COMMON SENSE VS PENCE
Poll: Two-thirds of Americans say COVID-19 crisis getting worse


A woman wearing a mask jogs in New York City's Brooklyn Bridge Park on June 25, with One World Trade Center and the Manhattan Skyline in the background at sunset. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

July 2 (UPI) -- Nearly two-thirds of Americans, a record share, believe the coronavirus crisis is getting worse, according to a new survey Thursday.

Gallup said 65 percent of respondents polled last week, amid new surges in cases nationwide, said the overall COVID-19 situation is worsening either by a "little" or "a lot." That figure is an increase from 37 percent just two weeks earlier, and the previous high of 56 percent in April.

Less than a quarter, 23 percent, answered that the situation is getting better -- down from 47 percent earlier this month.
Gallup also said the share of U.S. adults "very" or "somewhat" concerned about catching the coronavirus disease has increased to 56 percent, the highest figure since it was at 57 percent in April.

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Gallup said the results are based on its online COVID-19 tracking survey, which interviews weekly random samples from its probability-based panel. The pollster says it uses probability-based, random sampling methods to recruit panel members.

"Americans may dispute whether the recent increase in new daily coronavirus cases represents a continuation of the first wave or the start of a second wave of infections -- but there is a growing public consensus that the situation is getting worse," Gallup wrote.

"Recent developments are a grim reminder that even as the number of new daily cases declined in recent months, the virus never went away. Consequently, Americans are increasingly likely to think the disruptions to daily life will persist in the U.S. through at least the end of this year."

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Gallup polled nearly 3,500 panel members for the survey, which has a margin of error of 3 points.