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Nearly half of young people 'would flout rules in second lockdown'

Emily Cleary
Updated ·3 min read
Groups of young people are seen on the beach in Bournemouth as they enjoy the hot weather after lockdown restrictions were eased following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Bournemouth, Britain, June 2, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville
Groups of young people gathered on Bournemouth beach in June as lockdown eased. Now almost half of 25-34 year-olds have said they would flout the rules if further restrictions were enforced (REUTERS/Toby Melville)

Almost half of people aged 25 to 34 have said that they would flout rules if a second coronavirus lockdown was imposed.

A poll of more than 2,000 UK adults revealed the data, published Friday.

The research also found one in five people believe they have had COVID-19 despite not having a positive test.

Two thirds of those who took part said they believe the UK will enter a second full lockdown, despite Boris Johnson putting precautions in place to avoid the scenario.

The data was released on Friday as many towns and cities in the north of England awaited news on whether they would face local lockdowns being imposed by the weekend.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 24: (Alternate crop of #1227758502) Prime minister Boris Johnson wears a face mask as he visits Tollgate Medical Centre in Beckton on July 24, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Jeremy Selwyn - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Boris Johnson has urged Britons to follow social distancing guidance to prevent a second wave of coronavirus sweeping the country (Jeremy Selwyn - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

When asked if they would follow the rules in the event of a second lockdown, respondents aged between 25 and 34 were most willing to say they would ignore official guidelines if that happened, with 47% confessing that they would flout the law.

Some 39% of those aged 18 to 24 said they would not closely follow the lockdown measures, while only 23% of those aged 65 and over gave the same answer.

The survey of 2,000 adults, conducted in July, found NHS swab tests for coronavirus were believed to be the most trustworthy but 44% of people said they were unsure about their reliability.

Private rapid-result antibody tests were the least trusted of all the testing options.

Dr Sam Rodgers, medical director of healthcare blood testing company Medichecks, which commissioned the study, said the data showed people were “confused”.

People pass through a Covid-19 testing centre at Bradford University in West Yorkshire, one of the areas where new measures have been implemented to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Stricter rules have been introduced for people in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire, and West Yorkshire, banning members of different households from meeting each other indoors. (Photo by Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)
Almost half the people surveyed in a nationwide poll said they were unsure of the reliability of coronavirus test results (Danny Lawson/PA Images via Getty Images)

“Worryingly, people are drawing their own conclusions of whether they’ve had the virus and are behaving accordingly,” Dr Rodgers said.

Of the thousands of COVID-19 antibody tests carried out by Medichecks, 85% have received negative results.

Dr Rodgers said “many people” believed they had been exposed to the virus but did not have detectable antibodies.

The survey found only 8% of people thought that having coronavirus delivered total immunity.

However, 60% of respondents told the poll that it meant people had a lower chance of getting the virus again or infecting others.

In the 24hrs that a further 38 died from Coronavirus, bringing the total to 41,736, a further easing of the UKs Covid pandemic lockdown restrictions took place with many high street shops today being allowed to re-open after three months of forced closure. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, wanting to stimulate the economy, has urged people to "shop with confidence" and long queues formed outside the main brands. But unlike on public transport, face coverings are not compulsory so shop floors and shopping practices have had to be adapted to ensure customers social distances, amid fears of a second infection wave. Young buyers queue outside Nikeworld and wait for opening time held in a pen at Oxford Circus, on 15th June 2020, in London, England. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)
Young buyers queued outside Nikeworld in London when shops reopened in June (Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images)

“If people aren’t sure but suspect they have had Covid-19, there is a risk that they may behave differently,” Dr Rodgers said.

“This could manifest as not washing hands regularly, not adhering to social distance guidelines, and these are actions that will risk a second peak and ultimately cost lives.”

Only 8% of those polled had COVID-19 confirmed with a positive test.

Britain has so far seen 46,413 deaths due to coronavirus, and has recorded more than 308,000 cases since the outbreak began.

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