The number of people who are socially distancing due to the coronavirus has dropped 10 percentage points in the last two weeks, according to a new Gallup poll.
Fifty-eight percent now report that they are either completely (17%) or mostly (41%) isolating themselves. That’s down from 65% last week and 68% two weeks ago. The high point of social distancing occurred on April 5, when 75% reported isolating themselves. The poll sampled 4,159 adults from May 4-10.
In recent weeks, more governors have relaxed stay-at-home orders or have let them expire altogether. The poll suggests that the public is responding. In states that have no stay-at-home orders in effect, the number of people who continue to isolate declined from 64% to 51% over the past two weeks.
But the results also suggest some people in those in states with stay-at-home orders in effect may be wearying of them. In those states, self-isolation declined from 71% to 64%.
Since late April, more than 30 states have at least partially reopened their economies. That appears to be having an impact as well. The number of people going to the grocery store increased from 43% a week ago to 49%. The number of people who are going back to work jumped to 30% from 25%.
