Every day, more and more Americans are getting their first or second coronavirus vaccine or reaching their “fully vaccinated” status and according to the New York TImes coronavirus case tracker, in the past two weeks, cases are down 27%. In the week after the CDC’s announcement about updated measures for fully vaccinated people, CivicScience data show that Americans’ concern about being in public spaces decreased to the lowest level ever. As it stands right now, 45% of U.S. adults report that they’re “not at all concerned” about being in public spaces. Only 15% of the adult population says that, despite everything, they’re still “very concerned,” and this is the lowest percentage observed to date. It’s worth noting, however, that roughly 40% of the population is still “somewhat concerned.”
While people seem to have made up their minds about being more comfortable in public spaces, one uncertainty is how long public health measures like social distancing and self-isolation will stay in effect. More than 1 in 4 people say they’re not sure how long they expect to have to practice these in response to the pandemic.
Local Economies
Warmer weather and increased comfort, in general, are continuing to aid the retail and restaurant industries. Consumers’ comfort with shopping in stores (for items other than groceries) is still extremely high at 72% this week.
Most people are also comfortable dining at restaurants now, too. Moreover, nearly 50% of U.S. adults say that they plan to eat at a restaurant in the upcoming week.
Summer Travel Trends
CivicScience continues to closely monitor comfort around traveling and vacations as the summer months approach. As it stands right now, half of all U.S. adults are comfortable traveling “right now.”
Roughly 20% of people plan to board a plane to travel within the next 30 days.
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