International poll has UAE and India ranked top for Covid-19 social support

UAE's testing ranks highest in public support measures, with 85% positive ratings

A nurse sanitises her hands after conducting a swab test at one of the UAE's screening drive-through centres in Mina Rashid, Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

A poll of coronavirus perceptions among the global public has ranked the UAE highly and demonstrated a vast polarisation over how countries and corporations have handled the crisis.

Some of the strongest figures of net support have been recorded in the UAE for how the government supported society (63 per cent) and protected workers (61 per cent).

The CT Group, which was founded by the Australian campaigns specialist Lynton Crosby, has been doing surveys across six countries, including the UAE, for 11 weeks.

Mr Crosby's firm has long worked for Boris Johnson's political campaigns and engineered a surprise victory for the Liberal National coalition in Australia.

The latest sample on June 10 found that at 56 per cent, net positive support was highest in the UAE for an end to social isolation policies, such as the stay at home orders.

India was just behind at 54 per cent. Most countries were below 43 per cent and Britain lagged behind at 26 per cent.

The complementary question on a return to the office or workplace saw the figure for the UAE rise to 65 per cent, while 61 per cent said they would feel safe in their work environment.

Measuring when respondent's thought there would be return to "normal" working practices, the UK and India recorded broadly the highest figures with 27 and 26 per cent respectively projecting this would happen between six and 12 months.

Economic confidence varied widely with a net positive 11 per cent gap between those who felt the economy was doing well and those seeing bad times ahead in the UAE.

The gap in the UK was 57 per cent fearing a negative turn in Britain.

The US confidence rallied from a nadir of minus 57 per cent on May 5, to narrow to minus 21 by June 10.

While 64 per cent of UAE respondents were spending during the pandemic, only 39 per cent of Americans were doing the same.

Australia's government, which runs the only Southern Hemisphere country measured, ranks highest for having handled the crisis well at 71 per cent positive scores.

Only 2 per cent of Americans thought their officials had done well compared with those who thought the fight was poor.

Government testing programmes for Covid-19 were also applauded in the UAE, with an 85 per cent positive score.

Britain again ranked poorly, at minus 18 per cent.

Leading businesses providing support for society gathered the most praise in India, with a 60 per cent positive score.