impinged on peoples civil rights.
The idea it [wearing a mask] is an imposition on someones freedom or individual rights, Im not sure I can be convinced of that,” Dr Coatsworth said.
That sort of behaviour has to stop. I acknowledge wearing a mask can be difficult and it takes some time to get used to but, in all seriousness, it is just having a mask on.