The Government is rapidly losing the public’s support in the fight against Covid-19, a new poll has revealed.
The survey found rocketing levels of disapproval at the Coalition’s handling of the health crisis in the wake of Beacon Hospital vaccination scandal and other controversies.
Support for the Government's handling of the pandemic has dropped below the 50% mark for the first time - a 19-point decrease since the last poll in November/December.
This is a 35-point drop since this time last year the Kantar/Sunday Independent opinion poll found.
Much of the fallout in approval is being put down to issues such as the Beacon Hospital vaccination of teachers at a private school.
The painfully slow vaccination programme is also thought to be behind the dramatic drop in approval which now stands at 43%.
Strong disapproval of the way in which the Government dealt with the rollout of the vaccines registered at 53% with 29% approving and only seven percent strongly approving.
The level of disapproval is strongest among younger people and those with a working class background.
The finding that there is huge public frustration with the level of Covid-19 restrictions will particularly worry the Government and health authorities.
The poll found that just half of those asked said they believed that the restrictions are being lifted too slowly - up 11 points since the last poll and a massive 38 point jump since last July.
The poll appears to indicate that there has been a dramatic public mood change since the start of the year when the latest round of restrictions kicked in.
The survey also found that the public are apprehensive about the future with 41% saying they believed it would be a year before the country gets back to normal and 11% it will be two years.
The health authorities fared better when it came to public satisfaction with 59% approving of Nphet’s handling of the pandemic while 26% disapprove.
But this is still a ten point drop in its approval rating since the last poll just before Christmas.
The Government will also be worried that over half (53%) disapprove of the vaccine rollout although when asked who was most to blame 39% said it was the drug manufacturers.
When it came to taking the vaccine 30% admitted they had some concerns but 63% said they had no concerns.
