A LIVE LOOK AT A SNOWY, COLD NEW
YORK CITY.
THAT’S WHERE WE GO NEXT.
LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THE U.S. FELL
BY A FULL YEAR IN THE FIRST SIX
MONTHS OF 2020.
THE LARGEST DROP SINCE WORLD WAR
II.
ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM
THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH
STATISTICS, LIFE EXPECTANCY AT
BIRTH FOR THE TOTAL U.S.
POPULATION WAS 77.8 YEARS.
A DECLINE OF ONE FULL YEAR FROM
WHAT IT WAS IN 2019.
THE GROUP THAT SUFFERED THE
LARGEST DECLINE WAS NON-HISPANIC
BLACK MALES WHOSE LIFE
EXPECTANCY DROPPED BY THREE
YEARS.
DEATHS FROM THE CORONAVIRUS ARE
THE MAIN FACTOR IN THE OVERALL
DROP ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.
AND JOINING US NOW, NEW YORK
CITY MAYOR BILL DeBLASIO.
MAYOR DeBLASIO, THANK YOU FOR
BEING ON THIS MORNING.
LOOKING AT THAT REPORT ALONG
WITH OTHER FACTORS, TELL US
FIRST OF ALL HOW NEW YORK CITY
IS FARING AS IT PERTAINS TO
CORONAVIRUS.
>> I TELL YOU, MIKA, JUST SOME
REFLECTING ON WHAT YOU SAID, I’M
THINKING OF PEOPLE WE’VE LOST,
YOU KNOW?
I’M THINKING ABOUT THE FAMILIES
WHO ARE SUFFERING RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE SOMEONE IS MISSING.
WE’RE FIGHTING BACK.
WE’RE FIGHTING BACK HERE IN NEW
YORK CITY AND WE’RE MAKING
PROGRESS, BUT OUR BIGGEST
PROBLEM IS WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH
SUPPLY OF THE VACCINE.
LAST WEEK, WE VACCINATED ALMOST
320,000 PEOPLE.
BUT I COULD BE DOING LITERALLY
HALF A MILLION A WEEK IF I HAD
THE SUPPLY I NEEDED.
THIS IS THE FRUSTRATING PART.
I TALKED TO SOME OF OUR SENIORS
WHO -- THIS IS LIKE -- IT’S NOT
OVERSTATING IT, IT’S A LIFE AND
DEATH MATTER FOR THEM.
THEY FEEL IT’S A LIFE AND DEATH
MATTER.
THEY FEEL IF THEY CAN GET THAT
VACCINE THEY’LL BE AROUND TO SEE
THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, AND IF THEY
DON’T, THEY MAY NOT.
IT’S FRUSTRATING THAT WE CAN’T
GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY.
BUT WE’LL KEEP BUILDING THE
CAPACITY.
WE NEED THE SUPPLY SO WE CAN
REACH PEOPLE.
>> MR. MAYOR, WHERE IS THE
BOTTLENECK IN THIS?
FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE FRUSTRATED TO
GET THEIR APPOINTMENT CENTER
CANCELED OR POSTPONED WHEN THEY
WERE EXCITED TO GO IN AND GET
IT, WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM?
WHY DON’T YOU HAVE THE SUPPLY
THAT YOU NEED?
>> IT’S SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL
QUESTION.
LOOK, I BELIEVE THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS DOING
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SPEED UP
THE SUPPLY, BUT I THINK
SOMETHING IS STILL BROKEN IN THE
WAY THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
IS HANDLING THIS.
WE HAVE THREE COMPANIES,
PRECISELY THREE IN THE ENTIRE
NATION WHO ARE PRODUCING
VACCINE.
THERE’S A HUGE PHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY.
THEY GOT LOTS OF RESOURCES.
THEY’VE DONE REALLY WELL.
I DON’T SEE THEM ON THE PLAYING
FIELD, THE REST OF THESE
COMPANIES, GIVING THEIR ASSEMBLY
LINES OVER TO THE WAR EFFORT, IF
YOU WILL.
THAT’S FRUSTRATING TO THINK
WE’RE NOT GETTING ALL THE
VACCINE WE COULD GET.
THERE’S ALSO BOTTLENECKS BECAUSE
OF STATE RULES, THERE’S SO MANY
THINGS.
I TALKED TO MAYORS AROUND THE
COUNTRY, THEY SAY JUST GIVE US
THE VACCINE DIRECTLY WHEN IT
GOES THROUGH STATES INCLUDING
SOME STATE GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE
HOSTILE TO THEIR CITIES.
IT SLOWS DOWN EVERYTHING AND
CONFUSES EVERYTHING.
IT’S ABOUT GETTING THE
ALLOTMENTS DIRECTLY TO THE
CITIES.
WHERE IS THE GREATEST DANGER IN
MANY CASES?
THE BIG CITIES.
THAT WOULD HELP US TO SPEED THIS
EFFORT.
>> THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
ARE THE ONES WHO PULLED OFF THE
MIRACLE OF DEVELOPING THIS IN
LESS THAN A YEAR, THEY SAY
THEY’RE MAKING IT AS FAST AS
THEY CAN, BUT YOU’RE RIGHT, IT
NEEDS TO GET TO THE PLACES IT
NEEDS TO BE.
LET’S TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS IN NEW
YORK CITY.
A LOT OF EXCITEMENT ABOUT NEXT
WEEK AS YOU OPEN UP THE MIDDLE
SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK CITY.
THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF PLANNING.
THERE’S BEEN SOME CONTRADICTION
BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE STATE
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT STUDENT
ALSO HAVE TO BE TESTED WHEN THEY
GO IN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WORKED THAT
OUT.
WHAT DOES THE SCHOOL DAY LOOK
LIKE FOR THOSE KIDS?
HOW DID YOU MAKE IT SAFE?
ARE YOU CONFIDENT IT WILL BE
SAFE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS?
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THE JOY,
WILLIE.
THERE’S A LOT OF PARENTS IN NEW
YORK CITY WHO ARE REALLY HAPPY
THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL IS COMING
BACK NEXT WEEK, WHO ARE RELIEVED
TO -- THEY LOVE THEIR CHILDREN
BUT THEY’RE READY FOR A BREAK.
>> CORRECT.
>> AND ALSO KIDS WHO WANT TO BE
WITH THEIR PEERS AND WANT TO
HAVE ALL THE GOOD THAT COMES
FROM KIDS CONNECTING TOGETHER
AGAIN.
SO IN A WEEK, MIDDLE SCHOOL
COMES BACK.
IT’S GOING TO BE SAFE BECAUSE
WE’VE REALLY SET THE GOLD
STANDARD FOR THIS NATION.
WE LOOKED AT THE BEGINNING OF
OPENING SCHOOLS IN SEPTEMBER.
WE SAID LET’S TAKE THE BEST
APPROACHES FROM AROUND THE
WORLD.
ALL KIDS ALL WEAR MASKS.
OUR KIDS ARE TESTED.
A BIG SAMPLE OF EACH SCHOOL
TESTED EVERY WEEK.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE THINGS
THAT HAVE WORKED.
OUR SCHOOLS ARE THE SAFEST
PLACES TO BE IN NEW YORK CITY.
FIRST MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEN I LOOK
FORWARD TO HIGH SCHOOL.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THIS WHOLE
COUNTRY HAS TO REOPEN OUR
SCHOOLS.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
OUR KIDS NEED IT.
THEY’RE SUFFERING -- LET’S BE
CLEAR, IT’S NOT JUST ACADEMIC
LOSS.
OUR KIDS ARE SUFFERING
EMOTIONALLY.
IF THEY’RE NOT IN SCHOOL, IT’S
BAD FOR THEM.
IT’S BAD FOR THEIR EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT.
FOR A LOT OF KIDS IT’S VERY,
VERY PAINFUL TO NOT HAVE THAT