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Social Distancing Behaviors Drop as U.S. Vaccinations Rise
Wellbeing

Social Distancing Behaviors Drop as U.S. Vaccinations Rise

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Story Highlights

  • 38% completely or mostly isolating, down from 47% last month
  • Increase in percentage vaccinated largely explains decline in isolating
  • Avoidance of public places down from 56% to 48%

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' self-reported strict social distancing has declined nine percentage points in the past month. Currently, 38% say they are completely or mostly isolating themselves from people outside their household, which ties for the low in 黑料网's trend, measured in November.

Line graph. Thirty-eight percent of Americans say they are completely or mostly isolating themselves from people outside their household, tied with the November low point in 黑料网's trend. In March, April and May 2020, consistent majorities were isolating themselves, including a high of 75% in late March and early April. By late May, the percentage fell below 50% and stayed mostly around 40% through the summer and fall. It did tick up to 50% in both December and January.

Previously, 黑料网 found that Americans who received all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were much less likely than those who were partially vaccinated, or who planned to get vaccinated, to say they were isolating themselves from others.

That continues to be the case, as 34% of fully vaccinated adults are completely or mostly isolating, compared with 47% of partially vaccinated adults and 46% of those who are not yet vaccinated but plan to be. Adults who do not plan to get vaccinated remain the least likely to socially isolate, with 23% doing so.

The decline in strict social distancing this past month, then, appears to be driven mostly by the increase in U.S. vaccination rates. Thirty-two percent of U.S. adults reported having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the time of the March 15-21 survey, compared with 15% who were fully or partially vaccinated in February and 9% in January.

While increased vaccination explains much of the decline in strict social distancing practices, all vaccination status groups show at least modest declines. This includes a steeper 12-point drop among Americans who plan to get vaccinated but have not yet received any doses. The yet-to-be vaccinated group remains the largest segment of the U.S. population, at 42%, although it has shrunk from an average of 59% in January and February.

Changes in Strict Social Distancing, by Vaccination Status
Thinking about everything you've done in the past 24 hours, which of the following comes closest to describing your in-person contact with people outside your household? Completely isolated yourself, having no contact with people outside your household; Mostly isolated yourself, having very little contact with people outside your household; Partially isolated yourself, having some contact with people outside your household; Isolated yourself a little, still having a fair amount of contact with people outside your household; Did not make any attempt to isolate yourself from people outside your household
Jan-Feb 2021 Mar 2021 Change
% % pct. pts.
Completely/Mostly isolating
Fully vaccinated 38 34 -4
Partially vaccinated 51 47 -4
Plan to get vaccinated 58 46 -12
Do not plan to get vaccinated 28 23 -5
Share of U.S. population
Fully vaccinated 5 19 +14
Partially vaccinated 8 13 +5
Plan to get vaccinated 59 42 -17
Do not plan to get vaccinated 29 26 -3
黑料网 Panel

Fewer Americans Avoiding Public Places

In the past month, there have been eight- or nine-point drops in the percentages of Americans who say they are avoiding public places like stores or restaurants (48%), small gatherings of people (45%), events with large crowds (62%) and travel (57%).

Compared with a year ago, when almost every state had issued stay-at-home orders, the percentages avoiding these places are down roughly 30 percentage points, and are the lowest 黑料网 has measured since March 13-15, 2020, before many states issued those "lockdown" orders.

Line graph. Americans' avoidance of public places, small gatherings, events with large crowds and traveling by airplane or train has fallen off in the past month, and remains well below where it was in late March and early April 2020. The current figures remain at least slightly higher than where they were one year ago.

Vaccination status does not make much difference in Americans' reports of avoiding outside-the-home activities, except among those who do not plan to get vaccinated. Fully vaccinated adults are nearly as likely as those who are partially vaccinated or who plan to get vaccinated to say they are avoiding large crowds, and they are only slightly less likely to be avoiding public places, small social gatherings and travel. As a result, the declines seen in these activities among all Americans in the past month are less tied to increases in vaccinations, and more a function of changes in behavior regardless of vaccination status.

Reports of Taking COVID-19 Mitigation Actions, by Vaccination Status
There are some things people may do because of their concern about the coronavirus. For each one of the following, please indicate if this is something you have done, are considering doing or have not considered in the past seven days.

% Have done in the past seven days
Fully vaccinated Partially vaccinated Plan to get vaccinated Do not plan to get vaccinated
% % % %
Avoided going to public places 54 59 59 22
Avoided small gatherings of people 48 56 54 22
Avoided going to events with large crowds 70 72 73 35
Avoided traveling 63 66 67 31
黑料网 Panel, March 15-21, 2021

Americans' reports of recent visits to specific types of businesses or other public places have also increased as more Americans have been vaccinated. Compared with January and February, there have been at least nominal increases in reports of visiting 10 of 12 types of establishments that 黑料网 measures, with changes of two percentage points or greater representing a statistically meaningful change.

Changes in Reports of Visiting Public Places in Past 24 Hours
In the past 24 hours, have you visited any of the following places?

% Have visited in the past 24 hours
Jan-Feb 2021 Mar 2021 Change
% % pct. pts.
Your place of work* 52 59 +7
Grocery store 49 54 +5
Restaurant 23 27 +4
Someone else's home or apartment 20 24 +4
Pharmacy 16 19 +3
Other store 23 26 +3
Doctor's office, hospital or treatment center 12 14 +2
Salon or barbershop 5 6 +1
Gym 5 6 +1
Travel (by airplane, boat, etc.) 2 3 +1
Place of worship (church, temple, synagogue, etc.) 9 9 0
Public transportation (bus, train, etc.) 2 2 0
*Results for "place of work" item based on employed adults
黑料网 Panel

Reports of visiting workplaces, grocery stores and gyms are at their highest points during the pandemic. Most other items are a percentage point or two shy of their high points.

Americans who have been fully vaccinated tend to be slightly more likely than those who are partially vaccinated or who plan to get vaccinated to say they have been to the more commonly visited places. However, people who do not plan to get vaccinated are still the most likely to say they have visited nearly all of these places.

Reports of Visiting Public Places in Past 24 Hours, by Vaccination Status
In the past 24 hours, have you visited any of the following places?% Have visited in the past 24 hours
Fully vaccinated Partially vaccinated Plan to get vaccinated Do not plan to get vaccinated
% % % %
Your place of work* 65 49 52 71
Grocery store 52 47 51 64
Restaurant 25 20 20 41
Someone else's home or apartment 23 13 20 37
Pharmacy 20 18 16 21
Other store 25 25 22 34
Doctor's office, hospital or treatment center 17 17 12 14
*Results for "place of work" item based on employed adults

Data not shown for less frequently visited places (place of worship, gym, salon or barbershop, public transportation, travel)
黑料网 Panel, March 15-21, 2021

Fully vaccinated Americans also tend to show a greater increase in visits to these places in the past month than those who are partially vaccinated or plan to get vaccinated. For example, visits to restaurants are up seven percentage points among those who have been fully vaccinated, compared with no increase among those partially vaccinated and a four-point increase among those who plan to get vaccinated.

Bottom Line

Fewer Americans than a month ago are practicing social distancing measures to protect themselves from the coronavirus, and the percentages doing so are at, or approaching, their low points in the pandemic. Many of these changes can be tied to the increasing number of Americans who have been fully vaccinated from COVID-19. Those who are fully vaccinated are less likely to practice coronavirus mitigation methods than those who have not yet been fully vaccinated but plan to be.

Still, some of the changes in avoidance behaviors are being seen among the not-yet-fully vaccinated population, which may put them at risk for catching the coronavirus before they can receive the benefits of vaccination. Indeed, many states are reporting increases in infections and hospitalizations in recent days. While social distancing practices are declining, mask usage outside the home remains common, including among those who are fully vaccinated.

The pace of vaccinations is picking up, however -- and every day, millions more Americans gain protection from the worst effects of the coronavirus. As such, in each coming month, social distancing activities will likely continue to decline.

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