New Poll Shows Majority Agree US Should Have Shut Down Earlier to Combat Coronavirus

A new poll suggests the majority of Americans polled are in agreement that the United States should have been shut down earlier to combat the coronavirus.

The Harvard CAPS-Harris survey exclusively released to The Hill, conducted April 14-16, asked over 2,300 registered voters multiple questions about the planning and preparation for the coronavirus response efforts.

The poll shows approximately 57% of respondents agreed that there should have been an earlier shutdown in the U.S. Forty-three percent of the voters said there should not have been a shutdown any earlier because of a lack of information.

Additionally, respondents were also asked their thoughts on the possibility of a full shutdown. Seventy-five percent of the voters said they believe a full United States shutdown was necessary to stop the COVID-19 spread, altogether.

Another poll with a similar line of questioning also shed light on Americans’ opinion of the timing of the shutdown.

That poll also found that 63% of respondents agreed New York would have greatly benefited from an earlier shutdown while 37% insisted state officials had not accumulated enough information to shut down at an earlier date.

In a brief statement to The Hill, Harvard CAPS/Harris polling director Mark weighed in on the survey.

“The voters say, especially in New York, that the policies should have started even earlier but no suggestion that they are holding public officials at the state or federal government responsible,” Penn said.

The poll comes less than a week after President Donald Trump announced phases to reopen the economy.

The reopening guidelines recommend states consider slowly reopening their economies if they see a downward trajectory in confirmed coronavirus cases that may suggest the curve is flattening, as previously reported on IJR.

However, the guidelines have led to heated exchanges due to differences in opinions on timing and adequate statistics to make definitive decisions.

In many states, people are pushing back against governors refusing to take immediate action to reopen the states’ economy.

Over the last week, protests have taken place in multiple states, including Michigan, Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, California, North Carolina, Maryland and more.