KEEPING
KEEPING THE FAITHFUL SAFE. WHAT DIFFERENT
CHURCHES IN
WESTERN NEW
TONIGHT AT 5:30, KEEPING THE
FAITHFUL SAFE, WHAT DIFFERENT
CHURCHES IN WESTERN NEW YORK
ARE DOING TO HELP PEOPLE SAFELY
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS IN A YEAR
UNLIKE ANY OTHER.
>>> PLUS, IS THERE A SHORTAGE
OF PLASMA DONATIONS NATIONWIDE
DURING THE PANDEMIC?
WE WILL PUT THAT CLAIM THROUGH
THE VERIFY TEST.
>>> IF YOU HAVE BEEN DREAMING
OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS, WAIT
UNTIL YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE
COMING.
WE WILL CHECK THE SNOW HEADED
OUR WAY IN JUST A FEW HOURS.
>>> HI, EVERYBODY.
WE ARE MIXING THINGS UP WITH
RASMUS HEADLINES TODAY INSTEAD
OF THE TOWNHALL HERE AND WE
WANT TO BEGIN WITH SOMETHING A
LOT OF YOU HAVE BEEN WONDERING
ABOUT THIS WEEK, WHAT CHURCHES
ARE DOING TO MAKE THEIR HOLIDAY
MASSES AND SERVICES SAFE DURING
THE PANDEMIC. MERRY CHRISTMAS,
BY THE WAY, AND THANKS FOR
JOINING US.
WITH MANY WESTERN NEW YORKERS
HEADING TO CHURCH TONIGHT OR
TOMORROW, WE WANTED TO TAKE
TIME TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY
MEASURES IN PLACE AND THE
OPTIONS MAY DEPEND ON YOUR
CHURCH.
FOR EXAMPLE, SAINT BERNADETTE
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ORCHARD PARK
IS ONE OF THE FEW TAKING ONLINE
RESERVATIONS ONLY FOR THEIR
CHRISTMAS SERVICES TO LIMIT THE
CAPACITY INSIDE.
IF YOU DO HEAD TO CHURCH, THERE
WILL BE MASK REQUIREMENTS,
SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASUREMENTS
YOU WILL NOTICE AS WELL.
AND MANY CHURCHES ARE ALSO LIVE
STREAMING SERVICES OR HOLDING
EVENTS ON PLATFORMS LIKE ZOOM
OR THE PASTOR AT SAINT PHILLIPS
IN BUFFALO SAYS THAT IS NOT
NECESSARILY A BAD THING.
>> OUR NORMAL TRADITION IS TO
HAVE A MIDNIGHT MASS WITH ALL
THE BELLS AND WHISTLES, WITH
SMELLS AND INCENSE, CORAL AND
CHOIRS.
WE ARE NOT DOING ANY OF THAT
THIS YEAR.
WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A ZOOM
WORSHIP SERVICE THAT WILL BE A
LOT OF FUN. WE WILL BE ABLE TO
SEE PEOPLE IN ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WILL BE INTERESTING, WE
ARE GETTING PEOPLE FROM AROUND
THE COUNTRY, FROM AS FAR AWAY
AS CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON,
D.C., ATLANTA, GEORGIA, PEOPLE
THAT HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO
SAINT PHILLIPS FOR YEARS THAT
HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE WITH
US.
THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE ILL OR IN
ASSISTED-LIVING FACILITIES, OR
CAN'T TRAVEL HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
JOIN US.
IN SOME WAYS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO REACH OUT IN NEW WAYS WE
WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
BEFORE.
>> WE ALSO SPOKE WITH THE
EXECUTIVE CHURCH PASTOR AT THE
EASTERN HILLS CHURCH THIS WEEK
WHO SAYS THEY HAVE COME UP WITH
A SPECIAL SYSTEM TO PROTECT THE
MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
>> EXCEPT FOR ONE WEEKEND A FEW
WEEKS AGO WHEN THE ORANGE
DESIGNATION HIT THAT ONE WEEK
BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT
DECISION IN EVERYTHING, WE WENT
BACK TO VIRTUAL FOR THAT
WEEKEND.
OTHER THAN THAT, WE HAVE
REMAINED OPENED.
WE HAVE THEM SYSTEMS WITH
ASSEMBLIES ESPECIALLY
VULNERABLE, BUT THEY WANT TO
COME IN PERSON, WE HAVE A
SPECIAL RED BAND THEY CAN WEAR
THAT WE KNOW, OKAY, GIVE THEM
EXTRA SPACE AND BE EXTRA
CAUTIOUS WITH THEM.
>> SINCE THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS
THIS YEAR VARY BY CHURCH, YOU
ARE IN ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT
YOURS BEFORE HEADING TO SERVICE
THIS CHRISTMAS.
>>> ASIDE FROM THE COVID
CONCERNS, THE BIG STORY WE WANT
TO COVER THIS HALF HOUR IS THE
WEATHER.
A RAINY, MILD DECEMBER DAY TO
START OUT WITH.
IT MEANS QUITE A BIT OF SNOW
FOR MOST OF US THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS.
LEE SMITH JOINS US FROM HOME,
WHICH IS GOING TO BE A GOOD
PLACE TO BE THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS.
WITH A LOOK AT THE FORECAST,
HIGH.
>> GOOD EVENING. THE WINTER
STORM IS HERE, BRINGING RAIN,
BUT WHEN TEMPERATURES FALL
TONIGHT, THE HEAVY RAIN WILL
TRANSITION TO HEAVY SNOW. THAT
IS WHY WE HAVE ALL OF THESE
WINTER WEATHER ALERTS, WHICH
MANY OF THEM BEGIN TONIGHT AND
SOME EVEN LAST ALL THE WAY
UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING.
A LOT OF SNOW IS HEADED OUR WAY
OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE LATEST
POTENTIAL SNOW TOTALS. I HAVE
GOT A KEY FOR YOU ON THE LEFT-
HAND SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN.
OF THE SNOW WILL FALL AREAS
CLOSE TO BUFFALO AND SOUTH OF
THE CHAUTAUQUA RIDGE HERE.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE LATEST
RANKINGS WITH SNOW TOTALS
TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.
THIS IS NOT ALL FALLING
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT, WE WILL SEE ABOUT TWO
TO FIVE INCHES AND ALL OF THE
SNOW WE WILL SEE WILL CONTINUE
TO FALL THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING.
KEEP THAT IN MIND.
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD WINTER
STORM SYSTEM. PERFECT TIME FOR
A WHITE CHRISTMAS, BUT NOT THE
BEST TIME IF YOU HAD HOLIDAY
TRAVEL.
TRAVEL IMPACTS WILL BE HIGH
BECAUSE WE WILL SEE SNOW
COVERED ROADS, LIKELY SLICK
ROADS AS WELL.
HEAVY SNOW WILL CAUSE WHITE OUT
CONDITIONS AT TIMES.
TRAVEL DELAYS ARE EXPECTED.
THERE IS NOT A HUGE CONCERN FOR
POWER OUTAGES, BUT WHEN WE HAVE
HEAVY SNOW AND WIND GUSTS UP TO
35 MILES PER HOUR, IT IS NOT
COMPLETELY OUT OF THE QUESTION.
HERE'S A LIVE LOOK AT OUR
SATELLITE AND RADAR.
IT WILL HAPPEN VERY SLOWLY
TONIGHT, COMING UP IN THE FULL
FORECAST, WE WILL ZOOM AROUND
THE RADAR AND TAKE YOU CLOSER
TO LOCATIONS ALREADY SEEING
SOME SNOWFALL COMING UP IN OUR
FULL FORECAST.
>> WE WILL SEE YOU IN A BIT,
THANK YOU.
>>> AS WE WAIT FOR OUR RAIN TO
TURN TO SNOW, OTHER PARTS OF
THE COUNTRY ARE DEALING WITH
MESSY WEATHER FOR HOLIDAY
TRAVEL.
DESPITE WARNINGS OF COVID RISKS
FROM HEALTH OFFICIALS LIKE THE
CDC, HOLIDAY TRAVEL IS AHEAD OF
PREDICTIONS BY THE EXPERTS AT
AAA.
SAM BROCK IS IN FLORIDA WITH
MORE DETAILS NOW.
>> Reporter: WITH SUNSHINE IN
SOUTH FLORIDA HERE AT FORT
LAUDERDALE HOLIDAY
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ODYSSEY
FOR MUCH OF THE COUNTRY THAT IS
NOT THE CASE, GETTING HAMMERED
BY SEVERE WEATHER.
LET'S START IN THE MIDWEST,
PLACES LIKE MINNESOTA,
NEBRASKA, SOUTH DAKOTA ARE
SEEING BLIZZARDS SNARLING
TRAFFIC, PULLING TRUCKS OFF OF
ROADWAYS AND CREATING WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS.
IN THE NORTHEAST, THEY ARE
EXPECTING TORRENTIAL RAIN AND
HEAVY WIND INTO TOMORROW NIGHT,
CHRISTMAS.
WE SAW LINES STRETCHING
THROUGHOUT THE TERMINAL AT
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
WHERE I INTERVIEWED ONE WOMAN
HEADING BACK TO BRAZIL FOR THE
HOLIDAY WITH TREPIDATION ABOUT
SEEING HER PARENTS.
>> I BOUGHT THIS FLIGHT SEVEN
MONTHS AGO.
I AM REALLY EXCITED TO SEE
THEM.
I DON'T KNOW.
I FEEL LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW
TO EXPLAIN.
I JUST WANT TO SEE THEM.
I THINK WE WILL BE OKAY.
I DON'T REALLY THINK IT IS
DANGEROUS WITH CORONAVIRUS.
>> AAA ORIGINALLY FORECASTED
ABOUT 84 MILLION TRAVELERS THIS
HOLIDAY SEASON. MOST OF THOSE
ON THE ROADWAYS, ONLY ABOUT 3
MILLION BY AIR.
THE TSA NUMBERS HAVE ALREADY
JUMPED OUT.
WE HAVE SEEN 5 MILLION
TRAVELERS IN THE LAST FIVE
DAYS, ACCORDING TO THAT AGENCY.
HERE AT FORT LAUDERDALE, THE
LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, THEY
ARE PREDICTING 1 MILLION
TRAVELERS JUST HERE OVER THE
HOLIDAY.
>>> THIS YEAR, YOU HAVE HEARD
ABOUT THE NEED OF PEOPLE WHO
HAVE RECOVERED FROM COVID TO
DONATE THEIR CONVALESCENT PLASMA
TO HELP TREAT OTHERS.
IS THAT PUSH FOR DONATIONS
CAUSING A SHORTAGE IN OTHER
BLOOD DONATIONS?
JASON PUCKETT WITH OUR VERIFIED
TEAM LOOKED INTO THAT.
>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PLASMA
DONATIONS TODAY.
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
CONVALESCENT PLASMA DONATIONS
THIS YEAR, WHICH IS COVID
RECOVERED PATIENTS DONATING
PLASMA TO BE USED AS TREATMENT
FOR COVID-19.
THE PUSH FOR CONVALESCENT
PLASMA MAY HAVE ACTUALLY DRAWN
THE FOCUS AWAY FROM OTHER
PLASMA DONATIONS.
OUR VERIFIED QUESTION TODAY,
OUR REGULAR PLASMA DONATIONS
DOWN THIS YEAR?
TO FIND OUT, WE SPOKE WITH AMY
FONTES, THE PRESIDENT AND CEO
OF THE PLASMA THERAPEUTICS
ASSOCIATION. ACCORDING TO THE
PPT A, YES, REGULAR PLASMA
DONATIONS ARE DOWN THIS YEAR
AND THE SUPPLY IS CRITICAL.
>> THIS IS REALLY UNPRECEDENTED
IN FACING A CRITICAL ISSUE WITH
RAW MATERIAL.
THAT RAW MATERIAL IS HUMAN
PLASMA.
>> Reporter: CONVALESCENT
PLASMA IS USED TO TREAT COVID
PATIENTS OR REGULAR OR SOURCE
DONATIONS ARE USED FOR OTHERS
CONDITIONS LIKE BLEEDING
DISORDERS AND SOME NEUROLOGICAL
CONDITIONS.
>> SO ONE PATIENT RELIES ON 130
DONATIONS A YEAR FOR THEIR
PRIMARY IMMUNE DEFICIENCY.
IF YOU HAVE ALPHA-1 DEFICIENCY
AND YOU RELY ON A PLASMA DIRECT
THERAPY, YOU NEED 900 DONATIONS
A YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE, THESE ARE VERY
RESOURCE INCENSED THERAPIES
RELYING ON ONE PLASMA DONATION
AT A TIME.
>> Reporter: THE SUPPLY OF
PLASMA IS ALSO SUFFERING
BECAUSE IT TAKES SEVEN TO 12
MONTHS TO PROCESS DONATIONS AND
TURN THEM INTO THERAPIES.
>> THE PATIENT COMMUNITY AND
THE ANXIETY THEY ARE FEELING,
RECOGNIZING THERE HAS BEEN
DECLINES IN PLASMA DONATION AND
THAT THERE IS THE SEVEN TO 12
MONTH LAG. THERE IS A CONCERN
ABOUT THE ABILITY TO MEET
PATIENT CLINICAL NEEDS.
>> Reporter: BOTTOM LINE, YES,
REGULAR OR SOURCE PLASMA
DONATIONS ARE DOWN SO FAR THIS
YEAR.
THE SOLUTION, MORE DONATIONS.
PLASMA SENSORS CENTERS