Poll backs keeping schools closed until coronavirus is under control

Nearly three-quarters of Welsh voters think schools should stay shut until there's clear evidence that we're winning the battle against coronavirus, according to an ITV Wales poll.

Waiting until the virus was fully under control was the most popular option, followed by waiting until there's been a big drop in the number of Covid cases.

Voters were asked which of a series of options they supported, with 71% choosing one of the two most cautious approaches. The full result was as follows:

  • Schools should be open now 11%

  • Schools should open once there is a small fall in cases 8%

  • Schools should open once there is a large fall in cases 28%

  • Schools should remain closed until the virus is fully under control 43%

  • Don’t know 10%

The result reflects a poll finding released earlier today which found that 80% of the Welsh public back the current lockdown restrictions.

But despite this willingness to endure this loss of freedom, more than a third of the people questioned doubted that it would actually work.

They were asked how confident they were, if at all, that the national lockdown in Wales will help reduce the number of coronavirus cases in Wales. Here's the full result:

  • Very confident 10%

  • Fairly confident 46%

  • TOTAL CONFIDENT 57%

  • Not very confident 26%

  • Not at all confident 9%

  • TOTAL NOT CONFIDENT 35%

  • Don’t know 9%

The Welsh Political Barometer poll, for ITV Cymru Wales and Cardiff University, had a sample of 1,018 Welsh voters aged 16+. It was carried out online by YouGov from 11-14 January 2021.