Covid-19 April 14 update

Week 3 of lockdown, the gradual flattening of the curve, and possibly the advent of the Easter holidays has seen sentiment improve. However New Zealanders still have significant concerns about the economic health of the nation and the impact of the actions of others on keeping the virus under control.

Over the weekend we ran our fifth survey wave to gauge the attitudes of Kiwis to the Covid-19 situation. We summarise a few key findings.

The economy, the actions of others, and staying in touch with friends and family are the key things people are thinking about

As we enter week three of the lockdown, Kiwis are thinking most about Covid-19’s impact on the NZ and global economy – and the sentiment is far more negative than positive, especially in regards to the global economy. However as we have seen in earlier weeks, the negative economic situation is not yet impacting as much on fears about personal job security, and indeed we are seeing somewhat more positivity compared to previous weeks (see below).

As with previous weeks there is relatively low concern about our own personal and family’s health, however there is significant thought about how much others are following lockdown and social distancing rules, with Kiwis being net negative – possibly a result of media stories about some people going away for the Easter break.

More positively, almost half of Kiwis are thinking about staying in touch with others, and are having net positive experiences.

Kiwis also have very positive thoughts about how the covid-19 situation and resulting lockdown are impacting on the environment.

Economic sentiment is generally improving…

This week has seen a significant reduction in negativity about the economic impacts of Covid-19 – though it is still very negative.

… as are health concerns

Concerns about falling sick have declined to pre-lockdown levels, as have worries about the mental health of others. As noted last week, Kiwis are managing their mental health by exercising more, getting more sunlight, and trying to keep in touch with others.

These are the latest results from this market research conducted Saturday/Sunday 11-12 April. Kantar will be conducting this survey every weekend to understand consumer behaviour in relation to the evolving COVID-19 situation. The study is based on an online survey of 750 New Zealanders aged 18+.

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