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Residents have mixed feelings about return to normal and COVID-19

3 min read
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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought regular life to a halt for Americans. Businesses and schools are closed indefinitely, millions have lost their jobs, and nobody knows when they can schedule a haircut, go out to dinner with friends, or watch a live NBA game.

Recent polling, though, shows Americans are hesitant to resume their normal daily activities amid the COVID-19 outbreaks.

A recent Gallup poll showed 71% of Americans want to wait and see what happens with the spread of the virus before they resume normal daily activities, and another 10% would wait indefinitely.

In a Poll conducted by the Pew Research Center and released last Thursday, three-quarters of U.S. adults said they believe the worst is yet to come, and two-thirds worried that stay-at-home orders will be lifted to soon.

Only 20% said they would immediately return to their normal daily activities.

But Americans frustrated with the shelter-in-place restrictions, which President Donald Trump is pushing to ease in order to restart the economy, have begun to push back, including in Pennsylvania, where protesters held anti-shutdown rallies Monday.

An informal poll conducted by the Observer-Reporter on its Facebook page showed local residents have mixed feelings about returning to normal.

Several indicated they will be nervous about the ability to return to normal until there is an increase in testing being done for COVID-19 infections, while others said they want a vaccine.

One woman responded she’d feel better when there is “a vaccine and more widespread testing.”

Dr. Candy DeBerry, a biology professor at Washington & Jefferson, wrote that safety involves “first and foremost, everyone respecting the scientific, fact-based advice and practicing social distancing and face covering until there is confirmation of herd immunity – that enough of the population has either been infected and recovered or has received an effective vaccine that confers long-term protection.”

She also suggested, among other needs, the country has to acquire sufficient stocks of personal protective equipment, medical equipment, and medicines to meet the needs of recurrent outbreaks.

DeBerry, who is passionate about ecological gardening, said the Main Street Farmers Market is an important social event for her, but if it opens in May, “I’ll be there in gloves and a mask, and I will stay as far from other people as possible. I will not do any browsing,” she said. “I know many of the farmers and love to talk about farming and agricultural issues, but now it’s just going to be, ‘Can I have two pounds of green beans and bye.'”

Others, though, indicated they were ready to resume activities.

In response to the question, “What will make you feel comfortable returning to normal?” one person wrote, “I’m good. Let’s go.”

Another responded, “I’m ready now!”

Still another wrote, “Just open it all up,” and continued, “It’s much more dangerous driving to a store than the slim chance of catching the virus in the store. We’re Americans, toughen up people.”

Others answered that there is no “normal” anymore.

“Normal is gone, and I only hope the new normal will be a better place for us all, less greed, less self-centered, and more true caring,” responded one woman. “My hope anyway.”

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