.
>>> WHILE THIS PROVIDES A
FRIGHTENING VISUAL OF OUR
REALITY, THE MORE TERRIBLE TRUTH
IS THAT OTHER 8,000 PEOPLE,
SORRY.
OVER 8,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE
BELOVED MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILIES ARE NOT COMING BACK AND
FAMILIES ARE NOT COMING BACK AND
THEIR DEATHS ARE AN INKALCALCUAB
LOSS TO THEIR FRIENDS WELCOME
FAMILY, AND OUR COMMUNITY.
>> IN THE WEEKS SINCE SHE
DESCRIBED THE REALITY ON THE
GROUND IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
IT HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE IF SET
AND RESET THE RECORD FOR CASES
OVER THE PAST WEEK.
OFFICIALS SAY ONE IN 80
RESIDENTS ARE AFFECTED IN LOS
ANGELES COUNTY.
AN AVERAGE OF TWO PEOPLE IN L.A.
COUNTY ARE DIES FROM THE VIRUS
EVERY SINGLE HOUR.
THOSE ARE TERRIBLE NUMBERS.
JOINING US NOW IS DR. BARBARA
FRAYER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
THE NUMBERS ARE SO DIFFICULT.
L.A. COUNTY IS SEEING THE NUMBER
OF DEATHS RISE 300% EVERY DAY
SINCE I BELIEVE NOVEMBER 9th.
HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU GET A
HANDLE ON THIS.
>> THANKS SO MUCH, KATY, FOR
HAVING ME TODAY.
WE COULD NOT BE IN A WORSE PLACE
THAN WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
IT AIS A WORSE PLACE FOR US
BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE
DIEING THAN NEED TO BE PASSING
AWAY FROM COVID-19 AND WE HAVE
AN OVER WHELMED HOSPITAL CARE
SYSTEM AND THE CASE NUMBERS KEEP
GOING UP.
THE CASE NUMBERS GOING UP IS
WHAT WE HAVE CONTROL OVER.
IT IS ONE PLACE WHERE IF EVERY
SINGLE PERSON PLAYS BY THE RULES
YOU HAVE A CHANCE AT REDUCING
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT NEED
TO BE HOSPITALIZED AND REDUCING
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WILL
PASS AWAY FROM COVID-19.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT
THE SITUATION THAT WE’RE IN IN
L.A. COUNTY AND REALLY I THINK
HAVE A FALSE NARRATIVE IN THEIR
MINDS ABOUT HOW WE’RE GOING TO
DEAL WITH THIS.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE MORE BEDS,
MORE HOSPITALS, AND WE’RE ABLE
TO TAKE CARE OF SICK PEOPLE.
LIFE CAN GO ON AS NORMAL.
BUT LIFE ISN’T GOING TO GO ON AS
NORMAL.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE STAFF, WELL
TRAINED STAFF, THAT ARE GOING TO
CARE FOR SICK PATIENTS, AND THAT
IS IN VERY SHORT SUPPLY.
ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
THE SOLUTION IS REALLY,
UNFORTUNATELY, TO ASK EVERY
SINGLE PERSON TO REDOUBLE THEIR
EFFORTS AND TO PLAY BY THE
RULES.
THERE IS ALSO A BIG DISPARITY AT
WHO IS DIEING FROM THIS.
LATINOS, BLACKS, ASIANS AND
THOSE IN COMMUNITIES WITH BAD
LEVELS OF POVERTY.
HOW DOES L.A. COUNTY ADDRESS
THIS DISPARITY.
>> YEAH, ADDRESSING THE
DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT THAT
COVID-19, LIKE SO MANY OTHER
HEALTH ISSUES AND DISEASES HAVE
ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
I THINK RIGHT NOW IN THE MIDDLE
OF A PANDEMIC THE MOST IMPORTANT
STEP WE NEED TO TAKE IS TO
PROTECT OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
MANY ESSENTIAL WORKERS HERE ARE
BLACK AND BROWN.
MANY OF THEM LIVE AS YOU NOTED
IN COMMUNITIES WITH LESS
RESOURCES, HIGHER RATES OF
POVERTY, THEY ARE WORKING REALLY
EVERY DAY INTERACTING WITH THE
REST OF US TRYING TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE HAVE OUR FOOD AND MAKING
SURE WE CAN SEE A HEALTH CARE
WORKER AND GET HEALTH CARE WHEN
WE NEED IT.
MAKING SURE THEY ARE PROVIDING
SUPPORT AT THOSE SCHOOL THAT’S
ARE OPEN.
ALL OF THOSE WORKERS NEED
PROTECTION.
THERE IS TWO WAYS TO GET THOSE
PROTECTIONS.
ONE IS EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS TO
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIVES THEY HAVE
FOR CREATING WORKSPACES THAT ARE
AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
YOU CAN’T CUT CORNERS ON THIS.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT
PEOPLE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE
PROTECTION AND EVERY INDIVIDUAL,
YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO
PROTECT OTHER PEOPLE,
PARTICULARLY THE PEOPLE THAT
KEEP OUR SOCIETY FUNCTIONAL.
>> I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF
FACTORS AT PLAY HERE.
I WONDER IF THE DISPARITY IS A
FACTOR THAT IS DRIVING THESE UP.
DO YOU FIND THAT MAYBE SOME
PEOPLE ARE NOT TAKING IT AS
SERIOUSLY AS OTHERS?
BECAUSE IT IS NOT AFFECTING THEM
TO THAT DEGREE?
>> YEAH, L.A. COUNTY, THE
MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE
HERE ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR.
WHITE RESIDENTS MAKE UP ABOUT
20% OF THE POPULATION.
OUR LATINX COMMUNITY MAKES UP
OVER 50% OF THE POPULATION HERE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS
VAST DIFFERENCES IN WHAT
PEOPLE’S EXPERIENCES HAVE BEEN.
IT AFFECTS THE PROPORTIONALTY
AND IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR YOU
FEAR IN A WEALTHIER COMMUNITY OR
A COMMUNITY THAT IS MADE UP OF
WHITE RESIDENTS.
THIS DISPROPORTIONALTY EXISTED
FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS.
WE DID A GOOD JOB IN THE SUMMER IN REDUCING THE GABS, BUT NOW
IN REDUCING THE GABS, BUT NOW
WITH THE SURGE WE’RE SEEING IT
IS HIGH RATES OF POVERTY.
>> I READ THOSE NUMBERS WRONG ON
MY SHEET.
PART OF THE ISSUE THAT PEOPLE
ARE FACING IS THEY’RE NOT BEING
GIVEN ENOUGH MONEY AND WHAT THEY
NEED TO STAY HOME.
ARE YOU FINDING THAT IS AN
ISSUE?
>> THAT IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE.
PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING PUBLIC
HEALTH DIRECTIVES BECAUSE THEY
NEED RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO
SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES TO KEEP
THEIR HOMES, AND TO PUTT FOOD ON
THEIR TABLE.
WE SHOULD NOT BE THE ENEMY.
IN THE RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE
WORLD YOU SHOULD NOT BE MAKING A
CHOICE BETWEEN VYING TO CONTROL
A DEADLY VIRUS AND MAKING SURE
THAT PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO
SURVIVE.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE THAT
OUT AND WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT
NOBODY IS FORCED TO THINK THAT
MY SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON MY GOING
TO WORK EVEN IF I’M TOLD AIM
CLOSE CONTACT OR THAT WE’RE
PUTTING BUSINESSES, WE’RE
CLOSING DOWN BUSINESSES.
WE’RE A VERY WEALTHY COUNTRY.
WE HAVE MONTHS TO GO AND WE NEED
TO FIGURE OUT THAT SAFETY NET SO
THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FALSE
CHOICES PRESENTED TO US ARE
DOING MORE HARM THAN THEY NEED
TO.
THE FIRST THING WE HAVE TO DO IS
TO CONTROL THIS VIRUS.
THERE IS NO NEED WHEN WE HAVE
TRANSMIT
TRANSMISSION RATES THIS HIGH.
>> GIVE PEOPLE THE TOOLS THEY
NEED TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND
STAY HOME.
>> SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS SAYS
DEMOCRATS COULD HAVE DONE A
BETTER JOB ON A COVID RELIEF
DEAL, I’M GOING TO ASK HIM IN
JUST A MOMENT, PLUS THE LATEST