1 in 3 Canadians Say Government Overreacted to COVID Pandemic: Survey

Police issue a summons to a protester after over 10 people gathered for an anti-lockdown rally against pandemic restrictions in Toronto on Dec. 19, 2020. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

More than one in three Canadians say government reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic was exaggerated, according to a new Leger survey, while half the country believes the measures were appropriate.

The survey, called The COVID Pandemic Five Years Later, was commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies to look at Canadians’ views of government actions during the pandemic. It also looked at people’s feelings about the vaccine.

The survey’s findings showed 36 percent of respondents believe the government’s reaction to COVID was exaggerated. About 50 percent said they did not think Ottawa’s actions during the pandemic were excessive, while 13 percent declined to answer the question.

Those between 35 and 54 years of age were most likely to see the government’s actions as exaggerated (42 percent), while those over 55 years were least likely to think the government overreacted.

Residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba were most likely to say the government overreacted, with 47 percent in Alberta saying the response was exaggerated and 45 percent in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Ontario residents were least likely to feel the government overreacted during the pandemic, with 31 percent saying government response was exaggerated, compared with 39 percent in Atlantic Canada, 38 percent in B.C., and 35 percent in Quebec.

When asked if they got COVID during the pandemic, 53 percent said yes and 41 percent said no.

During the pandemic, provinces imposed various lockdown measures, and governments at both the provincial and federal levels imposed vaccine mandates.

Views on Vaccination

When it came to vaccines, 84 percent of those surveyed said they had been vaccinated before 2023, while 11 percent said they had not.

Fifteen percent said they regretted the decision to get vaccinated while 71 percent had no regrets about it.

Those between 18 and 34 years of age were most likely to express regret (21 percent) about getting vaccinated, compared with only 10 percent of those aged 55 and older who regretted getting vaccinated.

Of those surveyed, 48 percent said they did not or would not be getting vaccinated this year, compared to 41 percent who said they received or were planning on getting the vaccine in 2024.

Older Canadians were more likely to get vaccinated this year, with 57 percent of those 55 and older saying they have already been vaccinated, or plan to do so. Those 18 to 34 years of age are least likely to be vaccinated this year, with just 26 percent saying they have or would be taking a vaccine.

The poll was conducted between Sept. 20 and 22, with 1,612 people responding. Leger said that a margin of error could not be associated with the non-probability sample—one that doesn’t rely on random selection.

Statistics show that about 34,206 people died from COVID-19 in Canada as of May 2023, with the majority being over 80 years old.