Returning to lockdown? Almost two-thirds of Americans support the idea in new survey

As coronavirus cases surge once again in many parts of the United States, most Americans wouldn’t be opposed to a second lockdown, according to a new survey.

Sixty-five percent of American adults surveyed by CivicScience said they would support their state’s choice to go back to a lockdown.

The survey, first reported by Axios, polled 2,420 adults from June 16 to June 23 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. CivicScience said 27% of people polled oppose the idea of a second lockdown, while 7% are neutral.

There are 2.38 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. and more than 122,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Public health officials reported 36,880 new confirmed cases Wednesday — the most in a single day since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to The New York Times.

Age was a major factor in the support of re-entering lockdowns, CivicScience reported. Support for lockdowns grew with each age group — 51% support in the 18-24 age range and up to 76% support among adults 55 and up, according to the poll sent to McClatchy News.

Dr. Tom Inglesby, the Director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said earlier this week he doesn’t think a second lockdown is necessary but did say governors should double down on enforcing mask wearing and social distancing.

“I don’t think we need to go into lockdown in these places,” Inglesby said on Fox News of states that have reported surges. “At this point, I think each state has a different story. Each state has its own reopening process and they’re all slightly different.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said some states should consider rolling back stages of reopening.

“There are other areas, other states, other cities that have not done so well. I have a considerable concern about those because I want to make sure that we get everything under control,” he told members of Congress, according to CNBC. “It now really is a mixed bag. We have some doing really well and some really in trouble.”

This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 9:41 AM with the headline "Returning to lockdown? Almost two-thirds of Americans support the idea in new survey."