Many disappointed in how leaders have handled pandemic

As Canadians face a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic many Canadians have a poor opinion of how their provincial leaders have handled things. In Canada, the federal government funds health care and procures vaccines to protect against the coronavirus. But it is the provinces and territories which are responsible for delivering health care, administering vaccines and deciding on restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus. This has resulted in a patchwork of remedies with varying rates of success across the country. 

A survey by the non-profit Angus Reid Institute conducted April 5 to 8, 2021 reflects a growing frustration among Canadians who had hoped these spring months would signal the end of the pandemic, but instead face a growing threat from rapidly spreading variants of the virus. 

Two-thirds of respondents were worried about getting sick with COVID-19, a four-point increase from March. Four out of five were worried about a family member or friend. One out of three said their mental health was poor or terrible. The figure rises to half among those who are under 35 years old. 

Four out of five people are worried about a family member or friend catching COVID-19. (iStock)

Almost have favoured tougher restrictions

Two out of five respondents (43 per cent) said that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has done a good job of handling the pandemic, while 52 per cent considered that he has done a poor job. 

Results of successive surveys suggest that Canadians have become increasingly disappointed with their provincial leaders. Three-quarters of respondents in the western province of Alberta said their premier is doing a poor job of handling the pandemic. In the hard-hit province of Ontario, 65 per cent held the same poor opinion. In Manitoba the figure was 59 per cent and in Saskatchewan, 50 per cent.

Overall, almost half of Canadians (48 per cent) said their communities need tougher restriction to curb rising infections, while 28 per cent disagreed. One-quarter 24 per cent) said their community has the right balance.

As news of this survey was published, several provinces were tightening their restrictions due to increases in infection rates. The exception is most of the Atlantic provinces which imposed stricter restrictions from the outset of the pandemic and have had much lower rates of infection.