Keeping Safe Post Freedom Day

It’s almost here! As NSW surpasses its vaccination target of 70%, the premier has announced which restrictions will lift on freedom day October 11th. On this date, businesses will reopen their doors once again, and those who are fully vaccinated can finally be free from lockdown. You’ll finally be able to get a haircut, go to the gym, catch up with your mates over dinner or drinks, and browse stores in person.

But as we enter the new normal, there are still going to be active cases in the community. The days of zero cases are long gone, with the daily number of cases consistently in the hundreds. 

Even if you’re fully vaccinated, there is still a chance of you contracting and passing on the virus. And as high traffic areas such as shopping centres and public transport become populated again, it’ll be hard to enforce social distancing and ensure that only those who have been fully vaccinated are out and about in the community.

The recent Delta strain is particularly contagious, and particles of the virus can remain in the air for up to 16 hours. So even if you keep socially distancing, there’s no guarantee that you are protected from contracting the virus. 

Continuing to take preventative measures such as constantly sanitising your hands and wearing effective face masks (such as AMD P2 masks) is essential if you want to ensure you are protecting you and your family as best as you can. 

The lifted restrictions

Bars, cafes, and restaurants are set to open on October 11th, with one person per four square metres for indoor spaces and one person per two square metres for outdoor spaces. You can stand and drink if you are in an outside area.

Retail stores will also open with the one person per four square metre rule enforced. Gym and indoor recreation will be subject to the same rule, with a cap of 20 people in each class. Hairdressers, tattoo parlors, and spa, nail, beauty, waxing and massage businesses are all able to open, although they are capped at 5 clients per premises. 

Entertainment is back! With freedom day comes the opening of theatres, cinemas, museums, music halls, and galleries. They will also be subject to the rule of one person per four square metre or 75% seated capacity. Theme parks, stadiums, racecourses, and zoos are also set to reopen, and up to 500 people can now attend ticketed and seated outdoor events.

No more trying to find new walking trails within your 5km radius. You’ll finally be allowed to travel out of your LGA and 5km radius on October 11th, and you can take holidays within the Greater Sydney region (including Wollongong, Blue Mountains, and Central Coast).

Masks are still mandated 

It is still compulsory to wear masks in all indoor settings. This is expected to lift when we reach our 80% vaccination target, but for the time being, you’ll have to don a mask when you’re in the office, shopping, or getting a haircut. 

Wearing a mask is a necessary evil as the streets begin to get more crowded, particularly due to the contagious nature of the Delta strain. Something as simple as walking past a person with the virus can affect you if you aren’t wearing a proper mask. Because particles of the virus can remain in the air for up to 16 hours, it has become even more important for you to wear a mask to protect yourself.

This being said, it’s important that you invest in the best masks to protect you and your family. Compared to our AMD P2 respirators, surgical and cloth masks do not offer sufficient protection against the airborne nature of the Delta strain due to their low PFE (particle filtration efficiency).  

The Particle Filtration Efficiency (PFE) test evaluates the efficiency of a mask in filtering out particles from the air. A recent study tested the filtration efficiency of common consumer-grade masks. It was found that a medical-grade procedure mask with ear loops only offered 38.5% filtration efficiency. This is the mask that most Australians are wearing right now. 

A folded cotton bandana had 50%, suggesting that cloth masks aren’t much better (and in order for them to be effective, you need to wash them after every use). Compared to our AMD masks, these options are significantly less safe. 

Our AMD P2 respirators use a nanofiber filter which is able to filter out 99.6% of airborne particles. This has been tested by VICLAB (BSI) 17.7.20 and you can learn more about the tests our AMD masks have undergone here.

AMD P2 masks are more breathable 

As we enter the warmer months, wearing masks that are easier to breathe in and don’t trap heat is increasingly important for the sake of comfort. 

Surgical masks and N95 masks use melt-blown filters. When testing nanofiber filters (which our AMD P2 masks use) against these melt-blown filters, it was found that nano-treated masks have a significantly lower perception of heat, humidity, and overall discomfort. 

There’s no point in wearing a mask if you have to constantly take it off because you are overheated or your glasses keep fogging up. When your AMD mask is fitted properly, you’ll have an airtight seal that protects you from any particles in the air and still allows you to breathe easily. 

The lightweight design and face contouring of the AMD mask allows it to rest comfortably on your face so that you can go about your day without feeling too restricted by your mask. So not only are our AMD P2 masks better at keeping you safe with a PFE of 99.6%, they are also more comfortable.

AMD P2 respirators protect you against bushfire smoke

In preparation for summer, you’ll probably see smoke in the air as bushes are backburned to prevent bushfires. But even as this backburning takes place, there’s no guarantee that we will be protected from bushfires in the hot months to come.

Backburning and bushfires can cause the air to be polluted with particles from the smoke. Our AMD P2 respirators not only protect against the virus, but the nanotechnology used to create AMD masks was actually developed to protect against air pollution.

Due to the high PFE of our AMD masks, they are able to filter out the tiny particles in the air, whether that be particles from bushfire smoke or particles of the virus. Our AMD P2 respirators are the best consumer-grade product for protecting you against both the virus and bushfire smoke in the summer. 

To keep you and your family safe, purchase a box of 50 AMD P2 respirators here.