People are less afraid the pandemic as mask mandates drop — right before the State of the Union
Omicron is fading away, and so are Americans’ worries about COVID-19.
As coronavirus pandemic case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths continue to plummet, fewer people now than in January say they are concerned that they will be infected after the rise and fall of the wildly contagious virus variant, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Just 24% say they are “extremely” or “very” worried about themselves or a family member contracting COVID-19, down from 36% in both December and January, when omicron caused a massive spike in infections and taxed public health systems. Another 34% say they are somewhat worried.
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Even some of the most ardent supporters of Covid-19 precautions are ditching mask mandates as health officials release new guidelines and hospitalizations plummet.
Across the country, more governors are letting go of mask rules — including in states that have long held on to school mask mandates.
But, the Transportation Security Administration’s mask mandate for airports, commercial airplanes, public buses and passenger trains is set to expire March 18. It’s not clear what will happen after that.
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In good times or bad, American presidents come to Congress with a diagnosis that hardly differs over the decades. In their State of the Union speeches, they declare “the state of our union is strong” or words very much like it.
President Joe Biden’s fellow Americans, though, have other ideas about the state they’re in and little hope his State of the Union address Tuesday night can turn anything around.
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