Canadians are divided over the wisdom of removing pandemic restrictions, according to an Angus Reid poll.
A new study from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute, in partnership with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, finds Canadians are divided about the swiftness of public health measure reduction.
More than a third of Canadians surveyed (36 per cent) feel it’s happening too quickly, while 38 per cent feel it’s occurring at the right pace, and 22 per cent think it’s happening too slowly.
Significant regional differences exist in the overall findings. Of the 256 Albertans surveyed, 40 per cent say the restrictions were removed to fast, while 30 per cent feel they were gone at the right time and 31 per cent think it was too slow a process.
Nationally, 73 per cent of the 2,550 Canadians surveyed say they would support continuing masking requirements in public spaces while 64 per cent support proof of vaccination at places like restaurants and theatres in their communities.’
In Atlantic Canada, B.C., and Quebec, premiers are perceived as having handled the previous two years well. Residents in Manitoba and Alberta are overwhelmingly critical of what they have seen from their premiers since the pandemic began.
The survey indicates two-thirds (64 per cent) of Canadians will continue sanitizing their hands, three-in-five will maintain the practice of social distancing, and about half will continue to avoid large crowds and wear a mask in public.