Singapore — A new survey has provided a snapshot of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Singaporeans, where a majority of respondents say they’ve experienced negative effects on their mood and mental health.
Last week, before the new restrictions were announced, 1000 people in Singapore from the age of 16 and up, was commissioned by The Straits Times and conducted by market research firm Milieu Insight.
Its results show that 73 per cent of respondents saying they’ve gone out for meals less often than pre-pandemic dates.
Almost half of the respondents also admitted to being more sedentary than before.
This isolation from social activities as well as less exercise may well be contributing to the toll the pandemic has taken on our mental health, as 76 per cent of the respondents reporting they’ve felt sad, even depressed, since it began.
In relation to this, according to respondents, the restrictions they have the most difficulty with are those that affect socialising, such as the limits on the number of people who can come together in households or eat out at restaurants.
In contrast, the respondents were more inclined to accept other restrictions, such as lengthier wait times for medical treatment for non-urgent or non-Covid-related care.
One important point the survey showed is that more people now are afraid of catching Covid.
The poll showed that 72 per cent of the respondents expressed fear of getting sick, as opposed to only 37 per cent who were polled in a similar survey last month.
Respondents were asked what restrictions they were the most willing to accept. Sixty-seven per cent indicated mandatory mask-wearing, while 54 per cent said they’re willing to tolerate limits on the size of household gatherings.
Only half of the respondents said they would tolerate limiting the size of people dining out together.
As for the length of time people will put up with restrictions, 45 per cent said they’d put up with them for as long as they are needed, and 36 per cent said they’d tolerate them for one more year.
When asked how well the government has managed the crisis, 53 per cent said it has done well or very well, and 43 per cent said they feel authorities have been decisive or very decisive in their planning and actions to mitigate the outbreak.
Sixty-four per cent of respondents said that in comparison to other nations, the government has managed the pandemic well or very well. /TISG
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