Most people plan to continue to wear masks in public, even after receiving their full coronavirus vaccine doses, an Axios/Ipsos survey released this week found.
While the U.S. is making strides in vaccine distribution and administration and Americans are increasing their daily activities — going to the grocery store and visiting friends and relatives — and coming out of quarantine, most are not prepared to ditch their face coverings quite yet.
The survey found that 81 percent plan to “continue wearing a face mask in public until the pandemic ends, compared to seven percent who plan to stop after they are vaccinated, and another seven percent who have already stopped,” according to Ipsos. Thirteen percent said they plan to stop social distancing after being vaccinated. A majority, the survey found, plan to continue to adhere to public health restrictions until officials deem the pandemic over.
However, those expressing the belief the U.S. will return to normal within the next six months continues to increase:
Since late January, the number of Americans expecting a return to normal will take more than a year from now has gone down (17% now, down from 30%), while the number saying within six months, or sooner, has increased (40% now, up from 26%).
Around one in five Americans don’t know when they will return to normal, pre-COVID levels of activity for attending in-person gatherings outside their household, or dining in at a restaurant. From there, it is a mix of people who say they already have, once they/their circle are vaccinated, or when officials say it is safe. For returning to in-person gatherings, 30% say they already have, 29% say once they, or everyone in their circle, are vaccinated, 21% say when officials say it is safe, and 20% don’t know.
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidance for fully vaccinated people, giving them the green light to gather indoors without masks.
“We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky said in a statement. “There are some activities that fully vaccinated people can begin to resume now in their own homes.”
Such activities include gathering with other vaccinated people indoors without masks or social distancing, as well as visiting unvaccinated people without the mitigation measures as long as they are part of a low-risk household. Fully vaccinated people are also not required to quarantine if they do not exhibit symptoms after exposure to someone with the virus.
The routine mitigation strategies should still be followed in public settings, the CDC emphasized.
“Everyone – even those who are vaccinated – should continue with all mitigation strategies when in public settings. As the science evolves and more people get vaccinated, we will continue to provide more guidance to help fully vaccinated people safely resume more activities,” Walensky added.
Over 92 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the U.S., according to the CDC’s March 8 data.
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