Survey: 91% of respondents favor mandatory corona tests for returnees

Should people who come to Germany from risk areas be tested for the novel coronavirus? 91 percent of the respondents are in favor of this. This is shown by the BfR-Corona-Monitor, a regular survey by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Acceptance of the other containment measures also remains at a high level. For example, the distance regulation, the mandatory use of masks and the cancellation of events are considered appropriate by more than 85 percent of the participants.

The high level of approval of the measures indicates that the population is still aware of the risks posed by the virus."

Professor Dr. Andreas Hensel, BfR President

The most common protective measures seem to have already become a matter of routine to many people. At least 90 percent of respondents said they wear masks, wash their hands more thoroughly and keep their distance from others. As in the weeks before, in the current survey about one third of the participants state that they use the app of the German government.

In contrast, there is a clear change in the perceived informedness of the respondents. Since June, just over 60 percent of the respondents had stated that they felt well informed about what is happening around the new coronavirus. In the current survey, this figure fell to 52 percent. The information channels used and the evaluation of media coverage remained relatively unchanged: around two-thirds still consider the media coverage to be appropriate, while 29 percent consider the reporting to be exaggerated.

Throughout the summer months, public concern about the impact of the novel coronavirus on different areas of life developed in different patterns: While worries about social relationships as well as physical and mental health have increased slightly, concerns about one' s own economic situation remained comparatively stable.