Epidemiologist Michael Baker says he's glad the Government has moved to introduce mandatory face masks on public transport across New Zealand, but says more gains against Covid-19 could've been made had the move been made earlier.
The University of Otago professor told TVNZ1's Breakfast the measures should probably have been introduced earlier, "but we've got them now and that's the main thing.
"If everyone wears masks on buses it will really dampen down this mode of transmission," Prof Baker said.
Several of New Zealand's biggest clusters probably could have been prevented by people wearing masks, he said, as most transmission of Covid-19 takes place from respiratory droplets.
"It's not just passing someone in the street, but it's actually being in indoor environments - often where you know people," he said.
"These are high-risk settings for transmitting the virus."
Prof Baker said if New Zealand manages to eliminate Covid-19 by the end of the three-week Level 3 setting in Auckland, it will be "a real triumph," considering it took about seven weeks the first time.
"Stay in your household bubble as much as you can - that is what will kill the virus," he said.
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