Table 3.
Endorsement of rules introduced in response to Omicron
| The government has issued new rules on how people should act to help prevent the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus. Please tell us, for the following options, if you think they are true or false? | Wave 63.5 (total n=1622) | Wave 64 (total n=1841) | ||||||||||
| True | False | Don’t know | True | False | Don’t know | |||||||
| % (95% CI) | n | % (95% CI) | n | % (95% CI) | n | % (95% CI) | n | % (95% CI) | n | % (95% CI) | n | |
| You must wear a face covering in shops (unless you are exempt)* | 91.9 (90.5 to 93.2) | 1490 | 5.6 (4.5 to 6.7) | 91 | 2.5 (1.8 to 3.3) | 41 | 90.3 (88.9 to 91.6) | 1622 | 5.4 (4.4 to 6.5) | 100 | 4.3 (3.4 to 5.2) | 79 |
| You must wear a face covering on public transport (unless you are exempt)* | 91.1 (89.7 to 92.5) | 1477 | 6.2 (5.0 to 7.3) | 100 | 2.8 (2.0 to 3.6) | 45 | 91.7 (90.5 to 93.0) | 1689 | 4.8 (3.8 to 5.8) | 88 | 3.5 (2.6 to 4.3) | 64 |
| You must wear a face covering while moving around in restaurants, cafés and pubs (unless you are exempt)* | 64.5 (62.2 to 66.8) | 1046 | 28.2 (26.0 to 30.4) | 457 | 7.3 (6.1 to 8.6) | 119 | 71.2 (69.1 to 73.3) | 1311 | 19.5 (17.7 to 21.3) | 359 | 9.3 (8.0 to 10.6) | 171 |
| You must wear a face covering in all crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t usually meet (unless you are exempt)† | 77.9 (75.8 to 79.9) | 1263 | 15.2 (13.4 to 16.9) | 246 | 7.0 (5.7 to 8.2) | 113 | 83.5 (81.8 to 85.2) | 1538 | 10.3 (8.9 to 11.7) | 190 | 6.1 (5.0 to 7.2) | 113 |
| All contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate, regardless of their vaccination status‡ | 80.1 (78.1 to 82) | 1299 | 9.1 (7.7 to 10.5) | 148 | 10.8 (9.3 to 12.3) | 175 | 76.9 (75.0 to 78.8) | 1416 | 12.7 (11.1 to 14.2) | 233 | 10.4 (9.0 to 11.8) | 192 |
| You should stay at home as much as you can* | 61.7 (59.3 to 64.1) | 1001 | 27.2 (25.0 to 29.4) | 441 | 11.1 (9.6 to 12.6) | 180 | 69.5 (67.4 to 71.6) | 1280 | 20.4 (18.6 to 22.3) | 376 | 10.0 (8.7 to 11.4) | 185 |
| You should work from home if possible* | 69.5 (67.3 to 71.8) | 1128 | 20.2 (18.3 to 22.2) | 328 | 10.2 (8.8 to 11.7) | 166 | 90.4 (89.0 to 91.7) | 1664 | 5.6 (4.6 to 6.7) | 104 | 4.0 (3.1 to 4.9) | 73 |
| You cannot meet other people indoors, unless you live with them, or they are part of your support bubble* | 38.1 (35.7 to 40.5) | 618 | 49.1 (46.6 to 51.5) | 796 | 12.8 (11.2 to 14.5) | 208 | 36.1 (33.9 to 38.3) | 665 | 49.8 (47.5 to 52.1) | 917 | 14.1 (12.5 to 15.7) | 259 |
| International arrivals must take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arrival and self-isolate until they receive a negative result* | 84.0 (82.2 to 85.8) | 1363 | 7.6 (6.3 to 8.9) | 123 | 8.4 (7.0 to 9.7) | 136 | 81.4 (79.6 to 83.2) | 1499 | 6.5 (5.3 to 7.6) | 119 | 12.1 (10.6 to 13.6) | 223 |
| You must wear a face covering at the cinema or theatre§ | – | – | – | – | – | – | 85.2 (83.5 to 86.8) | 1568 | 7.4 (6.2 to 8.6) | 137 | 7.4 (6.2 to 8.6) | 136 |
Bold answers are correct.
*Previously a rule used to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in England.
†Not previously a rule used to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in England.
‡Rule introduced to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of concern.
§Previously a recommendation, but not a legal obligation, used to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in England.