Millions of Americans are under some type of stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic, but a new survey finds many are unsure what that means nor do they care to follow.
GoodRx conducted the poll that found nearly 15 percent are confused about the policy in their area, with a majority of misinformed living Missouri.
Other than being muddled about the rules, 10 percent of the population is disregarding social distancing and said they have gone to a restaurant, visited someone else’s home or attended a large gathering in the past week.
The writers asked more than 100,000 people in all 50 states one question: ‘Do you live in an area that is currently under a stay-at-home order due to the pandemic?’
The survey was conducted from March 22 through April 5 and residents could answer ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘I Don’t Know.’
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Millions of Americans are under some type of stay-at-home order, but a new survey finds many are unsure what that means nor do they care to follow. Pictured is Time Square, which is empty due to New York’s shelter-in-place policy
The timeline is key, as many states had adopted shelter-in-place orders, which could have been why there were so many confused about the policy for their hometown.
However, Wired noted that ‘even in states that have had such instructions in place for weeks, consistently 15 percent or more of citizens seem to misunderstand whether they are subject to an order.’
Missouri, which reported being the most confused, implemented a stay-at-home policy on Monday.
‘The first order I done in the state of Missouri was the most strict order we have done,’ Governor Mike Parson said in a virtual press briefing.
Wired conducted the poll that found nearly 15 percent are confused about the policy in their area, with a majority of misinformed living Missouri (pictured is an empty street in downtown Kansas City)The state reported being the most confused, as it just implemented a stay-at-home policy on Monday
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a shelter-in-place order on March 22, stating it is ‘the most drastic action we can take’, but Wired found one-fourth of New Yorkers are misinformed what that means. People gathered to watch the USNS Comfort dock at Pier 19 last month and disregarded social distancing to catch a peak at the ship
‘It was no more than 10 people could ever be grouped up together, and six feet apart.’
These policies are given different names – there is ‘shelter in place’ and ‘stay at home’.
But the simply mean that people are allowed to leave their homes for essential travel, such as grocery shopping, doctors’ appointments and ever for a jog around town.
Both let certain activities to carry on outside, but just as long as people stay six feet apart from one another, which the Centers of Disease Control calls ‘social distancing’.
It was more men who were hosting gatherings at their home – 55 percent of them reported having people over or went to a restaurant bar or other events
California was the first to issue a stay-at-home order on March 19, leading the way for the other 41 to impose their own policies.
Hoboken, New Jersey, a city located in the northern area of the state, was the first place onthe east coast to start a lockdown.
Officials closed all bars and restaurants March 15 and other towns in the surrounding area began to follow in suit.
The entire state of New Jersey is currently under shelter-in-place.
Since then policies have been put in place across the country, but more than half of the residents in some states are still confused about what is happening.
Wired found this was the case in South Carolina, Oklahoma, Wyoming and Alabama – but tit was Missouri leading with 65 percent of people who could not answer the questions correctly.
Other than being muddled about the rules, 10 percent of the population is disregarding social distancing and said they have gone to a restaurant, visited someone else’s home or attended a large gathering in the past week.
There are more than 490,000 cases reported in the US and the death toll has surpassed 18,000 as of Friday
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has become a hero to some for his leadership during the pandemic.
He issued a shelter-in-place order on March 22, stating it is ‘the most drastic action we can take’, but Wired found one-fourth of New Yorkers are misinformed what that means.
And there is a fine of up to $1,000 in New York City for those not social distancing.
Wired also found that about 10 percent of the population said they have gone against he CDC’s advise about social distancing in the past seven days.
And it was more men who were hosting gatherings at their home – 55 percent of them reported having people over or went to a restaurant bar or other events.