CASPER, Wyo. – A survey from the University of Wyoming’s Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center (WYSAC) shows concern over COVID-19 is on the rise in Wyoming.
This is the ninth WYSAC survey that UW started conducting since the start of the pandemic.
According to the survey that was completed on Oct. 6, over one-third of Wyoming residents say they’re “very or fairly anxious” about the spread of COVID-19, up about seven points. Twenty percent say they’re “somewhat anxious,” while just over 40 percent say they’re not anxious.
More than one-third of the group surveyed said “the worst is yet to come in the United States,” and 39 percent said the worst is ahead for Wyoming. Only 17 percent said the worst was behind us.
A 53 percent majority say they have confidence in Wyoming’s health care system to handle COVID-19.
The survey showed that while a steady 60 percent self-reported facemask usage, the number is significantly lower than the 85 percent nationally that say they regularly wear face coverings in public.
The population in Wyoming that sees COVID-19 as a “real threat” is sharply divided, according to the survey. Forty-seven percent say COVID is a thread, while 46 percent say it is “blown out of proportion,” according to the survey.
Fifty-five percent say they support limits on public gatherings to slow the spread, up 4.4 points from September. Only 21 percent say they support the closure of K-12 schools.
Approval of Governor Mark Gordon’s handling of the COVID-19 situation has declined by 6 points, with 60 percent saying they strongly or somewhat approve. Seventy-one percent say they trust the information they hear from Gordon, however.
Statewide approval of President Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic remains steady at 55 percent say they strongly or somewhat approve.
To see the survey methodology, chart, figures and complete survey results, go to https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/.
