Rutgers-Eagleton Poll: Pandemic Having Major Impact on Country, State, and Personal Lives

New Jerseyans report difficulties with work, medical care, basic necessities due to outbreak

Virtually all New Jerseyans say COVID-19 is having a major impact on the country (96%), New Jersey (95%), and their respective economies (96% and 94%, respectively), according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.

Eight in ten (79%) feel the outbreak is having a major impact on their local community; another one in five (20%) say it is having a minor impact. A similarly high number (70%) say the outbreak is having a major impact on their daily life, and another 25% say it is having a minor impact.

The pandemic’s impact on other personal areas are more mixed. While more than eight in 10 residents say the outbreak is having some type of impact on their finances and emotional well-being, residents are roughly split as to whether the impact has been a major or minor one in each of these areas (43% report a major impact on finances, 42% on emotional well-being).

New Jerseyans feel the severity of the impact because, for a majority, it is personal. Sixty-one percent say they know someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus; among this group, 8 percent report that they and/or someone in their household have tested positive. Thirteen percent of residents report that they and/or someone in their household have not been tested yet but have experienced symptoms; among these households, 31% have tried to get tested but could not.

The pandemic has also radically altered daily life in various ways for sizeable numbers of New Jerseyans. Many report disruptions to their work life and/or the work life of a member of their household because of the outbreak: 54% report at least one household member has had to work from home, 32% report at least one household member has been laid off, 44% report at least one household member has had work hours or pay reduced, and 38% report at least one household member has had to continue going to work despite risk of close contact with others. About one in five say they and/or someone in the household has had a hard time working from home because of taking care of other household members; this number rises among those with children at home

When it comes to seeking care, 57% of residents say they and/or someone in their household have had a medical appointment cancelled or postponed; 24% have not been able to obtain an appointment at all. Forty-two percent say at least one member of their household has received medical care from a health professional by phone or through an electronic device. One in ten report that they and/or someone in their household has been unable to get needed medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter.

“There is no doubt that this pandemic is taking a personal and professional toll on a large number of New Jerseyans, as well as affecting their physical and mental health,” said Ashley Koning, assistant research professor and director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling (ECPIP) at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. “This is especially true for certain populations in the state, such as non-white residents, those with lower levels of education, those in lower income brackets, and those living in certain regions.”

Four in ten say at least one member of their household has had trouble getting the groceries they want or need, and over half say the same about getting cleaning supplies or other household essentials.

Results are from a statewide poll of 1,502 adults contacted by live callers on landlines and cell phones from April 22 – May 2. The full sample has a margin of error of +/-2.9 percentage points. Interviews were done in English and, when requested, Spanish.

Click Here to view the full release, questions, and tables.

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