Poll Shows 59% of Americans Worried About Undoing Social Distancing Too Soon

US President Donald Trump has been very vocal about wanting to “return to work” in order to save and bring back the American economy. Many worry that he’s thinking about doing this far too early. In fact, the US government’s infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci has been very vocal about warning of the consequences of returning too soon. We could easily see new COVID-19 infections spread again to current daily levels and beyond if normal life resumed.

A recent poll conducted by The Hill and HarrisX asked American voters where they stand on this issue. A majority of Americans have made it clear that they’re more concerned with the health of our nation’s citizens than with the health of our economy.

59% of those polled stated that they’re more concerned with the consequences of rolling back social distancing too soon than they are about the economic impact of holding out for longer. This is all despite the fact that over 16 million Americans have already filed for unemployment since the start of the pandemic in March.

Interestingly, a majority of both Democrats and Republicans were in favor of extending social distancing, cutting across party lines in what has often been seen as a politically polarizing issue. 54% of Republicans were in favor, while 62% of Democrats and Independents indicated their support for these measures so long as they’re needed to protect the health of our nation.

Read more details about the poll and its findings here.