A Harris poll released on Monday found a majority of the American people believe the Chinese government is to blame for unleashing the Wuhan coronavirus upon the world and support President Donald Trump referring to the disease as the “China Virus.”
The poll said 55 percent believe China is to blame for the virus versus 45 percent who did not agree. 52 percent agreed with Trump’s use of the term “China Virus,” while 42 percent did not.
Some other points of interest from the poll included 62 percent who said they were satisfied with the White House response to the coronavirus, but the same percentage said they were dissatisfied with the federal government’s response to the economic crisis caused by the epidemic.
Poll responses covered the weekend when Democrats suddenly decided to block the coronavirus relief package. The slow progress of that relief bill through Congress was already the cause of some frustration among the public.
According to the Harris poll, Americans have been much more satisfied with local and state responses to the epidemic, as both of those levels of government enjoyed 76 percent approval.
President Trump personally enjoyed 55 percent approval for his handling of the coronavirus, versus 45 percent disapproval.
As for what responses the public would like to see, the two most popular measures were extending paid sick leave and extending unemployment insurance, both of which logged 91 percent support. Support for suspending student loan payments, pushing back the deadline to file taxes, suspending payroll taxes for three months, and lowering interest rates to zero percent was also strong with poll respondents.
The Harris poll found that private employers are steadily taking more action to help employees on their own initiative, but also 20 percent said they have been laid off or put on extended leave due to the virus lockdowns. 86 percent of respondents expected the coronavirus to trigger a global recession.
According to Harris, Americans are much more eager to get back to work than to resume most other activities interrupted by the epidemic. 20 to 30 percent of respondents said they would wait at least a month after restrictions are officially lifted to resume such activities as dining out, using a fitness center, or attending large social gatherings. Judging by this poll, it will take at least four to six months before normal business is restored for two of the industries viewed with the greatest trepidation, airlines and cruise ships.