Fear of coronavirus could further delay England's so-called Freedom Day after new polling found that four in 10 adults support compulsory mask-wearing in public spaces indefinitely, while around a third of workers admit they are 'uncomfortable' with returning to the office.
A survey conducted by Ipsos Mori found that a quarter of people would like nightclubs and casinos to remain shut after the pandemic, while nearly a fifth support a permanent 10pm curfew.
Around a third of the 1,025 adults aged 16-75 interviewed on July 2 and 3 also said they would support permanent social distancing in theatres, pubs and sports grounds, while 35 per cent said they would support mandatory 10-day quarantines for people returning from abroad forever.
Thirty-six per cent of those polled said they would support compulsory QR scanning upon entering hospitality venues, while 40 per cent said they support mask mandates in shops and on public transport. More than 45 per cent of adults only the vaccinated to ever travel abroad again.
Rail and bus companies have said coverings will not be compulsory when restrictions are lifted next week, with a spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group announcing that railway travel is 'low risk'.
But the Confederation of Passenger Transport, which represents the bus and coach industry, has called for 'clear guidance for operators and customers', while Labour mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham urged the Government to extend the mask mandate beyond July 19.
An online petition urging Health Secretary Sajid Javid to retain the mask mandate on public transport has already received more than 120,000 signatures from people who claim: 'Masks don't just protect the wearer, they protect the people nearby, so even if transport workers continue to wear masks and others don't it puts them at risk.'
Anxious people have revealed on Twitter that they are not likely to go to the pub on the so-called Freedom Day, whether they are nervous about catching the virus or irritated by being required to wear masks upon entry. Some have also expressed frustration of being 'pinged' to self-isolate by the NHS app.
One person said: 'I won't be going to a pub anyway. I went to a full pub of maskless, sitting people whilst not wearing a mask standing up and got verbally abused by multiple people.'
Another wrote: 'I won't be going to the pub/restaurant/cinema/theatre/shopping centre etc. when 'freedom day' arrives. Will most definitely not be spending my money to help the economy at a risk to my own health. I will remain cautious and masked, spend time with my cautious family.'
A third added: 'I'll decide when it's safe to ditch my mask and when it's safe to go into a pub, restaurant etc. And I won't be going into a pub any time soon.'
Fear of coronavirus could further delay England's so-called Freedom Day after new polling found that four in 10 adults support compulsory mask-wearing in public spaces indefinitely, while around a third of workers admit they are 'uncomfortable' with returning to the office
A survey conducted by Ipsos Mori found that a quarter of people would like nightclubs and casinos to remain shut forever, while nearly a fifth support a permanent 10pm curfew. Around a third of the 1,025 adults aged 16-75 interviewed on July 2 and 3 also said they would support enforced social distancing in theatres, pubs and sports grounds, while 35 per cent said they would support mandatory 10-day quarantines for people returning from abroad permanently
Women wearing face masks walk through Notting Hill Gate station on July 13, 2021
Anxious people have revealed on Twitter that they are not likely to go to the pub on the so-called Freedom Day, whether they are nervous about catching the virus or irritated by being required to wear masks upon entry. Some have also expressed frustration of being 'pinged' to self-isolate by the NHS app
Passengers wear face coverings euat Waterloo Station on July 4, 2021
Boris Johnson wears a face mask as he departs following a Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving marking the 73rd Anniversary of the foundation of the NHS on July 5, 2021
In a statement, Ipsos Mori's head of political research Gideon Skinner said: 'Throughout most of the pandemic, we've seen support for many of the measures that the Government has taken to control the virus - broadly speaking, many more people define themselves as supporters of the restrictions than opponents, and only a minority believe that the rules have been too strict.
'This latest polling backs this up, with the public prepared to accept a number of restrictions such as mask-wearing and on foreign travel being in place in the short-term after the planned July 19th easing, and even if necessary until the coronavirus is under control worldwide (although support for the most extreme of the options - a curfew - is consistently much lower).'
But added: 'This isn't a blank cheque - support falls noticeably for restrictions being in place permanently. Interestingly, while Covid is still seen as a risk support for restrictions tends to be stronger among older age groups, but that age difference disappears when we ask about support for restrictions remaining in place permanently (and if anything, older groups actually become more opposed).'
It comes as a survey by CV-Library shared exclusively with MailOnline has found that around 55 per cent of UK professionals feel anxious about returning to the office next week.
With over 1,100 responses, the poll found that 73 per cent of workers 'prefer the flexibility of working from home', while 33 per cent 'still fee uncomfortable because of Covid-19'.
Nearly a quarter of those interviewed said they did not want to work in the
