Mendenhall requests to move Salt Lake City back to orange phase amid COVID-19 surge

October 06, 2020 (Deseret News)

While Utahns largely remain divided over what, if any, measures need to be taken to stem the spread, a Utah Foundation survey released Tuesday found that public health as it relates to COVID-19 is among the top five issues for voters now across all demographics except for those who have lived in the state for between 21 and 40 years, and people with less than a bachelor’s degree.

The foundation also found that the pandemic was the most likely top issue for 25% of survey respondents. Some are more concerned about the pandemic than others, according to the foundation. The survey found that COVID-19 is the No. 1 issue for men in the state, but not for women, who were more concerned about other issues related to the pandemic.

“Members of the silent generation were the most concerned of any generational group about (public health/COVID-19 pandemic). This is unsurprising given that they are 75 and over, and the coronavirus poses a particular danger to their demographic,” the foundation said in a statement.

Meanwhile, 56% of the voters surveyed said they thought the state reopened its economy too quickly, while 44% said it’s been “too cautious in reopening.” While responses were largely divided along party lines, according to the foundation, 71% of moderate voters said they thought the state reopened too quickly.

“Utahns are united in their concern about the coronavirus,” Peter Reichard, foundation president, said in a statement.

“But the ideological differences on otherwise dry matters of public health strategy suggest politicization is oozing into yet another corner of American life,” he said.

On the topic of mask mandates, 42% of voters said they want one statewide, 21% said businesses should mandate masks themselves, and 29% said they prefer encouragement over mandates. The responses to that question were also divided along party lines, with liberal voters preferring a mandate and conservative voters preferring encouragement, the foundation said.

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