What Tampa-St. Pete residents want in order to get ‘back to normal’

Cleaning is in and crowds are out, according to a new survey by the Tampa Bay Partnership.

Nearly four out of five area residents — 79 percent — said businesses would have to intensify cleaning and disinfection in order for them to feel comfortable to return to normal activities.

The survey, conducted as the area moves into the first phase of re-opening, is the most recent in a series commissioned by the Partnership to understand how Covid-19 is impacting the personal and economic well-being of area residents. Downs & St. German Research of Tallahassee surveyed 384 adults in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties on April 29 and April 30.

Most residents said they would only feel comfortable returning to normal activities when businesses implement a rigorous checklist of health and safety precautions.

“It’s clear from these results that Tampa Bay residents are prepared to move into the reopening phase,” Rick Homans, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership, said. “However, they feel strongly that the ‘new normal’ will require a lot more personal protection in the form of sanitization and social distancing, and a lot less hugs and handshakes.”

About one in four, or 24 percent, of those surveyed believe the Covid-19 crisis is near the end. That’s more than double the 11 percent of residents who responded similarly two weeks ago. About 31 percent of respondents in the most recent survey said the crisis  is “not quite halfway” complete, while 33 percent said the crisis is at its peak.

A growing number of working residents whose hours or wages were reduced due to Covid-19 are feeling more financially secure. Half of those surveyed who took a pay cut or fewer hours say they can financially support their households for more than 62 days, up from 34 days just two weeks ago.

Some racial disparities showed up in the survey. Fifty-eight percent of the total number of people surveyed said they were still “very concerned” about Covid-19, but 68 percent of the African Americans surveyed expressed the same sentiment.

African-American residents are also twice as likely to be concerned about losing their job (47 percent versus 24 percent of all residents) and are nine percent less likely to believe the situation will be better within the next 30 to 60 days, according to the survey.