Local Perception on
the New COVID-19 Measures
25/03/2021
The Public’s Perception on the New COVID-19 Measures
25/03/2021
On March 4th 2021, the Maltese government announced new measures to combat the spike in COVID-19 cases. Onest Data carried out a study to understand the nation’s impressions of these new restrictions.
The survey is based on over 300 respondents, where 74% of the respondents are female, and 27% are aged between 60-69 years-old. The full demographic data is shown below:
Melanie Valenzia,
Market Research Analyst Intern
Fact: I try to walk 10,000 steps a day
Melanie Valenzia,
Market Research Analyst Intern
Fact: I try to walk 10,000 steps a day
On March 4th 2021, the Maltese government announced new measures to combat the spike in COVID-19 cases. Onest Data carried out a study to understand the nation’s impressions of these new restrictions.
The survey is based on over 300 respondents, where 74% of the respondents are female, and 27% are aged between 60-69 years-old. The full demographic data is shown below:
37% of respondents are employed full-time while 31% are retired. 58% of participants do not live with a vulnerable person and 91% have never been infected with COVID-19. At the time of this study, most participants had not been given the COVID-19 vaccine.
When asked how concerned they are with the COVID-19 situation, 46% of respondents said they are extremely concerned. 58% of participants aged 70+ years-old are mostly extremely concerned about the COVID-19, while 53% of those aged 20-29 years-old are concerned. The age group with the highest volume of participants who are not at all concerned with the current COVID-19 situation is those aged 40-49 years-old, at 9%.
Since the start of the pandemic, the majority of respondents claim that the following have increased;
- Worry about the health of family & friends
- Stress
- Anxiety
While the following have decreased;
- Motivation
- Physical exercise
- Ability to stick to a routine
The majority of participants actively follow local COVID-19 updates, primarily through social media sources.
99% of respondents are aware of the new local COVID-19 measures, and 64% believe that they should have been implemented earlier because the number of active cases is too high. Most people would definitely or probably anonymously report someone who is breaking the new measures.
When respondents were asked why they believe that these new measures are not necessary, 43% of participants believe that these new measures are unfair to business owners, and 37% believe that they are robbing students of their education.
Prohibiting weddings is perceived to be the most effective measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19, followed by the closure of gyms and limiting public gatherings to groups of 4 people.
Finally, the overall average level of confidence respondents (Maltese & Foreign Nationals) have in the Government & Health Authorities is 4/10. This rating is slightly higher for Maltese respondents who rate their level of confidence in the Government & Health Authorities as 5/10, while that of foreign nationals is 4/10.
