AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- A new University of Texas poll released Monday shows Texans' concerns about the threat of COVID-19 had decreased from April to June.
The poll, released by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texs at Austin, surveyed 1,200 Texans from June 19-29, comparing the responses to an identical set of questions asked in an April poll.
According to researchers, Texans' attitudes and behaviors changed significantly between the two surveys:
- On how serious the coronavirus pandemic is:
- 57% of respondents felt the pandemic is a "serious crisis", down from 66% in April
- On concerns about the virus' spread in communities:
- "Extremely" or "very" concerned decreased from 54% in April to 47% in June
- "Not very" or "not at all" concerned increased from 17% in April to 26% in June
- On concerns about contracting the virus, either themselves or family members:
- "Extremely" or "very" concerned decreased from 54% in April to 48% in June
- "Not very" or "not at all" concerned increased from 17% in April to 27% in June
Those who said they were only leaving their residence when they "absolutely" had to decreased dramatically, from 63% in April to 37% in June. Those who reported they were "living normally, coming and going as usual" more than doubled from 9% to 19%.
"Although it’s safe to assume that fatigue with staying at home is a widespread feeling, we saw much larger decreases in concern and reported limiting of public behaviors among Republicans than we did among Democrats," said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project and co-director of the poll. "Mixed messages from national and state leaders about the severity of the virus and its spread have clearly influenced people’s behaviors along partisan lines, with Republicans more open to suggestions from Republican elected officials that we could begin returning to normal without a worsening of the public health situation."
When it comes to face coverings, the poll found that only 1 in 5 voters are not heeding public health advice to wear a mask. That grows to 31% of Republicans. While 7% of African American and 12% of Hispanic and Latinx voters reported not wearing a mask, 25% of white Texans reported not wearing a mask when leaving home.
"Wearing a mask is one of the most basic things people can do to combat the virus without any further restrictions on their behaviors. Unfortunately, it appears as though a significant share of Texans have decided not to adopt the habit," said Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project. "It’s also clear from the data that the choice not to wear a mask isn’t random. Republicans were significantly more likely to skip wearing a mask."
Contact tracing in the event of a positive virus test is another source of division in the survey. 76% of respondents say they would agree to a mandatory 14-day self quarantine if they tested positive, while 71% would provide a list of people they had recently come into contact with and 66% would agree to weekly testing. Only 46% said they would be willing to provide access to cellphone location data to help with tracing efforts, though.
The poll also looked at Texans' reaction to efforts to fight the virus at a statewide and national level. Looking at the national response, in April, 56% said things were going "very" or "somewhat" well, with 40% saying efforts were going badly. In June, 51% said things are going badly, with 46% saying efforts are going well. Respondents' views on the statewide response have also soured, with 64% saying things were going well in April and 47% feeling the same way in June.
"The crosscurrents in Texans’ attitudes evident in the poll results illustrate why it has been so difficult to navigate the politics necessary to mount a consistent, sustained response to the pandemic," Henson said. "Because basic understandings of the pandemic are increasingly shaped by partisanship, we are in a moment in which large swaths of the public are both critical of the government response and seemingly unwilling to change their own behavior in the name of public health."
More information is available on the Texas Politics Project website.
