Coronavirus: Research finds people willing to prioritise health over freedom

Compliance with lockdown high but hopes for quick economic recovery are low

A man wearing a protective mask walks past a mural depicting a nurse in Shoreditch, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain. REUTERS

A woman observes two robots that carry home orders, in Medellin, Colombia,. EPA

A man is tested for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a Los Angeles fire department testing station for the homeless on Skid Row, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. REUTERS

A man sits next to a fountain at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Hong Kong on April 21, 2020. Hong Kong has reduced growth of confirmed COVID-19 cases to single digits in recent days, but city authorities say they are not taking any risks. Chief executive Carrie Lam said social distancing measures and some business restrictions would continue for another two weeks until at least May 7. AFP

A health worker shows quick tests for COVID-19 with negative results at a drive-through in the parking lot of the Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia, Brazil. The Brazilian government started a mass testing program to improve control of the new coronavirus disease and plan how social isolation will be lifted. AFP

A teacher cleans and disinfects chairs and tables at the the Phoenix Gymnasium secondary school in Dortmund, western Germany. Students preparing for the Abitur high school graduation with exams taking place in May are allowed to turn back to school from April 23, 2020. AFP

People stand on designated spots to maintain social distancing at a market in Manila. AFP

Members of the Myanmar Red Cross carry a dead body of a driver from a boat in Sittwe, Rakhine State killed while delivering test kits for COVID-19 coronavirus. A Myanmar government health worker was injured and his driver killed when their United Nations-marked vehicle was ambushed as they were carrying COVID-19 test samples in conflict-ridden Rakhine state. AFP

Customers wearing face masks as a precautionary measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus sit in a cafe, which has masking tape on every other table to enforce social distancing, in Hong Kong. AFP

A woman wearing a protective face mask rides a scooter across a nearly empty 3rd Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City, New York, U.S. REUTERS

An employee wearing a face mask sits next to a GE Carescape R860 ventilator in an assembly and testing area at a GE Healthcare manufacturing facility during the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. REUTERS

Workers wearing protective equipment are seen on the grounds of the Central Jamia Mosque Ghamkol Sharif, a temporary morgue set up at a Mosque as the spread of the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) continues, Birmingham, Britain. REUTERS

International surveys have found strong global compliance with measures to curb coronavirus and support for intrusive surveillance to assist in the resumption of normal daily life.

Most people would be prepared to forgo some rights to help stop the coronavirus spread, a survey by Gallup International suggests.

Seventy per cent of those polled said they would be happy to sacrifice some human rights and only 19 per cent disagreed.

Ipsos Mori, a separate pollster, found that 65 per cent of people in Britain would be happy to accept mobile phone-based contact tracking of coronavirus sufferers.

Half of the respondents supported fines for those caught breaking quarantine through mobile phone tracking.

YouGov pollsters, meanwhile, found compliance with government lockdown measures ranged up to 87 per cent of those contacted in Italy, which has the highest death toll in Europe, and 85 per cent for the UAE.

Ninety per cent of respondents in Hong Kong said they wore face masks – the highest rate in the world – while Italy and the UAE also posted very high figures.

Gallup took in the views of nearly 25,000 people from 28 countries including Afghanistan, Austria, the UK and the US.

The Netherlands, the UK, Italy, France and Austria are among European and democratic countries who overwhelmingly supported losing some civil rights if the pandemic could be tackled.

Worldwide, 54 per cent confined themselves to their homes on a part or full-time basis in response to the Covid-19 threat.

But despite the outbreak reaching almost every corner of the globe and causing the deaths of at least 170,000 people, the Gallup survey still showed widespread scepticism about its threat.

Nearly 30 per cent of those polled are not afraid that they or a family member will catch the virus.

About 49 per cent of people still think the virus is exaggerated, including in the US, which has reported the most deaths.

This contrasted with Italy, where only 29 per cent thought the threat appears to be greater than it is.

More than 30 per cent of people believe the virus was spread by a foreign power or outside force, rather than emerging naturally.

But Ipsos Mori found most people "have some serious doubts" that countries will be able to restart their economies when the outbreak is under control.

It blamed factors including uncertainty over when the lockdowns will end, the speed of the downturn and the risk of a new outbreak without a vaccine.

Ipsos Mori said consumer spending had already dropped 25 per cent since the onset and that the outlook for a recovery was bleak.

Up to 76 per cent of people in Spain rejected the contention that there would be a quick economic recovery.

In France, 72 per cent of people were pessimistic, followed by 68 in Italy and 64 in Japan.

“The fact that people have been directly affected, whether through their jobs or their investments, probably makes them wary about a broader economic recovery,” said Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO Financial Group.

“The fact that job losses have been so widespread and affected so many people directly accentuate the impact.”

Brad Setser, of the Council on Foreign Relations, warned that any sort of recovery was a long time off.

“Obviously this shock is unique but it is worth recalling that the recovery from the global financial crisis was also slow,” Mr Setser said.

“It would be helpful if governments recognised that it is likely to take time to get Covid-19 fully under control, and thus, a full recovery is still some time away.”

Krishen Rangasamy, a Canadian economist, warned against quickly restarting the economy.

"Governments will do well to not over-promise considering there are so many unknowns at this point," Mr Rangasamy said.

"Reopening the economy too soon could backfire with unnecessary loss of lives and an economic relapse.”