>> UNTIL WE FIND A VACCINE THESE
ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
THIS IS NOT AS COMPLICATED AS A
VENTILATOR.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS THE
SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES ALEX AZAR.
WELCOME TO "MEET THE PRESS."
WHEN ARE WE FAILING WITH
COVID-19 WHEN SO MUCH OF THE
WORLD IS SUCCEEDING.
>> WE ARE SURGING IN CASES IN
COUNTIES IN THE SOUTHERN PARTS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
WEVE GOTTEN REPORTS FROM OUR
GOVERNORS THAT THE MAJORITY OF
THE POSITIVE CASES WERE SEEING
ARE AGE 35 AND UNDER.
A LARGE NUMBER OF THOSE ARE
GOING TO BE ASYMPTOMATIC.
WE HAVE FATALITY RATES AND THE
HOSPITALIZATION RATES ARE THE
LEEST
LOWEST IN TWO MONTHS.
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
WERE WORKING WITH LOCAL
AUTHORITIES AND STATES.
THIS IS A COUNTY BY COUNTY ISSUE
SO GETTING IN THERE AND GETTING
TO THE BOTTOM OF WHY THE
CASES -- AND IN ADDITION TO THE
TRADITIONAL CONTACT TRACING,
WHAT WERE DOING NOW IS WEVE
GOT TO TEST ENTIRE COMMUNITIES
AND FIND ALL POSITIVE CASES
BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT
VIRUS WITH THE ASIFRM TOM ATTIC
SPREADING AND GET EVERY POSITIVE
CASE AND GET THOSE PEOPLE
ISOLATED.
WEVE GOT HOSPITAL CAPACITY IN
ALL OF THESE AREAS AND WE HAVE
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
AND WELL BE THERE TO BACK THEM
UP.
WE NOW HAVE TREATMENTS.
WE HAVE REMDESIVIR AND
CONVALESCENT PLASMA.
IF YOUVE HAD COVID, CALL YOUR
BLOOD BANK, AMERICAN RED CROSS
AND DONATE PLASMA TO INCREASE
OUR SUPPLIES.
WE HAVE THE TOOLS TO DO THIS.
WE JUST DID THIS IN NORTH
CAROLINA, BUT THE WINDOW IS
CLOSING AND WE HAVE TO ACT AND
PEOPLE AS INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO
ACT RESPONSIBLY.
WE NEED TO SOCIAL DISTANCE AND
WE NEED TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS
IF WERE IN PLACES WHERE WE
CANT SOCIAL DISTANCE
PARTICULARLY IN THESE HOT ZONES.
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS, DID WE
BLOW IT DURING THE FIRST SHUT
DOWN?
I THOUGHT WE WERE TO GET OUR
TESTING UP AND MAKE SURE YOU HAD
CAPACITY UP AND ONE OF THE BIG
THINGS WAS CONTACT TRACING AND
SO IT SEEMS PRETTY OBVIOUS WHAT
HAPPENED HERE IF YOU ARE JUST
LOOKING BACK AT A LAYMAN.
YOU GUYS PUT OUT GUIDELINES IN
APRIL ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE
FOR A STATE TO OPEN UP.
NO STATE FOLLOWED THOSE
GUIDELINES AT ALL.
SOME STATES FOLLOWED THEM OKAY,
PRETTY CLOSELY OR CAME CLOSE,
BUT A LOT OF THE STATES IN THE
SOUTH DIDNT DO IT AT ALL, AND A
BUNCH OF THEM DONT HAVE CONTACT
TRACERS.
ISNT THAT WHY WERE HERE?
>> SO, CHUCK, THIS ISNT ABOUT
OPENING OR NOT REOPENING.
WE HAVE STATES THAT ARE JUST AS
COMMITTED AS THE SOUTHERN STATE,
BUT ARENT EXPERIENCING THIS.
WEVE GOT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF WHY WERE SEEING THESE CASES
SURGE IN THIS AREA, BUT AT ITS
CORE, WE ALL OWN AS INDIVIDUALS,
OUR INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE ARE PRACTICING
APPROPRIATE SOCIAL DISTANCING
AND WEARING FACIAL COVERING WHEN
WERE NOT ABLE TO AND PRACTICING
GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE AND
PROTECTING OUR FIRST VULNERABLE
CITIZENS AND DR. BIRX AND DR.
FAUCI TALKED ABOUT THIS AT A
BRIEFING ON FRIDAY THAT ONE OF
THE THINGS ABOUT THIS VIRUS IS
THE ASYMPTOMATIC, AND IT IS A
NECESSARY AND NOT SUFFICIENT
PROTECTION.
WEVE GOT TO DO THAT, BUT IT
CANT JUST BE SITTING IN A
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICE MAKING
PHONE CALLS.
WEVE GOT TO GET INTO THE
COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE TO GET DUST ON THE BOOTS
AND FIND PEOPLE AND TEST ENTIRE
COMMUNITIES TO GET OUR POSITIVE
CASES.
THATS THE TYPE OF ACTION WOOEE
SEEN IN NORTH CAROLINA AND OTHER
COMMUNITIES.
>> MR. SECRETARY, I STILL DONT
UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE ENOUGH
CONTACT TRACERS.
THE HEAD OF THE CDC SAID WE HAVE
LESS THAN 100,000 NATIONWIDE.
WE SHOULD HAVE 300,000, SOME
EXPERTS HAVE THOUGHT AND AGAIN,
WEVE BEEN AT THIS FIVE MONTHS
NOW.
WHY DONT WE HAVE ENOUGH
PHYSICAL CONTRACT TRACERS IN
THESE SOUTHERN STATES?
>> WELL, CHUCK, THESE STATES
HAVE TO BUILD UP THEIR CONTACT
TRACERS AND THEY HAVE TO BUILD
UP GETTING OUT INTO THE STATES
AND GETTING OUT INTO THE LOCAL
COMMUNITIES IF THIS IS A VERY
COMMUNITY-BASED EFFORT AT THIS
POINT.
WEVE SURGED PEOPLE INTO EVERY
ONE OF THESE STATES.
WERE WORKING WITH THEM ON THE
GROUND, BUT ITS ABOUT GETTING
OUT, WORKING WITH NGOs AND
WORKING WITH COMMUNITY, TRUSTED
COMMUNITY LEADERS AND GETTING
TESTING DONE AND GETTING PEOPLE
ISOLATED, BUT ITS IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER WE NOW HAVE MANY MORE
TOOLS THAN WE HAD MONTHS AGO TO
DEAL WITH THIS.
WE HAVE THERAPEUTICS.
WE ARE ON THE ROAD TO VACCINES.
WE HAVE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT AND AGAIN ID SAY ANY
HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME THAT
NEEDS ANYTHING, BE SURE YOUR
GOVERNORS OFFICE KNOWS AND
WELL GET THAT INTO FEMA ASK
WELL MAKE SURE WERE THERE TO
SUPPORT YOU.
>> I ASKED THE GOVERNOR OF
ARKANSAS, REPUBLICAN ASA
HUTCHINSON IF HIS JOB WOULD BE
MADE EASIER TO GET HIS COMMUNITY
AND GET HIS STATE TO WEAR MASKS
IF THE PRESIDENT -- HE DIDNT
HAVE TO WEAR ONE, AND IF HE
WOULD JUST TWEET IT AND HERE WAS
HIS MESSAGE.
>> A CONSISTENT, NATIONAL
MESSAGE WEARING A MASK AND
SOCIAL DISTANCING IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO MAKING SURE
EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE
IMPORTANCE OF IT.
NOTHING BEATS LEADERSHIP.
>> MR. SECRETARY, MULTIPLE TIMES
WITH ME IN OUR SEVEN MINUTES SO
FAR THAT YOUVE TALKED YOUVE
BROUGHT UP MASKS AND SOCIAL
DISTANCING, BUT WITHOUT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
DOING THIS, HOW IS HALF THE
COUNTRY GOING TO LISTEN?
HAVE YOU DIRECTLY ASKED THE
PRESIDENT TO PLEASE ASK THE
COUNTRY TO WEAR A MASK?
>> SO IM THE PRESIDENTS
SECRETARY OF HEALTH.
IM TELLING YOU, PRACTICE SOCIAL
DISTANCING WHERE YOU CANT
APPROPRIATELY SOCIAL DISTANCE.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO WEAR A
FACIAL COVERING.
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES STOOD ON STAGE, WALKED UP
ON STAGE WEARING A MASK EVEN
THOUGH HE DOESNT NEED TO IN THE
SENSE THAT EVERYONE AROUND HIM
IS TESTED AND HES IN A BUBBLE.
THE PRESIDENT, WE KNOW IS A VERY
UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE AS LEADER OF
THE FREE WORLD AND HES TESTED
CONSTANTLY AND THOSE AROUND HIM
ARE TESTED CONSTANTLY AND KEPT
AT A DISTANCE EVEN WITH THAT.
WERE ALL SAYING THIS.
THE PRESIDENTS GUIDELINES FOR
REOPENING.
THE GUIDELINES HAVE SAID FROM
DAY ONE, PRACTICE SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
IF YOU CANT, WEAR FACE
COVERINGS.
PRACTICE APPROPRIATE PERSONAL
HYGIENE AND ALWAYS PLEASE
CONSIDER YOUR INDIVIDUAL
CIRCUMSTANCES AND THOSE OF YOUR
HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS.
PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE.
THOSE OVER 80.
THOSE OVER 65 WITH THREE OR MORE
OF THE SERIOUS CONDITIONS AND
THOSE ARE THE FOLKS WE NEED TO
PROTECT RIGHT NOW.
>> YOU JUST ARTICULATED, DO AS I
SAY, NOT AS I DO.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES HOLDING INDOOR RALLIES
TWICE IN THE LAST WEEK, AND ONE
IN A STATE SEEING THE POTENTIAL
OF AN OUT OF CONTROL SPREAD, AND
YOU AVOIDED THE QUESTION WHETHER
YOUVE ASKED THE PRESIDENT TO
WEAR A MASK.
WHEN HE DOESNT DO IT HIS PEOPLE
DONT LISTEN.
>> WELL, CHUCK, IM NOT GOING TO
TALK ABOUT POLITICS, BUT WEVE
SEEN MASS GATHERINGS OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL WEEKS WITH PEOPLE
RIGHTLY EXPRESSING FIRST
AMENDMENT AND POLITICAL VIEWS
AND THIS IS APPROPRIATE, BUT MY
MESSAGE IS ONE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
WHICH IS IF YOURE GOING TO
PARTICIPATE ANY TYPE OF LARGE
GATHERING I ENCOURAGE YOU,
CONSIDER YOUR INDIVIDUAL
CIRCUMSTANCE, CONSIDER THE
CIRCUMSTANCE OF THOSE YOU LIVE
WITH AND TAKE APPROPRIATE
PRECAUTIONS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE
TO YOURSELF AND YOUR COMMUNITY.