UK Edition
Half of the English public do not understand the rules governing lockdown, a study has found.
As restrictions on movement have gradually eased in line with a fall in coronavirus infections, many people are more confused about the rules than they were before, according to researchers.
Around 90 per cent of the UK population were said to have had a clear idea of what they had to do during the lockdown period – stay at home – but fewer than half in England do now.
Researchers from University College, London (UCL) found the slump in levels of understanding about what is and is not permitted was particularly acute among younger adults.
An ongoing survey of more than 70,000 adults has so far established that around 45 per cent of respondents reported having a "broad understanding" of the current rules in England.
This is significantly lower than other parts of the UK, with 75 per cent saying the same thing in Scotland and 61 per cent in Wales. Both those countries saw rules relaxed at a different pace.
Only 14 per cent of participants in England claim to understand the rules completely now lockdown has eased (see video below), compared to 18 per cent in Wales and 27 per cent in Scotland, according to the study.
Dr Daisy Fancourt, one of the study's lead authors, said: "This could possibly reflect difficulties in applying the rules to more complex life scenarios amongst younger adults, or may be reflective of the different amounts of time spent following the news on Covid-19 amongst different age groups.
"The general drop-off in understanding could be due to unclear messaging from the Government, or a reduction in interest and engagement from people, especially with the cessation of the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing in late June."
The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, is the UK's largest study into how adults are dealing with the pandemic.
It also found that access to healthcare has fallen, with one in 10 people across the UK reporting being unable to see or speak with a GP about their physical health.
Around one in 20 were unable to speak to a professional about their mental health, while one in five reported not telling a GP about symptoms of an illness when they usually would have, even when an appointment was available.
Meanwhile, researchers said depression and anxiety levels, life satisfaction and happiness have all shown improvements across every socio-demographic group. Loneliness levels have also decreased further, but there is little change in people reporting major or minor stress due to Covid-19, unemployment, finance or getting food, according to the study.
Cheryl Lloyd, the education programme head at the Nuffield Foundation, said: "With concerns growing over a second wave of Covid-19, it is concerning that many people in England report not understanding the current Government guidance.
"As another Nuffield-funded study by the Reuters Institute has shown, people are less likely to access news about Covid-19 on a daily basis now that lockdown has eased.
"With the rules changing regularly, this may be a factor in the public not understanding the Government guidance."