51% of Ontarians to scale back Christmas gatherings: poll

Amid the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the province, a new poll finds only 51 per cent of Ontarians will cut back Christmas plans to include immediate family only.

According to the survey by Forum Research, five in 10 respondents polled said they will only be celebrating the holidays with their immediate household.

Four in 10 (41 per cent) said they will be celebrating with their household and extended family members. At least one in 10 (seven percent) of respondents said they will be celebrating without restrictions.

The latest restrictions by the province, which went into effected on Sunday, limits social gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.

Meanwhile, as the Ford government expands its COVID-19 booster rollout to those aged 18 and over on Monday, four in five Ontarians said they are “likely” to get the shot. The survey finds those who would opt for the booster dose are more likely to be 65-plus, while those not likely to get it are in the 18-24 age group.

When it comes to vaccinations among those aged 5-11, parents surveyed in the poll appear to have mixed feelings about vaccinating their children. Two in five parents said they have vaccinated their children, while one in five said they don’t plan to.

The Forum Research online poll was conducted on December 14, surveying 1,001 residents in Ontario aged 18 years and above, recruited from the Forum Poll Panel. The poll is accurate 19 times out of 20 (+/- 3 percentage points).

Forum Research poll December 19 by CityNewsToronto on Scribd