"Anyone in Victoria's courts or VCAT buildings will be expected to wear face masks when they are moving around inside those buildings," the courts announced on Wednesday.

Lawyers will be able remove the masks at the bar table when addressing the court.

"If people are physically distanced and stationary (for example, in the case of barristers, standing to address the court), they can remove their mask, dispose of it and replace it with a fresh mask when they move around again," the announcement added.

Disposable masks will be available at entrances before security checks.

However, those who don't want to wear a mask, will still be able to enter court buildings and court rooms.

It comes as the state's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said mandatory mask-wearing "shouldn't be off the table".

But he warned against police punishing people who did not have access to them.

"It's a risk not to have them, especially with the transmission going on in Melbourne," he said.

"The norms are shifting. I'm seeing many, many more masks."

Australian Associated Press