Public admit whitewashing laziness over Covid hygiene in ESRI survey

Some secretly do not sanitise their hands — but only when they think they can get away with it
Plenty of social distance on the beach at Bray. The public is said to be pessimistic, thinking others do not follow the restrictions while exaggerating their own compliance
Plenty of social distance on the beach at Bray. The public is said to be pessimistic, thinking others do not follow the restrictions while exaggerating their own compliance
LEON FARRELL

Public compliance with Covid-19 guidelines in Ireland is being overestimated, according to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The real level of public adherence to measures such as hand-washing and social distancing may be up to 17% lower than reported.

ESRI research has found that while compliance is still high — about three out of four people stick to the guidelines — the figures reported in the weekly tracking surveys are skewed by how the questions are asked.

Amarach, a market research company, carries out the survey on behalf of the Department of Health, asking people about their level of compliance with various guidelines.

The ESRI study found that people were likely to exaggerate their commitment to the protocols in a desire to paint