OF IT, FACING MORE THAN A
THOUSAND NEW CASES A DAY, UP 35%
IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO IS AT THE
FOREFRONT OF THAT FIGHT AND HAS
ALREADY WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT IT
TITLED "AMERICAN CRISIS:
CRISIS: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM
THE COVID PANDEMIC."
IF WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN THE
WORST OF IT AS DR. OSTERHOLM
JUST SAID, IS IT A LITTLE
PREMATURE TO WRITE A BOOK, KIND
OF TAKING A VICTORY LAP?
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU,
STEPHANIE.
NO, WHAT DR. OSTERHOLM JUST SAID
IS WHY YOU NEED TO WRITE A BOOK.
WHY I BELIEVED I NEEDED TO WRITE
A BOOK TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION
BECAUSE WE HAVE TO LEARN THE
LESSONS.
EVERYTHING WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
TODAY, STEPHANIE, WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO.
WE JUST STILL HAVEN’T LEARNED
THE LESSONS.
WE HAVE A TERRIBLE DIVISION IN
THIS NATION.
IT’S PARTISANSHIP.
IT’S HYPERPOLITICAL.
.
AND THAT’S WHAT WE DID WITH THE
VIRUS.
IT BECAME A POLITICAL DEBATING
POINT AND FELL RIGHT INTO THE
DIVIDE IN THE NATION, AND PEOPLE
DON’T KNOW WHO TO BELIEVE.
THE MASKS BECAME A POLITICAL
SYMBOL RATHER THAN A QUESTION OF
PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND THE GOVERNMENT HASN’T BEEN
COMPETENT IN DEALING WITH THIS
ISSUE FROM DAY ONE, AND IT’S
STILL NOT.
SO DR. FAUCI, DR. OSTERHOLM ARE
EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE’RE GOING INTO THE FALL.
THE VIRAL RATE WILL GO UP.
EVERYONE PREDICTED IT.
GOVERNMENT HASN’T PREPARED FOR
IT.
WE THEN GET INTO THE WINTER WHEN
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A VACCINE.
AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAS
ABSOLUTELY NO PLAN TO ADMINISTER
THE VACCINE.
AND THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT IT AS
IF THE DAY YOU DEVELOP THE
VACCINE, IT’S DONE.
THE DAY YOU DEVELOP THE VACCINE,
IT ONLY STARTS.
YOU THEN HAVE TO PROVE TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE IT’S SAFE.
YOU THEN HAVE TO ADMINISTER
THIS.
LISTEN TO THIS, STEPHANIE.
WELL THERE ARE 328 MILLION
PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
THEORETICALLY, EACH PERSON WOULD
NEED TO BE VACCINATED.
MAYBE EVEN TWICE WITH SOME OF
THE VACCINES.
328 MILLION.
SEVEN MONTHS, ALL THESE EFFORTS.
YOU KNOW HOW MANY TESTS WE HAVE
DONE WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP?
124 MILLION.
WE’VE ONLY DONE 124 MILLION
TESTS IN SEVEN MONTHS, AND WE
HAVE TO DO 328 VACCINES?
HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE, AND
WHERE IS THE PLAN TO DO THAT?
SO IT’S ALWAYS THE SAME.
IT’S HYPERPOLITICAL, DENIAL OF
THE SCIENCE.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON’T KNOW
WHO TO BELIEVE.
AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT BEEN
COMPETENT IN DEALING WITH IT.
IT STARTED SEVEN MONTHS AGO.
UNTIL WE LEARN THE LESSON, WE
WILL NOT RESOLVE THIS VIRUS.
>> SO WHERE IS NEW YORK RIGHT
NOW, AND WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO
KEEP YOUR STATE FROM SEEING A
NEW SPIKE LIKE WE SAW IN THE
SPRING?
>> WE’VE BEEN AT IT FOR SEVEN
MONTHS.
WE’VE LEARNED.
WE’RE SMARTER.
WE’RE MORE DISCIPLINED.
WE HAVE MORE TECHNOLOGY.
WHERE WE ARE NOW IS OUR
INFECTION RATE IS ONE OF THE LOW
NEST THE UNITED STATES.
AND, REMEMBER, NEW YORK IS WHERE
THE AMBUSH HAPPENED.
WE STARTED WITH THE HIGHEST
INFECTION RATE IN THE COUNTRY IF
NOT ON THE GLOBE.
WE’RE ALSO DOING MORE TESTING
THAN ANY STATE.
AND TO ME, TESTING IS
EVERYTHING.
AND WE’VE TAKEN IT TO A NEW
LEVEL WHERE WE’RE IDENTIFYING
WHAT WE CALL MICRO CLUSTERS.
YES, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE FLARE
UPS DURING THE FALL.
THE TRICK IS TO FIND THAT FLARE
UP RIGHT AWAY AND JUMP ON IT.
AND TO THE EXTENT YOU HAVE TO DO
RESTRICTIONS, DO RESTRICTIONS IN
A VERY TIGHT GEOGRAPHIC AREA
BECAUSE THERE IS NO POLITICAL
APPETITE TO SHUT DOWN STATES
ANYMORE OR SHUT DOWN LARGE
REGIONS.
BUT YOU CAN SHUT DOWN OR
RESTRICT A NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL IF
YOU HAVE THE DATA TO FIND IT.
TECHNOLOGY.
WE LAUNCHED WITH THE MAYOR MIKE
BLOOMBERG AND BLOOMBERG
PHILANTHROPIES A CONTACT TRACING
APP.
ALMOST 1 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE
DOWNLOADED IT.
WE’VE DONE IT WITH GOOGLE AND
APPLE.
WHERE A PERSON CAN DOWNLOAD AN
APP AND FIND OUT IF THEY’VE BEEN
EXPOSED TO A PERSON FROM THE
APP.
SO IT’S ABOUT GETTING SMARTER.
USE TECHNOLOGY BETTER.
AND MAKING GOVERNMENT MORE
COMPETENT TO DEAL WITH WHAT WE
KNOW IS COMING, WHICH IS AN
INCREASE IN THE FALL.
>> YOU MENTIONED SHUTDOWNS.
SMALL FITNESS CENTERS STILL NOT
OPEN.
SMALL RESTAURANTS SAY THERE’S NO
WAY THEY CAN SURVIVE AT 25%.
HOW COME BIG BOX STORES ARE
MAKING MORE MONEY THAN EVER AND
WE’VE LOST THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES.
DO YOU NEED TO RE-EVALUATE
EXACTLY HOW AND WHAT IS SHUT
DOWN?
>> WHEN YOU -- STEPHANIE, YOU’RE
RIGHT.
THAT THE BASIC POINT THAT THERE
ARE INEQUITIES IF YOU WILL.
THIS IS DONE FROM A PUBLIC
HEALTH POINT OF VIEW, NOT AN
ECONOMIC FAIRNESS POINT OF VIEW.
WE ARE REDUCING CONGREGATE
SETTINGS, RIGHT?
YOU WANT TO REDUCE DENSITY.
THAT THEN HAS A DIFFERENT EFFECT
ON BUSINESSES DEPENDING ON THEIR
BUSINESS MODEL.
BUT IT’S -- THEY’RE ALL PUBLIC
HEALTH LAWS.
THEY’RE NOT NECESSARILY DESIGNED
TO BE FAIR AMONG ALL BUSINESSES.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A
DISPROPORTIONATE EFFECT.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
BY THE WAY, SMALL BUSINESS, BIG
BUSINESS, HOW ABOUT WORKERS?
HOW ABOUT THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS
WHO WERE ASKED TO SACRIFICE
THEIR HEALTH AND JEOPARDIZE
THEIR HEALTH WHILE THE HIGHER
INCOME EMPLOYEES WERE ALLOWED TO
STAY HOME.
SO THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF
INJUSTICE THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
MORE THAN ANYTHING, WE HAVE TO
JUST RESOLVE THE VIRUS SO WE CAN
MOVE ON.
AS YOU MENTIONED, COUNTRIES ARE
REOPENING.
WE ARE REOPENING OUR ECONOMY.
WE’VE NOT GONE BACK IN NEW YORK.
BUT YOU HAVE TO RESOLVE THE
VIRUS TO FULLY MOVE ON.
AND UNTIL YOU RESOLVE THE VIRUS
AND DEVELOP A VACCINE THAT YOU
ADMINISTER, YOU WILL STILL HAVE
THIS UNSTABLE ECONOMIC
REOPENING.
>> IF WE DON’T GET A FEDERAL
STIMULUS PACKAGE, THE NEXT
STIMULUS BILL, WHICH INCLUDES
THE RESTAURANT ACT, DO YOU NEED
TO LOOK AT A STATE SOLUTION?
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS OF
RESTAURANTS IN YOUR STATE,
SPECIFICALLY IN NEW YORK CITY
THAT COULD BE CLOSED FOREVER.
>> TAKE A STEP BACK FROM THAT.
IF WE DON’T GET A FEDERAL
STIMULUS BILL, IF THERE IS NO
STATE AND LOCAL FINANCING, MY
STATE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS A $50
BILLION DEFICIT BETWEEN THE
STATE AND THE LOCALITIES.
THERE IS NO WAY I CAN CLOSE A
$50 BILLION DEFICIT.
AND NOW YOU HAVE THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SAYING, OH, AND THE
NEXT STEP IS WE HAVE TO DEVELOP
A VACCINE AND ADMINISTER A
VACCINE WHICH WILL BE A
MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR VENTURE.
AND WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO DO IT
ON THE FEDERAL SIDE EXCEPT
SAYING, OKAY, STATES, YOU FIGURE
IT OUT.
WHICH IS A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING
USING THE SAME ESSENTIAL WORKERS
THAT I CAN’T PAY BECAUSE THEY
ARE NOT FUNDING THE STATE AND
LOCAL DEFICIT.
SO THERE IS NO COHERENT
GOVERNMENT POLICY TO THIS.
IT’S MUCH BROADER THAN JUST
INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES.
IF WE DON’T GET STATE AND LOCAL
FINANCING ASSISTANCE FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU’LL SEE
MASSIVE LAYOFFS ON -- FROM
STATES, FROM CITIES, TAX
INCREASES.
I BELIEVE IT WILL HEAD US FOR AN
ECONOMIC RECESSION.
LET ALONE MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO
DO THIS VACCINE ADMINISTRATION
PROGRAM THAT THE -- EVERYBODY
SAYS IS THE LAST CHAPTER BUT
NOBODY IS PREPARED FOR.
>> LET’S STAY ON THE ECONOMY
BECAUSE THE CITY JOURNAL JUST
PUT OUT AN ARTICLE COMPARING JOB
LOSSES IN NEW YORK CITY TO THE
REST OF THE COUNTRY.
IN MANUFACTURING, THE U.S. LOST
ROUGHLY 6%.
NEW YORK LOST 19%.
IN RETAIL, THE COUNTRY LOST 5%.
NEW YORK LOST 13%.
IN BUSINESS, THE COUNTRY LOST
7%.
NEW YORK LOST ALMOST 14%.
AND HOTEL AND RESTAURANT, U.S.
LOST 22%, AND NEW YORK LOST 49%
OF THE JOBS.
WHY IS NEW YORK DOING SO MUCH
WORSE THAN THE REST OF AMERICA?
IS IT JUST ABOUT DENSITY?
>> NO, STEPHANIE, IT’S ABOUT
FACTS AND REALITY.
REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
NEW YORK HAD MANY MORE CASES.
NEW YORK WAS THE HARDEST HIT
BECAUSE THE FUNDAMENTAL, THE
FIRST GOVERNMENT ERROR WAS WE
HAD A WHITE HOUSE SAYING CHINA
VIRUS, CHINA VIRUS, CHINA VIRUS.
IT WASN’T THE CHINA VIRUS.
IT WAS THE EUROPEAN VIRUS.
THE VIRUS DIDN’T COME TO THE
UNITED STATES FROM CHINA.
IT CAME FROM EUROPE.
IT MIGRATED FROM CHINA TO
EUROPE, ITALY, FRANCE, SPAIN,
AND IT CAME HERE FROM EUROPE.
THE PRESIDENT DID THE CHINA
TRAVEL BAN JANUARY 29th.
THE VIRUS WAS GONE FROM CHINA.
IT WAS IN EUROPE, AND THEY
DIDN’T DO A EUROPEAN BAN UNTIL
MARCH 16th.
THAT MEANS THE VIRUS WAS COMING
HERE ON PLANES FROM EUROPE FOR
THREE MONTHS.
MOST OF THOSE FLIGHTS WERE
LANDING ON THE EAST COAST.
MANY OF THEM IN NEW YORK CITY.
THAT’S WHY NEW YORK WAS AMBUSHED
BY THAT CORONAVIRUS.
AND THAT’S WHY WE HAD TO SHUT
DOWN THE WAY WE DID.
AND THAT’S WHY YOU SEE THE
ECONOMIC NUMBERS DOWN FOR NEW
YORK BECAUSE WE SHUT DOWN.
BUT YOU NOW ARE REPORTING ON
STATES IN THE WEST THAT DIDN’T
SHUT DOWN.
AND DIDN’T TAKE COVID SERIOUSLY.
AND NOW YOU ARE SEEING THEIR
CASES GO UP.
RIGHT?
SO IT MAKES THE POINT.
YES, WE SHUT DOWN BECAUSE WE
WERE AMBUSHED.
BUT WE GOT THE VIRUS OUT OF
CONTROL.
THOSE OTHER STATES THAT WERE IN
DENIAL, THAT’S WHERE YOU’RE
SEEING THE INCREASE NOW.
THERE’S NO SECOND WAVE,
STEPHANIE.
THIS IS THE FIRST WAVE THAT THEY
NEVER CAME TO TERMS WITH BECAUSE