Survey finds Oregonians strongly support stay-at-home orders

(Update: Adding Oregon's survey, more details)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Portland-based DHM Research conducted its second survey of Oregonians about COVID-19. This survey focuses on their opinions about the state’s stay-at-home orders and the conditions they think need to be met to allow businesses, schools and other places to reopen.

The results are clear that Oregonians’ support the stay-at-home orders, and that support is broad across all areas of the state and political affiliations, the researchers said.

The survey also shows that the most important conditions to meet before reopening are widespread COVID-19 testing with declining positive cases, sufficient hospital capacity, and the availability of effective treatments.

This is the first data release for the survey. Upcoming data releases will focus on when Oregonians believe that it will be safe to return to normal activities, their opinions and experiences with the healthcare system, and support for releasing people from jails and prisons.

The research was completed as a community service by DHM Research in partnership with the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center.  Both organizations are independent and non-partisan. DHM Research is a Certified B Corporation and OVBC is an Oregon charitable nonprofit corporation.

DHM Research reported that 82% of Oregonians support the directives, KPTV reported.

Additional findings of the survey:

• 51% of Oregonians say the state is headed in the right direction, up 11 points from the prior month
• 56% of Oregonians say they are worried about their financial situation, down 7% for the month
• 40% of households have lost a job or income due to COVID-19
• 70% of Oregonians are worried about the spread of COVID-19 in their community

The DHM Research survey was conducted from April 17-21 and included 900 Oregon residents at least 18 years of age answering online questions. The survey took around 15 minutes to complete.

More information can be found at DHM's website.

Meanwhile, a new nationwide survey finds Americans remain overwhelmingly in favor of stay-at-home orders and other efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. A majority say it won’t be safe to lift such restrictions anytime soon.

The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research comes as protests have broken out and some governors have announced plans to ease the public health efforts that have upended daily life.

Only 12% of Americans say measures to fight the outbreak where they live go too far. About twice as many believe the limits don’t go far enough. The majority of Americans — 61% — feel the steps taken to prevent infections in their area are about right.

That support is overwhelming among the Democrats surveyed: 96%. The percentage of support was 72% for Republicans and 77% among other political affiliations.

Conversely, 27% of Republicans oppose stay-at-home orders, compared to 3% of Democrats and 20 percent of those in other political affiliations.