You are using an older browser version. Please use a supported version for the best MSN experience.
Previous Next

Majority of Americans still concerned over coronavirus as country continues to reopen, survey shows

USA TODAY logo USA TODAY 6/13/2020 Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY
US quietly surpasses two million confirmed coronavirus cases
What to watch next
UP NEXT
UP NEXT

WASHINGTON – More than two out of five Americans say they are still worried about the coronavirus, even as states continue to relax pandemic restrictions and some are reporting a rise in the number of daily cases.

A combined 86% of Americans say they are very or somewhat concerned with the pandemic, according to a new survey from the Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project. That is 3 percentage points down from the recorded high during a survey conducted from March 26 to April 1.

The findings come as some states are seeing an increasing number of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Arizona has seen the number of of daily cases rise over the past two weeks, with hospitalizations for suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases hitting the highest number on Wednesday.

a person walking on a city street: A pedestrians wears a protective mask during the coronavirus pandemic Friday, May 15, 2020, in New York. © Frank Franklin II, AP A pedestrians wears a protective mask during the coronavirus pandemic Friday, May 15, 2020, in New York.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Some states, including Arizona, began loosening social distancing restrictions and ending stay-at-home orders last month.

Robert Griffin, research director for the Democracy Fund Voter Study Group, said there was a "steady, slow week over week decline" in concern, but that has since stalled out over the past several weeks.

"The level of concern that people are recording around COVID appears pretty stable over the last couple of week," Griffin said.

a close up of a person in a car: More than 100,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, a grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe. © Bob Self, The Florida Times More than 100,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, a grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe.

The Democracy Fund + UCLA Nationscape Project is a massive study of the American electorate designed to conduct 500,000 interviews about policies and the presidential candidates during the 2020 election cycle.


Gallery: How America’s job losses compare to the rest of the world (Lovemoney)

a building that has a sign on the side of a road: Four out of five workers around the world – that's around 2.7 billion jobs – have had their workplace fully or partly closed by the coronavirus pandemic, and many people have been furloughed or lost their jobs. American jobs account for nearly 39 million of global job losses, and Goldman Sachs warns the unemployment rate could reach 25% in the US, rivaling the Great Depression. Governments around the world are working to stem the flow of job losses, with wage replacement and other programs to help avoid unemployment and keep people in work. Click or scroll through as we look at how America’s pandemic job losses compare to other countries.

When broken down by political party, Republicans saw a drop in concern by 12 percentage points since early April, according to the Nationscape Insights analysis, a project of Democracy Fund, UCLA and USA TODAY. However, more than three out of four Republicans — 79% — say they are very or somewhat concerned with the virus in the most recent survey.

Memory loss, gnarled fingers, panic attacks: COVID-19 didn't kill these Americans, but many might never be the same

The majority of Democrats – 94% – said they are still very or somewhat concerned with the virus, just a 1 percentage point drop from early April. Among independents, eight in 10 say they are very or somewhat concerned about the virus.

In addition, there has been a slow rise in Americans who believe "it is safe right now" to reopen certain activities, like theaters and large-scale events including live sports.

a person standing in front of a building: Lee Moore of White Plains, N.Y. picks out Mother's Day roses at Sunshine Market in White Plains May 10, 2020. Moore was buying roses for her mother, mother-in-law, and a friend, all of which she said would be delivered while practicing social distancing, including just leaving the roses for her friend on her doorstep.

According to a May 23 survey, 16% of Americans believe it's safe now to reopen theaters and bars, up 6 percentage points from April 23. Twenty-one percent of Americans also say it's safe to end stay-at-home orders, up 7 percentage points from the April survey. 

When asked about holding in-person voting, 18% said it's safe to do so now, up 6 percentage points from April.

Contributing: Alison Steinbach, Arizona Republic

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Majority of Americans still concerned over coronavirus as country continues to reopen, survey shows

Go to MSN Home
AdChoices
AdChoices

More From USA TODAY

USA TODAY
USA TODAY
View the full site

Microsoft Store Offers - Sponsored

image beaconimage beaconimage beacon