Fewer Filipinos Avoid Crowded Places – OCTA Poll
The survey, conducted during the peak of the surge in Sept., showed that almost all Filipinos use face masks and wash their hands to prevent contracting COVID-19. But less than half said they avoid crowded places.
While compliance with minimum public health standards remains high, a survey conducted by OCTA Research showed that fewer Filipinos avoid crowded places as a measure to prevent contracting COVID-19.
The survey, conducted from Sept. 11 to 16 with results released on Nov. 11, found that only 37 percent of 1,200 respondents avoid crowded places, down from 48 percent in a similar poll con-ducted in July.
Other measures that showed a decline in compliance include staying at home when not necessary to go out (from 52 to 50 percent), avoiding people who are ill (from 45 to 39 percent), avoiding domestic travel (from 25 to 24 percent), consulting a doctor when not feeling well (from 19 to 16 percent) and avoiding international travel (from 17 to 10 percent).
Compliance with other minimum public health standards increased in the recent survey, including use of face masks (from 89 to 91 percent), regular cleaning of hands (from 85 to 89 percent), using face shield (from 70 to 80 percent), observing social distancing (from 64 to 72 percent) and covering nose when sneezing or coughing (from 56 to 60 percent).
The number of those who said they take vitamins remained at 46 percent.
The drop among those who avoid crowded places was highest among respondents in Metro Manila (from 52 to 17 percent), followed by those in Mindanao (from 49 to 37 percent), rest of Luzon (from 54 to 46 percent) and the Visayas (from 30 to 29 percent).
Compliance with some other health measures to avoid COVID-19 has also significantly dropped among respondents in Metro Manila.
These include avoiding people who are ill, staying at home when it is not necessary to go out, avoiding domestic and international travel, consulting a doctor when not feeling well, covering nose when coughing or sneezing and taking vitamins.
The government has loosened restrictions in Metro Manila in recent weeks following the decline in new COVID-19 cases.
Officials, however, remind the public to continue following health protocols to avoid a spike in new cases.
The same survey also showed that staying healthy, having a secure and well-paying job and to finish schooling or provide education for their children remain the most urgent personal concerns of Filipinos.
On national issues, the respondents said their most pressing concerns were controlling the pandemic, increasing the salaries of workers and controlling the increase in prices of basic goods.
OCTA’s Tugon ng Masa survey had a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.
