WILLIAMS" STARTS NOW.
>>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN.
IM CHRIS JANSING IN FOR BRIAN
WILLIAMS.
DAY 191 OF THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION.
AND WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH
BREAKING NEWS FROM "THE
WASHINGTON POST."
CRITICAL NEW INFORMATION ABOUT
THE DELTA VARIANT OF THE
CORONAVIRUS.
THE PAPER HAS OBTAINED AN
INTERNAL CDC DOCUMENT WHICH
CONTAINS URGENT NEW WARNINGS
ABOUT THE VIRUS.
"THE POST" REPORTS, QUOTE, THE
DELTA VARIANT OF THE CORONAVIRUS
APPEARS TO CAUSE MORE SEVERE
ILLNESS THAN EARLIER VARIANTS
AND SPREADS AS EASILY AS CHICKEN
POX.
ACCORDING TO THE INTERNAL
FEDERAL HEALTH DOCUMENT, IT ALSO
ARGUES OFFICIALS MUST
ACKNOWLEDGE THE WAR HAS CHANGED.
"THE POST" GOES ON TO REPORT,
QUOTE, IT CITES A COMBINATION OF
RECENTLY OBTAINED,
STILL-UNPUBLISHED DATA FROM
OUTBREAK INVESTIGATIONS AND
OUTSIDE STUDIES SHOWING THAT
VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS INFECTED
WITH DELTA MAY BE ABLE TO
TRANSMIT THE VIRUS AS EASILY AS
THOSE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED.
VACCINATED PEOPLE INFECTED WITH
DELTA HAVE MEASURABLE VIRAL
LOADS SIMILAR TO THOSE WHO ARE
UNVACCINATED AND INFECTED WITH
THE VARIANT.
THIS AFTERNOON, PRESIDENT BIDEN
TOOK A MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE
STANCE IN FACING THE ESCALATING
COVID VIRUS AND RESISTANCE TO
VACCINES.
>> THIS IS AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY.
PEOPLE WILL DIE WHO DONT HAVE
TO DIE.
IF YOURE OUT THERE,
UNVACCINATED, YOU DONT HAVE TO
DIE.
>> THE ADMINISTRATION IS NOW
CONFRONTED WITH THE REALITY THAT
ITS WORK TO STOP THE SPREAD OF
COVID COULD POTENTIALLY FACE A
MAJOR SETBACK.
TODAY THE PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT THREAT AND TOOK THE FIRST
STEP TOWARD IMPOSING TOUGH NEW
REGULATIONS THAT WILL AFFECT
MILLIONS.
>> ITS TIME TO IMPOSE
REQUIREMENTS ON KEY GROUPS.
EVERY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
EMPLOYEE WILL BE ASKED TO ATTEST
TO THEIR VACCINATION STATUS.
ANYONE WHO DOES NOT ATTEST OR IS
NOT VACCINATED WILL BE REQUIRED
TO MASK NO MATTER WHERE THEY
WORK, TEST ONE OR TWO TIMES A
WEEK.
IF IN FACT YOURE UNVACCINATED,
YOU PRESENT A PROBLEM TO
YOURSELF, TO YOUR FAMILY, AND TO
THOSE WITH WHOM YOU WORK.
ADVISED ON PUBLIC HEALTH.
HES ON FACULTY OF THE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE
ON HEALTH METRICS AND
EVALUATION.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
DR. GUPTA, THE "WASHINGTON POST"
STORY REPORTS THAT THE DOCUMENT
THEY OBTAINED, QUOTE, STRIKES AN
URGENT NOTE, REVEALING THE
AGENCY KNOWS IT MUST REVAMP ITS
PUBLIC MESSAGING TO EMPHASIZE
VACCINATION AS THE BEST DEFENSE
AGAINST A VARIANT SO CONTAJE TAJ
THAT IT LEAPS FROM TARGET TO
TARGET MORE SWIFTLY THAN EBOLA
OR THE COMMON COLD.
THAT GOT MY ATTENTION.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS
INFORMATION, HOW DOES IT CHANGE
THINGS?
>> GOOD EVENING, CHRIS.
FRANKLY I DONT THINK THE WAR
HAS CHANGED AT ALL.
THIS IS AN INDICTMENT OF
INEFFECTIVE AND CONFUSING
MESSAGING FROM THE VERY TOP.
LETS CALL IT WHAT IT IS.
I THINK YOUR TEAM HAS AN IMAGE
THAT MY PULMONARY COLLEAGUES
HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SHARE AND
ESTIMATE OUT.
ON THE LEFT, THOSE ARE HEALTHY
LUNGS.
ON THE RIGHT, THOSE ARE LUNGS
RAVAGED BY COVID THAT MY
COLLEAGUES CARE FOR IN THE ICU.
THATS ACUTE RESPIRATORY
SYNDROME.
THATS WHAT THE VACCINATION
PREVENTS.
THAT MESSAGE WAS NEVER
COMMUNICATED.
PEOPLE SAY, WHATS CHANGED?
FRANKLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CDC
DATA THAT WAS PRESENTED IN SLIDE
FORMAT, ITS PRETTY DARN CLEAR
THAT THE VACCINES, AND THEY WERE
LOOKING AT TWO-DOSE PFIZER, WAS
PROTECTIVE AGAINST
HOSPITALIZATION IN ISRAEL, IN
CANADA, IN ENGLAND.
SYMPTOMATIC ILLNESS, WE SAW 87,
88% PROTECTION.
I DONT THINK ANYTHING HAS
CHANGED.
WHAT WE ARE NOW DEALING WITH IS
AN INDICTMENT OF INEFFECTIVE,
CONFUSING MESSAGING, MAKING
PEOPLE THINK THAT --
>> I WANT TO MAKE SURE I
UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE MY TAKEAWAY
FROM THIS "WASHINGTON POST"
ARTICLE WAS THAT EVEN THOUGH IM
FULLY VACCINATED, I THINK
EVERYBODY ON THIS PANEL IS FULLY
VACCINATED, WE CAN STILL BE
CARRYING THE VARIANT AND IT IS
SO MUCH EASIER FOR IT TO
TRANSFER, TO TRANSMIT.
AND EVEN THOUGH, AND AGAIN,
WEVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, THE
MESSAGING HAS BEEN CLEAR, IF
YOURE VACCINATED AND YOU DO GET
THIS DELTA VARIANT YOULL HAVE A
MUCH MORE MILD CASE.
THE IDEA OF TRANSMISSION AND
GETTING IT AT ALL SOUNDS SCARY.
SO IS THIS INFORMATION, THOUGH,
NOT NEW?
>> SO THAT INFORMATION IS NEW.
AND SO THIS NOTION OF -- BUT WE
HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS IN
CONTEXT, CHRIS, I THINK WE HAVE
TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND SAY THE
CDC IS LIKENING THIS TO CHICKEN
POX, FOR EXAMPLE.
IT TURNS OUT EVEN IF YOURE
FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST CHICKEN
POX, YOU CAN TRANSMIT THE VIRUS.
NO VACCINE IS PERFECT AGAINST
TRANSMISSION.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
IT MEANS, YES, THERE IS A
POTENTIAL OF THE DELTA VARIANT
TO OTHERS.
WE THINK THATS DIFFERENT THAN
THE ALPHA VARIANT, THE DELTA
VARIANT IS 50% MORE
TRANSMISSIBLE EVEN IF YOURE
FULLY VACCINATED.
THIS ADDS GREATER URGENCY TO THE
NOTION OF GETTING VACCINATED.
THE DELTA VARIANT, TO THOSE WHO
ARE FULLY VACCINATED, IS NOT
HARMFUL.
FDA APPROVAL AND BROAD
CONSIDERATION OF A MANDATE,
THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE NEED TO
BE TALKING ABOUT IN ADDITION TO
BETTER MESSAGING.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN, SHANNON, HAS
BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT TODAY
WAS MARKED BY A MORE URGENT
TONE.
IS CONCERN IN THE WHITE HOUSE
RISING DAY BY DAY OVER THIS NEW
VARIANT AND HOW DO FOLKS FEELING
ABOUT THEIR MESSAGING ON THE
VIRUS?
>> THE URGENCY HAS CERTAINLY
TICKED UP.
I WILL SAY LAST WEEK, AND MAYBE
A LITTLE BIT INTO THE WEEK
PRIOR, I TALKED TO PEOPLE WITHIN
THE ADMINISTRATION, PEOPLE WHO
WERE CLOSE TO THE
ADMINISTRATION, AND THEY RAISED
A LOT OF THESE ISSUES, LIKE
REQUIRING MASKS FOR CERTAIN
GROUPS, VACCINE MANDATES FOR
SOME FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.
BUT I WOULD SAY ABOUT A WEEK
AGO, TEN DAYS AGO AT THIS TIME,
NOBODY WAS THINKING IT WAS GOING
TO HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS IT DID
AND AS WIDESPREAD AS IT HAS.
THERE WAS TALK ABOUT VACCINE
MANDATES FOR VA EMPLOYEES, FOR
MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY, MAYBE
TSA SCREENERS, NOT FOR THE
ENTIRE FEDERAL WORKFORCE TO HAVE
TO BE EITHER VACCINATED OR
SUBMIT TO REALLY REGULAR TEST.
THERE WAS TALK ABOUT REQUIRING
MASKS MAYBE FOR CERTAIN GROUPS,
MAYBE INCREASING THE URGE TO
NUDGE PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS MORE,
NOT THIS SORT OF ABOUT-FACE ON
MASK RECOMMENDATIONS AND SAYING
THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN LARGE
SWATHS OF THIS COUNTRY, EVEN IF
THEYRE VACCINATED, NEED TO BE
PUTTING THEIR MASKS BACK ON.
SO IVE NOTICED INTERNALLY, AND
PEOPLE CLOSE TO THIS WHITE
HOUSE, A REAL SHIFT IN MESSAGING
OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, WHICH I
THINK SPEAKS TO THE GROWING
URGENCY.
AS FAR AS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
THAT MESSAGING, SO MUCH OF THIS
IS BEING DRIVEN BY THE CDC, AND
NOT NECESSARILY BY THE WHITE
HOUSE.
AND THATS WHERE WE HAVE SEEN A
BIT OF FUMBLING OF THE HAND-OFF
OF THE BATON IN THE MESSAGING.
WE HAVE THE CDC HOLDING A
TELECONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE THIS
REALLY BIG CHANGE IN MASKS.
THE WHITE HOUSE WITHIN ITSELF
WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO
ADAPT TO THIS POLICY, EVEN
WITHIN THEIR OWN WALLS, AS TO
WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE NEEDED TO
WEAR MASKS AT A VP EVENT,
WHETHER THE PRESIDENT WAS GOING
TO WEAR ONE NEXT WEEK.
THEYRE STARTING TO GET A
FEELING FOR THE MESSAGING.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS PART OF
THAT IS HOW QUICKLY EVOLVING
THIS VIRUS IS AND HOW RAPIDLY
CHANGING THE SCENARIO ON THE
GROUND HAS BEEN LATELY.
>> THE PUSH, CLEARLY, JULIE,
ITS HARD TO GET VACCINATED.
AGAIN, BESIDES THE URGENCY, THE
OTHER THING I TOOK AWAY FROM
THIS PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY WAS,
OKAY, THEYVE DECIDED THEY HAVE
BEEN TO PULL OUT ALL THE TOOLS
IN THEIR ARSENAL THAT THEY
POSSIBLY CAN.
>> I THINK THATS RIGHT.
THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR WEEKS
TO FIND MESSAGES, TO FIND
GIMMICKS, IN SOME CASES TO FIND
CELEBRITIES WHO CAN GO OUT THERE
AND CONVINCE THIS GROUP OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE STUBBORNLY
UNVACCINATED TO START TO MOVE.
AND REALLY NONE OF THOSE NUMBERS
HAVE BUDGED IN A SIGNIFICANT
WAY.
NOW THE WHITE HOUSE IS TAKING
THIS STEP.
I THINK IN SOME WAYS THEY HAD
HOPED TO AVOID IT.
THE BIDEN WHITE HOUSE IS VERY
CONSCIOUS OF NOT WANTING TO BE
SEEN AS PUSHING DEFINITIVE
MANDATES.
THEYRE NOT EVEN TRYING TO USE
THAT WORD.
THEYRE CALLING THESE, YOU KNOW,
THESE PROGRAMS OTHER THINGS, YOU
HAVE TO ATTEST YOURE VACCINATED
OR TRYING TO AVOID THE IDEA OF A
MANDATE ALTHOUGH ESSENTIALLY
THAT IS WHAT IT IS, ITS A
MANDATE FOR A VACCINE, AND IF
YOURE NOT VACCINATED YOU HAVE
TO TAKE OTHER STEPS.
THEYRE TRYING TO PULL EVERY
LEVER, BECAUSE AS BIDEN HAS
SAID, AS PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS
HAVE SAID, THERES ONLY ONE WAY
OUT OF THIS PANDEMIC AND THAT IS
TO INCREASE THE VACCINATION RATE
AND UNTIL THIS HAPPENS, WERE
GOING TO BE BOUNCING BACK AND
FORTH BETWEEN NEW MASK GUIDANCE,
NEW GUIDANCE ON HOW CLOSE WE CAN
INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER.
SO BIDEN IS JUST TRYING TO MAKE