© JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFP
Public support for the government's handling of the epidemic has waned in recent months - however, the Covid measures in place are not viewed as overly strict, according to a recent survey.
A new Politmonitor survey conducted by TNS Ilres in conjunction with RTL and the Lëtzebuerger Wort has revealed further insights into the Grand Duchy's experience with Covid-19.
A focus on the pandemic
With reduced social contact, masks, and physical distancing now the norm, the survey examines the effects of the pandemic on the general population after six months of measures. According to Luc Biever, the director of TNS Ilres, more than half the population is suffering the strain of the pandemic.
56% of people said they felt burdened by the situation, with more women feeling the strain than men. Above all, the health crisis appears to be stressing out those aged between 18 and 24, with 70% responding that they were struggling with the impact of the pandemic. The over-65s were least burdened by the ongoing crisis.
One in five people said they were not finding the situation difficult at all.
In terms of the government's handling of the pandemic, 9 out of 10 participants said they felt the government had done everything right at the start of the crisis, with around half of all participants going so far as to say the government had done a very good job.
This score remained fairly high over the summer, but dipped as autumn set in. Just 6 out of 10 people now believe that the government is handling it well, with only a quarter of participants stating they were doing a very good job of managing the crisis. One thing that was noted as part of the survey was the differing responses from varying political party supporters, with Green Party voters expressing more dissatisfaction with the government's efforts, compared to DP or LSAP voters.
Almost half of all participants said the current Covid measures were adequate, although 40% of those asked said they would appreciate more stringent regulations. Just 10% of participants said the current measures were too strict.
81% of respondents said the rule of four - that is, limiting household interactions to just four people - was appropriate for the situation. 63% agreed that the overnight curfew was necessary.
A large majority of those surveyed said they felt that people were no longer being careful or acting responsibly towards others. Many of these were older people, and above all, DP voters.
Further details on the questionnaire and the method used can be found at Alia.lu.
