Fewer Americans open to another COVID-19 lockdown: survey

Almost half of the respondents in a poll released Wednesday said they would be very likely to stay at home for a month if officials order a lockdown due to COVID-19, with support for the measure falling since the spring. 

Gallup found that 49 percent would now be willing to shelter in place should officials order it.

The percentage has fallen from similar polls taken throughout the spring, when majorities of people asked said they’d comply with a lockdown. Gallup found that support for lockdowns has been trending downward since peaking at 67 percent in March and April.

Another 18 percent said in the new poll that they would somewhat agree to a lockdown, while the remaining third said they’d refuse to shelter in place — double the amount from the spring.

Republicans represented the majority of respondents who told pollsters that they have changed their mind about agreeing to another lockdown. Whereas 74 percent said in the spring that they would comply, now only 40 percent said they would. Support from Democrats remains high, with 87 percent agreeing compared to 91 percent previously, Gallup noted.

Overall, Americans said they feel more safe being out in public than before, with about 82 percent reporting being somewhat or very confident in not contracting the virus while out and about.

The new figures come as officials warn that fatigue over COVID-19 restrictions could be dangerous as cases rise across the country. The U.S. set a record for coronavirus-related hospitalizations Tuesday, and has already passed 1 million new cases for the month of November.

The latest Gallup poll of 2,985 adults was conducted between Oct. 19 and Nov. 1. Its results have a margin of error of 3 percentage points.