Majority of Americans Not Ready to Reopen

COVID-19 cases continue to decrease nationally across the U.S., and states are officially ending lockdowns and restrictions on businesses and gatherings this month. Still, a majority of Americans aren’t ready to be in public spaces and believe the focus should still be on controlling the spread of the virus.

According to a new joint poll from ABC News and the Washington Post, 57 percent of U.S. adults say the government’s focus should be on controlling the spread of COVID-19 as opposed to reopening businesses and the economy. A similar majority of 58 percent also said they weren’t ready to go back to public spaces, with 40 percent saying they were ready.

Fears about being infected with COVID-19 virus are still high, as people worry about both themselves and others close to them. In the same poll, 68 percent of respondents were worried about a second wave of the virus either this summer or in the fall. In a similar poll, 42 percent of Americans said they know someone personally who’s been infected with COVID-19 so far.