Kiwis found level 3 ‘steps’ confusing
Taxpayer-funded polling shows the public was confused about the Government’s move to a ‘‘three-step’’ version of alert level 3.
The confusion was worsened as the public were not sure whether or not the Government was changing its strategy from eradicating Covid-19 to simply controlling it – something that ministers gradually admitted.
The Government commissions regular polling and panel interviews on its Covid-19 response through the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, which Stuff has obtained under the Official Information Act.
A series of reports across the Delta outbreak show that the public went from a fairly strong understanding of level 4 to serious confusion about the level 3 ‘‘steps’’ – that have allowed Aucklanders to gather outside and visit retail stores.
In late August when the whole country was in level 4 that polling found widespread understanding of the rules, with around 80 per cent saying they were either ‘‘easy’’ or ‘‘very easy’’ to follow, according to a survey by The Research Agency.
Kiwis were also generally supportive of the Covid-19 response, with 72 per cent saying it was heading in the right direction on August 19.
The level 4 lockdown itself also had broad support, with 49 per cent feeling either ‘‘happy about it’’ or ‘‘OK about it,’’ and a further 30 per cent feeling ‘‘unhappy about it, but think it’s the right thing to do’’.
In early October, the Government changed the way alert level 3 works, introducing three ‘‘steps’’ within the alert level which allowed for outdoor gatherings and retail to open.
Panel interviews from Moana Research showed widespread confusion with this change.
‘‘Step changes were unclear to almost everyone interviewed,’’ the researchers wrote. ‘‘Confusion is adding to the ambiguity of what the overall strategy is [is government moving away from elimination without stating that this is what’s happening?].’’
This was the case across several ethnic groups interviews. One South Asian interviewee said the ‘‘core message’’ had been complicated.
The European sample group was generally feeling depressed about the Covid-19 situation at this point and was looking for a path beyond lockdown.
There was a feeling the lockdown was a ‘‘band-aid solution and a clear path forward is needed’’.