Two-thirds want lockdowns to end and ‘zero Covid’ policies abandoned, YouGov survey finds

More than two-thirds of Australians want lockdowns to end as soon as possible and don’t believe returning to zero Covid-19 cases is possible, a YouGov survey reveals.

More than two-thirds of Australia want lockdowns to end as soon as possible or when the country hits an 80 per cent vaccination rate, a new survey says. Picture: Dylan Coker

More than two-thirds of Australians want lockdowns to end as soon as possible, don’t believe returning to zero Covid-19 cases is possible, and think lockdowns should be lifted after 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated, a new YouGov survey reveals.

The NSW lockdown has sparked a marked shift in public attitudes towards Covid-19 restrictions, vaccination and government control, according to the poll taken for the Centre for Independent Studies think tank.

A YouGov survey found a total of 71 per cent believed Covid- 19 restrictions and lockdowns should be raised either as soon as possible or after the national cabinet’s agreed vaccine thresholds were reached.

Less than a quarter wanted some restrictions to continue until complete elimination of Covid-19 (13 per cent) or even to continue after the pandemic (13 per cent).

The CIS authors of the report, Robert Carling and Simon Cowan, said 37 per cent of people want restrictions ended as soon as possible, and a further 34 per cent want them ended when vaccine thresholds are met.

“There is considerable support for so-called ‘vaccine passports’, with 60 per cent approving of their use by state governments to regulate entry to a state and 55 per cent agreeing that businesses should be allowed to demand them as a condition of entry or service,” Mr Carling said.

“Responses indicated there has been a loss of trust in the government, and also in other members of the community.”

 

The most supported vaccine threshold for lifting restrictions was the Doherty Institute’s upper recommendation of 80 per cent, which has been promoted by Scott Morrison, with 43 per cent supporting the target.

A further 18 per cent nominated the vaccination of people “most at risk” at the best point to open up.

Ten per cent of respondents nominated a threshold of having everyone, including children vaccinated, and 22 per cent argued for a threshold of offering every adult the opportunity for vaccination.

A large majority, 62 per cent, believed it was unlikely that Covid-19 would ever be eliminated from the community and more people, 49 per cent, agreed there should be mandatory vaccinations, compared with those against on 38 per cent.

A much higher proportion of respondents, 60 per cent to 27 per cent against, supported states having the power to refuse entry to unvaccinated people.

The strongest support for lifting restrictions and accepting vaccination thresholds was in hard-hit NSW, with 77 per cent.