Vast majority of public staying home while many believe the Covid-19 pandemic is now at its worst

The majority of the population are staying home while six in ten people believe the third wave is the worst of the virus,  according to to research.

The reseach also shows that worry about health, family and the economy remains high.

The nationally representative sample of 1,900 people conducted on behalf of the Department of Health on Monday 1st February, available here.

It reveals;

• The level of worry has fallen slightly to 6.6/10, as public concern about health system overload falls back slightly. However, worry over the health of family and friends (3.8/5.0) and the economy (3.5/5.0) remain high.
• There are high levels of reported compliance to the public health advice with 89% of the population saying they are remaining at home rather than going out.
• 62% of people believe the worst of the pandemic is happening now, 15% believe that it is ahead of us, with 15% believing the worst of the pandemic is behind us.