One-third of Americans say most everyone they know except themselves seems to be moving past the pandemic, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
Why it matters: Black, Democratic and urban respondents are the most likely to express this dichotomy. It's the latest measure of U.S. society fracturing over how to deal with rising case rates and hospitalizations in a post-mandate world.
The big picture: Just 31% of survey respondents say they believe the pandemic is over, unchanged from last month. But 42% say they’ve already returned to their normal, pre-COVID lives.
- Half say the media exaggerates COVID-19's threat.
- And 68% say we're moving toward a time when the virus won't interrupt our daily lives.
The intrigue: The survey found wide, bipartisan support for requiring a negative COVID test for international travelers coming into the U.S. — 55% of Republicans, 70% of independents and 84% of Democrats — even though the requirement was just lifted.
- But the overwhelming majority of Americans don't travel internationally in any given year.
- When requirements hit a broader cross-section of people, closer to home, support drops. Only one in three respondents overall — and just 11% of Republicans — support proof of vaccination to enter stores and restaurants.
Zoom in: Overall, 35% of respondents agreed with the following statement: "I feel like most people around me have moved on from the pandemic, but I haven’t."
- Democrats were twice as likely to say so as Republicans — 48% to 23% — with independents in between.
- 51% of Black Americans, 43% of Hispanic Americans and 29% of white Americans felt that way.
- 39% of respondents in urban areas felt that way, compared with 35% of those in the suburbs and 27% of those in rural areas.
What they're saying: "We’ve become a lot more entrenched in our positions," said Ipsos vice president Mallory Newall.
- "The camp of people that believe it’s already over have moved on. Those that continue to feel concerned or at risk are starting to experience this sense that … they’re getting left behind."
Methodology: This Axios/Ipsos Poll was conducted June 10-13 by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,079 general population adults age 18 or older.
- The margin of sampling error is ±3.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults.
