Poll finds declining support for masking public places

A majority of Americans polled said COVID-19 is not a “crisis” but would describe it as “a problem, but manageable,” according to a survey released by Axios Tuesday. 

Of the 1,043 adults surveyed, 73% describe COVID-19 as “a problem, but manageable.” The poll found 81% of Democrats would say the pandemic is a problem, but manageable, compared to 66% of Republicans.

Overall, 9% said COVID-19 is a “crisis,” with Democrats five times more likely to say the pandemic is a crisis. The poll found 17% believe COVID-19 is “not a problem at all,” with Republicans 10 times more likely to say the virus is not a problem.

While a majority of Americans — 51% according to the poll — said masking in schools should be required, the survey noted declining support for masking in schools. Axios said that polling in the fall found support for universal masking in schools was between 65-70% in the fall.

Axios also said support for required masking in public places has declined below 50% for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Support remains high — at 67% — for required masking in health care settings.