ArmInfo. A public opinion survey on the COVID-19 pandemic, commissioned by the World Bank, showed that 66% of respondents in Armenia consider that economic considerations should prevail over health ones, and see the new restrictions as even greater harm to the economy. Moreover, 39% of respondents said restrictions should not be imposed even with the increase of new coronavirus cases in Armenia.
This survey was conducted by telephone by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA) in cooperation with the CRRC-Armenia Foundation (Caucasus Research Resources Center), the results of which were published on August 24. The study notes that continuous monitoring of public perceptions of infection and institutional responses is necessary to identify areas of greatest concern to society, as the pandemic continues to affect the health of citizens and exacerbate the economic crisis.
35% of the total number of respondents, either lost their jobs or faced a decrease in income during the coronavirus pandemic. It is noteworthy that 45% of the men surveyed noted that they either lost their jobs or began to work according to the schedule of reduced working hours, while the number of female respondents in such a situation was 27%.
43% of respondents began to spend less on essential goods, 36% reduced their spending on food, and 28% spent family savings on essential needs. 54% of respondents noted that their financial situation worsened during the pandemic. Nevertheless, 25% of the respondents are optimistic in the hope that their well-being and the financial situation of their families will improve over the next 12 months. But 30% of respondents are of the opinion that nothing will change, 24% are pessimistic, and 9% are expecting deterioration.
When asked what challenges Armenia faces during the epidemiological crisis, 36% of respondents pointed to the coronavirus pandemic, 33% to a lack of jobs and unemployment, 18% to poverty and inequality, 17% to a negative impact on the economy, 17% – problems in the field of education, and 15% – problems in the health sector.
51% of respondents noted that coronavirus is a task of the health care system, it is noteworthy that among women there were 56% having such an opinion and among men there were 47%. And the majority (47%) believed that the main reason for the spread of the pandemic was the violation of anti-epidemic canons (not observing social distance, not wearing masks and gloves, and another 12% added to this a low level of hygiene. Interestingly, 9% of respondents consider that the reason of the spread of coronavirus was political / economic competition of influential forces of the world, 6% see the reason in tourism, and 4% see the reason in the change in ecology and climate. It is interesting that 74% of respondents answered that they wear masks, often wash their hands or use disinfectants. As for health risks in the context of COVID-19 34% of respondents assessed a high risk of contracting coronavirus, at the same time 24% of respondents considered a high risk of a severe course of the disease when infected with the virus. 46% responded that they would apply to hospital in case of signs of infections, while 17% will call ambulance.
When asked about their trust in government agencies, 54% of respondents expressed a positive opinion of the healthcare system, while 41% were in favor of the Ministry of Health, 43% of respondents expressed confidence in the police, and 35% in the commandant's office. Of the citizens surveyed, 25% expressed complete confidence in WHO, and another 23% said that they most likely trust this organization. 32% of the respondents found it difficult to answer the question about trust in international donor organizations, but 33% expressed confidence. 42% of respondents, at the expense of government efforts in the context of countering the spread of coronavirus, said they would like to see a focus on the health system in terms of mitigating the impact of the pandemic. And only 22% of those surveyed said they would like to see more government efforts in terms of providing direct financial assistance. Meanwhile, the majority of respondents – 65% – noted that neither they nor their families used any state aid program. Regarding the mitigation of the financial situation complicated by the pandemic, 27% of respondents expressed a desire to extend the terms of loan payments and extend the loan maturity. 24% said that during a state of emergency they would like to see utility bills subsidized, and another 14% would like to receive a minimum salary compensation during the period of forced downtime.
43% of respondents are inclined to believe that schools will start working as usual since September. And of the respondents surveyed, 51% of parents said they would send their children to school, and 21% of parents expressed a preference for distance learning. To note, 9605 calls were made within the framework of the survey, and data collection was carried out from June 21 to June 29. 31% of the respondents had higher education, 32% – secondary education, 21% - secondary specialized education, and 2% – postgraduate professional education (with an academic degree). 37% of the respondents were from Yerevan, 36% were rural residents, and 27% were from other cities of Armenia. Of the citizens surveyed, 36% were aged 18-35, 33% were 36-55, and 31% were 56 and older. At the time of the survey, 58% of respondents had a job. Of these, 18% were employed in agriculture, 14% in the field of jurisprudence and law, 12% in trade. For 31% of the respondents, income fluctuated within the range of 48 thousand-120 thousand drams ($ 98-245), and only 5% of the income exceeded 575.001 thousand drams ($ 1178).