Preferred long-term approach to Australia’s quarantine system
Q. Which of the following do you think should be Australia’s long-term approach to safely quarantining international travellers?
Sep ‘21 | June ‘21 | |
Hotel quarantine | 6% | 9% |
Purpose-built quarantine facilities | 49% | 65% |
Home quarantine | 32% | 16% |
Unsure | 13% | 10% |
Base (n) | 1,094 | 1,087 |
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Hotel quarantine | 6% | 7% | 5% | 12% | 6% | 2% | 6% | 6% | 8% | 8% |
Purpose-built quarantine facilities | 49% | 47% | 51% | 37% | 43% | 64% | 50% | 54% | 47% | 37% |
Home quarantine | 32% | 35% | 30% | 35% | 37% | 25% | 34% | 31% | 35% | 37% |
Unsure | 13% | 11% | 15% | 17% | 14% | 8% | 10% | 8% | 10% | 18% |
Base (n) | 1,094 | 539 | 555 | 341 | 368 | 385 | 366 | 397 | 101 | 130 |
- There has been a shift in attitudes towards quarantine requirements in the past three months. Preference for international travellers to stay in home quarantine has doubled since June, from 16% to 32%.
- Meanwhile, those preferring purpose-built quarantine facilities has declined from 65% to 49%, though this remains the most preferred solution.
- Switching preference from purpose-built quarantine to at-home is seen across all demographics, for example with both men and women are less likely to prefer purpose-built quarantine facilities (men falling from 60% to 47% and women from 71% to 51%).
- There continues to be little support for hotel quarantine as a long-term solution, with just 6% selecting this option (9% in June).
Views towards federal vs state government responsibility to manage Covid-19 hotel quarantine system
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?
05/07 | 15/02 | |
It should be the federal government’s responsibility to protect Australia’s international borders and manage the hotel quarantine system | 71% | 62% |
It should be each state governments’ responsibility to quarantine travellers returning within their borders and the federal government should be left out of this | 29% | 38% |
Base (n) | 1,099 | 1,109 |
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
It should be the federal government’s responsibility to protect Australia’s international borders and manage the hotel quarantine system | 71% | 73% | 69% | 63% | 74% | 75% | 75% | 65% | 69% | 76% |
It should be each state governments’ responsibility to quarantine travellers returning within their borders and the federal government should be left out of this | 29% | 27% | 31% | 37% | 26% | 25% | 25% | 35% | 31% | 24% |
Base (n) | 1,099 | 539 | 560 | 341 | 373 | 385 | 404 | 388 | 87 | 114 |
- 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.
Views towards Victorian Covid-19 outbreaks and the hotel quarantine system
Q. Which of the following statements about the Covid-19 outbreaks in Victoria and the hotel quarantine system is closest to your view?
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
The Covid-19 outbreaks in Victoria are due to mistakes in the local handling of hotel quarantine and returning travellers | 41% | 43% | 39% | 45% | 39% | 39% | 31% | 49% | 37% | 48% |
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 | 59% | 57% | 61% | 55% | 61% | 61% | 69% | 51% | 63% | 52% |
Base (n) | 1,087 | 527 | 560 | 328 | 374 | 385 | 378 | 407 | 98 | 102 |
- 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).
Preferred long-term approach to Australia’s quarantine system
Q. Which of the following do you think should be Australia’s long-term approach to safely quarantining international travellers?
Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | |||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Hotel quarantine | 9% | 9% | 8% | 14% | 9% | 5% | 7% | 12% | 9% | 6% |
Purpose-built quarantine facilities | 65% | 60% | 71% | 49% | 64% | 80% | 75% | 64% | 57% | 62% |
Home quarantine | 16% | 21% | 11% | 22% | 16% | 10% | 12% | 16% | 23% | 19% |
Unsure | 10% | 10% | 10% | 15% | 11% | 5% | 6% | 8% | 11% | 13% |
Base (n) | 1,087 | 527 | 560 | 328 | 374 | 385 | 378 | 407 | 98 | 102 |
- The majority (65%) of Australians think purpose-built quarantine facilities should be Australia’s long-term approach to safely quarantining international travellers. While this is the majority view across all demographics measured, women (71%), those aged over 55 (80%), and Labor voters (75%) are the most likely to think purpose-built quarantine facilities are the way forward.
- Only 9% think hotel quarantine should be the long-term solution. 16% think home quarantine is the best approach, and 10% are unsure.
Views towards federal vs state government responsibility to manage Covid-19 hotel quarantine system
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?
Total | Federal Voting Intention | ||||
Labor | TOTAL: Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
It should be the federal government’s responsibility to protect Australia’s international borders and manage the hotel quarantine system | 62% | 63% | 59% | 57% | 67% |
It should be each state governments’ responsibility to quarantine travellers returning within their borders and the federal government should be left out of this | 38% | 37% | 41% | 43% | 33% |
Base (n) | 1,109 | 359 | 428 | 101 | 131 |
- 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 (62% to 38%).
- The view that this should be a federal rather than state government responsibility is consistent across all voting intentions.
VIC: View on hotel quarantine outbreak
Q. Information released by health authorities suggests that Victoria’s Covid-19 outbreak started with breaches in hotel quarantine. Which of the following is closer to your view…?
VICTORIA ONLY | Gender | Age group | Location | |||||
Total | Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Capital | Non-Capital | |
This is mostly about individuals being irresponsible, and the focus should be on forcing them to be more responsible | 56% | 52% | 61% | 62% | 63% | 46% | 55% | 62% |
This is mostly about failures in the system, with jobs in the security industry being insecure and workers not being given enough training | 44% | 48% | 39% | 38% | 37% | 54% | 45% | 38% |
Base (n) | 499 | 238 | 261 | 149 | 154 | 196 | 388 | 111 |
- More than half of Victorians believe the breaches in quarantine are mostly about individuals being irresponsible (56%) than failures in the system (44%).
- Women (61%) and 18-34 year olds (62%) are more likely to think this is about individuals, while men (48%) and those over 55 (54%) believe this is a systemic issue.

COVID-19 RESEARCH
Read Essential's ongoing research on the public response to Covid-19.
Essential Report
In this week's report:
- Performance of Scott Morrison
- Performance of Anthony Albanese
- Preferred Prime Minister
- Views towards re-electing the federal Coalition government
- Party trust to handle issues
- Importance of Australia’s international reputation
- Scott Morrison’s impact on Australia’s international reputation
- Views towards Australia’s international reputation
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