LESS THAN 25% OF AMERICANS NOW PRACTICING STRICT SOCIAL DISTANCING

Mon 07 June 2021:

With public fear about contracting the coronavirus way down in the wake of rising vaccinations, Americans are easing up on their social distancing and venturing out more to stores, restaurants, doctors’ offices, pharmacies and salons.

Less than a quarter of all adult Americans are now practicing strict social distancing, according to a new Gallup poll released on Monday.

“Less than a quarter of U.S. adults, 22 percent, now say they are completely or mostly isolating from non-household members,” the polling company said in a release.

“This figure, from Gallup’s May 18-23 probability-based web panel survey, is down from 30 percent in April and 48 percent in January.”

There is still a long way to go until Americans are no longer refraining from normal activities due to concerns about the coronavirus, especially in terms of attending events with large crowds and traveling by air, bus or train. But the percentages avoiding places where people congregate are on their way down, and the lowest since March of last year.

44% have avoided events with large crowds in the past week.
40% have avoided traveling by airplane or public transportation.
34% have avoided going to public places in general, such as stores or restaurants.
26% have avoided small gatherings with family or friends.

As recently as January, majorities were avoiding each of these situations, including 72% who were avoiding large crowds.

Forty percent report still isolating partially or a little, while 38 percent of the adult public are making no attempt to isolate at all, Gallup said.

However, more than four in 10 Americans are still avoiding large crowds and 26 percent are avoiding small gatherings, the pollster said.

The web survey was conducted May 18-23 with a random sample of 3,572 adults across the US and bears a margin of sampling error of plus-minus 3 percent.

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