A top virus expert has said the evidence that face coverings prevent Coronavirus transmission has grown in recent months.
Royal Victoria Hospital consultant virologist Dr Conall McCaughey has been at the forefront of Covid testing in Northern Ireland since the pandemic hit.
The Belfast Trust virology lead has also stressed the importance of social distancing and hand hygiene.
Dr McCaughey said: “I am a specialist in viruses and the tests for viruses. My laboratory does the swab testing for Covid.
“A key message that I have is that infection prevention works so physical distancing, hand hygiene and face coverings and masks work.
“The evidence for face coverings working is very good and has grown in recent months.
“They are effective both in terms of transmission being prevented from the person wearing the mask and transmission being prevented to the person wearing the mask.”
Another Coronavirus related death has been reported by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland today.
It brings the Department's Covid-19 death toll to 584.
A further 462 people have also tested positive for Coronavirus in the past 24 hours while 3,289 people have tested positive in the past week according to the latest figures on Sunday, October 4.
It brings the total number of positive cases in Northern Ireland to 14,074.
