Masking and social distancing compliance hits new lows as festive season begins: Survey

LocalCircles’ survey, which received 65,000 responses from citizens residing in 366 districts of India, found how people are using masks and social distancing protocols in cities and districts while traveling in flights/airports, trains/railway stations and bus/bus were following. There are also places like vaccination centres, which many people have visited in the last few months.

Sixty-four percent were men and 36% of the respondents were women. Forty-six percent of the respondents were from Tier-1 areas, 29% from Tier-2 areas, and 25% from Tier-3, 4 and rural districts.

A previous LocalCircle survey from June 2021, shared by the Union Health Ministry in its briefing on 6 July this year, indicated that mask compliance was rated as effective by 29% of people and social distancing by 11% .

Sachin Taparia, Founder, LocalCircles said, “The 29 to 13% drop in the mask compliance rating and the social distancing compliance rating from 11% to 6% shows that many believe that COVID-19 is gone. “

“With the festive season of 2021 expected to see higher levels of socializing, shopping and community events, the risk of COVID cases rising is now higher”, he warned.

Taparia said the travel enthusiasm is currently stronger than the local circles reported in February-March this year.

LocalCircles raised a red flag on March 23 this year, highlighting the need to enforce compliance with masks and social distancing and to enforce movement restrictions or lockdowns as soon as possible, when its “citizen pulse trackers” showed high levels of risk. was indicated.

On the mask front in the latest survey, only 13 per cent of the respondents said that “over 90 per cent” people in their area, district or city are compliant and only 30 per cent of the respondents reported mask compliance during travel at airports, stations. Said to be effective. , bus stand, etc.

On the bright side, the survey showed that mask compliance levels were higher immunization centers as 61 percent of citizens said it was effective when they visited the places in the past two months.

With regard to social distancing norms, only 6 per cent of the respondents said that compliance levels are effective in their area, district or city. Survey respondents also said that the top indoor places where they have observed low social distancing compliance were vaccination centres, trains, buses, malls and indoor shopping complexes.

So, while mask compliance at immunization centers is working to some extent, social distancing compliance is not effective.

Forty percent of the survey respondents said shopping markets were the top outdoor places where social distancing compliance was not working.

The report also suggested that the central government, state governments and district administrations should ensure that clear guidelines are created and implemented for community gatherings and compliance with masking and social distancing norms.

There is a need to focus on creating awareness and ensuring compliance in Tier-3, 4 towns and rural districts, where some cases of citizen feedback have shown that compliance is at near zero level.