All in this Together? Canadians’ Views on Masks, Vaccines and Lockdowns during the COVID-19 Pandemic
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to limit the spread of the virus continue to depend in large part on the willingness of citizens to modify their behaviours to conform with public health guidelines, notably those relating to physical distancing and wearing masks. More recently, the focus has turned to ensuring that citizens will agree to get vaccinated once a vaccine becomes available to them. The Confederation of Tomorrow 2021 survey of Canadians finds that there is widespread agreement across the country on key aspects of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the requirement to wear masks in public, the importance of getting vaccinated, and the need for a prudent approach to reopening the economy. One reason for this agreement is that, in the midst of a public health crisis, the public continues to place a high degree of confidence in scientists and medical experts.
Survey Details
The 2021 study consists of a survey of 5,814 adults, conducted online in the provinces between January 25 and February 17; and online and by telephone in the territories between January 25 and March 1.
Acknowledgements
The Environics Institute would like to acknowledge the support of the Institute for Research on Public Policy which made possible the translation of the summary of this report. / L’Environics Institute tient à remercier l’Institut de recherche en politiques publiques pour son soutien dans la traduction du sommaire du présent rapport.
The Confederation of Tomorrow surveys give voice to Canadians about the major issues shaping the future of the federation and their political communities. They are conducted annually by an association of the country’s leading public policy and socio-economic research organizations: the Environics Institute for Survey Research, the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation, the Canada West Foundation, the Centre D’Analyse Politique – Constitution et Fédéralisme, the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and the First Nations Financial Management Board.
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