In Albany Area, Almost Half

Say Keep PAUSE-ing, Poll Says

LOUDONVILLE – Forty-nine percent of  Albany area New Yorkers say  “On Pause” restrictions should remain in place as they are beyond the middle of May, while 39 percent say it will be safe to gradually end those restrictions and begin opening the economy after May 15.

That was a finding of a Siena College Capital Region COVID-19 Survey released today and sponsored by the Times Union.

Join the conversation about this Times Union-Siena College poll in a 9 a.m. Wednesday webinar with SCRI Director Don Levy and Times Union editor Casey Seiler. The free event will stream live at timesunion.com; register today at https://capitalregionrebound.eventbrite.com.

Fifty-two percent of those that were working outside the home prior to the pandemic are very confident that their business will take the necessary steps to keep employees and clients safe from COVID-19 throughout the crisis, but while 81 percent of all area residents are at least somewhat confident, only 27 percent are very confident that most businesses will keep employees, clients and customers safe.

In order to feel safe going to work outside the home large majorities of the workforce say each of the following is necessary:

• workers are provided with masks (75 percent), a treatment for the virus is available (71 percent)

• workplaces are sanitized every day (72 percent)

• both diagnostic (64 percent) and antibody (61 percent)
testing are available and

• workplaces are set up for social distancing (61 percent).

“In order for Capital Region workers to feel safe, it’s gonna take not only masks, testing, cleaning, a treatment and social distancing but over half say a vaccine is necessary,” said poll director Don Levy. “A majority of workers are very confident that their business will do all it can to keep them safe. Still, in this difficult time these numbers say that in most cases we’re going to have to tolerate a certain level of risk in order to go back to work anytime soon.”

COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on the lives of residents of the 11 counties of the Capital Region.

While over half, 54 percent have received money from the federal government stimulus program, over a quarter, 26 percent, have a household member that has been laid off and 21 percent know someone that has died due to COVID-19. Additionally, over 40 percent have had difficulty obtaining necessities including groceries or other household items and 24 percent have had trouble meeting their monthly expenses.