Coronavirus in Ballarat: Rush on for DIY supplies as mask wearing becomes mandatory in Ballarat

Within hours of Premier Daniel Andrews announcing face coverings would be mandatory in regional Victoria from 11.59pm on Sunday, Ballarat's DIY brigade were out getting materials to make their own.

Shoppers queued for more than an hour at Spotlight, Lincraft and other stores for supplies to make masks for themselves, family and friends.

Anne-Marie Joyce was among the throng at Lincraft, buying materials to make another 15 or so masks for her children and grandchildren in Ballarat.

That's on top of the 55 masks she has already made for family and friends in Melbourne.

"I started on the Melbourne lot a couple of weeks ago now I need to do them for those in Ballarat," she said.

"I reckon I will end up making about 70 in total and I've gone through four different patterns to come up with the one I like." She said it took about an hour and a half to make five masks.

"I've always sewn but for the last five or six years i haven't done much. The main time I sew now is if I happen to have the grandkids and they want to do some."

Stocks were already running low on elastic after people began making masks ahead of the Melbourne lockdown, and with the rush on Thursday it sold out and ribbon became a popular second choice for securing the masks.

Students, teachers and school staff will be among those sporting the newly-made face masks on Monday with an education department spokesperson confirming that all secondary students aged 12 and over would be required to wear masks at school.

Teachers and education support staff are not required to wear face coverings while teaching but may do so if they wish, but they must wear then in other areas of the school when not teaching, and when travelling to and from school.

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Secondary school students must wear a face covering while at school and while travelling to and from school.

Primary school pupils do not need to wear face coverings.

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