Canadians are increasingly worried about contracting COVID-19 right across the country, according to a new survey.
In a new poll released by the Angus Reid Institute, the data finds concerns about becoming infected is once again on the rise after declining in each of the last three months.
Month-by-month concerns of Canadians contracting COVID-19.
Angus Reid said that three-in-five Canadians – or roughly 59 per cent – say they are worried about getting sick. That is an increase of 13 points from June.
Despite the increasing concerns, the research institute finds that many Canadians have yet to adopt one of the key mitigation suggestions from top doctors.
When looking at the findings, Angus Reid suggests that only one-in-five Canadians – 20 per cent – say they always wear a mask then they go into public. Another 35 per cent point to wearing a mask “most of the time.”
On the other hand, one-in-three Canadians (32 per cent) said they rarely wear one while 13 per cent said they never do.
For those who find themselves not wearing a mask constantly, Angus Reid said the key reason is they feel cognizant of social distancing rules. This made up 28 per cent of those surveyed.
Others point to either forgetting (26 per cent), describing it as uncomfortable (23 per cent) or are not worried about getting sick (20 per cent).
Reasons why people are opting not to wear a mask (Angus Reid).
“Worry about becoming sick plays a significant role in a person’s likelihood to wear a mask,” said Angus Reid in their poll report.
“Four-in-five (81%) of those who are very worried about contracting the virus say they wear a mask always or most of the time. Four-in-five (85%) of those who are not worried at all about becoming sick say they rarely or never wear one.”
The institute also noted that support for a mandatory mask policy is higher than the rate of personal usage. Angus Reid points to three-quarters of Canadians (74 per cent) suggesting they would be fine if a mask-wearing policy was implemented in their community.
In British Columbia, support for making masks mandatory is over 73 per cent, while Alberta (60 per cent) and Saskatchewan (55 per cent) are on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Graham Cox
