A clear majority of Coloradans, 64%, especially urban women (72%), seniors (70%), and African Americans (76%), support government orders to stay at home, and keep businesses closed, in order to slow this spread of COVID-19. Young people also overwhelmingly support the orders.
The pubic opinion information comes from the initial results of a poll released Monday by Healthier Colorado, a nonpartisan group aimed at improving Coloradans’ health, and the Colorado Health Foundation, which works with communities on health projects.
The survey results show a partisan division, with 80% of people who lean Democratic favoring the stay-at-home order, versus about 44% of Republican-leaning individuals.
“The survey confirms that Coloradans have been hit hard economically,” said Healthier Colorado’s Director Jake Williams in a news release, “but the data also makes it clear that people don’t want to be rushed back to work until they can do it safely, without putting their loved ones and coworkers at risk. Until we can create a safer environment through testing and other means, the data shows that Coloradans – especially those who earn lower incomes – need financial support and a commitment from policymakers to prioritize their needs in Colorado’s recovery efforts.”
Low-income and younger people in Colorado are much more likely to have lost their jobs or income due to the pandemic, according to the poll.
And 18-29-year-olds also constitute the largest group (44%) who are working outside their homes.
Twenty-nine percent of people earning less than $30,000 per year report working from home–versus 59% of people who make $75,000 to $100,000 and 69% of people who earn more than $100,000.
“Our research affirms what we’ve heard from leaders across the state: young people and Coloradans living on low-income are bearing the brunt of this public health crisis and feel uncertain about their future,” said Karen McNeil-Miller, president of The Colorado Health Foundation. “It also shows that we still care for the well-being of each other. Coloradans want to ensure policies are enacted to not only help slow the spread of the virus, but that we address the concerns of those who have been the most impacted.”
More information on the poll will be released Thursday.
