Poll: More Americans Fear Lifting Coronavirus Restrictions Too Soon

Americans are worried about lifting stay-at-home orders too quickly amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has dramatically upended life in a month marked by business shutdowns, job losses and illness, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

Nearly six in 10 in the survey said they were concerned that the country would move too fast to loosen restrictions aimed at slowing the outbreak, compared with about three in 10 who said the greater worry was the economic impact of waiting too long.

Views on when to reopen split along partisan lines, with 77% of Democrats expressing concern about opening too quickly, compared with 39% of Republicans. By contrast, 48% of Republicans are worried the U.S. will take too long, compared with 19% of Democrats. President Trump has expressed an eagerness to lift restrictions as soon as possible, though he also has laid out public-health guidelines for governors to follow as they decide when to lift constraints.

The survey of 900 registered voters also revealed more anxiety over the virus, compared with a similar poll in March.