More Americans Are Social Distancing Than At Any Point Since Spring 2021, Poll Finds
Topline
The share of People who say they’re taking precautions towards coronavirus like masks sporting and avoiding public actions is at its highest level since final spring, in accordance with a brand new Axios/Ipsos poll, amid worries over the fast unfold of the omicron variant.
Individuals stroll previous a Covid-19 testing station on January 4 in New York.
AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Key Info
The ballot, carried out January 7-10 amongst 1,054 U.S. adults, discovered 57% had social distanced previously week by staying at dwelling and avoiding others “as a lot as potential”—the very best share since 61% reported social distancing from April 16-19.
Fewer respondents have reported visiting pals or household (50%) or going to a non-grocery retail retailer (52%) within the final week than at any level since March, whereas the 46% of People who dined out at a restaurant is the bottom share since early April.
As firms delay deliberate returns to the workplace, 31% of respondents reported working remotely over the previous week, the very best share since late Could.
The overwhelming majority (73%) of respondents reported sporting a masks always or generally when exterior their dwelling, the biggest share since 76% reported frequent mask-wearing from Could 21-24.
Extra People consider it’s a big threat to eat at a restaurant (21%) or attend a big gathering (25%) now than at any time since late March, whereas those that say it’s a big threat to take an airplane or mass transit (40%) has hit its highest level since early February (when 48% stated the identical).
Massive Quantity
58%. That’s the share of respondents who consider returning to their regular, pre-pandemic lives could be a big or reasonable threat proper now, the biggest quantity since 59% stated the identical March 19-22.
Key Background
Polling carried out in December discovered individuals stated they had been largely unlikely to alter their conduct because of the omicron variant. The Axios/Ipsos survey suggests People’ considering has modified and plenty of are actually taking extra precautions as instances and hospitalizations proceed to spike. The omicron variant is now linked to almost all Covid-19 instances within the U.S. and has precipitated a 203% improve in new every day instances over the previous two weeks, in accordance with public well being knowledge compiled by the New York Times. That spike is mirrored within the Axios/Ipsos ballot, which discovered 88% of People now know somebody who has examined constructive for Covid-19, up from 80% in mid-December. A rising variety of vaccinated respondents have additionally reported contracting the coronavirus, as proof reveals omicron is a lot better at evading the vaccines’ safety towards Covid-19 infections than earlier strains, even because the pictures stay efficient at stopping extreme sickness and dying. Amongst vaccinated respondents who’ve had Covid-19, 36% reported being contaminated after they had been absolutely vaccinated, which is up from 22% in mid-December, proper as omicron instances had been starting to unfold, and 14% in late November, earlier than the omicron variant was first detected.
Additional Studying
Amid Omicron, America pauses again (Ipsos)
Omicron Circumstances, Hospitalizations Surging — However The Unvaccinated Aren’t Nervous About It, Ballot Finds (Forbes)
People Are Involved About Omicron—However Received’t Change Their Plans For It, Ballot Finds (Forbes)
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