Social Impact of COVID-19 Survey November 2020 Perceptions and Expectations around Christmas and International Travel

Just over one in two respondents reported that they expect to take their next international flight before the end of 2021

Respondents were asked when they think they will take their next international flight.

Just over 3.0% of respondents reported that they expect to take their next international flight Within the next 2 months, whereas the majority of respondents (50.6%) indicated that their next flight will be Sometime in 2021.  More than one in three (36.0%) reported that their next international flight will be Sometime in 2022 and 6.8% said in 2023 or later. One in thirty (3.3%) expect that they will Never take an international flight.  See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1.

More than six in ten (62.4%) male respondents stated that they think they will fly before the end of 2021, compared with less than half (45.1%) of female respondents.  See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.2.

Analysis by age shows that respondents aged 18 to 34 were most likely to report that they expect to travel Within the next 2 months (6.7%).  The comparable rate for respondents aged 70 and over is 0.1%.  See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.3.

Respondents were asked to rate, on a scale from 0 (‘Not at all’) to 10 (‘Entirely’), the extent they were following the government’s current advice and guidelines regarding COVID-19.  Responses were grouped as Low (0-5), Medium (6-8) or High (9-10).

More than one in six (17.7%) respondents with Low compliance reported they expect to travel Within the next 2 months, compared to 2.2% with Medium compliance and 2.6% with High compliance.  See Table 3.1.

Respondents were also asked how concerned they were about the impact of COVID-19 on their own health.  Respondents could answer “Not at all”, “Somewhat”, “Very” or “Extremely”.

Almost six in ten (58.8%) of respondents Not at all concerned about their own health reported that they expect to take their next international flight before the end of 2021, compared with 35.9% of respondents Extremely concerned about their health.  See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.4.

Respondents with an immediate family member living abroad were more likely to report that they expect to take an international flight sooner. Just over six in ten (63.0%) respondents with an immediate family member living abroad expect to take their next international flight before the end of 2021, compared with just over four in ten (43.5%) respondents that do not have an immediate family member living abroad.  See Table 3.1 and Figure 3.5.

One in two respondents reported that persons travelling to Ireland from RED regions should Not be allowed enter the country

Under the EU traffic light system for international travel, regions are colour coded according to their 14-day COVID-19 incidence rate;

• RED - if the 14-day notification rate is 50 cases per 100 000 or higher and the test positivity rate is 4% or higher or if the 14-day notification rate is higher than 150 cases per 100 000
• ORANGE - if the 14-day notification rate is lower than 50 cases per 100 000 but the test positivity rate is 4% or higher or, if the 14-day notification rate is between 25 and 150 cases per 100 000 and the test positivity rate is below 4%
• GREEN - if the 14-day notification rate is lower than 25 cases per 100 000 and the test positivity rate below 4%

For further details on this, please see the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

Respondent were asked, in their opinion, should persons travelling to Ireland from RED, ORANGE and GREEN regions:

1. Not be allowed enter the country
2. Restrict movement for 14 days
3. Restriction on movement lifted if COVID-19 test five days following arrival is negative
4. Require a negative test within 3 days prior to arrival with no restriction on movement
5. Have NO restrictions

More than one in two (53.7%) respondents reported that persons travelling to Ireland from RED regions should Not be allowed enter the country and more than two in ten (22.9%) reported that travellers coming from ORANGE regions should not be allowed enter.  With regards to persons travelling from GREEN regions, one in ten (10.3%) of respondents believed they should Not be allowed enter the country.  See Tables 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and Figure 3.6.

Please note that when the survey was conducted all passengers entering Ireland from RED regions were requested to restrict their movements for 14 days.  More than one in six (17.8%) respondents were of the opinion that passengers coming from RED regions should Restrict movement for 14 days.  With effect from midnight 29^th November 2020, passengers arriving from RED regions can have their restriction on movement lifted if a PCR COVID-19 test five days following arrival is negative.  One in six (17.4%) agreed that travellers from RED regions should have their Restriction on movement lifted if the COVID-19 test five days following arrival is negative.  See Table 3.2 and Figure 3.6.

Persons travelling to Ireland from ORANGE regions are requested to restrict their movements for 14 days unless they have a negative COVID test within 3 days prior to arrival.  One in seven (14.1%) respondents agreed that passengers travelling from ORANGE regions should Require a negative test within 3 days prior to arrival with no restriction on movement.  See Table 3.3 and Figure 3.6.

With effect from midnight 29^th November 2020, passengers arriving from ORANGE regions, without a negative COVID test within 3 days prior to arrival, can have their restriction on movement lifted if a PCR COVID-19 test five days following arrival is negative.  Almost three in ten (28.9%) respondents were of the opinion that travellers from ORANGE regions should have the Restriction on movement lifted if the COVID-19 test five days following arrival is negative and a similar percentage (31.3%) were of the opinion that persons entering the country from ORANGE regions should Restrict movements for 14 days.  See Table 3.3 and Figure 3.6.

In line with the EU traffic lights approach, the request to restrict movements does not apply to travellers from GREEN regions.  More than one in ten (10.9%) respondents agreed that travellers coming into Ireland from GREEN regions should Have NO restrictions. One in ten (10.3%) of respondents were of the opinion that travellers from GREEN regions should Not be allowed enter the country.  Overall the majority of respondents, almost eight in ten (78.9%) believed that there should be some restrictions in place for travellers entering the country from GREEN regions.  See Table 3.4 and Figure 3.6.

Those with family members living abroad were more likely to think passengers entering Ireland should Have NO restrictions on their movements

Whether or not a respondent has an immediate family member living abroad seemed to have some impact on their attitude towards persons travelling to Ireland.

Almost one in six (15.3%) respondents With immediate family living abroad agreed that passengers entering Ireland from GREEN regions should Have NO restrictions on their movement, compared to 6.4% of respondents with No immediate family living abroad.  See Table 3.4.

Furthermore, respondents with No immediate family living abroad (57.3%) were more likely to believe that travellers from RED regions should Not be allowed enter the country compared to respondents With immediate family living abroad (50.3%).  See Table 3.2 and Figure 3.7.

Female respondents were more likely to have the opinion that passengers from all three regions should Not be allowed to enter the country.  Just over 57.0% of female respondents reported that passengers from RED regions should Not be allowed enter, compared with 50.1% of male respondents.  See Table 3.2.

Older respondents were most likely to believe that persons travelling to Ireland from RED regions should Not be allowed enter the country.  The majority (59.5%) of respondents aged 70 and over stated this compared to 51.1% of respondents aged 18 to 34.  However, for travellers coming from ORANGE regions, more than one in four (26.6%) respondents aged 18 to 34 reported that they should Not be allowed enter the country compared to 15.1% of respondents aged 70 and over.  Almost one in seven (13.7%) respondents aged 18 to 34 stated travellers coming from GREEN regions should Not be allowed enter compared to 7.9% of respondents aged 70 and over.  See Tables 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and Figure 3.8.

Respondents were asked to rate their health status on a five-point scale, from ‘Very good’ to ‘Very bad’.

The majority (63.1%) of respondents who rated their health as Fair/Bad/Very bad reported that persons travelling to Ireland from RED regions should Not be allowed enter the country.  This compares to 50.9% of respondents with Good rated health and 50.7% of those who rated their health as Very good.  See Table 3.2.

Respondents were asked to rate, on a scale from 0 (‘Not at all’) to 10 (‘Entirely’), the extent they have been following the government’s current advice and guidelines regarding COVID-19. Responses were grouped as Low (0-5), Medium (6-8) or High (9-10).

Almost three in ten (29.5%) respondents with Low compliance to current government advice and guidelines regarding COVID-19 agreed that persons travelling to Ireland from GREEN regions should Have NO restrictions, compared with 12.2% of those with Medium compliance and 8.6% with High compliance to current government advice and guidelines regarding COVID-19.  See Table 3.4.

Respondents were also asked how concerned they were about other people's ability to comply with government advice and guidelines regarding COVID-19.  Respondents could answer “Not at all”, “Somewhat”, “Very” or “Extremely”.

Two in three (66.0%) respondents Extremely concerned about the compliance of others believed that persons travelling into Ireland from RED regions should Not be allowed enter the country, compared with 55.9% of respondents Not at all concerned.  More than one in seven (14.5%) Not at all concerned about the compliance of others reported that persons travelling into Ireland from RED regions should Have NO restrictions, whereas no respondents Extremely concerned about other’s compliance stated this.  See Table 3.2 and Figure 3.9.

Respondents were asked if they thought that the current Level 5 response to managing COVID-19 related risk is Appropriate, Too extreme or Not sufficient.

More than seven in ten (72.6%) respondents who thought that the current Level 5 response is Not sufficient believed that persons travelling to Ireland from RED regions should Not be allowed enter the country.  This compares to 54.5% who thought the current Level 5 response is Appropriate and 40.5% who thought it is Too extreme.  See Tables 3.2 and Figure 3.10.

For further COVID-19 related information go to the CSO COVID-19 Information Hub.