Poll: 80% Of New York City, Long Island Residents Believe Government Is Failing When It Comes To COVID-19 Testing
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New polling by a Long Island hospital found 80% of residents in our area say the government is failing when it comes to COVID-19 testing and more needs to be done.
It also found the majority of people approve of mask mandates.
"How do you feel about the mask mandate?" CBS2's Jennifer McLogan asked one person.
"I'm OK with it, man, because it keeps people safe," he said.
A clear majority of Long Island and New York City residents agree.
According to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital's "Truth in Medicine" poll, 65% feel masks should be mandated in schools, theaters, private businesses, courthouses and places of worship.
"We wear masks. We do what we are supposed to do, we'll be alright," one person said.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
- Complete COVID Vaccine Coverage
- Vaccination Sites In New York City | Call 877-VAX-4NYC
- Track NYC Vaccinations By Zip Code
- Find NYC Testing Site Near You
- Check NYC Testing Wait Times
- CDC's COVID Vaccine FAQ
- CDC's COVID Tracking Map By County
- Resources: Help With Unemployment, Hunger, Mental Health & More
- Remote Learning Tools For Students And Parents At Home
Mask requirements have sparked controversies on Long Island.
Nassau County's newly elected county executive signed an executive order allowing school districts the right to opt out. Gov. Kathy Hochul called that directive illegal and dangerous.
Still, 80% of those questioned say the government is failing in COVID-19 testing and needs to do more.
"The government is not doing anything good because they're letting people go back after five days," one woman said
The poll also found that most want new antiviral treatments provided to all patients with COVID-19 and 63% believe the pandemic will last at least another year.
"It's absolutely terrible. I don't think it's going to end anytime soon," one woman said
"COVID won't go away. We'll just have to learn to live with it, and we will be able to manage it the way we do other diseases like the flu," Mount Sinai South Nassau President Dr. Adhi Sharma said.
While the pandemic continues, routine check-ups are lagging. Forty-three percent of those surveyed said they have put off annual physicals, dental or eye exams, mammograms or blood pressure screenings.
COVID VACCINE
- New York State book online here or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX
- New York City book online here or call 877-VAX-4NYC
- Track NYC vaccinations by zip code
- Nassau County more info here
- Suffolk County more info here
- Westchester County more info here
- New Jersey book online here or call 1-855-568-0545
- Connecticut book online here
Although cases are beginning to plateau in our region, hospitals have been hit like a tidal wave.
Unlike last winter and in spring of 2020, this time, all patients had access to the COVID-19 vaccine, but almost 100% in our ICUs refused the shot.
"The variant Omicron can kill you. People who are unvaccinated and never had COVID are at the greatest risk," said Dr. Aaron Glatt, Mount Sinai South Nassau's chair of medicine and chief of infectious diseases.
He says the way out of this pandemic is still vaccinations and booster shots.
To see more results from the hospital's poll, click here.
