Voters in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey say they generally support the restrictions enacted by their state governments to stop the spread of the coronavirus, a Quinnipiac University poll found.
A majority of the 2,800 registered voters surveyed don’t think their states should reopen any time soon.
In Connecticut, 59 percent of voters believe it will be safe to open in the next few months or longer and 38 percent believe it will be safe to open immediately or in the next few weeks.
Roughly two-thirds in each of the three states also say the restrictions put in place in their state to slow the spread of the coronavirus are about right, while only about 20 percent in each state think they don’t go far enough and about 15 percent think they go too far.
And even if restrictions were lifted in the next few weeks, roughly 7 out of 10 in each state would be uncomfortable going to restaurants or bars, more than 8 out of 10 wouldn’t be comfortable going to a large sports or entertainment event, and people in each state are split about returning to work outside the home, according to the poll.
“Cautious but not cowering: having experienced a nightmare, the 32 million people who make up the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Tri-State area are willing to hang tough and wait out the virus for another few months,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said.
There is a split among voters when it comes to the question of working outside the home.
The poll showed 71% of the respondents in the tri-state area, a clear consensus, believe states should be prioritizing slowing the spread of the coronavirus by keeping people home, even if it hurts the economy. Only about a quarter of those polled in each state think reopening the economy should be the top priority.
The poll also found the popularity of the governors in the tri-state area rising.
In Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont received a 65% job approval rating, and a 78% approval rating for the handling of the virus in specific. By comparison, President Donald Trump received a 36% approval rating with 61% disapproving in Connecticut for his response to the pandemic.
“A crisis rockets governors to approval ratings rarely seen,” Malloy said.
