The reduction in the social-distancing measure to one metre could have protected 30,000 jobs in Northern Ireland, research has indicated.
The assertion is made by economists from the University of Ulster, who have been examining the impact of Covid-19 on the region's workforce.
The research estimated that between 240,000 to 280,000 jobs in Northern Ireland (28-33% of total jobs) were vulnerable as a result of lockdown restrictions, including the two-metre distancing rule.
Most were threatened by the drop in demand for goods and services. The experts said when the social-distancing measure was changed to one metre, the number of jobs considered vulnerable fell by around 30,000 - to a range of between 215,000 to 250,000.