Committee chairperson Paul Givan asks how the new bill will actually improve on present legislation.

He wants to be sure its not just the case that the existing law has not been enforced.

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Dr Holland says the main gap that exists presently is that the police only have powers where there is physical or sexual violence.

"We're obviously all of the view that abusive behaviour is very much wrong, it shouldn't be happening but at the moment we don't have the powers in order to charge individuals in relation to that," she says.

Jane Maguire Head of Family Courts and Tribunals Justice Branch at the Department of Justice now briefs the members on part of the bill that would protect victims of domestic abuse from being being cross-examined in person "by perpetrators or alleged perpetrators in family proceedings".

The idea is to prevent perpetrators using the opportunity to further control and abuse their victims.

Ms Maguire explains that such a provision already exists in criminal law.

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Paul Givan welcomes Dr Veronica Holland and Jane Maguire from the Department of Justice, as well as Anthony McNally from the PSNI, to discuss the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill.

In her opening statement, Dr Holland (below) says the bill was devised on a "multiagency" basis.

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She says it contains clauses that make coercive control an offence in intimate and familial settings, including making domestic abuse committed against a child an offence.

Dr Holland adds these would apply in instances including, but not limited to, where "daily activities are controlled to a significant extent," and behaviour which sees victims isolated "from friends family members".

She adds that the bill is "broad and captures a range of abusive behaviour".

Committee chairman Paul Givan of the DUP opens the meeting.

Under the temporary arrangements for committee meetings members can delegate their votes.

The clerk explains that the DUP's Gordon Dunne has delegated his vote to Mr Givan and Jemma Dolan of Sinn Féin has delegated hers to Linda Dillon.

"Gordon didn't trust Paul (Frew) to vote the right way so he gave it to me," jokes the chairperson.

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Welcome to live coverage of this afternoon's meeting of the Justice Committee.

The members will be hearing from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Prison Service on COVID-19 response.

For technical reasons we are unable to bring you live video of this meeting, but if you can watch proceedings live on the Assembly website using the link in the tweet below.

The members consider and express their support for the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations.

That's all from the Health Committee for today.

Time for a very brief lunch break.

Join us at 14:00 for a meeting of the Justice Committee.

The Committee then welcomes Nigel McMahon from the Department of Health.

He outlines the provisions made in under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020.

The regulations came into effect on Sunday evening, but the clerk adds that they will fall unless they are confirmed in the assembly within 28 days.

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Pat Sheehan has a couple of questions about virology labs and mortuary services.

Dr Jack says lab work is no longer limited to Belfast, there is now lab testing in the Northern Trust and a lab is working in the Southern Trust or is due to begin in the near future.

In reply to Mr Sheehan's question about how remains are handled, she says guidance was issued yesterday to ensure there is no further transmission of the disease after death.

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"There is detailed instruction around how we secure the body, how it's in a secure bag and then how that is secured and zipped," Dr Jack says.

She confirms that there is a lack of capacity in the mortuary at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast but it is able to meet the current demands and further arrangements are being made.

Dr Jack says it's "heartbreaking" that families cannot have the usual access to their loved one.

Committee Chair Colm Gildernew, who is joining by audio link, asks Dr Jack about measures to identify vulnerable groups and what key measures she feels would be beneficial.

She says GPs have identified a number of vulnerable individuals adding that the Public Health Agency is making a "heat map" with this information.

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Dr Jack says the key issue for her is "ensuring I have the confidence of the staff and that I support them to do the job they need to do".

She says this includes making sure "anxiety of the staff regarding PPE has been addressed" and ensuring that the "we have a bank so they're going to be safe".

Dr Jack adds, that the level of "public support has been overwhelming and every single one of us are touched and humbled".

She says during "social isolation I've seen communities come together like never before".

"This is exactly what we need to get through this."

The SDLP's Colin McGrath swops seats with the acting chair Pat Sheehan to be beside a microphone for Dr Jack to hear his question.

He asks about testing and whether there should have been more up to this stage, as well as any communication there has been with private care homes around PPE access.

Dr Jack responds that in terms of testing "we continue to do best with resources we have".

She says they "acknowledge we need to test patents that come in under our care" and that "the key workers that need to be tested are those delivering essential services".

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She adds that the trust has "a named member of staff responsible for distributing PPE" and in terms of private care facilities says under normal circumstances it's acknowledged "they would be responsible for their own PPE".

But she says, if the don't have sufficient supplies, they can "come to local trust and will be provided with that".

Órlaithí Flynn of Sinn Féin is another member who's not in the room. She asks about the testing of staff and the possible psychological effects of a lack of testing.

She's also concerned about staff mental health generally.

Dr Jack says she has 1,200 staff who are self-isolating "because of a family member that's symptomatic" and 791 because they are the symptomatic.

This amounts to nearly 10% of the workforce.

The trust wants to be able to test the 1,200 staff who feel well, their families and close contacts.

"There's a problem with the supply of testing reagents. There is currently a daily limit of 300 tests," Dr Jack explains.

A team has been set up to consider how best to support staff with their mental health.

Alliance's Paula Bradshaw asks about parents who are health workers, who may have vulnerable children at home, and have concerns about going home and potentially spreading the virus with their families.

Dr Jack says the Trust has "secured accommodation in hotels so they can sleep safe and get warm meals and breakfast".

She adds that "local schools have been tremendous" and some including St Malachy's, Methodist College Belfast and St Mary's University, have provided access to showers for health workers.

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She adds that staff can now access "free car parking and can get meals in our canteens and any hot drinks they need" while on shift.

"The whole success for this will rest on how we care for our staff who care for our patients in need," adds Dr Jack.

The UUP's Alan Chambers asks about the use of the Mater Hospital in Belfast as a specialist COVID centre.

Now that the City Hospital is to be used, does that mean the Mater is full to capacity, he asks.

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Dr Jack says the Mater is the local COVID hospital for Belfast and is not full to capacity.

"We do have over 70 patients with COVID," she says.

"What was announced last night is the regional requirement for a 230-bedded intensive care unit, which will not just be for the people of Belfast, but it is actually Belfast and beyond," Dr Jack explains.

She says that because the City Hospital "has good infrastructure and the oxygen supplies" it was decided that this would be "a better fit" than a field hospital.

People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll asks Dr Jack about PPE guidance as well as the number of ventilators that are in Northern Ireland.

Dr Jack says the "challenges around PPE guidance is that Public Health England and Public Health here have given the national guidance" but adds that "some of the Royal Colleges have given slightly different guidance".

She says she understands the four chief medical officers for different parts of the UK are "trying to rationalise" the current information "into one cohesive guidance".

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In relation to ventilators, Dr Jack says under the "reasonable worst case" model, "with the new ventilators that are coming, and I understand that's been confirmed, they should have enough capacity for 118".

The committee's deputy chair, Pam Cameron, asks Dr Jack about charitable donations of PPE and how they are being "harnessed in most effective way to meet demand".

Dr Jack says "we’re overwhelmed by the generosity of local people and businesses in supporting us at this time".

"We have a key contact that we’re promoting online so we can manage this safely and make sure donations are equally distributed to key areas of need."

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Mrs Cameron also asks about visitations to hospitals and where people are "abiding by the ban on visiting".

Dr Jack says in the Mater Hospital they have worked "closely with families and have purchased a number of iPads" to ensure "families can link to their loved ones at a distance".

She adds: "Our nursing staff in the Mater have been exceptional."

She says this is "not the way we wish to deliver care but it is a new world, so we’re doing all we can to connect".

Pat Sheehan moves on to the meeting's second witness session.

Dr Cathy Jack is chief executive of the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

She joins by video link saying the dedication of her staff is "second to none" and will take questions rather than give a formal briefing.

Image source, MICHAEL COOPER /PA

Colm Gildernew asks about the current availability of PPE in the trust.

Dr Jack says they have sufficient basic masks, gloves and aprons.

"The biggest challenge at the moment is a special type of respiratory mask," she says, adding that this is a problem worldwide.

These must be fitted specially for each user.

The trust had expected to get 10,000 of a particular mask but only received 1,000 at the beginning of the week.

Referring to another type of mask, she says they have 8,000 in stock and an assurance from the department that 30,000 more are on the way "but at the moment there is only 666 staff fit-tested for that".

Pat Sheehan, the committee's stand-in chair, asks remaining members to ask questions in sequence and allow the minister to answer as many as he can in the remaining time he has left.

Alan Chambers, UUP asks the minister about pharmacies and what measures the department is putting in place to help them deal with increasing costs of drugs.

Mr Swann says he met with community pharmacy representatives a week ago and has agreed to "put in an extra £10.5m support to them at this minute in time".

He says: "I'm aware of changes they have to make to their facilities while we get through this. They are a vital part of our fight back against COVID".

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The DUP's Alex Easton says his daughter works for a trust as part of care in the community. He says she has not been issued with a mask and was given a directive that this would be the case until someone was confirmed to have coronavirus. He asks the minister if this is the case.

Mr Swann replies that there is guidance on PPE coming from the chief medical officer and chief nursing officers as well as the RCN.

He adds: "We have supplied our own advice and guidance to those in the community care sector."

People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll asks the minister about abortion pills being accessible for women to take at home in Northern Ireland.

Mr Swann reiterates that abortion "is a cross cutting issue because of what it is in Northern Ireland and that's why I have to refer it to the executive".

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Paula Bradshaw of Alliance asks how many corporeal membrane oxygenators the minister has ordered.

She says she understands they are used when ventilation has failed and that there are only 25 in the UK.

Ms Bradshaw says there are staff in levels six, seven, eight and nine of the Belfast City Hospital "who are incredibly concerned".

"They have not been fitted yet for masks but we know that patients are already moved," the South Belfast MLA says.

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Replying to the question about oxygenators, Mr Swann says "we don't have any here in Northern Ireland".

"I don't think we currently have the staff that can do that," he says, but there is guaranteed access to a central service.

He says he'll be following up with the Belfast Trust regarding masks.