70% Of Americans Want Officials To Prioritize Public Health Over Restarting Economy

TOPLINE

A wide majority of Americans are not ready to resume public life, according to a poll released Thursday by CBS News and YouGov, as Governors in Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina plan to allow stay-at-home orders to expire next week.

KEY FACTS

Key background

Protests against stay-at-home orders have cropped up around the country in states like California and Michigan, initially with President Donald Trump’s support. Although the movement is vocal, its support is limited. Less than a quarter of the poll’s respondents said they support the protests, and only 7% think that Trump should encourage them. The president is starting to change his tune, criticizing Georgia Gov. Kemp’s plan to reopen businesses at the White House briefing on Wednesday.

What to watch for 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is coordinating with neighboring governors on how to proceed, but has not yet announced whether he will extend the state’s stay-at-home order or let it expire. Florida has had more than 28,000 cases of COVID-19, more than any other southern state. A Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday shows that Florida residents’ opinions on reopening the economy reflect those of the country: Only 22% said that the state should loosen social distancing rules at the end of the month. As a first step, DeSantis allowed localities to reopen their beaches last week, and some, notably those in Jacksonville, were crowded.

Further reading

Americans prioritize staying home and worry restrictions will lift too fast (CBS News)

Trump Says He Disagrees With Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s Decision To Reopen Some Businesses (Forbes)

Governor Cuomo, Bloomberg Announce Unprecedented New York COVID-19 Coronavirus Contact Tracing Program (Forbes)

Another 4.4 Million Workers File Unemployment Claims As Coronavirus Labor Crisis Deepens (Forbes)

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