Large Majority of New York State Residents Support Slow Reopening

Most New Yorkers support a slow reopening and many believe another large outbreak of COVID-19 is on the way.

By a 2-to-1 margin, New York voters say moving the reopening process too quickly is a bigger danger to Empire State residents than moving too slowly to reopen the state's economy, according to a new Siena College Poll of registered New York State voters.

Empire State residents believe opening too quickly will spread the virus faster and result in more COVID-19 deaths. By a margin of 65-32 percent, New Yorkers support a slow reopening.

“New Yorkers, including 79 percent of Democrats, 50 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of independents, see a bigger danger for the state in moving too quickly to reopen rather than in moving too slowly. Three-quarters of New York City voters are concerned about moving too quickly to end the stay-at-home orders, as are nearly 60 percent of upstaters and downstate suburbanites,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said in a press release.

A large majority of people polled also believe a second wave of COVID-19 is coming. 75 percent of New Yorkers think the state will face another large COVID-19 outbreak this fall.