Half of all Americans support aggressive steps to slow coronavirus in the U.S - Reuters/Ipsos poll

A man wearing a mask takes photos in Times Square following the outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Roughly half of all Americans want the U.S. government to act more aggressively to slow the spread of the coronavirus, such as banning large public gatherings and shutting down all overseas flights, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday.

The poll conducted Monday and Tuesday showed public anxieties have spiked over the last two weeks as the virus has rapidly spread, infecting more than 5,890 people in the United State and killing at least 97.