NEW POLL: 1 in 4 US Latinos Know Somebody Infected by COVID-19

Francisco Ramírez, right, receives a hug from a donation provider, center, as Sandra Pérez offers a bag of sanitation supplies to her, Saturday, April 18, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

A new national poll conducted by Latino Decisions on behalf of SOMOS, UnidosUS and MoveOn concluded that “one-fourth of Latino Americans know somebody who has been infected with COVID-19, and of those Latinos one-third know somebody who died from the virus,” a memo about the findings noted.

“More disconcerting is the fact that a startling high percentage of Latinos —27%— report that they know someone who wants a test, but has been unable to get tested,” the Latino Decisions memo said. “As the HEROES Act moves to the Senate, more than 80% of Latinos want the bill to protect all immigrant families and to ensure loans for Latino small-owned businesses.”

The presentation and poll was made public on Wednesday during a virtual press conference:

“The coronavirus pandemic is devastating Latino families, and the data confirms what we see in our communities. The Heroes Act is a major step in the right direction to ensure all hard-working, tax-paying families receive economic relief—now we need urgent action by the U.S. Senate,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro, Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during the Wednesday call about the poll. “We must respond to this health and economic crisis as one American family and together we will recover.”

The poll’s toplines are here:

The poll (May 10-16, 2020, n=1,829 Latino adults nationwide, +/-2.3%) included a national sample of the 50 states plus DC, and included oversamples in six states —Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois and Texas— plus a two-state combined sample of New York and New Jersey, where the coronavirus has been especially pervasive, Latino Decisions noted.

“This poll confirms what we know in Nevada: our Latino communities are getting hit hard by the twin public health and economic crises of coronavirus,” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada during the Wednesday call. “Many Latinos are on the front lines of the pandemic as first responders, health care providers, and essential workers; others, including in our tourism and hospitality industries, have lost their jobs and are struggling to pay bills. I’m committed to doing all I can to getting more resources to protect Latino workers and support communities as Nevada continues to cope with COVID-19.”

Other findings included the following:

• “When it comes to reopening the economy, Latinos put far more trust in the state governors as opposed to President Trump. Eighty-one percent agreed that governors should re-open businesses on a schedule that works for their specific state using a gradual approach based on the advice of scientists and health experts, as opposed to 19% who agreed that governors should reopen businesses quickly and listen to the recommendations from President Trump.”
• “More than half (54%) of Latinos cite the virus as the “most important issues facing your community that you think Congress and the President should address.” A combined 91% said they are following either “very closely” (59%) or “somewhat closely” (32%) news about the virus. Attention to the coronavirus pandemic is all consuming and risks crowding out enthusiasm/interest in the 2020 election. Currently 62% of Latinos say they are certain to vote, down from a high of 73% in February 2020.”
• “Latinos strongly agree that the initial stimulus bill was not enough and that families will need more over the next few months. What’s more, millions of Latino families and businesses missed out on getting any support in the CARES Act. Overall, 31%of US born Latinos and 45%of immigrants said they did not receive any stimulus checks at all. When asked about a second stimulus check, 88% of Latinos agreed Congress should authorize an additional $1,200/$2.400 household payment.”
• “The health pandemic continues to have devastating economic impacts for Latinos. More than one-third –36%–say they or someone in their household has lost their job and 46% say they or someone in their household hasfaced a furlough or significant pay cut. Taken together, a full 60% experienced either a job loss or hours/pay cut,including 22% who had experienced both. And right now, 41% say they are having a hard time paying basic monthly expenses such as rent, mortgage and bills.”

The full findings are here.

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Latino Decisions is the leader in Latino political opinion research. Founded by professors of political science, Dr. Gary M. Segura and Dr. Matt Barreto, our firm leverages a unique combination of analytical expertise and cultural competencies that are unparalleled in the industry.