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More than two in five Irish adults breached lockdown measures during the height of the pandemic, a survey by a digital mapping company found.
The report by geographic information systems (GIS) firm Esri Ireland found that 44% of adults in Ireland traveled outside the imposed restricted travel radius of 2 km, 5 km or 20 km for reasons other than essential travel.
The lure of meeting loved ones, stretching your legs and browsing stores proved too much for those who broke the conditions, the survey of more than 1,000 adults found.
Conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Esri Ireland, the survey found that the top three non-essential reasons for people violating local travel restrictions were reuniting with family members (17%), exercising more (16%), and getting access to a larger community. choice of stores (14%).
Almost two-thirds of people in Ireland postponed or canceled their overseas holidays in 2020, and almost a quarter opted for a nationwide vacation instead of their original plans.
Those under 25 were twice as likely as those over 25 to travel abroad in 2020 as planned.
Esri Ireland said it commissioned the independent investigation to better understand how people in Ireland are navigating the new realities of life during the pandemic.
People also believe that geography and science should have more emphasis within the education system in the wake of the crisis, the survey also found.
About 55% of those surveyed believe that geography and science lessons are more important after the Covid-19 outbreak.
After being removed as a core subject from the Junior Certificate in 2018, around 59% now believe that geography should be reinstated as a required subject for Junior Certificate students.
Esri Ireland Managing Director Paul Sinnott said location, venue and geography play a key role in terms of containing localized outbreaks, limiting the spread of the virus across borders, and helping the public understand and visualize these restrictions.
“It is comforting to see that most people recognize the importance of geography and science in modern education,” he said.
“Geographic knowledge allows us to think critically, see the big picture, and solve problems.”
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