Will NC residents stop social distancing after coronavirus? Survey finds a consensus
Most North Carolinians say they will continue social distancing after the coronavirus pandemic, but they may not be as likely to wear masks, a survey finds.
Nearly 71% of state residents report plans to practice social distancing when the outbreak has ended, according to survey results gathered in April from marketing firm Chernoff Newman.
By comparison, about 32% say they will wear masks in public in the post-pandemic era, results show.
To help stop the spread of COVID-19, health officials recommend people wear face coverings and practice social distancing, which involves avoiding crowds and staying 6 feet from others.
Though the survey didn’t ask other questions about masks, it found roughly 95% of North Carolina residents have “practiced some form of social distancing” during the COVID-19 outbreak.
On a scale from zero to 10, about 29% of residents give themselves a top score for “rigidly” practicing social distancing, results show. That ranking was the most popular answer given, according to the survey.
To come up with its findings, Chernoff Newman conducted online surveys of North Carolina and South Carolina residents from April 13 to April 18, The State reported. In the Tar Heel State, 500 people participated, and the margin of error was 4.4 percentage points, spokesperson Catherine Ramirez said in an email to McClatchy News.
Though the majority of North Carolinians report practicing social distancing, most in the survey say they miss having their kids go away to school, meeting in groups and eating out.
In response to the outbreak, Gov. Roy Cooper ordered the closure of some businesses, prompting protesters to call for reopening the state. The state is in the first phase of the governor’s plan to lift restrictions, which lasts until at least May 22.
Since coronavirus-related shutdowns went into effect, more than 1 million people in North Carolina have filed for jobless benefits, The News & Observer reported last week.
About 14% of state residents live with someone who is out of work, and nearly 24% live in households where someone has experienced a pay cut due to the coronavirus, according to the survey.
But when the pandemic stops, 83% of people who work outside their homes are “confident” that their jobs will exist, results show.
There are still other worries.
About 70% of North Carolinians say they are concerned they will be exposed to the virus, and about 66% say they worry someone they live with will get sick, according to the findings.
Across the state, health officials reported 17,277 coronavirus cases and 661 deaths as of May 15.
This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 5:14 PM.
