I do not want anyone to wear a mask if it's going to compromise them, and that is the person who needs to make that decision. 

People know their own health issues, so if someone does have asthma and struggles with their breathing or chronic obstructive airways disease or heart disease, that they can't get the amount of oxygen they need, they know that. So I don't need them to go and see their doctor and have to have that conversation because they already know it.

So if anyone has any problems at all breathing, they should not be wearing a mask. This is not about causing other problems. This is about preventing the spread of covid. If someone genuinely, and they will know it themselves, believes that they have a medical condition, then that is enough for me and it is enough for everyone out there.

So please people. It's been wonderful to see people encouraging other people to wear masks. That's really good. But just be a little bit careful that there are a significant proportion of our population out there who can't wear masks safely.

Dr Jeannette Young AC, then Chief Health Officer for Queensland who later became the Governor of Queensland.