Only one British adult in 20 is no longer wearing a mask outside their homes despite the relaxing of legal mask-wearing requirements earlier this month, according to the first official survey on complying with Covid measures since “Freedom Day”.

The number of adults claiming they wore face coverings when outside their home remained at 95%, the same as the week before the mandate was lifted, figures showed. A high proportion of adults still felt that complying with Covid safety measures was either important or very important – such as wearing a face covering while shopping (89% this past week, 90% the week before) and socially distancing from those not in their household (88% this past week, 89% the week before).

The data, which encompasses the days between 21 and 25 July, comes from a survey of 3,784 adults from Great Britain by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). On 19 July, most restrictions in England were lifted, and mask wearing ceased to be compulsory.