Kiwis would rather stay with New Zealand’s current Covid-19 elimination strategy than to follow Sweden’s less restrictive approach, a new poll has shown.
The European country opted for "herd immunity" early on in the pandemic and kept its economy running by only asking people to work from home if they could, and to stay at home if they were sick.
Only gatherings of more than 50 people were banned.
It’s a stark contrast to New Zealand’s approach, which has already seen the entire country go into lockdown to eradicate community transmission and the implementation of alert level restrictions for future management.
New Zealand’s hospitality industry and small-businesses have already suffered greatly because of the first lockdown.
It’s in stark contrast to neighbouring European countries who have entered into lockdown. (Source: Other)
But a new nationwide poll by Horizon Research has found New Zealanders overwhelmingly want to stay with the current policy to try eliminating community transmission of Covid-19.
The research was conducted between August 20 and 25, following the second wave of community transmission. It polled 1300 respondents during Auckland’s Alert Level 3 lockdown, while the rest of the country was in Level 2.
Data showed 76 per cent of those polled wanted to continue imposing varying levels of restrictions to manage and eliminate outbreaks of infections in the community, and borrow and spend to reduce economic impacts and help with economic recovery
Meanwhile, 23 per cent would like policy to take a less restrictive approach, like Sweden, and allow Covid-19 transmission within the community to reduce economic costs and harm to the economy.
Horizon Research said the result is overwhelmingly for not changing course.
The survey also asked overall which approach would be better for New Zealand - with 73 per cent thinking elimination of transmission was best.
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