Data from Savanta’s Daily Coronavirus Tracker, which has been running since last March, shows approval for the Government’s handling of the pandemic up to +3% for the week ending 21 Feb. This is up 5pts from the week ending 14 Feb, and is the Government’s highest approval since the week ending 5July 2020 (+6%).
The COVID-19 handling approval rating for Boris Johnson has also seen a rise and is on -5% for the week ending 21 Feb, up 2pts from the previous week. As with the Government, this is the Prime Minister’s highest COVID approval rating since the week ending 5 July 2020 (+2%).
Covid-19 handling approval rating
| Week ending 5th July | Week ending 20th Dec | Week ending 24th Jan | Week ending 14th Feb | Week ending 21st Feb | |
| Government | +6% | -9% | -8% | -2% | +3% |
| Boris Johnson | +2% | -15% | -13% | -7% | -5% |
| Matt Hancock | -1% | -13% | -12% | -6% | -5% |
| Sir Keir Starmer | +7% | -3% | -3% | -5% | -4% |
Also encouraging for the Government is that the UK public increasingly say that the Government enforcing the rules is most responsible for the recent fall in coronavirus cases. Two in five (40%) now say that it is the Government who are responsible, up 4pts from last week (36%).
However, UK adults still hold the public obeying the rules as most responsible for the fall in cases (43%), up 2pts from last week.
Most responsible for recent fall in cases
| 12-14 Feb | 19-21 Feb | |
| Gov. enforcing the rules | 36% | 40% |
| Public obeying the rules | 41% | 43% |
| Other | 8% | 6% |
| Don’t know | 16% | 11% |
Sharing vaccines with developing countries
Global leaders are currently debating whether or not to donate coronavirus vaccine supplies to developing countries. Some say that it would be diplomatically beneficial for countries like Britain to donate a small percentage of their vaccine supply to developing countries before others, such as Russia and China, assist instead. Others say that it is more important for countries like Britain to vaccinate their own populations first before assisting other countries, even if that means countries like Russia and China help those developing nations instead.
If Britain were to donate a portion of its vaccine supply, two in five (42%) say we should donate less than 5%, with two-thirds saying it should be 5% or more (36%), as proposed by President Macron.
The proportion of those who say we should donate less than 5% of our supply rises to over half of 2019 Conservative voters (53%), and over half of those who voted to Leave (54%).
Around a quarter of 2019 Conservative voters say we should donate 5% or more of our vaccine supply to developing countries, rising to over two in five Labour voters (45%).
If Britain were to donate a portion of its vaccine supply to developing countries before its own population was fully vaccinated, roughly how much do you think it should donate?
| All | Con | Lab | Leave | Remain | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | |
| Net: Less than 5% | 42% | 53% | 37% | 54% | 36% | 35% | 42% | 48% |
| Sum: More than 5% | 36% | 26% | 45% | 24% | 42% | 49% | 36% | 28% |
Chris Hopkins, Political Research Director at Savanta ComRes said, “Increasingly positive news regarding the vaccine has naturally led to an increase in perceptions that the government is handling the pandemic well, and with their net approval rating being at its highest level since last July, the government will be keen to keep the momentum up.
“Next week we’ll be able to see what impact the roadmap has had on perceptions and whether the hint in our polling earlier this week, that the government could have been bolder, could negate any increased positivity.”
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