Vaccinated people far less likely to engage in public activities than unvaccinated Americans: poll



Vaccinated Americans are far less likely to engage in public activities than people who have not yet received the coronavirus vaccine, according to a new Morning Consult poll.

A survey of 879 vaccinated American adults and 1,321 unvaccinated adults found that those who were not inoculated against COVID-19 were much more likely to want to return to normal and engage in public activities. Morning Consult gauged the interest in both groups in returning to public activities, including going to the gym, taking a train, going to a party, attending a concert, going to a wedding, traveling abroad, and going on a cruise. In every possible scenario, the respondents that were not vaccinated were more inclined to participate in these public activities and events.

According to the poll, 43% of unvaccinated people felt it was safe to go to the gym versus only 27% of vaccinated Americans given the current state of the coronavirus pandemic. There were 42% of unvaccinated respondents who would attend a concert compared to 23% of vaccinated. When it comes to attending a sporting event, 42% of unvaccinated are ready to go to the ballpark, and 29% of vaccinated would go to the stadium to support their favorite sports team. There were 54% of vaccinated participants ready to get back to dating, while 43% of respondents were prepared to look for love despite being vaccinated for COVID-19. Speaking of love, there were 50% of unvaccinated people who felt comfortable attending a wedding, but just 38% of Americans who are vaccinated would go to a wedding. The poll found that 45% of unvaccinated people would attend a religious gathering versus 35% of those who were vaccinated.

The unvaccinated Americans were most comfortable with dining at a restaurant (63%), shopping at a mall (60%), and renting a car (58%).

When it comes to travel, 43% unvaccinated said they would take a bus, and just 24% for the inoculated group. The survey said 31% of vaccinated felt safe enough to travel abroad, compared to a mere 15% of the vaccinated respondents. When it comes to flying, 40% of the unvaccinated people were ready for air travel and 31% of vaccinated Americans wanted to go on an airplane. A whopping 37% of unvaccinated respondents said they would be comfortable going on a cruise, while only 17% of vaccinated would travel on a cruise line.

The survey conducted from May 6-8 also discovered that 88% of vaccinated people said COVID-19 poses a "severe" or "moderate" health risk in the United States, compared with 70% of unvaccinated respondents.

Many Vaccinated Americans Are Still Uncomfortable Returning to Public Activities. The U.S. Economy Needs Them… https://t.co/4v45FbDJPZ

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) 1620820802.0

Survey: 3 in 5 unvaccinated Americans would get their shots if they were paid a 'big financial incentive'



Nearly three in five unvaccinated Americans said a big financial incentive would persuade them to get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new survey.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday about 154 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, about 58 percent of U.S. adults. That number is shy of the goal of 70 percent that President Joe Biden set for May 4.

To incentivize those who have not yet been vaccinated to get the shot, several states are adopting programs offering some form of award for getting vaccinated. The state of West Virginia is handing out $100 savings bonds to anyone ages 16-35 who gets a vaccine. The governor of Ohio just announced a million-dollar lottery drawing for vaccinated voters in his state. In New Jersey and Connecticut, anyone who gets a vaccine also gets a free beer. And Maryland is offering $100 payments to state employees who get vaccinated.

Though some critics are skeptical that these financial incentives will actually encourage people to get vaccinated, a Morning Consult survey released Thursday found some vaccination incentives could work.

For example, 57 percent of unvaccinated adults said a big cash payment, such as a $1,000 savings bond, would persuade them to get COVID-19 shots. Another 43 percent said they'd probably or definitely get vaccinated for a smaller $50 bond. Adult respondents under age 45 were more likely to say a big financial incentive would incentivize them to get their vaccines.

Nearly 3 in 5 Unvaccinated Adults Say a Big Financial Incentive Would Sway Them to Get a COVID-19 Shot… https://t.co/5JTtX5UxKd

— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) 1620903600.0

The number-one reason given by survey respondents for their vaccine hesitancy was concerns over the "long term effects," 44% said. Another 32% indicated they were concerned about the "short term" effects of the vaccine.

The second-most cited reason for vaccine hesitancy, given by 39% of respondents, is that there is too much "conflicting information" about the vaccines for them to feel comfortable getting shots right now.

While there is no nationwide requirement for adults to be vaccinated, the survey suggests a requirement to be vaccinated might work as well as a financial incentive: 57% of unvaccinated Americans said they'd get a COVID-19 shot if they were required to do so for work or to shop in-person; 48% said they'd get the vaccine if it was required to dine indoors at a restaurant; and 45% said they'd get vaccinated in order to fly domestically.

The survey also suggests steps taken to make getting the vaccine more convenient might also convince more people to take advantage of the opportunity. Nearly half of unvaccinated adults said they would "probably or definitely get a shot" if it was provided by their employer at the workplace; if they could get it from their primary care doctor during a checkup; or if they didn't need an appointment for a walk-up vaccination site that opened near their workplace.

Poll: 5 of Biden's 7 most unpopular executive orders are on immigration



President Joe Biden has not even held office for a full month but has already taken more than 40 executive actions that, according to a new Morning Consult poll, are mostly popular with one outstanding exception. That exception is Biden's executive order to greatly expand the number of refugees admitted to the United States.

According to the survey, Biden's refugee order is the only executive action he's taken that is downright unpopular, with 48% of voters opposing his plan to allow 110,000 more refugees to seek safe haven in the United States in the upcoming fiscal year and 39% of voters supporting the action.

Under President Donald Trump's administration, refugee admittance was capped at a historic low of 15,000 people, whereas Biden has increased the cap to a historic high of 125,000 refugees.

Biden's refugee order was the least popular of 28 executive actions tracked by Morning Consult since Inauguration Day.

New from me: @MorningConsult has polled 28 executive actions issued by @POTUS since Jan. 20. His move to expand t… https://t.co/fAxaS7KzZu
— Cameron Easley (@Cameron Easley)1612960443.0

"The finding from the latest survey, conducted Feb. 5-7 among 1,986 registered voters with a margin of error of 2 percentage points, reinforces the notion that immigration will be tricky political territory for the president," Cameron Easley writes for Morning Consult. "Orders pertaining to immigration and immigrant rights constitute five of his seven least popular actions among voters, and are particularly animating for Republicans."

Breaking down the numbers on Biden's refugee order shows 3 in 5 Republican voters "strongly oppose" raising the refugee cap to 125,000 people. A similar number of Republican voters strongly opposed Biden ending construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and also opposed ending the immigration and travel restrictions from Muslim-majority countries flagged as hotbeds of terrorism.

Republicans are most strongly opposed (66%) to the Biden administration's decision to reverse Trump's policy and count illegal immigrants in the census.

The other two most unpopular Biden executive orders have to do with energy policy. The cancelation of the Keystone XL Pipeline is Biden's third-most unpopular order, with 42% of voters supporting the decision to kill the pipeline project, 28% opposed, and 20% unsure. Biden's order to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies has 45% support, 34% opposition, and 21% unsure.

Biden's most popular executive action was his order mandating that people wear masks on public transit such as planes, trains, and buses to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. The survey found that 78% of voters supported the mask mandate and just 15% opposed it. Biden's second-most popular executive order was a similar mask mandate on federal property.

40% of Democrats are 'happy' and 31% are 'excited' that President Trump diagnosed with COVID-19



There has been no shortage of leftist celebrities and pundits celebrating President Donald Trump being diagnosed with COVID-19. The usual cast of Trump-hating characters gleefully rejoiced in the president testing positive for the deadly coronavirus, including Kathy Griffin, Jimmy Kimmel, Bette Midler, and Rob Reiner. But being overjoyed that Trump tested positive isn't only for the rich and famous, Democratic voters were also cheering that the commander-in-chief contracted coronavirus.

A new Morning Consult/Politico poll of over 900 American registered voters found that 40% of Democrats were "somewhat" or "very" "happy" when they found out that the president tested positive for COVID-19. There were 31% of Democrats who were "somewhat" or "very" "excited" to hear about Trump's coronavirus diagnosis. There were 41% of Dems who were "indifferent" to the news of the president contracting the disease.

Republicans had a far more empathetic reaction to the news, with 55% of GOP voters "somewhat" or "very" "sad" about Trump testing positive for the virus. There were 51% of Republicans who were "somewhat" or "very" "worried" for the president.

There were 61% of Democrats who were "not too concerned" or "not concerned at all" about Trump's well-being, compared to 78% of Republicans who were "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about the president's health.

Of the respondents, 51% were satisfied with the amount of information they're getting on Trump's health.

Of the participants, 49% are "more worried" about the economy following Trump's coronavirus diagnosis, compared to only 6% who are "less worried."

Trump should address the nation about his positive COVID-19 diagnosis, say 68% of voters.

As far as the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett scheduled for Oct. 12, 57% of Republican voters say the hearings should not be delayed because of Trump's positive test. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Democrats say the hearings should be delayed.

Trump testing positive for COVID-19 didn't have much impact on voters' level of concern about the coronavirus pandemic. The survey found that 53% of U.S. adults said they were "very concerned" about coronavirus on Oct. 2, the same percentage as the Morning Consult poll from Sept. 25-27.

More than half, 53% of voters, say they are more inclined to wear a face mask and practice social distancing following Trump's positive coronavirus test.