INTO THIS WINTER, ANDREA.
>> INDEED.
GABE, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING
WITH US.
>>> JOINING US NOW, DR. ASHISH
JHA, THE DEAN AT BROWN
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
HEALTH.
DR. JHA, THANKS VERY MUCH.
WE HAVE AN NBC NEWS ANALYSIS
FINDING THAT IF THE CORONAVIRUS
INFECTION RATE KEEPS GOING AT
THIS CURRENT RATE, THE U.S.
COULD SEE SOME 20 MILLION CASES
OF COVID-19 BY CHRISTMAS.
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT OF COURSE
CALLING ON PEOPLE TO CANCEL
THEIR THANKSGIVING PLANS.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE WAY TO
GET THE COUNTRY BACK ON TRACK
AND DEAL WITH THIS SURGE?
>> ANDREA, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME ON.
WE ARE UNDOUBTEDLY AT THIS POINT
IN THE WORST PHASE OF THE
PANDEMIC.
I DON’T THINK WE’VE EVER HAD AS
MUCH INFECTION IN OUR COUNTRY AS
WE DO RIGHT NOW.
AND IT IS HEADING IN THE WRONG
DIRECTION.
AND AS OPPOSED TO APRIL AND MAY
WHEN WE COULD LOOK TO THE SUMMER
TO GIVE US A BREAK, WE ARE NOT
GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET A BREAK
ANY TIME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF
MONTHS.
MY EXPECTATION IS THAT LEAST
100,000 PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE
BETWEEN NOW AND INAUGURATION DAY
IF WE DON’T GET OUR ACT
TOGETHER.
WE KNOW WHAT TO DO.
IT’S ALL ABOUT INDOOR GATHERINGS
OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY’RE NOT
WEARING A MASK.
I JUST DON’T THINK WE CAN AFFORD
INDOOR DINING AND BARS.
I DON’T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE
HAVING OTHER PEOPLE OVER FOR
DINNERS.
I HAVE CANCELED OUR THANKSGIVING
PLANS WITH OUR EXTENDED FAMILY.
WE’RE JUST GOING TO DO IT AS OUR
IMMEDIATE FAMILY.
IT’S HARD TO OVEREMPHASIZE HOW
BAD THINGS ARE.
HOSPITALS ARE FILLING UP ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE TO TAKE THIS MUCH, MUCH
MORE SERIOUSLY.
ONE LAST POINT IS THAT CONGRESS
HAS TO ACT.
CONGRESS HAS TO GET MONEY OUT TO
STATES AND TO BUSINESSES SO
PEOPLE CAN GET THROUGH THE NEXT
SIX WEEKS.
IF CONGRESS CONTINUES TO FAIL TO
ACT, WE’RE PUTTING PEOPLE INTO
VERY DIFFICULT CHOICES THAT’S
GOING TO LEAD TO A LOT MORE
DEATHS.
>> WHICH GETS THE WHOLE ECONOMIC
PRESSURE, BARS, RESTAURANTS,
THOSE PEOPLE NEED HELP NOW, AS
WELL AS TESTING.
DR. VIVEK MURTHY, THE TOP
ADVISER ON THE TASK FORCE FOR
JOE BIDEN, SAID THIS MORNING ON
ABC THAT WE SHOULD THINKING OF A
SERIES OF RESTRICTIONS THAT WE
DIAL UP OR DIAL DOWN, LIKE MAYOR
LIGHT WHEREIN
LIGHTFOOT IS DOING, DEPENDING ON
HOW BAD THE SPREAD IS.
>> IN NEW YORK CITY, FOR
EXAMPLE, WHAT YOU’RE SEEING IS
THEM TARGET THEIR INTERVENTIONS
DOWN TO THE ZIP CODE SO WE’RE
NOT IN A PLACE WHERE WE’RE
SAYING, SHUT THE WHOLE COUNTRY
DOWN.
WE HAVE TO BE MORE TARGETED.
IF WE DON’T DO THAT, PEOPLE WILL
BECOME MORE FATIGUED, CHILDRENSC
WON’T BE OPEN TO CHILDREN.
WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE
AND BE MORE PRECISE THAN WE WERE
IN THE SPRING.
>> DO YOU AGREE THAT THESE
LOCKDOWNS AND ROLLBACKS CAN BE
TARGETED?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I WROTE A LONG THING ABOUT THIS
LAST NIGHT, ABOUT HOW THE TWO
STATES THAT I THINK ARE DOING
THIS RIGHT ARE NEW YORK AND
CALIFORNIA.
THEY BOTH HAVE REALLY RAMPED UP
TESTING, AND ALL OF THEIR
POLICIES ARE INCREDIBLY TARGETED
DOWN TO ZIP CODES OR COUNTIES.
THAT’S THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.
NO ONE NEEDS TO BE TALKING ABOUT
A NATIONAL LOCKDOWN, I DON’T
THINK THAT’S EITHER NECESSARY
NOR HELPFUL.
BUT IF WE DON’T DO THE TARGETED
POLICIES, WE’LL SEE OUR
HOSPITALS REALLY GET INTO
TROUBLE.
I THINK THERE’S A WAY OUT OF
THIS IF WE’RE SMART AND
PROACTIVE
PROACTIVE.
IT DOESN’T SEEM THERE’S
POLITICAL WILL TO DO THOSE
THINGS.
>> "THE WASHINGTON POST" IS
REPORTING THAT MORE THAN 130
SECRET SERVICE OFFICERS WHO
TRAVEL WITH THE PRESIDENT HAVE
RECENTLY BEEN ORDERED TO EITHER
ISOLATE OR QUARANTINE BECAUSE
THEY EITHER TESTED POSITIVE OR
WERE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH AN
INFECTED CO-WORKER, WHICH IS
ANOTHER COST, A TERRIBLE,
TERRIBLE HUMAN COST OF THOSE
RALLIES AND ALL OF HIS TRAVEL,
RUNNING UP TO THE ELECTION.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE WHITE
HOUSE HAS BEEN A HOTBED OF
INFECTIONS, LARGELY BECAUSE THEY
HAVE THROWN IN THE TOWEL.
THEY’RE REALLY JUST NOT DOING
ANY OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW
ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT PEOPLE.
AND IT’S ONE THING WHEN THE
PRESIDENT GETS INFECTED.
OF COURSE HE CAN GET WORLD CLASS
CARE AND THAT’S APPROPRIATE.
BUT OF COURSE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO
WORK AROUND HIM, THE SECRET
SERVICE AGENTS, THESE ARE MEN
AND WOMEN WHO HAVE DEDICATED
THEIR LIVES TO OUR COUNTRY, AND
THEY DESERVE BETTER THAN TO BE
EXPOSED TO A VIRUS THAT IS --
WHERE THE INFECTION IS
PREVENTIBLE JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE
AREN’T WILLING TO DO BASIC