Slight majority no longer afraid of Covid-19: Poll

Slight majority no longer afraid of Covid-19: Poll

People have resumed taking pleasure trips after restrictions were eased to revitalise the economy. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)
People have resumed taking pleasure trips after restrictions were eased to revitalise the economy. (Photo by Apichit Jinakul)

A slight majority of people say they are no longer afraid of the Covid-19 disease, saying the pandemic has been brought under control and they are confident in the work of the country's health personnel, according to an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.

The poll was conducted on June 8-9 on 1,270 people aged 15 and over of various levels of education and occupations throughout the country to gauge their readiness for the fourth stage in the easing coronavirus-related restrictions. 

Asked to pick places and activities that should be allowed to reopen in the fourth stage, with more than one answer allowed, their choices were:

- Schools and educational institutes (82.28%);

- Scientific centres for education (80.94%);

- National parks and botanic parks (78.35%);

- Beaches and coastal areas (70.24%);

- Sports fields, gyms and fitness centres for training and competitions (69.29%);

- Nurseries and homes for the elderly (63.70%); 

- Shooting of movies and video (63.46%).

Places and activities that respondents said should not yet be allowed to reopenwere:

- Entertainment venues, pubs, bars and karaoke outlets (82.20%);

- Wet massage parlours (78.74%);

- Concerts, shows, events and goods exhibitions in areas of over 20,000 square metres (75.59%);

- Amusement parks, water parks, children's playgrounds and game shops (70.08%); 

- Assemblies of more than 200 people (65.83%).

Asked whether they were still afraid of being infected with Covid-19, a slight majority -- 52.76% -- said "no."

Of them, 32.83% said they were no longer very afraid because the number of cases had fallen sharply, most people were protecting themselves from infection effectively and they were confident in the work of the country's health personnel.

A further 19.93% were not afraid of at all, saying the Covid-19 situation had considerably improved, no new local infections were found recently in the country, and the country would get rid of the novel coronavirus completely. 

On the other side, 33.39% said they still had some anxiety as there were still new cases and some people were not bothering to protect themselves, possibly eading them to a second wave of the outbreak.

A further 12.91% were very afraid, saying they will not feel safe until the disappears from Thailand and a vaccine is available.

The rest, 0.94%, did not know or were not interested.

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