Coronavirus (COVID-19): public attitudes and behaviours - April update

Findings from polling work, conducted between September 2021 and January 2022, on public attitudes and behaviours around the coronavirus pandemic in Scotland.


7. Behaviours as restrictions changed

This section presents information about people's behaviours between September and January. This includes visits to different places and socialising with groups. During this period a COVID-19 certification scheme was launched in Scotland. In December, during the spread of Omicron, further protective measures were put in place. This included asking the public to minimise contacts with other households (3 maximum), not including main Christmas celebrations.

Respondents were asked which places they had visited in the previous week (Figure 46). From 7-8 September to 14-15 December visits across all settings remained fairly stable, although all then saw declines on 4-5 January before rising again on 18-19 January. The proportion who had visited a café/bar/restaurant declined from 43% on 14-15 December to 32%, before rising to 39% on 18-19 January.

Figure 46: Proportion of respondents who visited the following places in the previous week

Line chart showing that visits across all settings dropped at 4-5 January but recovered to mid-December levels by 18-19 January.

Source: YouGov Scotland Survey. Base: Adults (n=1001-1044)

Large events and large group activities

Between 19-20 October and 14-15 December, the proportions of respondents who had been to any large event outdoors or indoors, or met any large group outdoors, remained low and fairly stable (Figure 47). There was more fluctuation in the proportions who met in any large group indoors. On 2-3 November, 21% reported meeting any large group (eight or more people over 12 years old) indoors in the past seven days.

Figure 47: Proportion of respondents who attended any large event or met in a large groups over the past week [19]

Bar chart showing low attendance at large events and meet ups in large groups between 19-20 October to 14-15 December, with respondents meeting up in large groups indoors being more common (between 14% and 21%).

Source: YouGov Scotland Survey. Base: Adults (n=988-1008)

From 26/27 December, the Scottish Government changed capacity limits and advised the public to reduce contact with other households as far as possible (maximum of three households). Throughout January, consequently, fewer respondents reported attending large events or meeting in large groups, as shown in Figure 48.

Figure 48: Proportion of respondents who attended any large event or met in a large group over the past week in January

Bar chart showing very low attendance at large events (1%-3%) and lower large group meet ups (2%-12%) in January.

Source: YouGov Scotland Survey. Base: Adults (n=1005-1012)

Contact

Email: covid-19.behaviours@gov.scot

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