Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic is the top concern for New York voters heading into 2021 as the virus is resurgent across the country, economic turmoil is expected to continue, and a vaccine is on the horizon, a poll released Monday by Siena College found. 

The poll found nearly half of voters surveyed, 46%, called the pandemic a top priority for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature. 

Sixty percent of voters called it one of their top two priorities. Helping businesses succeed and improving the health care system was called a top concern for 16% of voters each, while 19% selected creating job as secondary issues for officials to tackle in the new year.

The poll mirrors what has been reflected in similar opinion surveys of voters: Responding to the worst pandemic in a century is the top priority voters have for their elected officials as a difficult year concludes.

Many of these issues all stem from the same concern: A growth of COVID-19 cases has returned in nearly all parts of the country after a summertime lull in many places, including New York.

The crisis has led to an economic recession and while joblessness has recovered since the spring, the pace of new jobs has slowed. Congress is yet to approve another stimulus measure that would pump aid into local and state governments. Benefits for small businesses and those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic are due to expire in the coming weeks. 

Only 50% of New York voters believe the state is on the right track and a combined 70% of voters say it is in a fair or poor fiscal condition amid the pandemic.

Still, a vaccine, now on the cusp of being widely distributed in the coming weeks after late stage trials found a success rate of 90% from major drug companies, is expected to be taken by most voters.

The poll found 35% will definitely take a vaccine once approved by the Food and Drug Administration; 34% of voters will probably take one. But a combined 24% of voters will either probably not or definitely not take the vaccine. 

Cuomo has raised concerns with the potential of a vaccine being approved for political purposes. He has since knocked the Trump administration's distribution plan, saying it focuses too much on pharmacy chains and could skip over communities of color and those living in cities. 

Only 32% of voters surveyed, meanwhile, approve of President Donald Trump's handling of the pandemic.

Cuomo's favorability rating among voters stands at 56% to 39%, down slightly from the previous month, but that was a poll that surveyed likely voters, compared to this poll of registered voters. 

Cuomo's handling of the pandemic continues to receive solid support from New York voters: 63% approve, 30% disapprove, the poll found. Only Republicans and conservatives give him less support. 

And most voters, 57% to 35%, believe the governor should continue to manage the crisis with special powers granted to him by the legislature. Approved in the spring, the power gives Cuomo more flexibility to issue executive orders to respond to the pandemic, including measures that close businesses and schools.

The poll of 803 registered voters was conducted from Nov. 15 to Nov. 18. It has a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.