ZCZC
BFF-39
HEALTH-VIRUS-US POLL
Most Americans oppose reopening country now: poll
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – A large majority of Americans
oppose reopening the country now, with Democrats and Republicans
sharply divided on the question, according to a poll published on
Friday.
Sixty-four percent of those polled by ABC News/Ipsos said opening
the country now is not worth it because it will mean more lives lost
to the coronavirus.
Thirty-four percent said opening the country now is in fact worth
it because it will keep economic damage from the lockdowns to a
minimum.
Only 6 percent of Democrats polled backed reopening now while 65
percent of the Republicans surveyed were in favor.
Forty-two percent of those polled said they approve of the way
President Donald Trump is handling the response to the coronavirus
pandemic, which has infected more than 1.25 million people in the
United States and caused more than 75,000 deaths.
Fifty-seven percent said they disapproved of Trump’s handling of the crisis.
Trump’s approval ratings broke sharply along partisan lines.
Eighty-seven percent of Republicans said they approve of his actions
but just 9 percent of Democrats did.
And Americans remain concerned about contracting the virus, the poll found.
Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed said they were concerned
that they or someone they knew could catch it while 23 percent said
they were not worried.
The ABC News/Ipsos pollsters also asked Americans how likely they
would be to get vaccinated if a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine
is developed.
Seventy-four percent said they were likely to get vaccinated while
25 percent said they were not.
The poll of 532 adults was conducted on May 6-7 and has a margin of
sampling error of 4.9 points.
BSS/AFP/MRU/2205hrs