Only Half Of Americans Comfortable Flying Right Now, Poll Finds As CDC Weighs Extending Mask Mandate

Topline

Solely half of People are comfy with air journey at the same time as their consolation with different actions ticks up—and even fewer need to fly internationally—a brand new Morning Seek the advice of poll finds, suggesting Covid-19 transmission on planes stays an enormous concern because the federal authorities probably drops the masks mandate for airplanes and public transportation on Monday.

Vacationers wait in line at Delta Airways check-in at Los Angeles Worldwide Airport in Los … [+] Angeles, California, on December 24, 2021.

AFP by way of Getty Pictures

Key Details

Morning Seek the advice of’s weekly monitoring ballot, performed April 10 amongst 2,200 U.S. adults, discovered solely 48% of respondents are comfy flying on an airplane.

50% mentioned they’re comfy flying domestically and 37% are nice with flying internationally, which is up from 48% and 36% final week, respectively.

The share of People proud of flying, whereas low, continues to be near a pandemic-era excessive: consolation with air journey hit a excessive of simply 51% on March 6, and is up from 35% when the omicron variant surged in January.

Respondents have been additionally skittish about different types of public transportation lined by the federal masks mandate, with solely 55% comfy taking a prepare and 46% taking a bus.

That’s decrease than most other activities: 57% say they really feel comfy going to a celebration, 61% to a marriage, 65% going to the workplace, 75% going to a restaurant, 60% going to the flicks and 71% going to purchasing malls, as an example.

People additionally proceed to be hesitant about going to sporting occasions and live shows, nonetheless, with solely 50% and 48% comfy with these actions, respectively.

Massive Quantity

28%. That’s the share of respondents who mentioned they’re “very” involved about Covid-19 outbreaks, which marks a file low since Morning Seek the advice of began asking the query in January 2020.

What To Watch For

The federal masks mandate, which applies to airplanes, public transportation and airports nationwide, is ready to run out on April 18, and it’s nonetheless unclear what might be required of vacationers after that time. The Biden administration mentioned when it final prolonged the mandate in March that it will use the extension to develop a “framework” to find out when masks ought to be required sooner or later, which is perhaps primarily based on elements like charges of extreme sickness or if new variants are rising. With Covid-19 instances now ticking up in plenty of areas amid the unfold of the extremely transmissible omicron BA.2 subvariant—which has already precipitated some masks mandates to return—that may very well be sufficient to maintain the masks order in place. “It’s completely on the desk,” White Home Covid-19 Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha instructed Immediately Monday when requested if the masks mandate may very well be prolonged.

Key Background

The Morning Seek the advice of ballot is consistent with different current surveys displaying People are viewing Covid-19 as much less of an issue, with an Axios/Ipsos ballot launched Tuesday discovering simply 9% see the pandemic as a “severe disaster” proper now. Whereas fewer People than ever are sporting masks and backing masks mandates in consequence, per the Ipsos ballot, the federal masks mandate for planes and public transportation has remained extra widespread. A current Harris ballot discovered 60% of People need to maintain it in place, and a Morning Consult poll equally discovered a minimum of three in 5 respondents assist clients and workers sporting masks on planes. A Kaiser Household Basis ballot was extra cut up, nonetheless, with a slim 51% majority saying they needed the federal masks mandate to run out.