Poll shows majority worried about getting infected in Covid-19 second wave
More than 63 per cent of Thais are concerned about contracting the Covid-19 virus while nearly 70 per cent are satisfied with the government’s lockdown measures, the latest NIDA Poll on people’s opinions regarding the new wave of Covid-19 revealed on Sunday.
The survey was conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration from February 1-3 among 1,315 Thais above 15 years of age from all provinces.
The survey found that 25.86 per cent of respondents were "highly concerned" about contracting the virus, while 37.79 per cent were "moderately concerned", as the number of infections during the new wave has been growing more rapidly than during the first wave in early 2020.
Some 18.86 per cent of respondents said they were only a little concerned about being infected but they were still confident that the authorities and medical personnel could contain the outbreak. Some 17.49 per cent said they had no concern, as most people were implementing preventive measures and stayed away from crowded areas to minimise the chance of the virus spreading.
Compared to NIDA’s previous survey in June 2020, the number of respondents who have high to moderate concern has gone up from 46.3 per cent to 63.6 per cent, while the number of respondents who have little to no concern have gone down from 53.7 to 36.4 per cent.
When asked about the government’s measures imposed since December 2020 to contain the outbreak, 27.6 per cent of respondents said they were "highly satisfied", while 42.13 said they were "moderately satisfied" that the lockdown measures have been swift, comprehensive and not too strict as to affect most people’s livelihood. Some 20.99 per cent of respondents said they were "somewhat dissatisfied" that the lockdown measures on some activities, such as parties and interprovincial travel, were not strict enough. Some 9.28 per cent of respondents said they were not satisfied and wanted the government to impose a nationwide lockdown just like during the first wave.
When asked about their plans of getting a Covid-19 vaccine, 63.12 per cent of respondents said that they were planning to get a free vaccine provided by the government, 23.57 per cent said that they would not get vaccinated, 7.98 per cent said that they would get vaccinated at a private hospital once they get the greenlight from the government, by paying out of their own pocket, while 5.33 per cent of respondents said they do not have a plan yet.