WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SOON AS
WE CONTINUE TO COVER THIS STORY
IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE THE
VACCINATION RATE, NEW YORK CITY
WILL BE REQUIRING ALL HEALTH
CARE WORKERS AT CITY HOSPITALS
TO BE VACCINATED OR GET TESTED
ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
AND NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BILL DE
BLASIO JOINS US NOW.
I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS YOU
WERE HESITANT TO DO THIS IN THE
PAST, WHAT CHANGED?
>> MIKA, WERE WATCHING THE
DELTA VARIANT AND THE IMPACT
ITS HAVING AND ITS TIME FOR A
CHANGE.
ITS TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH.
IM PROUD OF THE FACT IN NEW
YORK CITY, 9.7 MILLION
VACCINATIONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN.
THATS ABOUT 58% OF OUR
POPULATION HAS GOTTEN AT LEAST
ONE DOSE.
THATS REALLY GOOD, AND THERE
ARE STILL PEOPLE, 10, 20,000
EVERY DAY COMING IN AND GETTING
VACCINATED.
THE VACCINATION EFFORT IS GOING
TO CONTINUE.
THE DIFFERENCE IS THE DELTA
VARIANT, ITS VIRULENT, STRONG,
MAKING AN IMPACT.
ITS TIME TO DO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
WHAT WE DO IS MANDATE FOR THE
FOLKS WHO WORK IN PUBLIC
HOSPITALS AND CLINICS.
THEY NEED TO BE SAFE.
THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE NEED TO BE
SAFE, SO WERE SAYING GET
VACCINATED OR GET TESTED ONCE
EVERY WEEK.
ITS A FAIR CHOICE.
I THINK WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN,
MIKA IS A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GOING
TO SAY, OKAY, NOW ITS TIME TO
GET VACCINATED.
A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE BEEN READY.
WE KNOW THIS.
A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE BEEN
HESITANT, BUT STILL READY, AND
NOW ITS GOING TO BE THAT MOMENT
OR AFTER THEY GET TESTED FOR A
WHILE, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT MIGHT
BE EASIER TO GO AND GET
VACCINATED.
>> NOT SURE IF IM NITPICKING
BUT WHY NOT JUST GET VACCINATED
OR DONT COME TO WORK.
IF YOU GET TESTED EVERY WEEK,
YOU RISK EXPOSING PEOPLE IF YOU
TEST POSITIVE?
>> LOOK, WE WANT TO KEEP MOVING
THIS IN PHASES AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE, GETTING MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE ACCLIMATED TO
VACCINATION.
THERES SO MUCH MISINFORMATION,
THIS IS THE UNDERLYING REALITY.
UNLIKE ANY TIME IN OUR HISTORY,
THIS ANGERS ME.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIED TO
CONSISTENTLY.
WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP IF YOU
SAID YOU HAD TO GET A
VACCINATION TO GO TO SCHOOL, NO
ONE WOULD HAVE BLINKED AND A LOT
OF LIVES WERE SAVED.
THE NOTION THAT PEOPLE FOR THEIR
OWN POLITICAL AIMS ARE SPREADING
MISINFORMATION, AND PEOPLE ARE
BELIEVING IT IN AN ERA WHERE
THERE IS SO MUCH PAIN AND
MISTRUST, WE HAVE TO FIGHT BACK.
WE HAVE DONE VOLUNTARY TO
9.7 MILLION DOSES.
WE HAVE GIVEN AMAZING
INCENTIVES, YOU COULD HAVE
GOTTEN VACCINATED UNDER THE BLUE
KWHAL
WHALE AT THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL
HISTORY, EVERY BELL AND WHISTLE,
AND THAT HAS BEEN GREAT BUT ITS
TIME FOR SOMETHING MORE FOCUSED,
ITS TIME TO SAY, OKAY, STARTING
WITH OUR HEALTH CARE WORKERS,
HERES A VERY FAIR CHOICE.
AND AGAIN, I THINK IT WILL MOVE
A LOT OF PEOPLE TO GET
VACCINATED AND OTHERS OVER TIME.
BUT AT MINIMUM, WE WILL BE
SENDING A MESSAGE CONSTANTLY,
ITS TIME, ITS TIME, ITS TIME,
AND WELL HAVE A GOOD SENSE IF
THERE IS ANY PROBLEM WE HAVE TO
ADDRESS.
>> MAYOR DE BLASIO, GOOD
MORNING, AS YOU KNOW WELL, LOS
ANGELES COUNTY PUT BACK INTO
EFFECT A MASK MANDATE INDOORS
REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION
STATUS.
THAT WAS SEEN AS A BIG STEP BACK
WHEN THINGS HAD BEEN MOVING IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
HOW CLOSE ARE YOU IN NEW YORK
CITY TO IMPLEMENTING SOMETHING
SIMILAR.
>> WERE NOT THERE NOW, WILLIE,
ITS A GOOD QUESTION.
ILL TELL YOU, OVERALL IN THE
CITY, IM VERY PLEASED TO SAY
HOSPITALIZATION RATE REMAINS
VERY LOW.
THE RECOVERY OF THE CITY IS VERY
STRONG.
YOU CAN SEE IT, I CALL IT THE
SUMMER IN NEW YORK CITY, AMAZING
THINGS ARE HAPPENING OUT THERE,
SO MUCH CULTURAL ACTIVITY,
RESTAURANTS, YOU NAME IT, AND
THANK GOD, EVEN WITH THE DELTA
VARIANT, VERY FEW
HOSPITALIZATIONS.
WERE GOING TO LOOK AT OF COURSE
ANY AND ALL OPTIONS WILL BE LED
BY THE DATA WE SEE AND THE
SCIENCE.
LET ME TELL YOU RIGHT NOW I
APPRECIATE WHY SOME TALK ABOUT
THE MASK MANDATE.
HERES WHAT FRUSTRATES ME.
THATS NOT WHERE THE IMPACT IS.
HEALTH CARE LEADERS SAY THAT
MIGHT BE MARGINALLY HELPFUL, NOT
SOMETHING TO TAKE OFF THE TABLE
BUT THE IMPACT IS VACCINATION.
ITS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE
USING THE THING THAT IS ONLY A
MARGINAL IMPACT WHEN YOU COULD
GO FOR THE MAIN EVENT.
WHY THE SIDE SHOW INSTEAD OF THE
MAIN EVENT.
WE COULD RIGHT NOW IN THIS
COUNTRY REACH TENS OF MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE AND LET ME JUST TALK
TO YOU ABOUT HEALTH CARE WORKERS
FOR A MOMENT.
THERE ARE 22 MILLION HEALTH CARE
WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATES,
AND WE THINK ABOUT 50% OF THEM
ARE NOT VACCINATED.
WHAT NEW YORK CITY IS DOING
TODAY, I HOPE WILL CREATE
MOMENTUM FOR BOTH PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE HEALTH CARE.
TO GO REECHL THOSE MILLIONS
AND -- REACH THOSE MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS
AND GET THEM VACCINATED AND GO
FROM THERE.
THE ONLY WAY WERE GOING TO STOP
THE DELTA VARIANT IS
VACCINATION.
THE ONLY ANSWER.
>> BEFORE YOU WERE ON, DR. >> BEFORE YOU WERE ON, DR.
DR. OSTERHOLM SAID CHILDREN
SHOULD ALMOST BE PUT IN A BUBBLE
EFFECT.
HES CONCERNED BECAUSE THE DELTA
VARIANT HAS THEM MORE ILL THAN
WITH PREVIOUS STRAINS.
WITH SCHOOL LOOMING, I WANTED TO
ASK YOU ABOUT THAT, YOU HAVE
COMMITTED TO FIVE-DAY, IN-PERSON
SCHOOL.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED THIS.
WILL THERE BE A REMOTE OPTION
FOR PARENTS TO OPT OUT?
>> WE NEED OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL.
OUR KIDS HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO
MUCH.
WE HAVE NOT EVEN BEGUN TO TAKE
STOCK AS A NATION OF THE TRAUMA
OUR CHILDREN HAVE EXPERIENCED.
AND THE LOSS IN EVERY SENSE,
INCLUDING THE LEARNING LOSS.
I FEEL FOR KIDS, I TALKED TO
KIDS, PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, THEY
WANT SO MUCH TO BE ABLE TO GET
IT BACK TOGETHER, GET IT BACK ON
TRACKMENT
TRACK.
ALSO IN SCHOOLS, AND OUR HEALTH
CARE LEADERS SAY THIS, KIDS GET
PHYSICAL HEALTH CARE, MENTAL
HEALTH CARE, REGULAR NUTRITION,
THE FACT THAT SO MANY KIDS HAVE
BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM THAT IS
UNACCEPTABLE.
WERE COMING BACK, ALL OF OUR
KIDS TOGETHER, BUT WITH AN
EXTRAORDINARY SERIES OF HEALTH
AND SAFETY MEASURES WHICH KEPT
COVID LEVELS VERY LOW IN NEW
YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHEN WE
DIDNT HAVE ANY VACCINATION.
WHAT WERE GOING TO DO IS DO A
BLITZ TO GET KIDS VACCINATED WHO
ARE ELIGIBLE 12 AND UP, AGAINST
THE BACKDROP OF 10 MILLION
VACCINATION DOSES AROUND THE
CITY.
A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALL GAME THAN
WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
WE WANT OUR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.
>> MIKE BARNICLE.
>> MR. MAYOR, YOURE ABSOLUTELY
RIGHT, KIDS ALL OVER THIS
COUNTRY HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT.
LOSS OF EDUCATION, LOSS OF AN
ELEMENT OF THEIR FUTURE OVER THE
PAST YEAR AND A HALF, SO THEYRE
ALL GOING BACK TO SCHOOL IN NEW
YORK CITY IN SEPTEMBER.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS GIVEN THE
FACT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH
A LOT, WHY DONT WE MAKE
MANDATORY VACCINATIONS FOR
TEACHERS MANDATORY, IN ORDER TO
NOT LET THEM PUT KIDS THROUGH A
VIRUS:
>> FIRST OF ALL, MIKE, IM
LOOKING AT YOU THERE WITH THAT
GREAT FIREPLACE BACKDROP, I FEEL
LIKE VOTING FOR YOU, YOU SHOULD
JUST RUN FOR SOMETHING, MAN, YOU
LOOK VERY TRUST ABLE.
ILL DO THE VOICE OVER, MIKE
BARNICLE IS THE SOLUTION.
IM THERE FOR YOU, MAN.
HE LOOKS PRESIDENTIAL TO ME.
BUT.
>> OH, MAN.
THANKS.
>> AMERICA WOULD NEVER BE THE
SAME, I GUARANTEE YOU.
AMERICA WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME.
>> THATS FOR SURE.
>> MIKE, LOOK, I THINK THIS IS
SOMETHING WE DO PIECE BY PIECE,
BUT THIS IS THE WAVE OF THE
FUTURE IN MY VIEW.
THIS IDEA OF YOU GET VACCINATED
OR YOU GET TESTED VERY
CONSTANTLY.
NOW, OUR EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL
STAFF WERE GETTING TESTED
REGULARLY ALL LAST YEAR, BY THE
WAY ALL THE UNIONS AGREED TO
THAT IN NEW YORK CITY, SO THE
NOTION OF REGULAR TESTING WE
HAVE ALREADY, AND WERE GOING TO
NEED THAT GOING FORWARD,
OBVIOUSLY.
WHEN YOU SAY VACCINATE OR GET
TESTED, THATS A VERY FAIR DEAL,
I THINK THATS SOMETHING WE CAN
APPLY IN MANY MANY AREAS.
OVER TIME WE GOT TO SEE WHAT
WORKS, AND I DO THINK PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO RESPOND IF THANKFULLY
PEOPLE GET VACCINATED AND DELTA
VARIANT IS PUSHED BACK, THATS A
GOOD NEWS STORY.
IF PEOPLE DONT GET VACCINATED