More Americans Are Living Their Lives, Leaving Masks At Home, Survey Shows

A majority of Americans said for the first time in over a year that returning to their “normal” pre-pandemic lives did not pose a moderate or large health risk, an Axios/Ipsos survey shows.

The survey, released Tuesday, showed just 43% of Americans saying that returning to “normal” posed either a large or moderate risk to their health. It also shows that majorities of Americans have begun to enjoy several aspects of pre-pandemic life: 54% of Americans have eaten at a restaurant, 59% have visited family or friends and 31% have made summer plans – all in the past week alone.

The return to normalcy and the mental health benefits associated with it directly corresponds with the amount of Americans who say they have been vaccinated. Almost two-thirds of respondents say that they have received at least one shot, and 18% say that their emotional well-being has improved in the past week, which the survey notes is an all-time high during the pandemic.

Mask usage has also declined as more Americans receive the vaccine. While 58% still report wearing one at all times while outside their homes, that number is five points lower than a week earlier, the survey notes.

Most Americans, however, also support requiring proof of vaccination for an array of activities. Over 60% supported “vaccine passports” for domestic air travel and for vacationing at resorts, hotels and cruise ships, while 57% supported them for in-person sporting events and 55% for returning to in-person work.

Just under half supported them for indoor dining at restaurants.

The survey was conducted from May 7-10 among 1,078 American adults, and has a margin of error of 3.2 percentage points.