A new poll indicates most people believe public health restrictions are being lifted too quickly.
This comes as Texas and Mississippi publicly announced they would not continue their mask mandates, joining several states that do not have statewide requirements for face coverings. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said there is no longer a need for a statewide mandate, and he also lifted capacity restrictions in restaurants and other businesses.
According to an IPSOS-ABC pollconducted last week, 56% of respondents said mask mandates are being loosened too quickly.
The remaining 44% are split between answering they believe the rules are being relaxed at the “right pace”, roughly 21%, or are being relaxed too slowly, roughly 22%.
About 50% said restrictions on public gatherings are being lifted too quickly.
When it comes to how businesses and schools are being reopened, participants were split exactly in thirds; one third believe they are being opened too quickly, a third too slowly and a third at the “right pace.”
The poll, which talked to more than 500 American adults March 5-6, also echoed a similar recent poll on President Joe Biden’s approval ratings. The IPSOS-ABC poll showed 68% approve of the way Biden is handling the country’s response to the coronavirus.
When you break out part affiliation, 35% of participants who identify as Republican approve of Biden’s handling of the pandemic, and 98% of those who identify as democrat approve.
The last IPSOS-ABC approval poll conducted before former President Donald Trump left office showed 79% of those who identified as Republican approved of how he was handling the pandemic, while only 4% of those who identified as Democrat did.
An Associated Press-NORC pollconducted at the end of February had similar findings, with 60% of respondents approving of the job Biden is doing and 70% approving of how he is handling the pandemic.
