One in three Brits preferring isolation to seeing friends and family, You Gov survey finds

A third of Brits are choosing to “stay at home” and have no social contact despite lockdown restrictions easing for summer, a YouGov poll has found.

Asked how many days people had set aside at least an hour to socialise it was revealed that 33 per cent of Brits are still choosing to avoid social contact altogether.

Only 17 per cent claim they would socialise for one day a week, with 15 per cent saying they planned to meet friends on two days per week, and 9 per cent say they would see or interact with friends three days a week.

Age was found to be a major factor in eagerness to catch-up with friends, with only 15 per cent of 18–24-year-olds saying they avoid social interactions altogether, compared with 32 per cent of 25–49-year-olds and 42 per cent of 50–64-year-olds.

But this falls for those 65 and above with just 34 per cent claiming they are avoiding social contact.

Wales shows the highest volume of residents choosing to continue to stay at home - 40 per cent - despite the country’s restrictions also easing on May 17.

A spokesperson from 24/7 Pest Control, who carried out the research, said: “It is interesting to see a number of Brits still choosing to distance themselves from loved ones, despite restrictions lifting across the country. One hopes this is due to a sense of caution and responsibility, rather than any social anxieties brought on by lockdown.”

The research comes as Sir David King of Independent SAGE urged the Government to delay scrapping lockdown by a couple of weeks as cases rose with a warning the UK was on the cusp of a third Covid wave.

Watch: This is the "evidence of another wave appearing", says Sir David King

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