Polling shows most Canadians following social distancing

Photo: Angus Reid Institute

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise and stricter controls are set in place by the governments, a new poll shows that Canadian's have changed their behaviour drastically over the last seven weeks.

The new normal, which would have seemed inconceivable at the start of February, now includes people persistently washing their hands, practicing social distancing and staying home. This is all being done in an effort to stop the potential spread of the highly infectious COVID-19 virus.

According to a poll from the Angus Reid Institute, 85 per cent of Canadians are staying away from others, 84 per cent are not touching others, and 81 per cent are staying out of public places.

In addition to the spread of COVID-19, anxiety levels are also spiking. Seventy-six per cent of Canadians are worried over the financial toll the virus will take on their households and careers. This has also lead to a softened level of confidence in their local health care systems, as health officials are warning of an influx of new cases.

In B.C. all elective surgeries have been cancelled in order to allow room for future COVID-19 patients. Despite this, last month the confidence in community healthcare facilities dropped by 16 points. In Ontario confidence dropped by 22 points. However, 53 per cent of Canadians still have confidence in their healthcare systems when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

People living in Quebec are near-unanimous in agreeing that the provincial government is handling things well at 93 per cent. Every provincial government has reportedly been doing a good job, according to at least 71 per cent of their constituents.

Looking at the federal government, Canadians are increasingly agreeing that they are performing well during the pandemic, with 64 per cent, including 46 per cent of Conservatives. 

Lastly, four-in-five Canadians believe it will take at least three months or longer to get back to what is considered their normal lives.