Live updates: Abortion becomes central issue as Democrats draw contrast with GOP
Coronavirus infection rates are a fraction of their omicron-infused peak in January, hospital beds are plentiful in most regions, and covid-19-related deaths are down 90 percent from four months ago, all coming more than two months after federal officials eased mask recommendations, ending most pandemic-era mandates.
The public has taken notice: President Biden’s approval rating for handling the virus has surged to 51 percent among all adults, his highest rating since last summer and up from 44 percent in February, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Yet most voters have turned their attention to other issues, particularly inflation, that Post poll and others have showed, without broadly rewarding Biden and Democrats for taming the worst of the pandemic.
