Q. How would you rate your state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?

• With the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown in NSW, positive rating of the state government’s response to Covid-19 has fallen steeply (down 12 percentage points from 69% in June).
• While restrictions continue to ease in Victoria, rating of the state government has improved only marginally compared to last month (now 50% from 48% in June).
• With Queensland affected by Covid-19 cases and a lockdown, rating of the state government remains moderately high but has decreased to 61% (from 65% last month).
• Despite WA also having been affected by Covid-19 cases and a lockdown, positive rating of the state government’s response to Covid-19 has improved significantly – up 11 percentage points to 86% (from 75% last month). This is consistent with the level in April.
• Rating of the SA government’s handling of Covid-19 remains high and stable at 67%.

Q. On Monday 28 June, the federal government announced several measures responding to Covid-19. They announced that all aged care workers would have to have at least their first Covid vaccine by September, and that under 40-year-olds will now be able to choose to get the AstraZeneca vaccine if they are willing to sign a waiver protecting medical professionals should they get side effects.

Bearing that in mind, do you think the federal government is doing enough or not doing enough to protect Australians from Covid-19?

• In light of the federal government’s revised Covid-19 vaccine rollout plan, just under half (46%) of Australians think the federal government is not doing enough to protect Australians from Covid-19.
• 37% think the federal government is doing enough to protect Australians from Covid-19, and 17% are unsure.
• Labor voters are the most likely to think the federal government is not doing enough in this regard (62%), followed by 56% Greens voters and 47% minor/independent party voters. 29% of Coalition voters share this view.
• Coalition voters are the most likely to think the federal government’s efforts to protect Australians from Covid-19 are sufficient (57% compared to 26% of all other voters).

Q. Which of the following statements about Australia’s international borders and the Covid-19 hotel quarantine system for returning travellers is closest to your view?

• More people think it should be the federal government’s responsibility to protect Australia’s international borders and manage the hotel quarantine system, than those who think it should be each state governments’ responsibility to quarantine travellers returning within their borders (71% to 29%).
• The expectation that managing quarantine should be a federal government responsibility has increased from 62% in February to 71% this month.
• The view that quarantine should be a federal rather than state government responsibility is held by the majority of both men and women, all age groups and voting intentions.

Q. Overall, do you think NSW moved too quickly, too slowly or at about the right speed in terms of enforcing lockdown restrictions?

[ASKED TO RESPONDENTS IN NSW ONLY]

• Half of NSW residents think the state government imposed Covid-19 lockdowns at the right speed (51%), 39% think the decision was too slow and 10% think it was made too quickly.
• Coalition voters are most likely to think the government acted at the right speed (62%), while Labor and Greens voters are most likely to say it was too slow (50% and 43%).

Q. How long do you think it will take for the following to occur in NSW?

[ASKED TO RESPONDENTS IN NSW ONLY]

• Most participants in NSW expect the lockdown restriction to be eased in the next month (76% in Sydney and 77% in other areas of NSW).
• Most think interstate travel will be allowed either within the next month (38%) or within 6 months (26%). A similar proportion also think there will be no quarantine requirements after this time (32% within the month, 20% within 6 months).
• 28% think the vaccine rollout will not be completed in under a year, 24% think it will take 1-2 years and 12% think it will take over 2 years.

Q. Thinking about Covid-19 lockdowns across Australia, to what extent are you concerned about the effect of these lockdowns on the following?

• Half of people say the Covid-19 lockdowns are giving them concern for their mental health (50% either very, or moderately concerned). There is less concern for the effect on personal relationships (39% concerned).
• Of those in paid employment, 49% say they are concerned that the Covid-19 lockdowns are impacting their work-life balance.
• Among those with dependent children in the household, 59% say they are concerned for the mental wellbeing of their children, 55% are concerned their children are falling behind at school, and 49% are concerned about their children developing behavioural issues.

Q. Which of the following is closer to your expectations of what will happen to the economy following the Covid-19 situation?

• Most people expect the economy to recover in 6-12 months following the impact of Covid-19 (41%), with a further 19% thinking it will recover in the next 2-3 months.
• Expectations of a quick recovery in the next 2-3 months is highest among men (23%), older people aged over 55 (22%) and Coalition voters (29%).
• There has been an increase in the proportion of people expecting a lengthy recession following the pandemic. 26% now expect this scenario, up from 22% last December.

Q. Which of the following statements about the Covid-19 outbreaks in Victoria and the hotel quarantine system is closest to your view?

• 59% of Australians think the Covid-19 outbreaks in Victoria are due to the fact that hotels are not designed as quarantine facilities and are not suitable as a long-term solution for quarantining returning travellers. Labor voters and Greens voters are most likely to hold this view (69% and 63% respectively).
• 41% think the Covid-19 outbreaks in Victoria are due to mistakes in the local handling of hotel quarantine and returning travellers. Coalition and minor or independent party voters are most likely to think this (49% and 48% respectively).