The number of people who say they are following lockdown rules completely has dropped sharply as vaccination rates increase.
A poll published today found that just over one-third of adults across the UK say they are sticking to restrictions as exactly stipulated by the government, down from 47% who said the same in January.
A further 36% are following the restrictions nearly all of the time, up from 31% in January, while 21% of respondents say they are sticking to the rules most or half of the time.
Among those aged 55-75, the number of people following the rules completely has fallen from 58% in January to 40% now - which pollsters Ipsos Mori believe is related to the success of the vaccine programme among older adults.
It comes as Scotland today enjoys the most significant easing of lockdown this year, with all non-essential shops able to reopen and the hospitality industry able to welcome back customers.
The average number of covid cases being reported each day north of the Border has dropped by more than 90% since January, the first full month of the second national lockdown.
More than 2.7 million people in Scotland have now had their first dose of a covid-19 vaccination, 60% of those aged 16 and over. In those aged over-70 close to 100% of people have been vaccinated.
Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos MORI, said: “The success of the programme to bring down covid infections, and the accompanying easing of restrictions, is clearly having an impact on the public mood.
"People are feeling more comfortable with the prospect of meeting their friends and family, sending their children back to school, going back to work and other aspects of normal life – including going out for a drink and getting their hair cut.
"But this comes with a risk – the proportion of people who say they are completely following the government’s rules has fallen since its peak in January, especially among older age groups.
"The vast majority still say they are mostly following the rules, but the UK Government will want to watch this closely to ensure that this emerging optimism can be sustained.”
A Scottish Government target was to offer the first dose to all nine JCVI priority groups by the middle of April, which ministers have said is now "effectively" done.
