Key Points
- Western Australia was the first state to end mask requirements on public transport
- Researchers develop a face mask that detects COVID and other viruses in the air
- US President Joe Biden claims the pandemic is over
New South Wales (NSW) and South Australian (SA) residents are no longer required to wear face masks on public transport, including taxi and rideshare services and indoor areas of cruise terminals.
While the changes are effective immediately in SA, NSW residents will have to wait until Wednesday.
Western Australia was the first state to scrap the face mask rule on public transport.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said his government was reviewing face mask and other COVID-19 rules in the state.
However, mask-wearing is still mandatory at public hospitals, private health facilities and residential aged care facilities in Australia.
SA said asymptomatic COVID cases ending self-isolation after five days must wear face masks on the sixth and the seventh day.
The SMH reported more than 18,700 residents were overdue for surgery at NSW public hospitals by June - nine times more than before the Delta lockdown last year.
Chinese researchers have developed a face mask that detects COVID-19 and influenza viruses in the air.
The mask is fitted with a sensor, which sends notifications to a device within 10 minutes of detecting the virus.
US President Joe Biden says "the pandemic is over."
"We still have a problem with COVID. We're still doing a lotta (lot of) work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one's wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so I think it's changing," he told CBS's 60 Minutes.
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