Nearly half of Brits think it was wrong to reopen pubs and let students go back to university

Ellen Manning
Updated ·2 min read
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 28: Signs made by students are displayed in a window of their locked down accommodation building on September 28, 2020 in Manchester, England. Around 1,700 students across two student housing blocks were told to self-isolate after more than 100 students recently tested positive for Covid-19. The students were told to self-isolate for 14 days even if they were not experiencing symptoms. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Nearly half of Brits think it was a mistake to let students go back to university. (Getty)

Nearly half of Brits think it was a mistake to reopen pubs and allow students back to university, a new poll has found.

The YouGov poll asked Britons for their views on a list of ten government decisions relating to coronavirus, including lockdown measures, the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, and allowing non-essential shops to open.

Respondents were asked whether, in hindsight, they thought the government was right or wrong to put certain rules in place, or whether they didn’t know.

The YouGov poll revealed Brits' opinions on the government's decisions around coronavirus rules. (YouGov)
The YouGov poll revealed Brits' opinions on the government's decisions around coronavirus rules. (YouGov)

The poll, carried out on September 29 and 30, found that 46% of Brits thought it was a mistake to reopen pubs, while 45% said it was wrong to allow students back to university.

However, 41% said allowing pubs to reopen was a good decision, with 40% saying students heading back was a good move.

The results come amid ongoing concerns about students’ returning to university after several have put students into self-isolation due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

A member of staff pours a pint inside the Black Horse Inn in Haxby, York, on Super Saturday as pubs and other stores reopen after lockdown measures are relaxed in England
Brits were asked whether it was a good move to allow pubs to reopen. (PA)

The poll suggested that of the list of ten measures, those are the only two that Brits tended to think the government was wrong to lift.

When it came to encouraging workers to return to offices, 41% thought it was the wrong thing to do but 47% said it was the right move.

Similarly, 51% thought it was right to launch the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, outnumbering those who disagreed, while 61% approved of bringing the initial lockdown to an end, 65% said it was right to allow schools to reopen, and 70% thought it was right to allow non-essential shops to resume business.

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