Rules around gathering unclear for more than half of people

MORE than half of people believe government guidelines around meeting others is unclear, while two thirds think others are not following these rules “at all well”, a survey found.

The guidance states only two households are permitted to meet indoors – including in restaurants, pubs and cafes – while up to six individuals from different households are allowed to socialise outdoors.

Any gatherings larger than six can only take place if everyone is “exclusively from two households or support bubbles”, the guidance says.

Polling data gathered by the Health Foundation and Ipsos MORI reveals 54 per cent of people think the rules around meeting others are confusing.

And three in five (62 per cent), think others are not following advice on who and how many people you can meet outside the home.

The survey also revealed a majority of the public, 56 per cent, believe that the Government has not handled the pandemic successfully.

And approval for the Government’s handling of the crisis has drastically fallen since May when 60 per cent believed the Government was handling the pandemic well, compared with just 43 per cent in July.

Similarly, half of respondents now feel the Government’s measures in response to the virus have not gone far enough and more should be done – a rise of 13 per cent since May. But approval for the Government’s response to the virus also varied by age and profession.

Those aged 65 and over are more likely to believe the Government has handled the pandemic well (48 per cent versus 43 per cent overall), while just 30 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 believe this.

Those in managerial, administrative and professional jobs are less likely to think the Government has handled the outbreak well (38 per cent vs 43 per cent overall), while almost half (49 per cent) of skilled manual workers think it has been handled well.

Dr Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of the Health Foundation, said the survey results show the “declining public confidence in how the Government is handling the situation”.

“The survey shows the public are willing to support further measures to reduce the impact of the pandemic, but many are still unclear on what precautions they need to take,” she said. “Increasing confidence in and clarity from the Government will be critical as we face further risks from Covid-19 this winter.”

Over half (57 per cent) of respondents said they do not feel other people are following the guidance on staying safe when outside the home, and 59 per cent said guidance around visiting places, such as pubs, shops and attending gatherings, is not being followed well.