Nanos Research found that 55 percent of Canadians are concerned or somewhat concerned about a drop in the transmission of COVID-19 that prompted a return to restrictions on public life that largely ended in Ontario in early 2022. Among 1,002 randomly selected Canadian adults, 16 per cent told Nanos they were worried about a wave of declines prompting the return of restrictions, while 39 per cent said they were “somewhat worried”. 23 percent of respondents said they were not worried about the return of restrictions, 19 percent said they were “somewhat not worried” and 2 percent were not sure. The number of respondents who feared new restrictions was highest in Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Quebec and lowest in the prairies and B.C. The transmission of COVID-19 in Ontario happens to be increasing, with several leading epidemiologists and the province’s scientific advisory panel calling it a seventh wave. But the Ford government and the province’s official public health leadership are looking ahead to the fall, when a new campaign to boost the COVID-19 vaccine is planned to tackle the contagion. The same poll asked respondents about their travel plans this summer in light of continued delays, cancellations and lost baggage problems at Canadian airports. It found that 61 percent of respondents do not plan to travel internationally this summer, and 15 percent said they would like to travel abroad but have no plans. Twelve percent said they have plans to travel abroad this summer, while nine percent said they either had travel plans and canceled them or have plans they may cancel. Sixty-nine percent of respondents aged 55 and over said they did not wish to travel abroad, compared with 53.4 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds. The number of people with international travel plans was even higher in Quebec and Ontario, 14 and 13 percent respectively, and lowest in the Atlantic and Prairie regions, at 9.5 percent and 7.8 percent respectively. The poll was conducted between June 30 and July 4, and reached mobile and landline subscribers via live agents, who then directed respondents to complete an online survey. The sample is weighted against the last Census to ensure it is geographically and demographically representative. The poll is considered accurate +/- 3.1 percent, 19 times out of 20.
