Poll: Nearly half in New York capital region want ‘on pause’ restrictions to remain in place

Nearly half of New Yorkers in the capital region said that the state’s “on pause” coronavirus restrictions should remain in place beyond May 15 when the order is set to expire, according to a new poll.

Forty-nine percent of New Yorkers in the region surveyed said the restrictions should remain in place beyond mid-May, based on a Times Union/Siena College poll released Monday.

Thirty-nine percent of capital region New Yorkers said they think it would be safe for the state to gradually lift the restrictions beginning May 15. 

The capital region includes Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington counties.

Some areas of New York state will be allowed to partially reopen Friday as part of the first step toward lifting restrictions, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Monday. The capital region is not among the areas set to reopen this week.

Three upstate regions, the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley, have met the state’s requirements for the first phase of the gradual reopening.

Cuomo’s plan to reopen the state separates New York into 10 regions. To reopen, regions have to meet a series of requirements including a 14-day decline in deaths and new COVID-19 cases. 

The Times Union/Siena College poll was conducted April 27 to May 1 and results are based on 1,007 respondents. There is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.