LEAVE IT THERE.
I APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON AND
SHARING THE ADMINISTRATIONS
PERSPECTIVE.
>> THANK YOU, CHUCK.
>>> DURING THE FIRST PEAK OF THE
COVID CRISIS ANDREW KWEM OWE WAS
ONE OF THE FACES OF THE RESPONSE
GIVING DAILY TELEVISED PRESS
BRIEFINGS AS NEW YORK BECAME THE
EPICENTER OF THE PANDEMIC IN THE
UNITED STATES.
NOW CASES AND DEATHSES ARE WAY
DOWN IN NEW YORK AND INSTEAD OF
NEW YORKERS BEING QUARANTINED
WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO STATES LIKE
FLORIDA, ITS NEW YORK THAT IS
DOING THE QUARANTINING OF OUT OF
STATE VISITORS FROM PLACES LIKE
FLORIDA.
JOINING ME NOW IS THE GOVERNOR
OF NEW YORK ANDREW CUOMO. GOVERNOR, I WANT TO START WITH
GOVERNOR, I WANT TO START WITH
WHAT I JUST HEARD FROM SECRETARY
A
AZAR AND OUR CONTACT TRACING
PROBLEM IS IN THE SOUTH, AND
THIS WAS SURGE, IN YOUR OPINION,
PREVENTABLE?
>> YEAH.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU, CHUCK.
FIRST, I DONT THINK THIS IS THE
SECOND SURGE.
WERE WORRIED ABOUT A SECOND
WAVE.
I THINK WERE STILL IN THE FIRST
WAVE AND THIS IS A CONTINUATION
OF THE FIRST WAVE AND IT WAS A
FAILED EFFORT TO STOP THE FIRST
WAVE IN THE COUNTRY, AND AS YOU
POINTED OUT, NEW YORK IS IN A
TOTALLY DIFFERENT PLACE.
LOOK, IF YOU LISTEN TO WHAT THE
SECRETARY SAID AND IF YOU LISTEN
TO WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS AT
THE WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING THEYRE
SAYING WHAT THEY SAID THREE
MONTHS AGO.
THEYRE BASICALLY IN DENIAL
ABOUT THE PROBLEM.
THEY DONT WANT TO TELL THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE THE TRUTH AND
THEY DONT WANT TO HAVE ANY
FEDERAL RESPONSE EXCEPT
SUPPORTING THE STATE, SUPPORTING
THE STATES.
SO I HEARD THAT, AND I
UNDERSTOOD WHERE THEY WERE.
I DIDNT NEED TO TORTURE THE
RHETORIC.
I KNEW WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.
YOURE ON YOUR OWN, YOU KNOW?
>> RIGHT.
>> ITS NOT A GOOD FEELING, BUT
ITS SORT OF LIBERATING AND IN
NEW YORK WE JUST HANDLED IT
TOTALLY DIFFERENTLY, CHUCK.
WE HANDLED IT ON OUR OWN.
COMMUNICATION, CLEAR, AS YOU
MENTIONED EVERY DAY AND THEN WE
CAME UP WITH A PLAN AND DID THE
TESTING AND DID THE ISOLATION,
AND THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
>> YOU FOLLOWED THE SET OF
GUIDELINES I POINTED OUT.
I REMEMBER THIS DISTINCTLY, ONLY
ONE TIME DID WE HEAR THE WHITE
HOUSE DESCRIBE THE GATING
CRITERIA AND THEN THAT PHRASE
DISAPPEARED.
AND YOU GUYS CREATED YOUR OWN
AND IN ALL HONESTLY, HOW HARD
WILL IT BE HARD TO STOP ANOTHER
RESURGENCE IN THE STATE IF THE
REST OF THE COUNTRY IS
STRUGGLING THE WAY ITS
STRUGGLING.
>> WELL, THATS OUR PROBLEM.
LOOK, THE CDC GUIDELINE, FIRST
OF ALL ARE JUST GUIDELINES AND
THEY WERE VERY VAGUE AND I DONT
EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY MEANT.
THE TROISAJECTORY HAS TO BE COMI
DOWN AND WE PUT IN PLACE OUR OWN
METRICS WHERE WE USED SCIENCE
AND WE WOULDNT OPEN ANY REGION
UNLESS THEY HIT CERTAIN METRICS
AND THEN WE HAVE A PHASED
REOPENING AND WE LOOK AT A
NUMBER OF HOSPITAL BEDS AND YOU
HAVE THE TESTING UP AND WE DO
MORE TESTING THAN ANY STATE IN
THE UNITED STATES, CHUCK.
WE DO MORE TESTING PER CAPITA
THAN ANY COUNTRY IN THE GLOBE.
THE TESTING IS THE KEY.
YOU DO THE ISOLATION, AND YOU
HAVE ENOUGH PPE AND ENOUGH ICU
BEDS AND THEN YOU -- FROM THE
TESTING, YOU HAVE A RATE OF
TRANSMISSION THAT YOU CAN
MONITOR AND YOU PROCEED THROUGH
THE PHASES IF YOU HIT THAT RATE
OF TRANSMISSION.
THIS IS A VIRUS.
IT DOESNT RESPOND TO POLITICS.
YOU CANT TWEET AT IT.
YOU HAVE TO TREAT IT, AND WE
NEVER DID THAT.
NOW MY FEAR IS WE HAD TODAY FIVE
DEATHS.
NOW WE -- WE OFFER THOUGHTS AND
PRAYERS TO EVERY DEATH IN OUR
STATE, BUT FIVE DEATHS IS THE
THE LOWEST NUMBER WEVE HAD
SINCE THIS STARTED, CHUCK.
WE ARE IN THE EXACT OPPOSITE
END.
WE HAVE LESS THAN 800 PEOPLE IN
HOSPITALS.
LOWEST NUMBER BASICALLY SINCE WE
STARTED.
HOW DOES THAT NUMBER GO UP IN
TWO WAYS.
LACK OF COMPLIANCE, AND IM
DILIGENT ABOUT STAYING AFTER NEW
YORKERS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
THAT HAVE TO POLICE IT.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND SECOND, IM NOW AFRAID OF
THE SPREAD COMING FROM OTHER
STATES BECAUSE WE ARE ONE
COUNTRY AND PEOPLE TRAVEL, AND
IM AFRAID THE INFECTION RATE IN
THE OTHER STATES WILL COME BACK
TO NEW YORK AND RAISE THAT RATE
AGAIN.
>> ALL RIGHT.
IF GOVERNOR DESANTIS CALLS YOU
UP THIS AFTERNOON, AND GOVERNOR
ABBOTT CALLS YOU UP THIS
AFTERNOON OF TEXAS AND FLORIDA
AND SAID LETS SET POLITICS
ASIDE AND I KNOW WE MOUTHED OFF
AT YOU A LITTLE BIT, WHATS YOUR
RECOMMENDATION?
WHAT SHOULD WE DO HERE?
WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THEM?
>> ILL TELL YOU, I DONT WAIT
FOR THEM TO CALL.
THIS IS NEW YORK.
WERE PROACTIVE.
MY TEAM HAS CALLED THEIR TEAMS
AND SAID LOOK, CAN WE HELP?
WHEN WE WERE IN TROUBLE, CHUCK,
WE HAD STATES ALL ACROSS THE
NATION WHO CAME TO HELP US.
WE HAD 30,000 VOLUNTEERS FROM
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WHO
CAME TO HELP US.
SO I CALLED THOSE STATES AND I
SAID ANY WAY WE CAN HELP.
WEVE GONE THROUGH IT.
WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND WE
HAVE THE STAFF AND WE HAVE THE
TESTING PROTOCOLS AND WE HAVE
THE TESTING SOFTWARE AND WE HAVE
THE TRACING PROGRAM.
DID WE HELP?
ANYTHING YOU NEED, VENTILATORS,
ET CETERA AND THATS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO FROM A COMMUNITY
POINT OF VIEW AND A CITIZENRY
POINT OF VIEW.
THERES ALSO A PAROCHIAL
INTEREST WHICH IS IF THESE
STATES KEEP GOING UP, WELL HAVE
A NATIONAL CRISIS LIKE WE HAVE
NEVER SEEN.
THEY SAID THIS WAS THE WAY TO
HELP THE ECONOMY BY REOPENING
AND ITS BEEN THE EXACT
OPPOSITE.
EVERY TIME THE VIRUS GOES UP,
THE STOCK MARKET GOES DOWN AND
IF THOSE -- IF THOSE STATES
CONTINUE TO INCREASE YOULL SEE
IT GO ALL ACROSS THE NATION.
YOULL SEE NEW YORK ON THE RISE
AGAIN AND YOULL SEE THE OTHER
STATES STARTING TO GO UP EVEN
MORE.
>> HAS THIS -- YOU HAVE NOT
RELEASED A SCHOOL OPENING PLAN.
I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME
RECOMMENDATIONS OUT, BUT IM
CURIOUS NOW BECAUSE THIS IS MY
FEAR IS THAT THIS NEW SURGE OR
SPIKE THAT WERE SEEING IN THE
SOUTH IS NOW GOING TO DELAY
EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICTS PLANS
FOR CREATING MAYBE A DUAL HYBRID
SYSTEM OF SOME IN PERSON, SOME
REMOTE, UNIVERSITIES.
ARE YOU NOW THINKING THAT MAYBE
WE MIGHT NOT SEE EVERYTHING GOES
REMOTE NOW IN THE FALL GIVEN
WERE LIVING WITH THIS VIRUS
UNTIL THERES A VACCINE?
>> WELL, FIRST -- ON THE FIRST
POINT, YES, I AGREE WITH THAT.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY TALKED ABOUT
THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCE AND THE
PRESIDENT SAID WE SHOULD REOPEN
AND THATS GOING TO HELP THE
ECONOMY.
IT TURNED OUT TO BE EXACTLY
WRONG, BUT THERES ALSO A SOCIAL
CONSEQUENCE.
CHILDREN HAVE MISSED SCHOOLS.
CHILDREN HAVE MISSED INTERACTION
WITH OTHER CHILDREN AND THATS
PART OF THE SOCIALIZATION
PROCESS.
WE ARE PREPARING TO OPEN SCHOOLS
AND WE HAVE PLANS TO OPEN
SCHOOLS, BUT LOOK, CHUCK, ILL
BE HONEST WITH YOU.
ITS TWO MONTHS AWAY.
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN TWO
MONTHS.
YOU LOOK BACK TWO MONTHS AND YOU
SEE HOW MANY THINGS HAVE
CHANGED.
I WANT TO SEE WHAT THE INFECTION
RATE IS AND WHAT THE DISEASE IS
DOING BEFORE WE PULL THE TRIGGER
AND MAKE THE DECISION.
WERE LOOKING AT THIS
KAWASAKI-LIKE SYNDROME THAT IS
NOW IS AN INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME
WHO AFFECTS CHILDREN WHO WERE
PREVIOUSLY INFECTED WITH COVID.
I MEAN THSHGS IS COMPLICATED SO
LETS GET THE FACTS AND WELL
MAKE THE DECISION WHEN WE HAVE
TO, BUT WERE PREPARED AND IF
THIS CONTINUES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, YOURE RIGHT, CHUCK.
KIDS ARE GOING TO BE HOME FOR A
LONG TIME.
>> AND FINAL QUESTION, WE TALKED
ABOUT THIS, ABOUT NURSING HOMES
BEFORE, AND YOUVE TAKEN SOME
HEAT ON THE DIRECTIVE AND YOU
SAID YOU WERE FOLLOWING A
NATIONAL DIRECTIVE, BUT LET ME
ASK IT AGAIN, SIMILARLY AT THIS
POINT, DO YOU THINK THESE SENIOR
CENTERS ARE SAFE.
PERIOD?
>> YEAH.
LOOK, THERES -- IVE TAKEN
POLITICAL HEAT, OKAY?
THERE ARE FACTS AND THERES
POLITICS.
THERES NO DOUBT IN NURSING
HOMES ACROSS THIS NATION.
THATS WHERE WE SAW MOST OF THE
DEATHS AND NOT MOST, BUT ALMOST
50% OF THE DEATHS AND SENIOR
CITIZENS IN CON GROW GHANTT
SETTINGS AND IT IS BECOMING MORE
AND MORE CLEAR THAT THE
INFECTION AND THE NURSING HOMES
CAME FROM THE STAFF THAT GOT
INFECTED AND BROUGHT IT IN, BUT
IN NEW YORK WERE NUMBER 46 IN
THE NATION IN TERMS OF
PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS AT NURSING
HOMES COMPARED TO THE TOTAL
PERCENTAGE.
BY "THE NEW YORK TIMES" WERE
NUMBER 46.
SO ITS BEEN UNFORTUNATE.
IN EVERY STATE WE HAVE TO DO
MORE AND FIGURE IT OUT, BUT IF
THEY WANT TO POINT FINGER, NOT
AT NEW YORK.
WERE 46.
YOU HAVE 45 OTHER STATES TO
POINT FINGERS AT FIRST.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT.
ARE THESE SAFE?
ARE THESE FACILITIES SAFE IN
YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW?
>> THEY ARE AS SAFE -- THEY ARE
AS SAFE -- WELL, IN THIS STATE
WERE TESTING EVERY WEEK.
EVERY NURSING HOME EMPLOYEE,
RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
SO YOU CAN ARGUE THAT THEY ARE
SAFER THAN A SENIOR CITIZEN AT
HOME WHO IS RECEIVING CARE AT
HOME.
THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT, MY
MOTHER, STAY HOME, DONT SEE
ANYONE.
IF YOU ARE AT HOME AND YOU HAVE
AN
AN AIDE COMING IN THAT AIDE IS
NOT TESTED AND IN A NURSING HOME
THAT STAFF IS TESTED ONCE A WEEK
AND SENIORS DO HAVE TO BE
CAREFUL WHEREVER THEY ARE.