Why wasn't social distancing introduced earlier?
A new poll has suggested that most people in the UK think the government took too long to implement a lockdown.
The IPSOS Mori poll, carried out between 27-30 March, showed that 56% of UK adults felt that lockdown measures were too slow.
On the other hand, 35% said it was taken at the right time and just 4% said it was taken too soon.
Labour voters (69%) were more likely than Conservative voters (44%) to say the lockdown had been too late.
The poll introduced the question by saying: “As you may know, on Monday 23rd March, the Government announced stricter measures, including requiring individuals to stay at home and closing shops selling non-essential items, in order to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus.”
The first confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK was on January 31st. Large-scale public events continued throughout February and early March.
Around 54,000 people watched Liverpool play Atletico Madrid, 250,000 attended Cheltenham horse racing festival and thousands watched the Stereophonics play in Cardiff.
There is generally a two or three time lag between coronavirus infection and death, according to Imperial College. The lockdown has been in place for a week and a half.
Previous polling has shown that the public generally approves of the government’s coronavirus response and, like most other world leaders, Boris Johnson’s approval rating has risen during the crisis.
Joe Lo is a co-editor of Left Foot Forward
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