Why more and more Canadians believe it’s time to end restrictions

A new poll this week found that a majority of Canadians now want to put an end to all restrictions, as COVID-19 fatigue has hit an all-time high. The same polling firm, the Angus Reid Institute, has also acknowledged a correlation between the increased tendency for Canadians to want to remove all restrictions, and the decreased tendency for them to believe being infected with the virus would be seriously harmful to them.

In a statement on Twitter, the polling firm confirmed a 30-point decrease in the percentage of those concerned about being infected, stating that there’s “a sense that Omicron is much less serious than previous waves.” Just 13% of people in Canada now say an infection would be very severe or possibly deadly.

Over the past two weeks, the number of Canadians calling for restrictions to be ended has risen by 15 points to 54%.

“If Omicron cases have indeed peaked, it has many Canadians asking what is next. Vigilance is the request from public health officials – though plans for vaccination proof have begun to diverge, with some provinces removing requirements and restrictions. The public sentiment appears to be moving in the direction of opening up communities.”

—Angus Reid Institute

For the complete results and methodology, please visit the Angus Reid Institute website.

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