The low numbers of people wearing masks on public transport is “a concern” heading into winter, the Health Minister has told Newstalk Breakfast.

Stephen Donnelly said there are currently no plans to bring in any mandatory mask rules for the winter season.

He said there are three situations where people are advised to wear masks:

• Healthcare settings
• Indoor crowded settings where appropriate – particularly for high-risk people
• Public transport

Minister Donnelly said there is a “very clear ask of us all that we follow that advice” – but there are no plans to make the advice mandatory.

“We are in a phase of COVID, where we are managing with COVID,” he said. “It is about all of us doing the right thing.

“I can be clear on this as well: I have no public health advice nor has there been any discussion of any public advice coming to me that would suggest mandates for masks.

“The position now is very clear. Public transport. Indoor crowded settings where appropriate – particularly for high-risk people and healthcare settings.”

He said the low numbers of people wearing masks on public transport is “something that is a concern for me”.

“One of the things we’re doing is putting a new communications campaign together,” he said.

“For example, what I would like to see, for all of us, when we get on a bus or we get on a train, is very clear signage on the buses, on the train saying you know, ‘if you are reading this sign, you should be wearing a mask’.”