Just 56% of Victorians have the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ on their phone

Only 56% of Victorians have the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ on their phone (57% of Melburnians and 53% of Victorians outside Melbourne) more than five months after the app was launched by the Federal Government in late April according to the sixth Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey on Victoria’s Stage 4 restrictions.

Those with the COVIDSafe app are more likely to say they would feel safe visiting a shopping centre if everyone was required to have the app. (55% Vs 20% of those without the app).

Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says:

“The real value of the COVIDSafe app depends on everyone having it on their phone. This poll suggests that there is a way to go before those without the app see value in it – for them.”

In terms of the 5km travel limit only 42% of Victorians say Melburnians should be able to travel more than 5km from their home to visit a shopping centre if they have the COVIDSafe app on their phone.

Victorians want shopping centres to have the right to refuse entry to people not wearing masks and those who won’t take a temperature check

In addition, only 22% of Victorians believe that a person should be refused entry into a shopping centre if they refuse to have the ‘tracking app’ on their phone. This contrasts strongly with Victorian views on masks and temperature checks:  90% of Victorians say people not wearing a mask should be refused entry to a shopping centre; and 87% say people who refuse a temperature check should be refused entry

Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says:

“Victorians are in almost unanimous support of refusing entry to shopping centres to people who aren’t wearing a mask or refuse to take a temperature check upon entry.

“However, only 22% of Victorians believe someone should be refused entry to a shopping centre if they don’t have the COVIDSafe app on their phone.”

Victorians surveyed were asked three of the following questions to determine their attitudes towards the Stage 4 directives and the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ and how they relate to visiting shopping centres:

• Question 1: “Would you feel safe going to a shopping centre if you knew everyone entering the shopping centre, for any reason, had the COVIDSafe 'tracking app' on their phone, or not?” Yes 38% cf. No 62%.
  
• Question 2: “Melbourne people are not allowed to travel more than 5km from their home. Should Melburnians be allowed to travel more than 5km to visit a shopping centre if everyone entering that shopping centre, for any reason, has the COVIDSafe 'tracking app' on their phone?” Yes 42% cf. No 58%.
  
• Question 3: “Do you have the COVIDSafe 'tracking app' on your phone or not?” Yes 56% cf. No 44%.
  
• Question 4: “In Victoria it is now compulsory to wear a face mask when leaving home.  If a person is not wearing a mask should they be refused entry into a shopping centre, or not?” Yes 90% cf. No 10%.
  
• Question 5: “If a person refuses to have their temperature checked when entering a shopping centre should they be refused entry, or not?” Yes 87% cf. No 13%.
  
• Question 6: “If a person refuses to have a 'tracking app' on their phone when entering a shopping centre should they be refused entry, or not?” Yes 22% cf. No 78%.

This special Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with a Victoria-wide cross-section of 2,391 Victorians aged 18+ conducted on Monday October 5 – Tuesday October 6, 2020.

L-NP supporters and older Victorians are most likely to have the COVIDSafe app on their phone

Two-thirds of L-NP supporters (67%) have the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ installed on their phone, a far higher rate than either ALP supporters (54%) or Greens supporters (56%).

Sixty-five percent of Victorians aged 65+ have the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ on their phone – the highest penetration rate of any age group ahead of 55% of people aged 50-64 and 54% of those aged under 50.

Almost two-fifths of Victorians say they would feel safe visiting a shopping centre if they knew everyone there had the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ – highest for older Victorians and L-NP supporters

Nearly two-fifths (38%) of Victorians say they would feel safe visiting a shopping centre if they knew everyone there had the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ installed on their phone.

Interestingly nearly half of older Victorians aged 65+(45%) say they would feel safe higher than any other age group including people aged 50-64 (39%), 35-49 (38%) and only 32% of those under 35.

Almost half (48%) of L-NP supporters say they would feel safe which is far higher than either ALP supporters (34%) or Greens supporters (31%).

The trend holds true for being allowed to travel more than 5km from home to visit a shopping centre if everyone entering the shopping centre has the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ on their phone.

A majority of Victorians aged 65+ (52%) says Melburnians should be able to do this compared to only 46% of people aged 50-64, 38% aged 35-49 and 39% aged under 35.

Similarly, a majority of 53% of L-NP supporters say Melburnians should be able to travel more than 5km to visit a shopping centre if everyone visiting the shopping centre has the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ on their phone compared to 37% of ALP supporters and only 24% of Greens supporters.

Michele Levine, CEO Roy Morgan, says:

“Roy Morgan’s special SMS survey on Victoria’s Stage 4 restrictions and the COVIDSafe ‘tracking app’ shows there is a long way to go before Victorians feel their safety is protected by downloading and installing the app.

“Only a slim majority of 56% of Victorians have the COVIDSafe app installed on their phones with the highest penetration amongst L-NP supporters (67%) and older Victorians aged 65+ (65%). Unsurprisingly it is these same demographic groups that are most likely to say they would feel safe going to shopping centres if they knew everyone there also had the COVIDSafe app on their phones.

“Looking at other key demographics shows only slim majorities of people aged under 50 (54%), ALP supporters (54%) or Greens supporters (56%) have the COVIDSafe app on their phones – and this is more than five months after the app was launched in late April with heavy initial take-up by millions of Australians.

“The issues Victoria has faced with contact tracing the spread of COVID-19 throughout the Victorian community are well-known. The fact is Victoria can’t possibly stop the spread of COVID-19 unless a great majority of people have the COVIDSafe App on their phone.

“The Victorian Government needs to mandate that visitors to shopping centres – and this includes WORKERS at the shopping centres who are travelling much further than 5km to get there – MUST HAVE the COVIDSafe app installed on their phones as a condition of working or visiting the shopping centre.

“The effective response of the NSW Government to the second wave of COVID-19 in July and August shows with smart policies and innovative use of the technology available to Government a low level of spread can successfully be suppressed.

“During much of August NSW had a higher two week average of new local cases of COVID-19 and a greater number of Active Cases of the virus in the community than Victoria has now and was able to successfully suppress the spread of the virus without resorting to a damaging lockdown.”

For further comment or more information contact:

Michele Levine 0411129093 or Gary Morgan 0411129094 or email askroymorgan@roymorgan.com.

Question 1:

Would you feel safe going to a shopping centre if you knew everyone entering the shopping centre, for any reason, had the COVIDSafe 'tracking app' on their phone, or not?

By Have COVIDSafe Tracking App, Melbourne & Country Victoria

Question 2:

Melbourne people are not allowed to travel more than 5km from their home. Should Melburnians be allowed to travel more than 5km to visit a shopping centre if everyone entering that shopping centre, for any reason, has the COVIDSafe 'tracking app' on their phone?

By Have COVIDSafe Tracking App & Question 1 “No”, Melbourne & Country Victoria

Question 3:

Do you have the COVIDSafe 'tracking app' on your phone or not? By Party Support (Federal)

Source: Roy Morgan Special Snap SMS Poll of Victorians conducted on Monday October 5 to Tuesday October 6, 2020, n=2,391 with over 1,000 respondents each asked 3 questions. Base: Victorians aged 18+.

Do you have the COVIDSafe 'tracking app' on your phone or not?

Question 4:

In Victoria it is now compulsory to wear a face mask when leaving home.  If a person is not wearing a mask should they be refused entry into a shopping centre, or not?

Question 5:

If a person refuses to have their temperature checked when entering a shopping centre should they be refused entry, or not?

Question 6:

If a person refuses to have a 'tracking app' on their phone when entering a shopping centre should they be refused entry, or not?

By Melbourne & Country Victoria

For comments or more information please contact:
Roy Morgan - Enquiries
Office: +61 (03) 9224 5309
askroymorgan@roymorgan.com