Only 11 percent of Republicans view the pandemic as the country's most pressing issue, poll finds

On the date marking the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans than ever before are optimistic about the light at the end of the coronavirus-induced tunnel.

In a CNN/SSRS poll released Thursday, 77 percent of American adults said they believe the "worst" of the pandemic is in the past, while 19 percent said the worst is yet to come.

The poll showed only 11 percent of Republicans believe the coronavirus pandemic is the most important issue facing the country today, with 32 percent and 29 percent of the GOP saying the top issues were U.S. political divisions and the economy, respectively. Half of Democratic respondents felt the pandemic was the country's top issue.

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The poll, which was released just hours before President Biden is set to address the nation to commemorate the one-year pandemic anniversary, showed that 67 percent of adults have some or a lot of confidence in Biden's ability to lead the country out of the pandemic, while 30 percent indicated they had no real confidence in Biden to do so.

Also in the poll, 59 percent of non-vaccinated respondents said they would try to get a shot, while 36 percent said they would forgo a vaccine. The latter number is up 6 percent from January, when 30 percent said they would not try and get a vaccine, but down from October when 45 percent indicated they would not seek out a shot should one become available.

SSRS conducted the CNN poll via telephone from March 3-8 among a sample of 1,009 respondents. The poll has a margin of sampling error of ± 3.6 points. Read the full findings here.