Poll: Most support shelter order
Strong agreement among all demographic groups, political affiliations notwithstanding
While many Californians may be chafing under the statewide coronavirus stay-home order, 3 out of 4 favor sticking with the lockdown as long as it takes despite the considerable economic harm from shuttering schools and businesses, according to a new poll.
The online poll sponsored by the Oaklandbased California Health Care Foundation, a nonprofit that advocates for improving the health system, found only a little over 1 in 10 would choose to lift the lockdown to boost the economy if it would increase the virus’s spread.
The poll conducted April 1722 came amid modest protests in California — but more fervent demonstrations across the country — over the stay-home orders that have put 26 million U.S. workers and 3.4 million Californians out of work.
“There is widespread agreement among Californians that the state’s shelter-in-place orders should be continued as long as necessary, even if it means continued damage to the economy,” said Kristof Stremikis, the foundation’s director of market analysis.
The poll found support strong across all demographic groups, with more than 70% of people in each age, income and racial or ethnic group in favor. Stremikis said support also was strong regardless of political leanings or party
affiliation.
“Californians are incredibly united on this,” Stremikis said. “That was really surprising.”
The California Health Care Foundation poll found support for the stay-home order was higher among the poor, even though they are more likely to suffer from the economic consequences. Almost 79% of those with low incomes — defined in California as at or below 138% of the federal poverty guidelines — favored maintaining the stay-at-home orders, and just 3.6% wanted them relaxed.
“It’s particularly notable that low-income Californians who are most at risk from the economic losses imposed by the lockdown are still so supportive of proceeding with them,” said Dan Schnur, a political scientist who teaches at UC Berkeley and Pepperdine University.
The poll’s findings track with others conducted nationally over the past week.
An April 21 Reuters/Ipsos national online poll taken April 15-21 found 72% of U. S. adults said people should stay at home “until the doctors and public health officials say it is safe.” And an Associated Press/ NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found 61% of Americans feel the steps taken by government officials to prevent infections of COVID-19 in their area are about right, while just 12% say they go too far.
Schnur said the strong support ref lects the confidence the public has in health professionals, from Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody, who implemented the country’s first shelter-in- place order.
“There’s no denying the tremendous economic consequences of the shutdown,” Schnur said. “But it appears medical professionals like Dr. Fauci and Dr. Cody are carrying the day.”
He added that they show the protests are not representative of most people’s views.
“The loudest voices always get a disproportionate amount of attention,” said Schnur, a former Republican strategist, “but it appears that the protesters don’t represent the broader electorate.”
The poll found majorities said they always adhere to social distancing measures, including wearing face masks in public (58%), staying 6 feet from others (64%), avoiding unnecessary trips (53%) and washing hands (74%).
It also found 59% were willing to share personal information about their health, movements and contacts with local and state public health officials in order to help them understand and combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The poll, conducted by Ipsos, involved 1,015 representative interviews conducted among California residents statewide who were at least 18 years old. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.