FAMILY WHO RIGHT NOW ARE
DECLINING COMMENT.
>> LOT OF QUESTIONS STILL ON
THAT ONE.
MORGAN, THANK YOU.
>>> TURNING NOW TO THE PANDEMIC.
COVID CASES HAVE FALLEN
DRAMATICALLY HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
DOWN 40% TO AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT
35,000 A DAY OVER THE LAST TWO
WEEKS.
DEATHS ALSO WAY DOWN AS WELL.
DROPPING 60% OVER THAT SAME
PERIOD.
BUT NOW ALL EYES ARE ON A NEW
STRAIN, BA.2.
IT IS FUELLING A SPIKE IN NEW
INFECTIONS ACROSS EUROPE NOW.
DR. ASHISH JHA JOINS US.
SOON HE'S TAKING OVER AS WHITE
HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE
COORDINATOR.
DR. JHA.
WELCOME.
BA.2 HITTING HARD NOW.
IS IT REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT
IS GOING TO HAPPEN HERE THIS
TIME AROUND AS WELL?
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
BA.2 IS AROUND.
IT IS IN THE U.S. AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF IT.
NOT AS MUCH AS EUROPE.
HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW.
WE KNOW TASE LITTLE MORE
TRANSMISSIBLE THAN BAH 1.
BA.1 SWEPT THROUGH IN JANUARY.
OUR VACCINES ESPECIALLY IF YOU
ARE BOOSTED PROVIDE THE SAME
LEVEL OF PROTECTION.
SO LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE
UPCOMING WEEKS.
OBVIOUSLY INFECTIONS ARE WAY
DOWN ACROSS AMERICA.
I'M NOT EXPECTING A BIG SURGE
BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY
CLOSE ATTENTION AND REALLY BE
DRIVEN BY DATA AS WE HAVE
THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
>> THIS WEEK.
PFIZER AND MODERNA ANNOUNCING
SEEKING EMERGENCY USE
AUTHORIZATION FOR ADDITIONAL
BOOSTER SHOTS.
FIRESIDES WERE 65 AND OLDER.
MODERNA FOR EVERYONE.
ARE WE APPROACHING THAT POINT
DR. JHA WHERE EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO GET ANOTHER BOOSTER
TO HAVE TO GET ANOTHER BOOSTER HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
>> THE FIRST BOOSTER DATA IS
VERY CLEAR.
THE FOURTH SHOT, THE DATA HAS
BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE FDA.
IT HAS NOT BEEN WIDELY AVAILABLE
YET.
I THINK WE WANT TO BE DRIVEN BY
THE EVIDENCE.
IT MAY VERY WELL END UP BEING
THE FOURTH SHOT IS HELPFUL,
PARTICULARLY FOR HIGH RISK
PEOPLE.
WE WANT TO SEE THE FULL SET OF
DATA AND MAKE A DECISION AFTER
THAT.
>> SPRING BREAK UNDER WAY IN A
LOT OF PARTS IN THIS COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW.
AS YOU KNOW LOT OF THE
MITIGATION EFFORTS HAVE BEEN
ROLLED BACK.
MASK MANDATES ROLLED BACK.
DID WE DO IT ALL TOO SOON?
ARE YOU AT ALL CONCERNED?
OR DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO
BE OKAY?
>> I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE
OKAY.
FOR COUPLE MONTHS I'VE BEEN
SAYING AS INFECTIONS FALL, IT IS
REASONABLE TO LIFT MASK
MANDATES.
HOSPITALIZATIONS FALL.
REASONABLE TO LIFT A LOT OF
THOSE RESTRICTIONS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE CDC MAP RIGHT
NOW, ABOUT 90% OF THE COUNTRY IS
IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
SO I THINK IN THOSE PLACES WE
DON'T NEED SUBSTANTIAL
MITIGATION EFFORTS AND WE WANT
TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE WEEKS
AND MONTHS AHEAD.
I'M ALSO HOPEFUL THAT BETTER,
WARMER WEATHER, PEOPLE SPENDING
MORE TIME OUTSIDE, THAT IS GOING TO BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
TO BE HELPFUL AS WELL.
>> QUICK, CON GRADUATESGRATS ON
GIG.
WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE.
>> WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO.
PREPARING FOR FUTURE VARIANTS IF
WE GET THEM.
THE FIRST OSHD OF BUSINESS IS
THE PRESIDENT HAS LAID OUT A
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR HOW FAR
WE PREPARE AND IT IS ABOUT
EXECUTING ON THAT PLAN.
ABOUT MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH
TESTS AND VACCINES AND
THERAPEUTICS AND MASKS.
IT IS ABOUT VACCINATING THE
WORLD SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS
PANDEMIC FINALLY BEHIND US.
WE'VE GOT TO EXECUTE ON THAT
PLAN.
THAT IS WHAT I'M GOING TO BE
FOCUSSED ON WHEN I JOIN THE
ADMINISTRATION.
>> CONGRATULATIONS AND FOR A