72% Of Americans Support Coronavirus Stay-At-Home Measures

A bipartisan majority of Americans support stay-at-home orders despite recent right-wing protests urging governors to reopen state economies amid the coronavirus pandemic, a recent poll by Reuters/Ipsos found.

The April 15-21 national online poll found that 72% of adults in the United States believe people should stay at home “until the doctors and public health officials say it is safe.”

While support for stay at home measures was bipartisan, fewer Republicans than Democrats support the measures. Of the 72% figure, 88% were Democrats,  55% were Republicans, and 70% identified as independent.

The poll also showed that Republicans are becoming increasingly anxious to get the economy back on its feet again, with 45% of Republicans saying stay-at-home orders should be lifted — up 21 points since a similar poll ran during the end of March.

The increase echoes the sentiments of right-wing protestors across the nation, though according to the poll, those views still do not reflect the opinion of the majority of Republicans.

The survey also showed a decrease in President Donald Trump‘s approval rating specifically regarding his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Only 44% approved and 52% disapproved — an 8% drop in net approval since last week, and a 13% drop from March.

Trump’s overall approval rating has remained fairly consistent for over a year, with 42% of Americans saying they approved of his performance and 52% saying they disapproved.

The poll showed an uptick in support for former Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. It found that 39% said they would vote for Trump and 47% of registered voters said they would vote for Biden, up 4 points from two weeks prior.

The poll surveyed a total of 4,429 American adults, including 3,806 who identified as registered voters. It has a margin of error of +/-2% in the approval and election questions and +/-6% on the question of the stay-at-home order.

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Article by Katherine Huggins