More than half of Canadians think there's no way to avoid Omicron infection, says poll
More than half of Canadians think they’re doomed to get sick with COVID-19 as the Omicron variant spreads across the country, according to a poll from the Angus Reid Institute.
The national poll was conducted online between Jan. 7 and 10, a few days before reported cases of COVID-19 in B.C. began to dip slightly.
“More than half of Canadians – 55 per cent – say regardless of the precautions they take, they expect to contract Omicron,” reads a statement from Angus Reid Institute.
On Jan. 14, health officials said that even though the province may have reached its peak for the Omicron variant, hospitalization rates in B.C. are increasing and still a concern.
“Among those who feel that they will be infected with the latest variant no matter what they do, half say that public health measures should be removed completely, and half disagree,” the institute says.
Poll results also show that men are more likely than women to believe there’s nothing that can stop them from getting Omicron at this point.
“For both genders, the resignation to infection is highest among those aged 35 to 54, notably the age group more likely to have children living at home,” reads the institute’s poll analysis.
B.C.’s current public health measures include mandatory use of masks indoors and at school, restrictions on gathering sizes, and a requirement to show proof of vaccination at restaurants and for other non-essential services, among others.
On average, 37 per cent of Canadians think COVID-19 restrictions are “about right,” according to the poll results. But among B.C. residents, the approval rating is higher, with 42 per cent of B.C. residents agreeing the restrictions are sufficient.
Another 26 per cent of people in B.C. say the restrictions “go too far” and are “too strict,” compared to the national average of 32 per cent. And 31 per cent say the public health measures “don’t go far enough” or “should be stricter,” which is the same as the national average.
The poll was conducted using a representative randomized sample of 3,375 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum, and carries a possible margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William and Kate release photo of daughter Charlotte to mark ninth birthday
Prince William and his wife Kate released a picture of their daughter Charlotte to mark the princess's ninth birthday on Thursday.
This Canadian restaurant just lowered its prices. Here's how it did it
A Canadian restaurant lowered its prices this week, and though news of price tags dropping rather than climbing sounds unusual, the business strategy in this case is not, according to experts in the field.
Concerns about Plexiglas prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglas barriers.
'Oh, there you go': Tyler Black, son of veteran broadcaster Rod Black, has memorable Major League Baseball debut
Canadian baseball player Tyler Black made a major splash in his first-ever big league game for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Groundbreaking American guitarist Duane Eddy dies age 86
Guitarist Duane Eddy, best known for twangy riffs on hits such as 'Rebel Rouser' and 'Cannonball,' has died at the age of 86.
Facial reconstruction reveals what a 40-something Neanderthal woman may have looked like
Scientists studying a Neanderthal woman's remains have painstakingly pieced together her skull from 200 bone fragments to understand what she may have looked like.
Weight-loss drug Wegovy available in Canada starting May 6
The makers of Ozempic say their weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available to patients in Canada starting Monday.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Goring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Ontario man loses $1,500 applying for Nexus cards on social media
The trusted traveller program between Canada and the United States is extremely popular and almost two million Canadians have a Nexus card.