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Poll finds Californian opinions on COVID-19 divided by partisan
Last Updated: 2020-05-03 02:17 | Xinhua
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Californian voters are deeply divided about the COVID-19 pandemic, with supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump more worried about the economy and less concerned about the virus spread, according to a research by UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS).

The research published on Friday was based on an online poll of 8,800 registered California voters conducted by IGS from April 16 to 20, in conjunction with the California Institute of Health Equity and Action.

The poll found that voters are deeply polarized over the president's performance in office. Almost 55 percent of Californian voters strongly disapproved, while 20 percent strongly approved. Overall, just a quarter of the voters were closer to the middle in their assessments.

Such extreme disagreement carries over to assessments of core strategies and goals of the pandemic response, and even to scientific credibility, said the study.

Just 24 percent of strong Trump supporters were very concerned about spreading the virus to others. Nearly half of them expressed little or no concern. Among strong Trump opponents, 58 percent were very concerned about passing the virus to others, and only 13 percent were not concerned. Overall, 48 percent of California voters were very concerned they might spread the virus to others, according to the study.

Over 57 percent of strong Trump supporters said that staying at home was extremely effective in checking the spread of infection, while more than 90 percent of strong Trump opponents favored staying at home.

Among Trump supporters, 77.6 percent were most worried about the economic damage of keeping the stay-at-home policy in place too long, while 22.3 percent were more concerned with the health effects of ending the policy too soon. Among Trump opponents, 91.2 percent said health should be the higher priority.

More than 73 percent of Trump partisans expressed some or complete trust in scientists, versus 98.6 percent among those opposed to the president. Trump supporters held far less trust in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.

"It is striking the way that polarized political attitudes even affect everyday behaviors," said IGS co-director Cristina Mora, noting that the facts denoted just how powerfully politics can shape the understanding of health and safety.

"The sharp differences between Trump supporters and opponents suggest that the fight over reopening the economy could end up just reinforcing the polarized battle lines that have characterized the past decade," IGS co-director Eric Schickler said.

The poll also found approximate agreement on several strategies for controlling the spread of the virus. For example, almost everyone surveyed concurred that hand-washing is an important way to prevent infection. The two sides were largely aligned on wearing masks and gloves. On the 6-foot guidance for social distancing, 97.9 percent of Trump opponents called it somewhat or extremely effective, compared to 88.6 percent of Trump supporters.

The Berkeley IGS said the poll had a margin of error of three percentage points. Enditem

(Editor:Fu Bo)

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Poll finds Californian opinions on COVID-19 divided by partisan
Source:Xinhua | 2020-05-03 02:17
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