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Coronavirus concerns
Q. To what extent are you concerned about the threat of Covid-19 (coronavirus) in Australia?
| 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 | |
| Very concerned | 50% | 43% | 36% | 25% | 28% | 27% | 32% | 30% | 33% | 34% | 32% |
| Quite concerned | 40% | 44% | 48% | 50% | 45% | 48% | 49% | 49% | 47% | 49% | 46% |
| Not that concerned | 7% | 9% | 12% | 21% | 23% | 21% | 15% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 18% |
| Not at all concerned | 3% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% |
| Base (n) | 1,010 | 1,058 | 1,054 | 1,079 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,059 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,067 | 1,093 |
- Concern about Covid-19 has further increased with 50% of Australians ‘very concerned’, up from 43% last month.
- Concern is higher among capital city residents (92%) compared to non-capital city residents (84%), and lower among those likely to vote for an independent or other party at an election (81%) than all other voters (91%).
Information about Covid-19
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the information you’ve received about the Covid-19 outbreak?
| NET: Agree | 10/08 | 20/04 | 13/04 | 06/04 | 29/03 | 22/03 |
| I feel informed about the situation and the impact on me and my family | 69% | 66% | 71% | 70% | 63% | 64% |
| I trust the Government to provide honest and objective information about the Covid-19 outbreak | 66% | 62% | 65% | 63% | 56% | 56% |
| The information I’ve received has been clear and consistent | 62% | 55% | 58% | 52% | 47% | 51% |
| I trust the media to provide honest and objective information about the Covid-19 outbreak | 50% | 41% | 42% | 51% | 42% | 35% |
| Base (n) | 1,010 | 1,051 | 1,068 | 1,069 | 1,086 | 1,034 |
| NET: Agree | NET: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree | |
| I feel informed about the situation and the impact on me and my family | 69% | 10% | 29% | 40% | 21% | 6% | 4% |
| I trust the Government to provide honest and objective information about the Covid-19 outbreak | 66% | 14% | 28% | 38% | 20% | 8% | 8% |
| The information I’ve received has been clear and consistent | 62% | 16% | 22% | 40% | 22% | 11% | 5% |
| I trust the media to provide honest and objective information about the Covid-19 outbreak | 50% | 23% | 15% | 35% | 27% | 14% | 8% |
- Agreement with these statements has increased since April, with the greatest increase in trust in the media (was 41% now 50%).
- Broadly, participants over 55 are more likely to agree with these statements than those aged 18-34 years old.
- Men are more likely than women to disagree that they trust the Government to provide honest and objective information (18% compared to 10% disagree).
Uptake of Covid-19 vaccine
Q. If and when a vaccine for Covid-19 becomes available, how long would you wait before taking it?
| Gender | Age group | |||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | |
| I’d get vaccinated as soon as possible | 56% | 60% | 53% | 50% | 54% | 64% |
| I’d get vaccinated, but wouldn’t do it straight away | 35% | 33% | 37% | 38% | 37% | 30% |
| I’d never get vaccinated | 8% | 7% | 10% | 11% | 9% | 6% |
| Base (n) | 1,010 | 505 | 505 | 302 | 331 | 377 |
| Federal Voting Intention | ||||
| Labor | Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | |
| I’d get vaccinated as soon as possible | 66% | 57% | 43% | 44% |
| I’d get vaccinated, but wouldn’t do it straight away | 29% | 36% | 45% | 34% |
| I’d never get vaccinated | 5% | 7% | 10% | 21% |
| Base (n) | 311 | 413 | 78 | 94 |
Truth in statements about Covid-19
Q. How confident are you that the following statements about Covid-19 are true?
| TOTAL: True | TOTAL: Not true | Definitely true | Probably true | Probably not true | Definitely not true | Unsure | |
| It’s possible for people to have the virus and be contagious even if they don’t feel sick in any way | 81% | 12% | 54% | 27% | 9% | 3% | 7% |
| Masks trap the carbon dioxide people exhale close to their faces and make it harder to breathe in oxygen | 33% | 51% | 11% | 22% | 23% | 28% | 16% |
| It’s no more dangerous than a typical winter flu | 32% | 60% | 15% | 17% | 15% | 45% | 9% |
| You don’t need to wear a mask if you are physically distancing | 29% | 61% | 8% | 21% | 26% | 35% | 10% |
| The malaria drug, Hydroxychloroquine, has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for Covid-19 | 20% | 55% | 7% | 13% | 21% | 33% | 26% |
VIC: State Government response to Covid-19
Q. How would you rate your state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| VICTORIA ONLY | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 |
| Very poor | 16% | 13% | 14% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| Quite poor | 14% | 17% | 12% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 9% | 10% | 11% | 8% |
| Neither good, nor poor | 21% | 17% | 25% | 22% | 13% | 16% | 17% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 17% |
| Quite good | 28% | 34% | 32% | 38% | 39% | 38% | 39% | 37% | 38% | 34% | 32% |
| Very good | 21% | 19% | 17% | 26% | 36% | 34% | 33% | 36% | 33% | 37% | 40% |
| TOTAL: Poor | 30% | 30% | 26% | 13% | 11% | 12% | 11% | 11% | 14% | 14% | 11% |
| TOTAL: Good | 49% | 53% | 49% | 65% | 75% | 72% | 71% | 73% | 71% | 71% | 72% |
| Base (n) | 499 | 239 | 281 | 261 | 275 | 275 | 275 | 275 | 267 | 275 | 275 |
| TOTAL: Good | 10/08 | 27/07 | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 |
| NSW | 61% | 62% | 63% | 70% | 65% | 67% | 62% | 65% | 70% | 70% | 68% |
| VIC | 49% | 53% | 49% | 65% | 75% | 72% | 71% | 73% | 71% | 71% | 72% |
| QLD | 68% | 67% | 69% | 64% | 67% | 68% | 69% | 74% | 66% | 70% | 65% |
| SA | 72% | 76% | 79% | 79% | 76% | 79% | 70% | 84% | 80% | 78% | 76% |
| WA | 86% | 82% | 77% | 75% | 77% | 84% | 79% | 83% | 86% | 83% | 79% |
- Victorian’s rating of their State Government’s performance has decreased with only 49% of Victorians saying their Government’s performance has been good. This is on par with the results a month ago.
- Western Australia (86%) have the highest state government ratings for handling the crisis.
VIC: Covid-19 outbreak impact on favourability
Q. How has the Covid-19 outbreak affected your views of the following people…?
| VICTORIA ONLY | Daniel Andrews | Scott Morrison |
| Much more favourable | 24% | 25% |
| A little more favourable | 20% | 33% |
| No difference | 26% | 27% |
| A little less favourable | 10% | 7% |
| Much less favourable | 19% | 8% |
| TOTAL: More favourable | 44% | 58% |
| TOTAL: Less favourable | 29% | 15% |
| Base (n) | 499 | 499 |
- 58% of Victorians say they now have a more favourable opinion of Scott Morrison due to the Covid-19 outbreak, while 44% say the same for Daniel Andrews.
- Victorians over 55 years old and capital city residents are more likely to say their opinion of Scott Morrison has become more favourable (65% and 60% respectively) than 18-34 year olds and non-capital city residents (51% and 49%).
- Victorians over 55 years old are more likely to have a less favourable opinion of Daniel Andrews (40%) than 18-34 year olds (19%).
- Perception of the State Government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak is tied to perceptions of Daniel Andrews – those who say their state’s response is poor are more likely to say their opinion of Daniel Andrews is now less favourable, and vice versa.
VIC: Attitudes to latest Victorian restrictions
Q. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced new restrictions for the state designed to stop the spread of Covid-19. To what extent do you agree or disagree that with the following statements about the new restrictions?
| VICTORIA ONLY | TOTAL: Agree | TOTAL: Disagree | Strongly agree | Somewhat agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Somewhat disagree | Strongly disagree |
| I have a good understanding of what I am and am not allowed to do under the current restrictions | 79% | 7% | 46% | 34% | 13% | 5% | 2% |
| The restrictions affecting my area seem appropriate | 67% | 15% | 35% | 32% | 18% | 9% | 7% |
| The restrictions affecting my area will be effective at stopping the spread of Covid-19 | 60% | 13% | 25% | 35% | 27% | 8% | 5% |
| State & federal governments are doing enough to help people and businesses that are negatively affected by the restrictions | 55% | 19% | 18% | 37% | 26% | 14% | 5% |
| The changes won’t have much impact on my own lifestyle | 43% | 38% | 15% | 28% | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| [THOSE IN PAID WORK] The restrictions will have a negative effect on my work | 41% | 32% | 16% | 25% | 27% | 19% | 13% |
- 79% of Victorians agree they have a good understanding of what they are (and are not) allowed to do under the current restrictions, while 67% agree that the restrictions are appropriate and 60% agree they will be effective at stopping the spread of Covid-19.
- Only 43% of Victorians agree that the changes won’t have much impact on their lifestyle, while 41% of those in paid work agree that the restrictions will have a negative effect on their work.
| VICTORIA ONLY AND NET: AGREE | Gender | Age group | Location | |||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Capital | Non-Capital | |
| I have a good understanding of what I am and am not allowed to do under the current restrictions | 79% | 76% | 82% | 64% | 81% | 89% | 78% | 83% |
| The restrictions affecting my area seem appropriate | 67% | 67% | 67% | 57% | 67% | 74% | 68% | 64% |
| The restrictions affecting my area will be effective at stopping the spread of Covid-19 | 60% | 61% | 59% | 56% | 62% | 61% | 61% | 57% |
| State & federal governments are doing enough to help people and businesses that are negatively affected by the restrictions | 55% | 52% | 57% | 39% | 63% | 60% | 54% | 57% |
| The changes won’t have much impact on my own lifestyle | 43% | 44% | 42% | 43% | 38% | 46% | 42% | 45% |
| [IN PAID WORK] The restrictions will have a negative effect on my work | 41% | 43% | 40% | 41% | 41% | 44% | 44% | 30% |
| Base (n) | 499 | 238 | 261 | 149 | 154 | 196 | 388 | 111 |
- Victorians over 55 are more likely to agree that they have a good understanding of the restrictions (89%) and the restrictions are appropriate (74%), than those aged 18-34 years old (64% and 57%).
- 18-34 year olds are least likely to agree that state & federal governments are doing enough to help people and businesses that are negatively affected by the restrictions (39%).
- Melbourne residents are more likely than non-Melbourne residents to agree that the restrictions will have a negative effect on my work (44%, compared to 30%).
VIC: Support for Victorian restrictions
Q. How strongly do you support or oppose the following restrictions currently in place in Melbourne?
| VICTORIA ONLY | TOTAL: Support | TOTAL: Oppose | Strongly support | Somewhat support | Neither support nor oppose | Somewhat oppose | Strongly oppose |
| Impose curfew between 8pm & 5am | 72% | 12% | 51% | 21% | 15% | 6% | 6% |
| Allow only 1 person at a time per household to leave and buy groceries | 71% | 16% | 47% | 26% | 13% | 8% | 8% |
| Require most shops close, and restrict the operations of many other businesses | 70% | 15% | 42% | 28% | 15% | 7% | 8% |
| Ban people from travelling more than 5km from their house | 70% | 15% | 47% | 23% | 15% | 7% | 8% |
| VICTORIA ONLY AND NET: SUPPORT | Gender | Age group | Location | |||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Capital | Non-Capital | |
| Impose curfew between 8pm & 5am | 72% | 71% | 74% | 60% | 73% | 82% | 72% | 74% |
| Allow only 1 person at a time per household to leave and buy groceries | 71% | 70% | 72% | 61% | 73% | 77% | 69% | 78% |
| Require most shops close, and restrict the operations of many other businesses | 70% | 68% | 72% | 62% | 72% | 76% | 70% | 71% |
| Ban people from travelling more than 5km from their house | 70% | 69% | 72% | 59% | 75% | 75% | 68% | 78% |
| Base (n) | 499 | 238 | 261 | 149 | 154 | 196 | 388 | 111 |
- Victorians overwhelmingly support all the current restrictions – and support is strongest among those over 55 years old.
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
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