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March 23, 2022 - 7:00 AM
More than half of British Columbians still see COVID-19 as a threat, with many keeping their masks on even after restrictions were lifted.
A recent survey shows 57% of B.C. residents still see COVID-19 as a threat, which is just 1% higher than national results.
Research Co. conducted the survey last week with 1,000 Canadians to gauge how the public feels about the ongoing threat of COVID-19 and government responses.
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According to survey results, 68% of Canadians always keep their mask on when going out, but 62% of British Columbians tend to remove their masks more often.
Respondents answered the survey between March 14 and 16, which was just days after B.C. repealed most of its mask requirements for indoor spaces.
As for whether Canadians feel the worst of the pandemic has passed, responses were mixed. Half of both Canadians and British Columbians were uncertain but felt "the worst is probably behind us," while about 20% of respondents were more certain that the pandemic is reaching its end.
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A clear response from the survey showed older Canadians are more cautious when it comes to COVID-19. Three-quarters of people aged 55 or older are keeping their masks on, compared to 60% from 18 to 34 years old.
While less than half of people in the younger category still view the virus as a "real threat," 67% of people aged 55 or older had the same view.
The survey also asked respondents about how satisfied they were with how their government's responded to the pandemic, which yielded mixed results.
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Across the country, roughly 40% of Canadians were "somewhat satisfied" with federal, provincial and municipal government responses to the pandemic, with varied results leaning towards either favourably or unhappy with what governments have done. In B.C., for example, 21% of people were very satisfied with the provincial response, while 19% held the opposite view.
The results do not, however, show whether Canadians felt there should have been more or less public health protections to keep COVID-19 in check.
As the province prepares to lift many remaining restrictions on April 8, including the use of vaccine passports, the provincial government is asking residents to tell it how they feel about the past two years.
Individuals, businesses or organizations affected by the government's actions during the pandemic can provide input here, and results are expected to be published this fall.
Results are based on an online study conducted from March 14 to March 16, 2022, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
The full results of the Research Co. survey can be found here.
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