Open this photo in gallery Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, seen here on March 27, 2020, confirmed the federal government anticipates the situation to decline while public officials stressed the importance physical distancing to prevent the further spread of the virus. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

A majority of Canadians recently surveyed are pessimistic about the outlook of the novel coronavirus crisis but support the federal government’s response to it, according a Nanos Research poll commissioned for The Globe and Mail and CTV News.

The polling firm said it found a majority of Canadians believe the public-health emergency will further deteriorate.

Nanos Research said it found that 67 per cent of Canadians surveyed believe the situation in their community will worsen, while 17 per cent believe it will get better and 10 per cent said it will stay the same.

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Those who frequently check the news are more likely to think the situation will worsen, the research firm reported.

Nanos Research said its findings are based on a random survey conducted of 1,013 Canadians, 18 years or older, between March 24 and 27, through the phone and online. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland confirmed the federal government anticipates the situation to decline while public officials stressed the importance physical distancing to prevent the further spread of the virus.

“We can’t mince words about that, and it is probably, it is certainly going to get worse before it gets better,” Ms. Freeland said, adding Ottawa will do whatever it takes to keep Canadians healthy and safe while it tries to ensure the economy is intact during the pandemic.

Nanos Research said it found most Canadians think the government has had a good or very good response to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

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The poll found two-thirds of Canadians say the government’s response has been very good (22 per cent) or good (40 per cent). Intensity of approval is highest in the Atlantic region (48 per cent very good) and lowest in Quebec (16 per cent very good).

Quebeckers reported a lower intensity of worry, with 28 per cent saying they are worried while 40 per cent are somewhat worried.

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Fewer than three in 10 Canadians believe their neighbours are strictly following public-health guidelines, the poll found.

It also found that four in five Canadians believe their neighbours are strictly (29 per cent) or somewhat strictly (51 per cent) following the advice to maintain social distance.

Fewer than one in five believe their neighbours are not strictly (4 per cent) or somewhat not strictly (12 per cent) following this guidance, according to the poll.

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