WA speaks on COVID-19
March 18, 2020As a leading research company, it’s important we keep our ear to the ground about what’s going on in the community.
And with so much currently happening with coronavirus and our collective response to it, it’s more important than ever!
Fortunately, our People’s Voice survey helps us do just that. We’ve once again teamed up with RewardingViews.com.au and The West Australian newspaper to hear from almost 900 Aussies on how they’re feeling about the current state of COVID-19, what they’ve done so far in response, and how they feel about the way forward.
You may have even seem some of the results in today’s issue of The West…
We’ve boiled down some of the more interesting findings from what people think. Explore them below!
Q1. Which of the following, if any, have you done in preparation for or in response to the coronavirus?
- Over two thirds (68%) say they have improved their hand hygiene practices in response to COVID-19
- Almost 1 in 10 (8%) have bought face masks
- Only 16% admitted they had stocked up on toilet paper, but almost a third (30%) admitted to stocking up on food
- These results were broadly consistent across age and gender subgroups
Q2. Which of the following, if any, do you think should be cancelled / postponed / closed down as a result of the coronavirus?
- The majority (66%) clearly support the government’s decision to cancel, postpone or close down any gatherings with 500+ people; large-crowd sporting events (also 66%) and music festivals and concerts (64%)
- Half (51%) of the community also believe the Olympics should be cancelled
- Most currently believe schools and universities should remain open, with only 29% and 28% respectively believing they should be closed
Interesting sub-group findings:
- Support for cancelling a range of events and activities is significantly higher among older members of the community aged over 60, which makes sense given their higher risk. In particular, agreement for cancelling large-crowd sport events and 500+ people gatherings increases with age.
- Only 59% of Aussies under 40 think large-crowd Sport events should be cancelled, compared to 66% of 40-59 y/o’s and 80% of over 60 y/o’s
- Only 59% of Aussies under 40 think 500+ people gathering should be cancelled, compared to 65% of 40-59 y/o’s and 77% of over 60 y/o’s
Q3. How confident do you feel that WA is prepared for a pandemic?
- Almost a third (29%) of West Aussies don’t feel confident that WA is prepared for a pandemic. Moreover, only 1 in 5 (20%) feel very confident we’re prepared.
Interesting sub-group findings:
- Older West Australians over 60 feel the most confident that WA is prepared (66% of 60+ year-olds are confident compared to 49% of those under 60).
Q4. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the government has been fully open and honest about the risks and implications of the coronavirus?
- Overall, while the largest proportion agree, there appears to be some scepticism / reservations that the government is being fully upfront – only 1 in 7 (14%) strongly agree that it is being full open and honest, and 1 in 4 (24%) disagree.
Interesting sub-group findings:
- Over 60yo’s are least sceptical about this. They are significantly more likely to strongly agree that the govt has been fully open and honest (61%, compared to 52% of 40-59 y/o’s and 45% of 18-39 y/o’s).
Q5. Do you think Australia should close its borders to all international travellers?
- The majority (74%) of the community believe Australia should close its borders to international travellers – and this is consistent across age groups.
Interesting sub-group findings:
- Women are significantly more likely to think we should shut down the borders (77% of women said Yes compared to 67% of men).
Things are happening fast, and updates and advice change rapidly as new information comes to light. We’ll be checking in with the community regularly over the coming weeks and months – in the meantime, stay safe and be kind to one another!
