Majority of Brits believe quarantine measures will damage economy

A new, UK-wide survey about the Government’s recently introduced quarantine measures shows that just 9% of the public believe the economy will be unaffected, with over a third (36%) feeling that it will lead to many job losses. Just 15% think the new measures will work.

The survey of 2,102 people, by independent research company AudienceNet, was commissioned by Quash Quarantine, the group of over 500 travel and hospitality firms seeking to overturn the Government’s introduction of 14-day mandatory quarantine rules.

Of those questioned, 38% believe that the Government should have conducted an economic impact assessment prior to introducing the measures, with an additional 25% assuming that they had.

A third (32%) of those interviewed feel the Government has introduced the quarantine strategy with no scientific evidence, with 42% unsure whether or not there is any evidence.

Among the 70% expressing an opinion on alternatives to quarantine measures, more people agreed than disagreed (70% vs 30%) that Test and Trace would be a better option, with a strong belief that testing and tracing would be less damaging to the UK economy than quarantine (81% vs 19%).

In a significant barometer of the level of trust in the Home Office, 85% said they lack confidence in the government being able to successfully implement the quarantine.

Almost two thirds (59%) support the idea of travel corridors or air bridges to connect the UK with other countries.

George Morgan-Grenville, leader of the Quash Quarantine group and CEO of tour operator Red Savannah, said: "These figures tell us the true feeling of the UK public about these unworkable and disproportionate quarantine measures.

"It’s staggering that the Government seems willing to gamble with people’s livelihoods in the travel and hospitality sector, with apparently little regard for the hundreds of thousands of jobs likely to be lost.

"For a Government that always says it is guided by science, we are still waiting for the scientific evidence. Meanwhile, alternatives to quarantine, which will result in considerably less economic damage, seem to have been ignored.

"We urge the government to outline urgently how travel corridors will be introduced on 29^th June so that the sector can focus on planning for the summer, rebuilding for the future and protecting as many jobs as possible." 

The survey, by global consumer and social research company AudienceNet, was carried out among 2,102 UK residents, statistically and demographically representative of the UK adult population, on June 8 and 9, 2020.

Five hundred companies have joined the Quash Quarantine campaign.