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Health

Most New Yorkers think worst of COVID-19 pandemic is over: new poll

By
Jesse O’Neill
Published July 13, 2021, 6:47 p.m. ET

Two out of three New Yorkers think the worst of COVID-19 is behind us, according to a new poll.

Even as nearly half of state residents are still worried about getting sick from the coronavirus, around 68 percent of New Yorkers believe the worst of the deadly virus has been overcome, researchers at Siena College found in a poll released Tuesday.

A large majority of Empire State residents added that they are OK hanging out with friends at home and in public, according to the random polling by phone during the last half of June.

“Looking to the fall, New Yorkers provide a mixed bag of hopefulness, concern and a recognition of a new world as we try to put the worst of the coronavirus behind us,” said Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy.

There are still 17 percent of New Yorkers who fear that the darkest days remain ahead for the state and the virus, which has already killed 53,000 residents.

Half of the New Yorkers polled said they gained weight during the pandemic, and 51 percent said they felt depressed, the study showed.

A woman getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Roosevelt, New York on July 8, 2021.
A woman getting the COVID-19 vaccine in Roosevelt, New York on July 8, 2021. Steve Pfost/via Getty Images

Conversely, 38 percent of state residents took the opportunity to get in shape, and 44 percent developed a new hobby during the pandemic, according to the poll.

Just over three-quarters of New Yorkers said they expect remote work to continue, and 71 percent told Siena they thought schools will reopen to full in-person learning this fall.

Some 84 percent of people polled are OK with having friends over to their home, 80 percent are fine with going to a beach or lake, and 77 percent feel comfortable eating inside a restaurant, the researchers found.

People cheering at the parade for COVID-19 essential workers in Manhattan on July 7, 2021.
People cheering at the parade for COVID-19 essential workers in Manhattan on July 7, 2021. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

“While the vast majority are at least somewhat comfortable with summer activities like going to the beach or entertaining friends, only small majorities are comfortable seeing a movie at an indoor theater, attending a professional sporting event or being in a public space around many people that may or may not be wearing a mask,” Levy said.

“And a majority, 57 percent, are not comfortable going on a vacation outside the US.”

The study found 47 percent of New Yorkers are somewhat or very worried about themselves or a family member falling ill to the deadly virus.