Nearly half of Americans will continue mask-wearing even if vaccinated, some expect mandate ‘indefinitely’ – poll

A new poll has found that only half of Americans believe the US is winning the war against Covid-19, and almost half believe even those vaccinated against the virus should continue mask-wearing in public.

While people’s optimism about the fight against the pandemic appears to be rising – 50% believe the US is winning the “war” compared to 28% in a January Rasmussen survey – many are still unsure and divided on specific issues like mask-wearing.

According to the data released Tuesday by Rasmussen, which conducted both the January survey and this latest poll, 26% of respondents believe the US is not winning the war against the pandemic and another 25% are unsure one way or the other. 

One of the hotly debated topics to reach social media and the media airwaves as more and more Americans get vaccinated is whether mask-wearing in public should still be practiced, since the chances of getting the virus post-vaccination and spreading it to someone else are extremely low. 

Health experts like Dr Anthony Fauci have argued mask-wearing should still be part of daily life, while critics such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), who is a doctor himself, have publicly disagreed with this line of precaution.

Rasmussen’s poll suggests that nearly half of Americans (49%) believe even vaccinated individuals should continue masking up. On how long mask mandates should be expected, 58% of respondents said they expect to be wearing masks in public for at least the next six months, while 25% believe it will be required for 18 months or longer. Some (15%), however, said they expect mask mandates to be in place for years to come or “indefinitely.” Meanwhile, some states and cities have already begun rolling back or announced plans to end pandemic restrictions, including mask-wearing.

The idea that half of Americans actually want mask-wearing to continue earned plenty of heated reactions on social media, mainly from conservatives increasingly critical of Covid-era regulations.

The poll was taken among 1,000 American adults from April 29 to May 2 and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percent. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated their health guidelines to state that fully vaccinated people can attend small gatherings and exercise without wearing face coverings. The message has been mixed, though, as President Joe Biden himself has gotten attention for continuing to make a point of wearing a mask outdoors, despite being vaccinated. 

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