Tag: Coronavirus mandates/lockdowns

Looking back, 58% of voters believe that shutting down businesses and locking down society did more harm than good. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 35% disagree and 17% are not sure.

Belief that the lockdowns did more harm than good is up a point since August and up three points from July. In May, 2020, a majority of voters took the opposite view.

The current totals include 35% who Strongly Agree that the lockdowns did more harm than good and 15% who Strongly Disagree.

The survey also found that 48% believe many states and cities overreact to the coronavirus pandemic in ways that did more harm than good. On that point, 39% disagree.

Just 48% believe the CDC has generally provided reliable and fact-based guidelines during the pandemic. Thirty-two percent (32%) think it has generally acted in a partisan political manner and 20% are not sure.

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Note: Neither Scott Rasmussen, ScottRasmussen.com, nor RMG Research, Inc. have any affiliation with Rasmussen Reports. While Scott Rasmussen founded that firm, he left more than seven years ago and has had no involvement since that time.

Question 1:

Looking back, did many states and cities overreact to the coronavirus pandemic in ways that did more harm than good?

48%    Yes

39%    No

13%    Not sure

Question 2:

How closely do you follow news about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for behavior during the pandemic?

30%    Very closely

40%    Somewhat closely

19%    Not very closely

8%    Not at all

3%    Not sure

Question 3:

During the pandemic, has the CDC generally provided reliable and fact-based guidelines, or has it generally acted in a partisan political manner?

48%    Fact-based guidelines

32%    Partisan political manner

20%    Not sure

Question 4:

Looking back over the past year or so, would you agree or disagree with this statement: “Despite good intentions, shutting down businesses and locking down society did more harm than good.”

35%    Strongly agree

23%    Somewhat agree

20%    Somewhat disagree

15%    Strongly disagree

7%    Not sure

Methodology

The survey of 1,200 Registered Voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on December 1-3, 2021. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. Certain quotas were applied, and the sample was lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, internet usage, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation’s population of Registered Voters. Other variables were reviewed to ensure that the final sample is representative of that population.

Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters believe relaxing vaccine mandates, mask requirements, and social distancing guidelines would be good for the economy. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 30% disagree. Ten percent (10%) don’t believe it would have any impact while 11% are not sure.

By a 3-to-1 margin, voters who believe the worst of the pandemic is behind us believe easing restrictions would be good for the economy. Voters who believe the worst is still to come are evenly divided.

Voters who don’t believe the worst is behind us have wildly different concerns. Only half (51%) are worried about ongoing health issues. Thirty-six percent (36%) are worried about more government restrictions and mandates. This suggests that government efforts to combat the virus through further restrictions are likely to antagonize many voters.

Other data shows that 59% of voters favor relaxing vaccine mandates to ease supply chain issues. Additionally, 61% favor relaxing vaccine mandates for police officers, fire fighters, and health care workers.

These findings, along with other data, provide a sense that support for the mandates is soft. Forty-eight percent (48%) of voters now say they favor the mandates. That’s down six points over the past two months.

The latest numbers also confirm that pessimism about the pandemic is growing once again. The latest numbers show that just 40% now believe the worst is behind us while 37% say the worst is yet to come. That’s the lowest net positive rating since late September.

Perceptions about the pandemic have resembled a roller coaster ride from the very beginning. When the lockdowns first began, a majority of voters believed the pandemic would end by Memorial Day 2020.

In 2021, optimism rose quickly when the vaccines became available. By May, 56% believed the worst was behind us. However, confidence crashed over the summer with the arrival of the Delta variant. By July, just 28% still believed the worst had already come and gone. Confidence began to grow again in early October before peaking a couple of weeks ago and resuming its downhill trajectory.

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Note: Neither Scott Rasmussen, ScottRasmussen.com, nor RMG Research, Inc. have any affiliation with Rasmussen Reports. While Scott Rasmussen founded that firm, he left more than seven years ago and has had no involvement since that time.

Question 1:

Which of the following best describes your reaction to taking the COVID vaccine?

65%    I have already been vaccinated.

5%    I want to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

4%    I want to wait and see how it works before getting vaccinated.

7%    I’m in no particular rush to get vaccinated.

15%    I will never get vaccinated.

3%    Not sure

Question 2:

Is the worst of the pandemic behind us, or is it still to come?

40%    Behind us

37%    Still to come

22%    Not sure

Question 3:

Would relaxing vaccine mandates, mask requirements, and social distancing guidelines be good for the economy or bad for the economy?

49%    Good for the economy

30%    Bad for the economy

10%    No impact

11%    Not sure

Methodology

The survey of 1,200 Registered Voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on November 22-23, 2021. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. Certain quotas were applied, and the sample was lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, internet usage, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation’s population of Registered Voters. Other variables were reviewed to ensure that the final sample is representative of that population.

Eighty-four percent (84%) of voters favor a proposal requiring everyone entering the United States—including immigrants and visitors—to be tested for COVID and other health risks. A Scott Rasmussen national survey found that 10% oppose such a requirement and 6% are not sure.

Those totals include who Strongly Favor requiring health tests for everyone entering the country and 5% who are Strongly Opposed.

That proposal is favored by 85% of White voters, 82% of Hispanic voters, and 77% of Black voters.

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Note: Neither Scott Rasmussen, ScottRasmussen.com, nor RMG Research, Inc. have any affiliation with Rasmussen Reports. While Scott Rasmussen founded that firm, he left more than seven years ago and has had no involvement since that time.

Question:

A proposal has been made that would require everyone entering the United States—including immigrants and visitors—to be tested for COVID and other health risks. Do you favor or oppose this proposal?

64%    Strongly favor

20%    Somewhat favor

5%    Somewhat oppose

5%    Strongly oppose

6%    Not sure

Methodology

The survey of 1,200 Registered Voters was conducted online by Scott Rasmussen on October 25-27, 2021. Field work for the survey was conducted by RMG Research, Inc. Certain quotas were applied, and the sample was lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, internet usage, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation’s population of Registered Voters. Other variables were reviewed to ensure that the final sample is representative of that population.