Americans Remain Risk Averse About Getting Back to Normal

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans remain hesitant about resuming their normal daily activities amid the COVID-19 outbreak according to a Gallup question first asked in late March and repeated in early April.

When asked how quickly they will return to their normal activities once the government lifts restrictions and businesses and schools start to reopen, the vast majority of Americans say they would wait and see what happens with the spread of the virus (71%) and another 10% would wait indefinitely. Just 20% say they would return to their normal activities immediately.

These views are essentially unchanged from late March.

	March 27-29	April 3-5
	%	%
Immediately	22	20
Wait to see what happens with the coronavirus before resuming	69	71
Continue to limit your contact with other people and daily activities indefinitely	9	10
Gallup Panel, 2020

Party ID Remains Biggest Differentiator in Eagerness to Normalize

The vast majority of all key subgroups of Americans, regardless of demographics or economic status, indicate they would wait to see what happens with the virus before resuming normal life. However, there are a few notable differences by subgroup in those willing to get right back to normalcy.

Republicans (31%), residents of small towns/rural areas (23%) and men (22%) are more likely to forecast that they'll resume their normal activities immediately.

There is no clear pattern by age with both the youngest adults (25% of those 18-29) as well as those of older middle-age (24% of those 50-64) expressing the most comfort with returning to normal immediately once government lifts restrictions. Adults aged 30 to 49 and seniors are more cautious.

Notably, there is no difference in these views by respondents' household income or whether a person is employed.

	Immediately	Wait to see what happens	Limit contact/ activities indefinitely
	%	%	%
U.S. adults	20	71	10
Gender
Men	22	68	10
Women	17	74	9
Age
18 to 29	25	70	6
30 to 49	16	76	7
50 to 64	24	62	14
65 and older	18	73	9
Type of community
City	15	75	10
Suburb	18	73	8
Small town/Rural area	23	66	11
Party ID
Democrat	11	79	10
Independent	19	71	10
Republican	31	61	8
Employment status
Working	20	71	9
Not working	19	71	10
Full response options: 1) Immediately; 2) Wait to see what happens with the coronavirus before resuming; 3) Continue to limit your contact with other people and daily activities indefinitely
Gallup Panel, April 3-5, 2020

Caution Mounting Among Men, City Residents

While the views of Americans as a whole haven't changed much on this question since March, men, city residents and political independents have grown less likely to say they would return to their daily activities immediately once government lifts restrictions.

• Men were initially 12 percentage points more likely than women to say they would return to normal immediately (28% vs. 16%). That gap has since narrowed to five points, 22% vs. 17%.

• Between late March and early April, residents of cities became less likely to forecast going back to normal immediately, falling from 23% to 15%. Over the same period, there was no meaningful change among those living in small towns or rural areas.

	March 27-29	April 3-5	Change
	%	%	pct. pts.
U.S. adults	22	20	-2
Gender
Men	28	22	-6
Women	16	17	+1
Age
18 to 29	21	25	+4
30 to 49	22	16	-6
50 to 64	25	24	-1
65 and older	18	18	0
Type of community
City	23	15	-8
Suburb	21	18	-3
Small town/Rural area	23	23	0
Party ID
Democrat	12	11	-1
Independent	29	19	-10
Republican	31	31	0
Employment status
Working	24	20	-4
Not working	19	19	0
Gallup Panel, 2020

Bottom Line

Few Americans are ready to get back to normal right now, and as the country looks to the future, some segments of society have grown even less comfortable with the idea of resuming normal daily activities and interpersonal contacts.

Meanwhile, no doubt reflecting the health challenges COVID-19 is presenting in places like New York City, Detroit, New Orleans and Los Angeles, a city-country divide may be emerging in Americans' willingness to resume their normal activities when businesses and schools are allowed to reopen. After expressing similar willingness in March to return to normal immediately, city and rural/small-town Americans' views now diverge with city residents showing more caution.

Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works.