Coronavirus Global situation
Britons less worried about Covid-19 as vaccine roll-out makes headway, survey finds
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A woman training her pet parrot in Primrose Hill, London, on Monday following the easing of lockdown restrictions as Britain makes headway with its Covid-19 vaccination programme. The proportion of respondents in a poll who cited Covid-19 as a big issue for the country fell to 49 per cent from 72 per cent last month, although the pandemic remained the single biggest concern.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON • People in Britain are much less worried about the coronavirus pandemic than they were just a month ago as the country makes headway with its vaccination programme, an opinion poll showed yesterday.
The proportion of respondents who cited Covid-19 as a big issue for the country dropped to 49 per cent from 72 per cent last month, although it remained the single biggest concern, polling firm Ipsos Mori said.
Britain has suffered Europe's highest Covid-19 death toll, but has raced ahead of other European countries with its coronavirus vaccinations this year.
More than 30 million Britons have received their first Covid-19 shots in the fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe, with the aim of offering shots to all adults by the end of July.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, along with his counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is gradually easing restrictions.
"Concern is notably lower among older age groups, which may suggest the vaccination campaign is having an impact on public perceptions - although worries are also lower among the youngest Britons who will not yet have been vaccinated," said Mr Mike Clemence, associate research director at Ipsos Mori.
Brexit also fell down the list of worries and was mentioned as a concern by 26 per cent of respondents, its joint-lowest level since the referendum decision to leave the European Union in 2016.
But there were significant increases in concerns about the health service, poverty, education and housing, the poll showed.
Ipsos Mori interviewed 1,009 people between March 5 and March 11.
REUTERS
