More than half of Canadians think there's no way to avoid Omicron infection, says poll

Vancouver -

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.