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Mandatory face masks
Q. To what extent do you support or oppose the mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public places to reduce the spread of Covid-19?
| Gender | Age group | ||||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| Strongly oppose | 5% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 8% | 2% | |
| Somewhat oppose | 8% | 10% | 6% | 12% | 9% | 3% | |
| Neither support nor oppose | 20% | 21% | 19% | 25% | 18% | 17% | |
| Somewhat support | 27% | 28% | 25% | 26% | 27% | 28% | |
| Strongly support | 41% | 36% | 46% | 34% | 38% | 50% | |
| TOTAL: Oppose | 13% | 16% | 10% | 16% | 17% | 6% | |
| TOTAL: Support | 68% | 64% | 71% | 59% | 65% | 77% | |
| Base (n) | 1,058 | 538 | 520 | 341 | 331 | 386 | |
| State | ||||||||
| Total | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | |||
| Strongly oppose | 5% | 2% | 5% | 8% | 4% | 5% | ||
| Somewhat oppose | 8% | 8% | 10% | 9% | 5% | 7% | ||
| Neither support nor oppose | 20% | 20% | 12% | 25% | 26% | 27% | ||
| Somewhat support | 27% | 31% | 20% | 25% | 27% | 31% | ||
| Strongly support | 41% | 39% | 53% | 33% | 38% | 30% | ||
| TOTAL: Oppose | 13% | 10% | 14% | 17% | 9% | 12% | ||
| TOTAL: Support | 68% | 70% | 74% | 58% | 65% | 61% | ||
| Base (n) | 1,058 | 352 | 239 | 220 | 88 | 110 | ||
- There is strong support for the mandatory use of face masks and coverings in public places, with two-thirds (68%) of participants supporting this enforcement. (either strongly or somewhat).
- Support for this position was highest among women (71% support), those over 55 years old (77%), people in NSW (70%) and Victorian residents (74%).
Effectiveness of face masks
Q. In your opinion, how effective are face masks or coverings at preventing the spread of Covid-19?
| Gender | Age group | ||||||
| Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | ||
| Very effective | 19% | 21% | 17% | 22% | 19% | 16% | |
| Quite effective | 46% | 43% | 49% | 40% | 47% | 51% | |
| Not that effective | 20% | 22% | 17% | 24% | 19% | 17% | |
| Not effective at all | 5% | 7% | 4% | 5% | 7% | 4% | |
| Unsure | 10% | 7% | 13% | 8% | 9% | 12% | |
| Base (n) | 1,058 | 538 | 520 | 341 | 331 | 386 | |
| State | |||||||
| Total | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | ||
| Very effective | 19% | 18% | 19% | 20% | 19% | 13% | |
| Quite effective | 46% | 49% | 56% | 34% | 43% | 42% | |
| Not that effective | 20% | 19% | 14% | 24% | 25% | 26% | |
| Not effective at all | 5% | 4% | 5% | 10% | 2% | 6% | |
| Unsure | 10% | 11% | 6% | 13% | 12% | 13% | |
| Base (n) | 1,058 | 352 | 239 | 220 | 88 | 110 | |
- There is widespread belief that using face masks can reduce the spread of the virus, 19% think they are very effective and 46% quite effective. Just 5% thinking they are not effective at all effective in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
- Victorians are most likely to believe masks are effective at preventing the spread of Covid-19 with 19% believing they are ‘very effective’ and 56% saying ‘quite effective’.
Expected restriction levels
Q. In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, what do you expect will happen to the restriction levels in your local area over the next two months?
| Gender | State | ||||||||
| Total | Male | Female | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | ||
| I expect restrictions will become tighter | 39% | 35% | 43% | 53% | 38% | 37% | 25% | 16% | |
| I expect no change to the restrictions | 39% | 42% | 37% | 35% | 40% | 39% | 44% | 51% | |
| I expect restrictions will have eased | 22% | 23% | 20% | 12% | 22% | 24% | 31% | 33% | |
| Base (n) | 1,058 | 538 | 520 | 352 | 239 | 220 | 88 | 110 | |
- Australians are preparing for a continuation, or tightening of restrictions over the next few months. 39% expect tighter restrictions in their local area and the same number do not expect any change to the current rules and guidelines. About one in five (22%) believe that restrictions will ease.
- Women (43%) and residents of New South Wales (53%) are most likely to expect restrictions to become tighter; while men (35%) and Western Australia residents (16%) are less likely to expect this.
Time to return to normal
Q. Thinking about the future, how long do you think it will take for the following to occur?
| LAST MONTH (22/06) | Within the next six months | Seven months up to one year | One to two years | More than two years | Never |
| A Covid-19 vaccine will be developed | 11% | 22% | 43% | 20% | 4% |
| Quarantine will no longer required after international travel | 12% | 27% | 35% | 22% | 4% |
| The housing market will return pre-pandemic levels | 11% | 22% | 38% | 25% | 4% |
| International travel will be allowed without restriction | 10% | 23% | 39% | 24% | 4% |
| Unemployment will return to pre-pandemic levels | 8% | 17% | 37% | 33% | 6% |
| The population will build resistance to Covid-19 through exposure (herd immunity) | 8% | 15% | 31% | 27% | 20% |
| Australia will pay off its national debt | 5% | 9% | 12% | 52% | 22% |
- Expectations of the effect of the Covid-19 have lengthened in the past month, with more people now thinking the impacts will last for more than two years.
- 32% expect it will be over two years before quarantine following international travel is removed (up from 22% last month). Similarly more people now think it will be over two years before housing prices (25% to 38%), unrestricted international travel (24% to 38%) and unemployment (33% to 48%) return to pre-Covid levels.
- 26% do not think a population-wide resistance to the disease will ever be achieved.
Coronavirus concerns
Q. To what extent are you concerned about the threat of Covid-19 (coronavirus) in Australia?
| 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 | 27/04 | |
| Very concerned | 36% | 25% | 28% | 27% | 32% | 30% | 33% | 34% | 32% | 39% |
| Quite concerned | 48% | 50% | 45% | 48% | 49% | 49% | 47% | 49% | 46% | 44% |
| Not that concerned | 12% | 21% | 23% | 21% | 15% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 18% | 13% |
| Not at all concerned | 3% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 3% |
| Base (n) | 1,054 | 1,079 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,059 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,067 | 1,093 | 1,054 |
| State | |||||||
| Total | NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | ||
| Very concerned | 36% | 42% | 46% | 25% | 33% | 26% | |
| Quite concerned | 48% | 46% | 45% | 49% | 44% | 55% | |
| Not that concerned | 12% | 8% | 8% | 19% | 21% | 13% | |
| Not at all concerned | 3% | 3% | 1% | 6% | 1% | 7% | |
| Base (n) | 1,054 | 320 | 281 | 226 | 82 | 98 | |
- Concern about Covid-19 has increased from last month. In June 25% said they were very concerned about the threat of Covid-19 – this has increased to 36% this week.
- Concern is highest in Victoria (46% are very concerned) and NSW (42%), while lower in Queensland (25% and Western Australia (26%).
Government response to Covid-19
Q. Overall, how would you rate the Government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 | 27/04 | |
| Very poor | 6% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Quite poor | 10% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 9% | 9% | 9% |
| Neither good, nor poor | 20% | 17% | 16% | 18% | 20% | 16% | 17% | 16% | 20% | 17% |
| Quite good | 40% | 43% | 42% | 40% | 39% | 43% | 41% | 39% | 38% | 44% |
| Very good | 24% | 27% | 30% | 30% | 28% | 30% | 32% | 32% | 28% | 26% |
| TOTAL: Poor | 16% | 12% | 11% | 12% | 12% | 11% | 11% | 13% | 14% | 13% |
| TOTAL: Good | 64% | 71% | 72% | 70% | 68% | 73% | 73% | 71% | 66% | 70% |
| Base (n) | 1,054 | 1,079 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,059 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,067 | 1,093 | 1,054 |
- Rating of the Federal Government’s handling of the crisis has declined from last month. 64% now rate the Governments response as good (Very good or quite good), down from 71% in June.
- Victoria has the lowest rating (60% rated very/quite good, down from 70% in June).
State Government response to Covid-19
Q. How would you rate your state government’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak?
| All States | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 | 27/04 |
| Very poor | 7% | 5% | 4% | 4% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 4% | 4% |
| Quite poor | 11% | 8% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 7% | 8% | 8% | 8% | 9% |
| Neither good, nor poor | 18% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 20% | 17% | 17% | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Quite good | 36% | 41% | 38% | 39% | 38% | 38% | 39% | 39% | 38% | 41% |
| Very good | 28% | 28% | 33% | 32% | 30% | 35% | 33% | 34% | 31% | 30% |
| TOTAL: Poor | 17% | 13% | 12% | 11% | 12% | 11% | 11% | 12% | 12% | 13% |
| TOTAL: Good | 64% | 69% | 71% | 71% | 68% | 73% | 72% | 73% | 70% | 70% |
| Base (n) | 1,054 | 1,079 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,059 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,067 | 1,093 | 1,054 |
| TOTAL: Good | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 | 27/04 |
| NSW | 63% | 70% | 65% | 67% | 62% | 65% | 70% | 70% | 68% | 63% |
| VIC | 49% | 65% | 75% | 72% | 71% | 73% | 71% | 71% | 72% | 77% |
| QLD | 69% | 64% | 67% | 68% | 69% | 74% | 66% | 70% | 65% | 67% |
| SA | 79% | 79% | 76% | 79% | 70% | 84% | 80% | 78% | 76% | 77% |
| WA | 77% | 75% | 77% | 84% | 79% | 83% | 86% | 83% | 79% | 76% |
- The positive rating of the State Government in Victoria has dropped from 65% in June to 49% this week. 17% think the Victorian government is doing a very good job (down from 26%) and those thinking they’ve done a quite good job has fallen from 28% to 32%.
- Southern Australia (79%) and Western Australia (77%) have the highest state government ratings at handling the crisis.
| VICTORIA ONLY | 13/07 | 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 | 27/04 |
| Very poor | 14% | 8% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Quite poor | 12% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 9% | 10% | 11% | 8% | 6% |
| Neither good, nor poor | 25% | 22% | 13% | 16% | 17% | 16% | 15% | 15% | 17% | 14% |
| Quite good | 32% | 38% | 39% | 38% | 39% | 37% | 38% | 34% | 32% | 40% |
| Very good | 17% | 26% | 36% | 34% | 33% | 36% | 33% | 37% | 40% | 37% |
| TOTAL: Poor | 26% | 13% | 11% | 12% | 11% | 11% | 14% | 14% | 11% | 9% |
| TOTAL: Good | 49% | 65% | 75% | 72% | 71% | 73% | 71% | 71% | 72% | 77% |
| Base (n) | 281 | 261 | 275 | 275 | 275 | 275 | 267 | 275 | 275 | 272 |
- At the same time, those rating the Victorian state Government’s performance as very or quite poor has doubled from 13% in June to 26% this week.
Coronavirus concerns
Q. To what extent are you concerned about the threat of Covid-19 (coronavirus) in Australia?
| 22/06 | 15/06 | 08/06 | 01/06 | 25/05 | 18/05 | 11/05 | 04/05 | 27/04 | 20/04 | |
| Very concerned | 25% | 28% | 27% | 32% | 30% | 33% | 34% | 32% | 39% | 44% |
| Quite concerned | 50% | 45% | 48% | 49% | 49% | 47% | 49% | 46% | 44% | 43% |
| Not that concerned | 21% | 23% | 21% | 15% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 18% | 13% | 11% |
| Not at all concerned | 4% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 3% | 2% |
| Base (n) | 1,079 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,059 | 1,087 | 1,073 | 1,067 | 1,093 | 1,054 | 1,051 |
COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Download this week's ReportEssential Report
Two Party Preferred:
Labor
45%
Coalition
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In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Top Federal Government priorities for 2021
- Uptake of a Covid-19 vaccine
- Perceptions of change in the standard of living for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Changing views towards Australia Day
- Support towards a separate national day
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