Fifth Of Adults Feel Unsafe In Public Because Of Covid-19

Nearly one in five British adults say they do not feel safe in public places due to Covid-19, according to a new poll. The survey by YouGov found that 18 per cent of people feel unsafe in restaurants, public transport or other spaces because of the virus.

- Jon Stone

The think tank which commissioned the survey, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), said the findings could help explain a recent rise in economic inactivity among some adults. Its researchers point to data showing that people not in work were a third less likely to say they felt safe in public.

Official figures show a marked rise in economic inactivity since the pandemic, with ill health being a major driver, particularly among the over-50s. Last month the Office for National Statistics published figures show that over summer 2022 around 2.5 million people reported long-term sickness as the main reason for not working. This was a significant rise on 2019, up from around 2 million in 2019.