Poll: Majority of Americans Would Support Two-Week Lockdown
State Street is quiet in downtown Hartford, Conn., in May during the state's spring shelter-in-place period to stem the spread of the coronavirus. AP Photo
Almost two-thirds of people who responded to the NPR/Ipsos survey said the U.S. is doing a worse job than other countries in dealing with the pandemic.
A majority of Americans would support a mandatory two-week order requiring them to shelter in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus, a new poll found.
The NPR/Ipsos survey found that while 85% of respondents considered their state governments to either have “a lot” or “some” responsibility for helping contain Covid-19, they also want a national response to the pandemic.
Sixty-seven percent said they believe a national strategy is needed to help stop the spread of the virus, while almost two-thirds said the U.S. is handling the pandemic worse than other countries. Nearly 60% said they would support a nationwide requirement for most people to stay home for two weeks.
Over the weekend, Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank, suggested on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that a national lockdown as long as six weeks would be necessary to successfully stop most Covid-19 spread, which he said was a prerequisite for sustained economic health. “That's the only way we're really going to have a real robust economic recovery,” he said.
But White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Monday rejected the suggestion, saying President Trump was not considering such a move. Trump instead would like to see people voluntarily wear masks and socially distance, she said.
The NPR/Ipsos poll of 1,115 adults on July 30 and 31 was taken as many states have seen more than a month of rising cases and as governors are grappling with decisions on reinstating restrictions lifted earlier this summer. At this point, 34 states have implemented a mask mandate. Many states that allowed bars to reopen have since closed them again, and imposed new limits on restaurants and gatherings. State and local leaders are now making difficult decisions about whether to hold in-person classes at schools or begin the year with remote learning.
An analysis by Vox found that only two states are currently hitting crucial benchmarks that show the respiratory illness is being effectively contained.
While Congress has been deadlocked on a new aid package to help people thrown out of work by the economic downturn associated with the coronavirus, the survey found 65% of respondents favored the federal government taking on more debt as part of a package. There was more support for that, as well as extending federal unemployment benefits, among Democrats. But 52% of Republicans backed another stimulus package, and half wanted to see an extension of the bonus unemployment benefits workers had been receiving until the end of July.
Laura Maggi is the managing editor of Route Fifty.
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