ABC-7 poll finds 60% of El Pasoans approved of local coronavirus response prior to surge

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA-TV) -- A majority of TV news viewers in El Paso County believe local health and city officials have responded to the coronavirus pandemic properly, according to a scientific poll conducted by ABC-7.

Six in ten of those surveyed in El Paso County said they approved of the response; at least that was the case in September. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 5.4 percent.

"I'm gratified that there's recognition that we're doing the best we can," El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said. "It's changed on a daily basis."

It's important to note the poll was conducted in mid-September. That's when El Paso was seeing its lowest positivity rates, daily new cases were often below 100 and hospitalization metrics were at the lowest levels since prior to El Paso's first surge in July.

But in a matter of weeks, El Paso is shattering daily new records in caseloads and hospitalizations -- so much so, it has drawn the attention of ABC News as one of the worst hotspots in the country.

"Things are not good here," Margo said. "We are not good."

Since Oct. 1, El Paso has seen 9,369 new known cases as active cases are up 125 percent. The number of patients in the hospital with Covid-19 is up 217 percent and nearly 4 in 10 hospital patients in El Paso County have the virus.

"That is very, very concerning and we're in a very dire situation right now," City/County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza said.

Even the mayor admits this critical time for El Paso -- when the 7-day average of daily new cases stands at 630 -- the crisis can feel defeating.

"There are days I don't feel like we're doing the best we can," he said.

Margo noted that the current unprecedented surge is still puzzling. Initially chalked up to a spike after Labor Day, the situation continues to grow worse.

"We're still trying to drill down into those numbers. I do not know where the hotspots are coming," he said.

But Margo, and other leaders, have pointed towards young adults. El Pasoans between the ages of 20 and 39 make up 39 percent of the new known cases in the month of October.

"I think that group 20-39 just said, 'I'm tired of this,'" Margo said. "They're probably as tired of Covid fatigue as I am of Zoom calls. They let their guard down. That particular millennial age group just kind of feels like they're bulletproof," the mayor observed.

Margo, who recently imposed tighter restrictions in response to the record-breaking numbers, tells ABC-7 he's received several calls from the Texas Restaurant Association and others who are frustrated with the current rules gripping local businesses.

ABC-7's scientific poll found 40 percent of El Pasoans did not believe leaders responded to the pandemic properly, but that was back in September. With the possibility of that number rising now given the current crisis -- the mayor is welcoming all feedback.

"I would tell those that who are dissatisfied that I'm open to any suggestions that you have that we can do something more than we're doing," he said.