Over the first weekend of July, The Harris Poll conducted a survey of individuals in some of the hardest hit states. Arizona has continued to struggle with COVID numbers; the state’s daily record stands at 4,797 new cases, which were reported on June 30. The state also has the highest positive percentage rate of coronavirus tests, with 26.8 percent of tests coming back positive. Texas shattered its record once again on July 8, recording 9,952 new cases. Its positive rate is currently 15.6 percent.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered bars to cease allowing on-site alcohol consumption in early July and also for dine-in restaurants to decrease capacity. Most other businesses, including movie theaters, remain open. Arizona governor Doug Ducey went slightly further, also ordering that gyms, theaters, and water parks be closed. In both states, churches, retail stores, dine-in restaurants, personal care businesses, and others remain opened. And though you may believe, thanks to what you see on the news and on Facebook, that Americans are divided on stricter measures, the responses to The Harris Poll reveal that Arizonans and Texans want their governments to issue a stronger response. The company reports that 76 percent of people in Arizona are supportive of another lockdown, and that 72 percent say that they believe the first lockdown was effective. A majority of 61 percent oppose reopening completely, and 35 percent say that Arizona “reopened in a cavalier manner, without critical systems in place to manage and track the virus transmission.” In Texas, the numbers are similar: 76 percent of respondents would support another lockdown, and 43 percent think that reopening was premature. As for the manner in which the state reopened, 58 percent oppose the approach. A similar proportion of respondents in both states—56 percent in Texas and 53 percent in Arizona—partially blame the virus’s continued spread on individual citizens behaving “recklessly” and ignoring safety protocols. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Unfortunately, the back-and-forth and missteps in reopening, as well as general social distancing fatigue and confusion about various aspects of coronavirus, seem to have chipped away at individuals’ willingness to continue taking safety precautions. The Harris Poll found that, overall, since being polled on the same questions at the end of March, between 9 and 12 percent fewer respondents say that they’re willing to do things like quarantine inside, refrain from domestic travel, and stay away from large social gatherings and bars. While the majority of those surveyed claim that they would do those things, percentages have dropped from the 80s and 90s. And for more on struggling areas, This Suffering State’s Sky-High COVID Numbers Are Even Higher in Reality.
