Fewer get-togethers as virus spreads

Three in 10 people have not socialised with anyone outside their own household in the last week

People have cut down on the amount of socialising they do with friends and family as coronavirus infection rates spike, a survey has shown. The Government poll, which assesses people’s behaviour and attitudes in light of the Covid19 pandemic, shows that almost half of all adults (41 per cent) said they had less contact with others during the third week in October than they had previously.

Of the 94 per cent of people who had left their homes that week, only 21 per cent gave their reason as to meet others, either in public, or at someone’s house or garden.

Women (21 per cent) were slightly more likely to meet friends than men (20 per cent)

The weekly opinions and lifestyle survey shows the number of people leaving home to meet with friends or family members has fallen steadily in recent weeks, from a high of 30 per cent in mid August.

It also shows some have lost their appetite for visiting bars and restaurants. During the third week in October, 21 per cent of adults said they had gone out to visit a bar or restaurant.

That figure has fallen from 38 per cent during the last week in August.

An earlier survey found that, during the first week in October, around three in 10 (27 per cent) had not socialised with anyone outside their own household in seven days.

That survey found that those in ‘local lockdown’ areas had taken social distancing guidance most seriously. Of people questioned who were living under lockdown, a third (34 per cent) had not socialised with anyone outside their own household.

That compared with a quarter (25 per cent) of people who were not in a local lockdown area.

The latest figures are based on a representative survey of more than 1,500 adults ranging from teenagers to pensioners, and carried out between October 14 and 18.

That was the week Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new three tier coronavirus strategy dividing the nation into areas of medium, high and very high alert level.

Most regions which had been subject to local lockdown measures entered the new system at tier two, meaning they were at “high” risk.

Liverpool was the first area to go into the most serious “very high” alert category, Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire upgraded to tier three the following week.