Australians continue to feel optimistic about the future, despite ongoing disruption to their lives due to COVID-19. They remain most positive about their own personal situation: 43% feel they are heading in the right direction (up from 39% in November), almost three times those who feel they are heading in the wrong direction (15%).
Twelve months into Australia’s COVID-19 response, healthcare remains the dominant community concern. When asked to name up to three issues that personally interest or concern them the most, and that the Australian Government should focus on, four in ten adults (45%) continue to describe issues related to hospitals, healthcare and ageing.
Following the launch of the COVID-19 vaccination program, six in ten Australians (64%) say they plan to have a vaccine when it becomes available to them, including almost four in ten (39%) who definitely plan to.
When asked to name up to three issues that personally interest or concern them the most and that the Australian Government should focus on, two in five Australians (42%) describe issues related to hospitals, healthcare and ageing.
Several months into its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Federal Government performance continues to be rated highly, at an index score of 62. This is similar to its July 2020 result – an index score of 63, which was the highest performance score for an Australian Government since True Issues began in June 2013.
Eight in ten Australians (83%) are concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, including almost half (48%) who are extremely or very concerned and Millennials (aged 18-34 years) are experiencing the most anxiety over COVID-19, recording significantly higher levels of concern across most of the impacts measured.