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A26 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 23 april 2020
AP-NORC poll: Few Americans support easing virus protections

By THOMAS BEAUMONT and nomic cost that has led
HANNAH FINGERHUT some governors to follow
Associated Press Trump's lead and start talk-
WASHINGTON (AP) — De- ing about allowing some
spite pockets of attention- shuttered businesses to re-
grabbing protests, a new open, including in Georgia,
survey finds Americans where many businesses —
remain overwhelmingly including gyms, bowling
in favor of stay-at-home alleys and tattoo parlors
orders and other efforts — can do so starting Friday.
to slow the spread of the Restaurants there can re-
coronavirus. A majority say sume dine-in service next
it won't be safe to lift such week.
restrictions anytime soon, Yet the survey finds that
even as a handful of gov- few Americans — 16% —
ernors announce plans to think it's very or extremely
ease within days the public likely that their areas will
health efforts that have up- be safe enough in a few
ended daily life and roiled weeks for the restrictions to
the global economy. be lifted. While 27% think it's
The survey from The Asso- In this April 21, 2020, file photo a person holds a sign while gathering with others to protest stay-at- somewhat likely, a majority
ciated Press-NORC Center home orders put into place due to the COVID-19 outbreak outside the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson of Americans — 56% — say
for Public Affairs Research City, Mo. conditions are unlikely to
finds that more than a Associated Press. be safe in a few weeks to
month after schoolyards and limiting gatherings to bullish on reopening as- convenience store manag- start lifting the current re-
fell silent, restaurant tables 10 people or fewer — num- pects of public life. er from Jacksonville, Texas, strictions.
and bar stools emptied, bers that have largely held Just 36% of Republicans where Gov. Greg Abbott "If we try too hard to restart
and waves from a safe dis- steady over the past few now say they strongly favor has reopened state parks the economy prematurely,
tance replaced hugs and weeks. requiring Americans to stay and plans to announce fur- there will be waves of re-
handshakes, the country "We haven't begun to flat- home during the outbreak, ther relaxations next week. infection," said 70-year-old
largely believes restrictions ten the curve yet. We're still compared with 51% who "And we're going to have retired medical equipment
on social interaction to ramping up in the number said so in late March. While another pandemic." salesman Goble Floyd, of
curb the spread of the virus of cases and the number majorities of Democrats More than 45,000 people Bonita Springs, Florida. "I
are appropriate. of deaths," said Laura Mc- and Republicans think cur- in the United States have don't think the economy or
Only 12% of Americans say Cullough, 47, a college rent restrictions where they died from COVID-19, while life will get back to normal
the measures where they physics professor from live are about right, Re- 22 million have applied for until there's a vaccine. It
live go too far. About twice Menomonie, Wisconsin. publicans are roughly four unemployment benefits just seems this is so seriously
as many people, 26%, be- While the poll reveals that times as likely as Democrats since March. It's that eco- contagious."q
lieve the limits don't go far the feelings behind the to think restrictions in place
enough. The majority of protests that materialized go too far — 22% to 5%. The AP-NORC poll of 1,057 adults was conducted
Americans — 61% — feel in the past week or so in More Democrats than Re- April 16-20 using a sample drawn from NORC’s
the steps taken by govern- battleground states such publicans, meanwhile, probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is
ment officials to prevent as Michigan, Ohio, Penn- think restrictions don't go designed to be representative of the U.S. population.
infections of COVID-19 in sylvania and Wisconsin are far enough, 33% to 19%. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is
their area are about right. held by only a small frac- "They'll be lifted, but there plus or minus 4.0 percentage points. Respondents
About 8 in 10 Americans say tion of Americans, it does are still going to be sick peo- were first selected randomly using address-based
they support measures that find signs that Republicans ple running around," said sampling methods and later were interviewed
include requiring Ameri- are, like President Donald 66-year-old Lynn Sanchez, online or by phone.
cans to stay in their homes Trump, becoming more a Democrat and retired

Court allows Arkansas ban on surgical abortions due to virus

By ANDREW DeMILLO The state said Little Rock Family Planning Ser- Little Rock Family Planning and another clinic
Associated Press vices violated an order requiring health pro- operated by Planned Parenthood.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A federal appeals viders to reschedule elective procedures that "All medically unnecessary surgeries must be
court on Wednesday allowed Arkansas to ban could be safely postponed. Other states have postponed, and this decision affirms that sur-
most surgical abortions during the coronavirus used similar orders to restrict abortions during gical abortions do not get special treatment,"
pandemic. the pandemic. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchin- Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge
A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court son on Wednesday said the state would ease said in a statement.
of Appeals dissolved a judge's temporary re- its limits on elective surgeries starting Monday, The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas,
straining order that allowed surgical abortions though it was not immediately clear whether which represented Little Rock Family Planning,
to continue after the Arkansas Department of the move would allow surgical abortions to re- said it was reviewing all options in response to
Health told the state's only surgical abortion sume at the clinic. the ruling.
clinic to stop performing the procedure unless The state issued the order after initially encour- "For the health and safety of all Arkansans,
it was needed to protect the life or health of aging the clinic to stop performing the pro- state officials need to focus on protecting
the mother. cedure for out-of-state patients. Arkansas has people from the pandemic, not using the virus
The appeals court's ruling said the Health De- had at least 2,262 coronavirus cases and 43 as an excuse to advance their own extremist
partment's "directive is a legally valid response deaths. political agendas," Holly Dickson, the group's
to the circumstances confronted by the Gov- The state's order did not prohibition medica- legal director and interim executive director,
ernor and state health officials." tion abortions that are still administered by said in a statement.q