The LASA survey covered above found that residential care providers only had an average of 28 surgical masks per resident – in home care, this fell to just 1.43.

People over 60 or with underlying health conditions should wear a medical-grade mask in “settings where physical distancing cannot be achieved” because of “increased risk of infection and/or negative outcomes”, according to new advice from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO had previously steered clear of recommending the use of masks, stating in April that while they can help to limit the spread of the virus, masks are insufficient on their own and other measures should also be adopted such as good hand hygiene and social distancing.

But under new guidance released last week, the global health body says in areas with widespread transmission, the public should be wearing fabric face masks – and all health workers and carers should wear medical masks throughout their shift while in clinical areas.

“One of the concerns is that what’s happening in the community can be brought into the health facility,” Dr. April Baller, WHO medical officer in infectious prevention and control, said.

There are still cases being identified in the community here – yesterday in Melbourne, a client at a disability day service tested positive, forcing the closure of the facility for a deep clean and staff members and other clients into quarantine.

So, should staff and the public here be wearing masks in high-risk settings such as aged care homes and the homes of people receiving home care services?

Many residential providers have been requiring visitors to wear masks, but the Department of Health advises staff in both residential care and home care not to wear PPE unless they are coming into contact with someone with a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus.

Most residential and home care operators we speak to report that they have inadequate PPE supplies to be using masks outside of outbreaks.

We asked the Department whether it would be changing its advice around the use of masks in aged care settings, but had yet to receive a response by the time of publication.

We will keep you posted.