RALEIGH, N.C. — Even as COVID-19 cases continue to rise amid warnings from health officials, North Carolinians are becoming less worried about the pandemic, according to a new poll from Elon University.
Just 53% of the more than 1,400 people polled this month said they were personally worried about developing severe illness from coronavirus and spreading it to others. That figure is down from 57% in March. But 69% said they had concerns about a family member.
“Most people are still very cautious and are still very concerned about illness or spreading coronavirus, and the majority are still worried about its impact in their financial situation,” said Jason Husser, the director of the Elon Poll and a professor of political science. “However, that’s declining ... the financial worries have declined a good bit.”
However, despite that waning concern, the survey also found that 74% of the state’s residents support the recent statewide mask mandate enacted by Gov. Roy Cooper. Just 46% report that they always wear a mask, with another 19% saying they wear a mask in public “most of the time.”
The results are at odds with the rising case numbers in North Carolina — which led to Cooper hitting pause on the state’s reopening plans.
Read more here.
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