Americans are less likely to comply with another coronavirus lockdown than they were in the spring.
Record numbers of cases are skyrocketing nationwide. But in a new Gallup Poll, fewer than half say that they’re very likely to stay home this time around.
In the poll, taken in late October, 49% of respondents said they’ll be likely to stay home for a month if necessary due an outbreak in their communities. This is down from 67% in the spring.
Another 18% said they are somewhat likely to comply, but a third said they are not likely to obey lockdown orders.
Americans are also becoming more concerned about the pandemic. And the results concerning those willing to stay home fell along a political divide:
- 61% said they believe the situation is getting worse, up from 40% in April.
- 40% of Republicans in the poll said they were willing to comply with a stay-at-home order, down from 74% in the spring.
- 87% of Democrats said they’re likely to comply, down slightly from 91% in March and April.
More people, though, said they feel confident in their ability to avoid getting the virus. 82% said they were sure of their ability to stay well, compared to 64% in March.
Meanwhile, the number of people who are wearing masks has gone up sharply. Only about half of Americans said in April that they were wearing masks. That was just after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called to wear them. Now, however, 88% reported they wear masks, after the number went up to 92% in July.
The poll also found that fewer Americans are engaging in extreme social distancing than they were in the spring:
- 38% say they are completely or mostly isolating themselves from non-household members, below the high of 75% recorded in the spring.
- 27% said they’re partially isolating, or having some contact with others.
- 35% said they’re isolating only a bit or not making any attempts to isolate themselves.
(Newsmax).