Aug 4, 2020 - Health

Poll: 59% of Americans support nationwide 2-week stay-at-home order

Marisa Fernandez

People lay out on the grass while maintaining social distancing guidelines at Domino Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn — People lay out on the grass while maintaining social distancing guidelines in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Photo: Rob Kim/Getty Images

Over half of Americans surveyed in a new NPR/Ipsos poll support a mandatory, nationwide order to shelter at home for two weeks to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Why it matters: COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations are rising across the U.S., which saw dramatic surges in new infections this summer. More than 155,000 Americans have died, per Johns Hopkins.

By the numbers: About two-thirds of respondents said they believe the U.S. is handling the pandemic worse than other countries, NPR found.

62% support a single, national strategy for when businesses can reopen, while 60% support a similar strategy for schools.
59% say workers should receive a stipend for them to stay at home for two weeks.
55% support temporary travel bans between states.

What they're saying: Top infectious-diseases expert Anthony Fauci told CNN last week that he does not currently support a national stay-at-home order. President Trump has also ruled the measure out.

"I don't think we need to go all the way back to lockdown," Fauci said, stressing that wearing masks, avoiding crowds, hand hygiene and social distancing can be effective mitigation measures.

Methodology: The NPR/Ipsos poll interviewed 1,115 U.S. adults conducted July 30-31. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.

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Poll: 59% of Americans support nationwide 2-week stay-at-home order

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