May 8, 2020: Sixty-six percent (66%) of new COVID-19 hospital admissions in New York were from people who had been sheltering at home. Another 18% came from nursing homes.[1]
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said “This is a surprise: Overwhelmingly, the people were at home. We thought maybe they were taking public transportation, and we’ve taken special precautions on public transportation, but actually no, because these people were literally at home.”[1]
In addition to the fact that most New York hospitalizations are coming from people who stayed at home, 61% of voters nationwide are concerned about the health risks associated with prolonged isolation. Thirty-three percent (33%) have close friends or family members who have been severely depressed during the lockdown. Twenty-three percent (23%) know of people close to them who have been drinking too much during the lockdown.[2]
As I noted in an earlier column, “voters recognize there are no easy answers. It’s not a question of stay home to stay safe or go out and get sick. There are difficult trade-offs involved and no options are completely safe.”[2]
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