Study says New Jerseyans are OK with more COVID-19 restrictions

Bring 'em on! More COVID-19 rules and regulations and restrictions! That’s what anew study is saying that New Jersey wants!

It seems like we’re all going through COVID-19 fatigue and that many of us have become much less stringent when it comes to rules and restrictions. But Rutgers University, along with others in the country, have participated in a new study by The Covid States project, which compares states’ attitudes toward COVID-19.

The study is called The COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public’s Policy Preferences Across States. According to an article here on NJ1015.com by Dino Flammia, the study shows that most people in New Jersey are willing to continue to limit activities in order to control the spread of the coronavirus. Some are even open to renewing old restrictions that have already been lifted.

The study, according to the piece, says that most people in New Jersey want to limit restaurants to being carry-out only, thereby removing the dine-in option with capacity limits that we are enjoying right now. Most are also in favor of prohibiting entertainment and sports for the sake of preventing coronavirus outbreaks. Not only that, but a shocking 70% of New Jersey respondents said that they were in favor of prohibiting in-person teaching unilaterally at New Jersey schools.

And even though it was by a small margin, closing down essential businesses was something New Jerseyans were in support of, with 59.5 percent of respondents backing the idea. This is shocking. And it’s such a different picture than the one we get when we speak to our listeners to the Dennis and Judi Show on New Jersey 101.5, who are, in a word, done. Over and over again, our listeners have expressed on the air their desire for things to get back to normal and for people to go about their lives, understanding that there are risks in life and that getting sick and dying are inherent risks every day, pandemic or no.

But it shouldn’t be surprising. After all, according to the article, we as a state our seventh overall in the country when it comes to complying with mask mandates. That would imply that New Jersey residents are in full support of COVID-19 restrictions. That’s not what our listeners say. I wonder exactly who these people talk when they ask these questions.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi's own.