UK public view Covid19 as a threat because of lockdowns could fall after 'Freedom Day'

CARDIFF University led research finds people judge Pandemic risk by magnitude of policy response. It has found that the UK public is likely to take the COVID19 Pandemic less seriously once restrictions are lifted, according to new research led by Cardiff University. Psychologists found lockdown in itself was a primary reason why so many people were willing to abide by the rules from the start; believing the threat must be severe if the Government imposes such drastic measures. The team from Cardiff and the universities of Bath and Essex examined the reasons behind headline polling support for Covid19 measures. They carried out 2 UK surveys, 6 months apart, during 2020. Their findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

Lead Author Dr Colin Foad said:- "Surprisingly, we found that people judge the severity of the Covid19 threat based on the fact the Government imposed a lockdown; in other words, they thought ‘it must be bad if Government's taking such drastic measures. We also found that the more they judged the risk in this way, the more they supported lockdown. This suggests that if and when ‘Freedom Day' comes and restrictions are lifted, people may downplay the threat of COVID."

The research also found:-

► Raising people's personal threat was unlikely to enhance their support for restrictive measures.

► People supported lockdown yet thought many of its side effects were:- "unacceptable" in a cost benefit analysis.

Dr Foad said:- "The Pandemic has been characterised by strong public support for lockdowns, but our research suggests that people have actually been much more conflicted than the headline polls suggest. However, we find that most people's personal sense of threat does not relate to their support for restrictions. Instead, people judged the threat at a much more general level, such as towards the country as a whole. So, any messaging that targets their personal sense of threat is unlikely to actually raise support for any further restrictions."

The researchers warned there was a risk of public opinion and Government policy:- "forming a symbiotic relationship," which could affect how policies are implemented now and in future.

Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, an environmental psychologist from the University of Bath, said:- "This has important implications for how we deal with other risks, like climate change; the public will be more likely to believe it's a serious problem if Governments implement bold policies to tackle it."

Professor Whitmarsh suggested bold actions might include stopping all road building (as has happened recently in Wales) or blocking airport expansions. The researchers are calling for more nuanced use of polling data during the Pandemic to accurately gauge the diversity and complexity of public opinion.

Dr Paul Hanel, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Essex, said:- "Polling data from large samples are important in understanding what people think. Our study, however, shows that it is crucial to ask the right questions because otherwise we are only getting a limited and potentially even misleading picture of how diverse and even conflicting public opinions truly are."

But as the 19 July 2021 looms closer and case numbers rise, our readers are expressing concern, as we get ready as a nation to restore people's freedoms. The biggest worry is over face masks, that will no longer be compulsory within England. This fear was added to after Prime Minister, Mr Johnson said he:- "must stress that the Pandemic is not over and that cases will continue to rise over the coming weeks." So we decided to put on a Twitter Poll to see what our Twitter followers thought. After it finished, it also echoed the same feeling. Many are asking why the Government appears to knowingly want people to become infected, when face masks are proven to reduce spread of this infection. But oddly it has since been published that the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, said:- "People could still be forced to wear face masks on public transport." Also, it is expected that the Prime Minister is also expected to address:- self isolation, travel restrictions or the rules in Schools.
 

Final result of our Twitter Poll:- ► Worried - Yes! = 64.2% ► Not worried! = 21.9% ►Don't know = 4.6% ► Don't care = 9.3% ► Total votes cast:- 151 votes.

With infections are expected to rise when rules are eased, Ministers still believe deaths will be limited by vaccinations, so should we be worried? Also, it might not be to big a worry, as a resent ONS survey has found that face masks in shops are supported by 91% of Britons despite the relaxation of rules.  Please do email us your thoughts on this, via emailing us, at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.

Formby Primary School left buzzing after honey dipper donation from local developer

LEADING developer Barratt Homes has donated a number of wooden honey dippers to a primary School in Formby to encourage children to learn about local wildlife. Redgate Primary School, located close to the developer's Pinewood Park development, has distributed the honey dippers to the children to teach them the importance of bees to our planet's ecosystem. The children decorated their honey dippers as homework and presented their designed to the rest of the class.

Helen Gambon, Deputy Head Teacher at Redgate Primary School, said:- "We are grateful to Barratt Homes for the kind donation of a honey stick for each child at Redgate Primary School. We weren't entirely sure what to do with them, however we need only look to the creativity of our pupils. Having set the whole School the challenge to create something with their honey stick, we were blown away by the creativity and imagination which they displayed! We had cars, bees, hot air balloons, flowers, fair rides, animals, even parks! It also lead one child to investigate and create an information poster about how we could protect bees. We held a whole School exhibition and the children really enjoyed sharing their designs. Perhaps Barratt Homes have inspired some architects, designers and builders of the future."

There are over 250 species bees in the UK, including:- 25 species of bumblebee, 224 species of solitary bee, and 1 honeybee species. There has been a large decline in population numbers of bees since 1980, due to a number of factors, such as:- disease, climate change, pesticides, and habitat loss. Bees are not only a crucial part of our ecosystem, but they also contribute to the world's economy. In 2017, it was reported that pollinators such as bees are estimated to be adding up to ₤600 million per year to the value of UK crops through increased yield and quality.

Neil Goodwin, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Manchester, said:- "Bees are a very important part of our planet, and as the UK's leading house builder it is important that we use our voice to encourage people to protect them as much as possible. We are pleased to hear that children at Redgate Primary School in Formby enjoyed the donation of honey sticks, and incorporated them into lessons about the local ecosystem. We would encourage others to follow their example and learn as much as they can about bees and other wildlife."

To find out more about Barratt Homes visit the website at:- BarrattHomes.Co.UK or call the sales line on:- 03333558474 to book an appointment with a Sales Adviser.