More than half of Britons would feel unsafe going to work or seeing their friends if the Government lifted the national lockdown, a new poll has found. Most people are nervous of the consequences of lifting social distancing too early regardless of the decision made by ministers when the lockdown is reviewed next week, the survey suggests.

It also finds that three in five have been prompted to "re-evaluate their values and priorities in life" as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The poll, conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies interviewed 1,500 people in Great Britain this week, weighted to be representative of the country as a whole. Its finding suggest broad support for an ongoing lockdown, regardless of the Government's next steps.



It found that if the lockdown were lifted next week, 53 per cent of people would still feel unsafe going to work and 60 per cent would not feel safe visiting a friend's house. 37 per cent said they would feel unsafe leaving home at all. A majority of the public said they would be prepared to see the lockdown continue until July or even longer if the Government judges that it is still necessary.

Despite the public support for the unprecedented measures, 35 per cent of those surveyed said their mental health had suffered during the lockdown with just 11 per cent seeing their mental health improve. The poll found that one third of Britons are now wearing a mask in public at least some of the time - significantly more than previous surveys carried out in recent weeks. Nearly 90 per cent said they would be willing to cover their face in public if the Government started advising them to do so.

The Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll found that 56 per cent approve of Boris Johnson's job performance in the past month with 24 per cent disapproving, while 50 per cent say the Government has handled coronavirus well compared to 37 per cent who disagree.