The Infinite Brief

Smaller shares of Americans – about four-in-ten – believe this type of monitoring would help a lot (16%) or a little (22%) in limiting the spread.

Democrats (46%) and independents (42%) are more likely than Republicans (31%) to say that if the government tracked people’s locations through their cellphone during the outbreak it would help.

About half of postgraduates (51%) believe cellphone tracking would help curtail the spread of COVID-19 to some degree, compared with roughly four-in-ten or fewer of those who have a bachelor’s degree, some college experience, or a high school education or less.

Hispanic adults (50%) are far more likely than their white (35%) or black counterparts (34%) to think this type of government surveillance would be helpful during the outbreak.