Most Ontarians believe the pandemic will last 1 to 2 years and favour continued COVID-19 restrictions, new Star poll says

Most Ontarians believe the, which struck in March, will last one to two years, a new Star poll suggests.

The Campaign Research survey also found a vast majority of respondents want restrictions to continue until the end of November to curb the spread of coronavirus infections, which have risen to new heights in recent weeks.

This comes as is expected to announce Tuesday a new framework that would allow businesses, such as , to re-open for indoor services.

Overall, 72 per cent of people believe the government has done “a good job” responding to the pandemic with 21 per cent saying it has done “a bad job” and 6 per cent were unsure.

But 69 per cent feel restrictions should remain in place until the end of the month.

That included 54 per cent who felt the government has done “a good job” and 15 per cent who felt the government “has done a bad job because the rules and restrictions were not effective enough and more restrictions and more enforcement must be put into place.”

Campaign Research polled 1,118 people across Ontario last Thursday through Monday using Maru/Blue’s online panel. It is an opt-in poll, but for comparison purposes, a random sample of this size would have a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The firm found 23 per cent believe the pandemic will last one year, 21 per cent a year and a half, 14 per cent two or more years, and 13 per cent feel it will “never be fully over.”

Only two per cent think it will end within three months, six per cent within six months, and nine per cent within nine months.

“It tells me that people are realistic,” Campaign Research principal Nick Kouvalis said Tuesday.

“A large amount of people are listening to everything … and they understand that this thing is not going away soon,” said Kouvalis, who has worked with Conservative and Liberal candidates across Canada and managed the winning Toronto mayoral campaigns of Rob Ford and John Tory.

Indeed, 52 per cent agree with Premier Doug Ford’s decision last month to enter a modified Stage 2, which limited restaurants and bars to patio and takeout service, while 18 per cent feel the government should have remained in the less restrictive Stage 3.

At the same time, 19 per cent believe the Tories should impose a Stage 1 “stay-at-home” lockdown as was the case last spring.

“There’s definitely a balancing act for the government,” said Kouvalis.

Almost three-quarters — 72 per cent — feel COVID-19 measures should continue to be implemented on a “region-by-region” basis as opposed to 20 per cent that favour province-wide curbs while nine per cent were unsure.

With Finance Minister Rod Phillips unveiling a provincial budget on Thursday, 44 per cent of respondents feel the Tories are “spending the right amount” while 14 per cent believe they are spending “too much” and 18 per cent “too little” and 24 per cent weren’t sure.

The governing Tories received good marks from respondents when asked which party is best at guiding the economic recovery with 41 per cent favouring them compared with 13 per cent for the New Democrats, nine per cent for the Liberals, four per cent for the Greens, one per cent for another party, while 33 per cent were undecided.

In terms of the ballot test, the Conservatives were at 39 per cent, the Liberals at 19 per cent, the New Democrats at 17 per cent, the Greens six per cent with 17 per cent undecided.

is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: