Poll: Most Americans are returning to life as normal as pandemic restrictions end



Americans are returning to life as normal, resuming the everyday activities they loved doing before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new poll.

A survey released Friday by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that majorities of Americans who were regularly visiting bars and restaurants, traveling, or attending movies, sporting events, or other activities before the pandemic have now resumed doing so after COVID-19 restrictions in several states have come down.

Though some people still expressed hesitancy about fully removing pandemic restrictions in their communities, those views are in the clear minority.

Only 21% of survey respondents reported being very or extremely worried about a COVID-19 infection in their inner circle, which according to the Associated Press is the lowest level since the pandemic began. Just 25% said they were highly concerned that lifted restrictions will lead to additional people being infected with the virus in their community.

On the pace of reopening, 34% of Americans said COVID-19 restrictions were lifted too quickly where they live while 27% said they were not lifted quickly enough. About 4 in 10 respondents said the timing for reopening was just right.

Last year, on the advice and recommendations of public health officials like National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease Director Dr. Anthony Fauci and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most states in the union adopted severe restrictions on businesses and public gatherings to limit the spread of the virus.

Businesses were ordered closed or only permitted to operate at limited capacity if they were deemed "essential" by state governments. In-person church services were discontinued to observe social distancing. Workers who had the option to work from home were encouraged to do so and many who did not have that option lost their jobs. Universal mask-wearing was enforced by law in several states and cities.

In total, the COVID-19 pandemic infected more than 33 million people and claimed the lives of an estimated 600,000 people in the U.S. before vaccines for the virus finished development. Now that over half of Americans have received at least their first dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC, most of these restrictions have ended.

With restrictions coming down, over half of Americans are now getting back out and living their lives, saying that in the next few weeks they plan to visit family, go to open bars or restaurants, travel, exercise at a gym, attend a sporting event, or go to a movie concert, or theater.

The poll shows Americans who were regularly doing so before the pandemic say they're returning to bars or restauran… https://t.co/ZFs7M7Of5T

— The Associated Press (@AP) 1624019003.0

The poll also found that Americans who have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine remain hesitant to do so. Just 7% of those who are not vaccinated say they definitely will get a vaccine shot and 15% say they probably will.

A plurality of 46% of Americans who are not vaccinated say they will definitely not get a vaccine and 29% say they probably will not. According to the survey results, young adults, Americans without a college degree, white evangelicals, rural Americans and Republicans are most hesitant to get vaccinated.

The percentage of people saying they will continue to wear masks and social distance in the presence of other people has fallen over the past few months.

When the AP conducted a similar survey in February, 65% of respondents said they always wear a mask around people outside of their households. Now just 37% say they always wear masks in public. Indoors, 40% of Americans say they are extremely or very likely to wear a mask. Just 28% say they wear masks for outdoor activities.

The CDC recommends that fully vaccinated Americans who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and waited two weeks after their second dose do not have to wear masks either indoors or outdoors.

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

NYC Mayor de Blasio says city plans to 'fully reopen' by July 1 with no restrictions



New York City will attempt to "fully reopen" by the first of July, ending all coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, retail, and other businesses, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday morning on MSNBC.

Citing that more than 6.3 million city residents have been vaccinated against COVID-19, de Blasio said it's now time for the city that was once the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic — with nearly 800 daily deaths reported in April 2020 — to mostly return to normal life.

"Our plan is to fully reopen New York City on July 1. We are ready for stores to open, for businesses to open, offices, theaters, full strength," the mayor said. "People have gotten vaccinated in extraordinary numbers, 6.3 million in New York City to date."

During the process of reopening, de Blasio encouraged New Yorkers to be "smart" by practicing social distancing and mask-wearing when in public with strangers, but otherwise said the city is confident that the virus is managed to the point where life can return to normal.

"We said a month or so ago, it was the variants versus the vaccination, what was going to win, which one was going to win the race. Vaccination is winning this race ... 6.3 million vaccinations, COVID is plummeting," de Blasio said. "This is going to be the summer of New York City. You're going to see amazing activities, cultural activities coming back. I think people are going to flock to New York City because they want to live again."

New York City's move to reopen could potentially come into conflict with statewide coronavirus restrictions enacted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). The mayor indicated he has not discussed the city's reopening plans with the governor, though he did pledge to work with the state government to achieve full reopening.

"I think the best way to proceed here is to set out the city's vision. We're going to work with the federal government, we're going to work with the state government, but it's quite clear it's time to set a goal and move on that goal," de Blasio said.

On Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo announced the state would lift the curfew on outdoor dining for bars and restaurants on May 17. At the end of the month, the 12:00 a.m. curfew on indoor dining will also be lifted. The move was widely seen as an attempt to one-up the state legislature, which had intended to repeal some of Cuomo's executive orders restricting the types of services bars may offer.

New York state has also adopted the new CDC guidance on mask-wearing, which advises that vaccinated people do not need to wear masks outdoors unless they are in a large crowd with strangers.

According to the New York Times COVID-19 tracker only 29% of New York City residents have been fully vaccinated against the virus. The city is reporting an average of 1,803 new cases per day, though this is a 44% decrease from the average number of cases reported two weeks ago. The New York Times labels New York City at "very high risk" of exposure to COVID-19.

Mayor de Blasio encouraged those who have not been vaccinated to go and get the free vaccine, which will help New York City fully reopen by immunizing people from the virus.

"Anyone who likes what I'm saying, help us out by going out and getting vaccinated if you haven't already,'" he said.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency, calls for end to mask mandates



The state of Tennessee is ending its coronavirus pandemic public health orders and lifting its mask mandates, moving toward a full return to the pre-pandemic normal as state residents are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced the return to normal Tuesday, signing an executive order that removes the local authority for county mayors in 85 of the state's 95 counties to require face coverings. The governor has requested that the remaining counties with independent health departments lift their business restrictions and mask requirements by no later than May 30.

"COVID-19 is now a managed public health issue in Tennessee and no longer a statewide public health emergency," Lee said in a statement. "As Tennesseans continue to get vaccinated, it's time to lift remaining local restrictions, focus on economic recovery and get back to business in Tennessee."

In an interview on Fox News Wednesday, the governor said the availability of COVID-19 vaccines means people are protected from the virus and should start living like it.

"It's time for us to move on. I think we don't have a crisis anymore. It's a new season and we need to make steps toward that new season. We need to actually start living in that new season," Lee said.

"If you have a vaccine or you've had access to a vaccine and you've had the opportunity to be vaccinated then we should not be requiring people to wear masks anymore. If you've been vaccinated you're safe, you're protected," he added.

According to the New York Times' vaccine tracker, more than 3.8 million vaccine shots have been delivered in Tennessee. About 23% of the state's population is fully vaccinated with both doses and 34% have received their first shot. The state has used up about 72% of its supply of vaccines received from the federal government.

Lee acknowledged that the state has seen some hesitancy among its residents to receive the vaccine but emphasized that availability of the vaccine means people are protected from the virus if they want to be and should be encouraged to return to normal.

"We've had a slowdown as most states have seen. But for a month now every Tennessean 16 and over has been eligible, and we have walk-up vaccine availability everywhere. So where we are is that people have had access to this protection — you know that's what masks are, they're protection — but now we have vaccine as protection, vaccine changes everything," Lee told Fox News.

"So we need to change everything as well," he continued. "We need to move forward, so I've asked our city mayors in the remaining places in Tennessee that have a mask mandate and any limited business restrictions to remove those restrictions by Memorial Day."

"We need to have concerts and conventions and parties and proms," said Lee.

"Tennessee is wide open. We're open for moving forward and open for business. What we need to do now is just finish the mask mandates and we think that's coming off soon."

Maryland lifts some COVID-19 restrictions, keeps mask mandate



Maryland will join Texas, Mississippi, Connecticut, and other states that have recently announced a rollback of coronavirus restrictions as vaccine distribution accelerates nationwide.

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) announced Tuesday that he will loosen some restrictions on business capacity and out-of-state travel. Unlike other Republican governors, however, Hogan will keep Maryland's mask mandate in full force and effect.

"Over the last few weeks, as we marked one year of grappling with this deadly virus, many of us have been recalling our 'lasts' — the last time we ate inside a restaurant, the last time we celebrated a big occasion with family and friends, the last time we went to a ballgame, the last time we took a family vacation. In the weeks and months ahead, with continued vigilance, together we will instead begin to mark new 'firsts.' Everything won't look exactly the same just yet, and we do need to continue to do the things that keep us safe, but there can be no doubt that we are closer to that light at the end of the tunnel and a return to some sense of normalcy in our lives," the governor said in a statement.

Effective Friday, March 12, at 5:00 p.m., Maryland will lift capacity requirements on indoor and outdoor dining, though restaurants and bars are still required to enforce limited and socially distanced seating and service. Retail businesses, churches, gyms, personal services, and recreational businesses (casinos, bingo halls, bowling alleys, skating rinks, etc.) will have limits on their capacity lifted.

Large venues for weddings, concerts, sports, movie theaters, or other gatherings of many people will have their capacity expanded to 50%. People who attend these venues are still required to socially distance and wear masks.

Travel restrictions and quarantine requirements for those visiting Maryland from out of state will also be lifted.

"With the pace of vaccinations rapidly rising and our health metrics steadily improving, the lifting of these restrictions is a prudent, positive step in the right direction and an important part of our economic recovery," Hogan said. "These steps are made possible because of Marylanders wearing masks, washing their hands, keeping their distance and following the public health advice."

The governor announced the loosening of coronavirus restrictions at a press conference updating Maryland residents on COVID-19 in the state. Hogan said Maryland's case rate per 100,000 has dropped by more than 76% to 12.9, out-performing 32 other states. Case positivity in Maryland has fallen to 3.4%, better than 39 other states.

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are also on the decline, falling to 792 people statewide. More than 1.6 million vaccines have been distributed in Maryland.

"All of our vaccine progress along with all of our sustained positive improvements ... have enabled us to continue to follow the science and to be able today to take significant steps to further ease more of the mitigation measures currently in place," Hogan said.