NEW YORK (Reuters) – Seven in 10 Americans now consider the coronavirus pandemic to be “a serious threat to me and my family,” according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll that shows how wide, bipartisan segments of the country feel their lives have been turned upside down by the health crisis.
The March 18-24 poll, released on Tuesday, found that 68% of U.S. adults agreed that the virus was a serious existential threat, up 14 percentage points from a similar poll that ran last week. This includes majorities of Democrats and Republicans, whites, minorities, young, old, urban, suburban and rural residents.
The findings reveal how the United States, which for years has been sharply divided politically over almost every major issue, has come together on at least one topic. Just last week, 63% of Democrats and 49% of Republicans said they considered the coronavirus to be a personal threat; now 76% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans feel the same way.
Americans continue to be divided over their trust in President Donald Trump and the federal government’s efforts to control the spread of coronavirus, however.
Fifty-three percent of Americans say they think the federal government is doing a good job responding to the outbreak, which is up 3 points from last week. Another 41% said they do not think the government is doing a good job.
Trump’s overall approval numbers did rise slightly to 44% over the past few weeks, but at 4% it was a modest rise for a president confronting a national crisis. Former President George W. Bush’s approval rating shot up by 39 points to 90% in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to Gallup polling service.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted after many Americans have seen their lives transformed almost overnight as health officials struggle to contain the virus. Nearly 50,000 people are known to have been infected with COVID-19 in the United States, and more than 600 people have died.
There are now cases in all 50 states, and the rapid spread of the illness, combined with the lack of testing kits and other protective equipment, has led many states and communities to shutter non-essential businesses, require residents to stay at home and ban large gatherings.
The online poll of 4,428 U.S. adults showed just how much people’s lives have changed over the last few weeks.
The poll found that 33% now think it is “very” or “somewhat” likely that they will be infected with the virus within the next year, up 5 points from last week.
More than half of the country – 53% – say the coronavirus has directly impacted their place of business, up 7 points from last week. And 40% believe that the virus will have a “long-term negative impact” on the economy.
Among those parents who have children at home, 52% are now keeping their kids out of school because of the coronavirus, up from 37% last week.
Sixty-seven percent of Americans say they are now washing their hands more frequently, which is up 7 points from last week, and 61% are practicing “social distancing” by avoiding physical contact with others, up 10 points from a week ago.
One out of three Americans say they are now avoiding public transportation, and one in three say they have canceled or changed their travel plans to avoid the virus. About 24% said they are now working from home, up 8 points from last week.
Still, a sizable minority of Americans appear to disbelieve warnings from public health officials about the seriousness of the outbreak.
Roughly one in five Americans strongly agreed that people are panicking unnecessarily, that the virus is mostly a problem for people who live in urban areas, and that the crisis has been exaggerated by the media.
About one in 10 said they have not altered their daily routine in any way in response to the coronavirus.
When it comes to the economy, American opinion is sharply divided along party lines, with 66% of Republicans saying that it is still going in the right direction, and 68% saying they think the coronavirus will have only a short-term impact.
A children’s playground is closed with caution tape amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Seattle, Washington, U.S., March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
Among Democrats, 74% think the economy is on the wrong track and 57% believe the virus will have a long-term economic impact.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online, in English, throughout the United States. It has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 2 percentage points.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
