ARE PEOPLE WORRYING
In contrast to worries easing in the Netherlands and Germany, the level of concern has not changed in the UK and remains high (around 20 percentage points higher than in NL and DE). This is despite the number of daily deaths and new infections continuing to fall in June and indicates that many people are going about their daily lives with a lot of caution.
Question: Are you worried about the coronavirus? % yes
ARE PEOPLE TAKING PREVENTIVE MEASURES
This caution is also reflected in the level of compliance with taking measures remaining very high in the UK. Compliance has been above 90% since lockdown began and the easing of the measures has not driven it down. Levels of compliance are also high in the Netherlands and Germany but there is a sign of that softening as both countries edge ahead of the UK in terms of returning to ‘normality’.
Question: Have you taken any measures to prevent infection with the coronavirus? % yes
WHICH MEASURES ARE TAKEN
Most people are continuing to take measures that keep them distanced from others. This means avoiding contact in everyday situations as well as staying away from crowds and busy places. In line with the higher levels of concern overall, people in the UK are much more likely to avoid contact with others than in the Netherlands and Germany. This is also the case for the behaviour of staying at home as much as possible.
HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
Trust in what the government is saying and doing continues to erode. During June, when non-essential retail was able to re-open and the announcement was made that pubs, restaurants and hairdressers could re-open on 4th July, the level of satisfaction with the information being provided by the UK government fell significantly. This may in part be down to the daily government briefings stopping in June but may also indicate confusion with guidelines as more measures are eased. In addition, the % agreeing that the government is doing enough to stop the spread of the virus is at its lowest level through all of lockdown – only 4 in 10 agreeing.
HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT THE MEDIA
When it comes to the media, 1 in 3 of people find that the media is paying too much attention to the coronavirus, the figure remaining consistent from the last measurement.
On holiday
For those taking any kind of holiday this year, the biggest impact on normal behaviour when they’re away is expected to be making less contact with other people. In other words, being just as cautious as when at home, even in a more relaxed context. There is expected to be impact on other holiday activities, just to a lesser extent.
Expectations for the future
The personal impact of the Coronavirus is felt more strongly in the UK vs the Netherlands and Germany. People’s biggest concerns are for their own physical and mental wellbeing as well as those closest to them. Around a third of people in the Netherlands and Germany expect barely any changes to their personal situations. In the UK, it’s just a fifth.
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RESEARCH METHOD DVJ INSIGHTS
The sample for this study consists of over 500 people per measurement. This number is large enough for reliable results. In addition, a representative sample by gender and age, education level and region were used. Based on this sampling method, we can state that the results represent the opinion of the United Kingdom as it was at the time of measurement.