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Views towards ‘living with’ Covid-19: Preference for elimination vs suppression strategies

31 Aug 2021

Q. Thinking about Australia’s path out of the Covid-19 pandemic, which of the following strategies do you think Australia should pursue?

  Total Gender Age Group Federal Voting Intention
Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Labor TOTAL: Coalition Greens TOTAL: Other
Get Covid-19 cases down as close to zero as possible 44% 42% 46% 53% 44% 36% 52% 37% 53% 31%
Live with a few cases of Covid-19, as long as there are very few hospitalisations and deaths 44% 43% 45% 39% 45% 47% 41% 48% 38% 41%
Live with Covid-19, even if there are hospitalisations and deaths 12% 15% 9% 8% 11% 17% 7% 15% 10% 28%
Base (n) 1,100 539 561 341 374 385 388 405 90 119

 

  State
NSW VIC QLD SA WA
Get Covid-19 cases down as close to zero as possible 38% 37% 50% 51% 59%
Live with a few cases of Covid-19, as long as there are very few hospitalisations and deaths 50% 46% 39% 41% 35%
Live with Covid-19, even if there are hospitalisations and deaths 11% 18% 11% 8% 6%
Base (n) 349 276 219 89 111
  • 44% of people prefer a strategy to get Covid-19 cases down as close to zero as possible. The same proportion think we need to live with a few cases of Covid-19, as long as there are very few hospitalisations and deaths (44%).
  • 12% are willing to live with Covid-19, even if there are hospitalisations and deaths. Those most likely to have this position include men (15%), those aged over 55 (17%), and minor/independent party voters (28%).
  • Victorians are more likely than residents in other states to want to live with Covid-19, even if there are hospitalisations and deaths (18%).
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