Poll: Little change in America’s virus concerns

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Deathsfromthe coronavirus pandemicare spiking across the country, yet a new poll finds little increase in alarm among Americans about

COVID-19 infections andno significant change in opinion about how the government should act to slowthe spread.

The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds about 4 in

10 Americans say they are extremely or very worried about themselves or a family memberbeing infectedwith the virus, about the same as inOctoberandslightlylower than insurveysconductedin March and in July.

Stable majorities continue to favor requirements that peoplewearmasksandlimit

the size of gatherings.

The risks of infection are greater than ever across broad swaths of the coun

try — more than 1 million people tested positive for the coronavirus over five days last week. The surge

has led to record numbers of daily virus deaths as the U.S. topped 300,000 people dying from the virus over the course of the pandemic.

The nation’s top health officials have pleaded with Americans to redouble their efforts to prevent infections, especially during the holidays. Roughly three-quarters of Americans say they’re at least somewhat worried about the virus, a figure that’s about the same as in October. InMarch and July, about half of Americanswere highlyworried.

Support for stay-at-home orders peaked inApril, with about 8 in 10 in favor, and has steadily dipped since. Fifty percent now support requiring Americans to stay home except for essential errands, up from 44% in October. Now 45% favor closing bars and restaurants, just slightly higher than 41% two months ago. About a third of Americans oppose both steps.

The AP-NORC poll of 1,117 adults, conducted Dec. 3-7, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

DARRONCUMMINGS/AP Vice President Mike Pence, head of the coronavirus task force, speaksTuesday in Bloomington, Ind.