A majority of people in the tri-state area say the government should be doing more to make COVID-19 testing more available to the public, according to Mount Sinai South Nassau's 12th "Truth in Medicine" poll.

The poll found that 81% of the public thinks the government should be doing more to make testing available to the public. Only 11% say that the government is doing a good job.

Mount Sinai South Nassau says the results found that 57% of people hold the federal government most accountable for lack of testing and 15% say the state government is most to blame.

The survey also found that more than 60% of respondents fear that the pandemic will last another year.

Mount Sinai South Nassau president Dr. Adhi Sharma says he can't predict when the pandemic will end but that it's important to watch for the change from a pandemic to an endemic.

"A pandemic is when the rate of deaths and hospitalization exceeds the resources that are typically available," Sharma says.

He says that is what is being seen now across New York.

Sharma says an endemic will be when we're able to live with COVID as a disease that's part of our immunity and manageable.

More than 60% of respondents believe in mandatory masks in government buildings, private businesses and schools.

The poll was done in early January before the federal government began a nationwide push to make free tests kits available for every household in United States.