Over half the population expected life to be back to normal in six months
More than 50 per cent of people thought life would be back to normal within six months when the UK first went into lock down, a new report has found.
But the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that by late last month more than a third of those surveyed said the pandemic would last more than a year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the nationwide lockdown on 23 March, with people told to stay at home, social events cancelled and all non- essential shops closed. On 1 April, 52 per cent of people surveyed said they thought life would be back to normal in less than six months compared to nearly 11 per cent who said it would be more than a year, the ONS said.
But by 28 August, the proportion who felt it would be less than six months had fallen to 14 per cent, while 37 per cent said it would be more than 12 months, it added.
Levels of anxiety and happiness saw the greatest change when lock down was introduced, compared with pre - pandemic levels, the ONS said.
One respondent in April said: “Am unable to do any of the things which normally fill my life and keep loneliness at bay, ie visiting friends, shopping, visiting places of interest, seeing children.”
As lock down measures eased over the summer and social activity picked up, loneliness also increased, the ONS said.
A fifth of adults reported feeling lonely in mid-june, it said, suggesting their feelings may have intensified because many others were going out and socialising again.
Others were fearful to leave their home, with one respondent saying they wore a face mask to put the bins out.
One respondent in June said: “I still don’t feel safe when I go outside, not everyone keeps their distance.”
Another added :“I felt nervous when going into an enclosed space such as the garden centre.
“I have lost a bit of self- confidence about being near other people in case they don’t respect social distancing.”
The data published yesterday comes from the weekly Opinions and Lifestyle Survey.
The survey also found that b et ween 7 May and 7 June, nearly nine in ten (87 per cent) parents said a child in their household had been homeschooled because of coronavirus.
But only half of adults said they felt confident in their abilities to homeschool their children and 43 per cent said home-schooling was negatively affecting their child’s wellbeing.