Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canadians trust their family doctor more than the PM on COVID-19, says poll

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 22 Apr, 2020 04:21 AM
  • Canadians trust their family doctor more than the PM on COVID-19, says poll

Canadians trust health professionals like their family doctor first and foremost when it comes to the COVID-19 crisis, a new poll suggests. The poll, conducted by Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies, asked respondents to rate their level of trust in various institutions, including public health officials and politicians.

Health professionals like doctors and nurses had the highest level of trust in Canada, with 92 per cent support. Public health officials, generally, followed close behind at 81 per cent, while 72 per cent of respondents said they trusted chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam.

That's no surprise, said Christian Bourque, executive vice-president of Leger. He said most people trust the people they're closest to.

"I was expecting more of a gap between those who you interact with versus those that you see," he said.

The World Health Organization, which has faced criticism, including from the Conservatives, for how it responded to the novel coronavirus in China, was trusted by 68 per cent of Canadians. Fifty-four per cent said they trusted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

At the lower end of the spectrum, only 50 per cent of Canadians said they trust the media, though that has been the case for a long time and has not changed as a result of the pandemic, said Bourque.

The trust Canadians show in their institutions ranked much higher than those of respondents from the United States in most categories, although President Donald Trump had the support of 12 per cent of Canadians compared to 38 per cent of respondents in the U.S.

The poll, conducted April 17-19, surveyed 1,504 adult Canadians and 1,001 adult Americans randomly recruited from Leger's online panel. Internet-based surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they are not considered random samples.

Bourque said that trust in institutions may be why Canadians have been so faithful about abiding by physical distancing measures over the last several weeks.

The number of people who feel the worst the pandemic is yet to come is shrinking, from 56 per cent last week to 39 per cent this week.

Fear of contracting the virus appears to have peaked in early April, when 76 per cent said they were afraid of catching COVID-19. That number has now dropped to 69 per cent.

Still, the vast majority of Canadians said they are continuing to abide by all public health advice.

"We've sort of turned the corner," said Bourque, "yet we still remain extremely disciplined in social distancing."

Seventy-three per cent of respondents in Canada said they follow all physical distancing measures and public health advice, compared to only 34 per cent in the U.S.

Nearly 80 per cent of Canadians working from home said the experience was positive, even though 40 per cent described it as hard.

Concern now seems to revolve around long-term care and seniors' residences, Bourque said.

Tam confirmed that outbreaks in long-term care homes are driving the rising number of deaths in Canada, even as the number of confirmed cases has started to slow

"People are saying that’s the real crisis now," Bourque said.

While the poll suggests the level of concern was high for people with senior relatives living on their own (72 per cent), or with family (77 per cent), it was much greater for people whose relatives are living communally with other seniors (85 per cent).

Even in the midst of that concern, Canadians' satisfaction with the response from their federal, provincial and municipal governments has remained high for the last several weeks.

MORE National ARTICLES

Canada-Wide Warrant Issued For Woman Convicted Of Killing Baby Daughter

Vancouver Police are asking for the public’s help to locate 37-year-old Justina Ellis after she left her halfway house in East Vancouver on Sunday and did not return.    

Canada-Wide Warrant Issued For Woman Convicted Of Killing Baby Daughter

Murder, Attempted Murder Charges Laid Following Kamloops, B.C., Stabbing

Murder, Attempted Murder Charges Laid Following Kamloops, B.C., Stabbing
KAMLOOPS, B.C. - One count of murder and three counts of attempted murder have been laid against a British Columbia man following a violent house party in Kamloops, B.C.    

Murder, Attempted Murder Charges Laid Following Kamloops, B.C., Stabbing

The Rise of Birth Tourism

Growing faster than the overall population of Canada and even the rate of immigration, is a phenomenon called birth tourism

The Rise of Birth Tourism

Cruise Ships Carrying Canadians On The Move Toward Florida

Cruise Ships Carrying Canadians On The Move Toward Florida
Two cruise ships carrying nearly 2,700 passengers and crew, including 248 Canadians are on the move after being stranded off the coast of Panama following the deaths of four passengers with flu-like symptoms.

Cruise Ships Carrying Canadians On The Move Toward Florida

COVID-19 Continues To Spread As Domestic Travel Restrictions Come Into Effect

COVID-19 continued its unforgiving march into new areas of the country on Monday, sweeping through long-term care homes and religious communities and into vulnerable regions as the federal government brought in new domestic travel restrictions.

COVID-19 Continues To Spread As Domestic Travel Restrictions Come Into Effect

Calgary Blocks Traffic Lanes To Help Pathway Users Maintain Two-Metre Separation

Fans of a decision by Calgary officials to block off some traffic lanes to give pedestrians and cyclists extra room for social distancing hope others cities will follow suit.

Calgary Blocks Traffic Lanes To Help Pathway Users Maintain Two-Metre Separation