77 per cent of Courier readers are concerned about going back out in public

According to our a recent survey by the Halifax Courier, over three-quarters of our readers are concerned about going back out in to public.

We are now 52 days into the lockdown, and readers of the Halifax Courier have had their say on how and when restrictions should be eased.

Our lockdown survey gives an insight into how the coronavirus crisis has impacted people in our region and what they would like to see happen in the coming weeks and months. Readers were asked 25 questions, covering subjects such as how they have spent their lockdown, mental health, how they have digested news and how the Government has handled lockdown

The majority of Courier readers who completed our survey said they felt very or slightly concerned about going to public places such as shops, bars, restaurants and cinemas once lockdown is eased. By comparison, on a national level, 41% answered ‘slightly concerned’, 37% answered‘very concerned’, 12% answered ‘not very concerned’ and 10% answered ‘not at all concerned’.

Of those who took part in the survey, the majority of Courier readers said that visits to family and friends should be given the highest level of priority when restrictions are eased.

We also asked people which of the following - garden centres, DIY stores, fast food restaurants, takeaway coffee chains and electrical stores - they would be most keen to visit if they were reopened in the near future, with social distancing measures in place. Most respondents said they were keen to reopen garden centres.

Readers were keen to avoid being in big crowds, with attendance at large events, such as festivals, music concerts and sporting events, being voted as what should be given the lowest level of priority as lockdown is eased.

When asked how well they thought the UK Government had handled the coronavirus crisis, around 12 per cent of Courier readers said ‘very well’, 37.7 per cent said ‘quite well’, 21.85 per cent said ‘not very well’, while 26.7 per cent stated ‘not well at all’.

The national average, by comparison, was 12% for ‘very well’, 34% for ‘quite well’, 24% for ‘not very well’ and 28% for ‘not at all well’.

When asked how clear the UK Government’s lockdown guidance had been so far, the majority of Courier readers who took part in the survey responded quite clear. The national average on this issue was: 30% said ‘very clear’, 35% said ‘quite clear’, 22% said ‘not very clear’ and 14% said ‘not at all clear.’