Poll Shows Virginians Pleased With Northam Handling Of Pandemic

HAMPTON — A Hampton University poll says a majority of Virginian are pleased with Gov. Ralph Northam and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The same poll says Virginians strongly disapprove of President Donald Trump’s response to the pandemic.
The poll was conducted by  the Hampton University Center for Public Policy.  The poll conducted 1,099 interviews from July 13-21 and has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.
Northam received a 54 percent approval rating for his COVID-19 response. Only 19 percent of the respondents said they were pleased with Trump’s handling of the pandemic.
Seventy-three percent of the people surveyed said  they disapprove of Trump’s  response and 60 percent  disapprove of the overall federal government’s response. 
The poll indicates Virginians are largely listening to public health experts and changing their behavior to stay safe. 
Eighty percent said they are avoiding gatherings of 50 people or more and wearing a mask in public. Seventy percent are avoiding public or crowded spaces and keeping a six-foot distance from others. And 61 percent  are staying home as much as possible. 
While a small percentage of the individuals surveyed have been laid off or filed for unemployment, the personal financial situation of 45 percent of those surveyed had not been impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak.
Many Virginians were not prepared for the economic and financial impact the Coronavirus would have on the state’s economy. Twenty-eight percent of the people surveyed think the Virginia economy will get better in the next year, 45 percent think it will get somewhat worse or much worse.