95 percent of New Yorkers quarantining or practicing social distancing: poll

Most New Yorkers are either quarantining or practicing social distancing, according to a poll released Monday.

The Siena College Research Institute’s poll found 95 percent of New York residents surveyed said they are quarantining themselves or maintaining social distance, while 4 percent say they are going about life as normal.

Fourteen percent of respondents say they are under mandatory quarantining, 42 percent say they are self-quarantining, and 39 percent are practicing social distancing. 

More than 75 percent of the respondents said they were either somewhat or very concerned about serious financial problems the pandemic will cause them, with more than half being worried about monthly bills.

Almost half of New Yorkers under age 50 have concerns about being laid off from their jobs. 

A large majority at 82 percent worry about their health, with 68 percent of respondents saying their anxiety levels are increased during the crisis. 

On a lighter note, about three-fourths of the respondents say they are enjoying the small things more and are enjoying extra time with those close to them.

New York has been hit hard by the coronavirus, with the most cases and deaths of any state. More than 122,000 people have tested positive and at least 4,159 people have died, according to the state’s health department.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) described an “unsustainable” pressure on the hospital systems in a Monday press briefing, as the growing number of cases strains the state’s medical system. The governor has encouraged his residents to maintain social distancing at most of his daily press briefings.

The poll surveyed 402 New York adults and took 400 responses from a proprietary panel of New Yorkers. It was conducted between March 30 and April 2, with a 3.6 percentage point margin of error.