Views on Pandemic Worsen Considerably Across Canada

Only 47% of Canadians think the worst of COVID-19 is “behind us”, down 18 points since November.  

Vancouver, BC [December 17, 2021] – Fewer than half of Canadians are optimistic about the future ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new Research Co. poll has found.  

In the online survey of a representative national sample, 47% of Canadians say that the worst of the pandemic is “behind us”, down 18 points since a similar Research Co. poll conducted in November.  

A third of Canadians (33%, +12) believe the worst of COVID-19 is “ahead of us”, while 20% (+5) are not sure.  

“More than half of Canadians aged 18-to-34 (55%) and aged 35-to-54 (52%) believe that the pandemic will not worsen,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Only 37% of those aged 55 and over feel the same way.”  

Across the country, 85% of Canadians (=) consider COVID-19 as a real threat.There is little movement in the level of satisfaction that Canadians express when asked to rate the way their municipal (64%, +1), federal (63%, +1) and provincial governments (62%, +3) have dealt with the pandemic.  

More than two thirds of residents of Quebec (72%, -4) and British Columbia (68%, +6) believe that their provincial administrations have handled COVID-19 well. The rating is stagnant in Ontario (56%, =). Alberta continues to hold the lowest numbers among the four most populous provinces, but saw its standing improve markedly, from 29% in December to 42% this month.  

More than four-in-five Canadians (83%, +2) are in favour of requiring all customers or visitors entering an indoor premise to wear a mask or face covering while inside. Just over three-in-four Canadians (76%, +6) say they wear a mask every time they go out.  

The notion of allowing K-12 students to go back to in-class learning is supported by 69% of Canadians (-5).  

Sizeable proportions of Canadians continue to support the use of a “vaccine passport” for specific endeavours, including travel to other countries (73%, -1 since November), to go to the theatre or cinema (72%, +3), to go to live concerts (also 71%, +1), to go to live sporting events (also 71%, +1), to visit a gym or fitness facility (also 71%, +1), for travel to other Canadian provinces (also 71%, +1), to be able to work at an office (68%, +1) and for travel inside the same province (66%, +1).

Methodology:
Results are based on an online study conducted from December 8 to December 10, 2021, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
 

Find our data tables here and download the press release here. 

For more information on this poll, please contact:

Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.

778.929.0490