SAVANNAH. >> ALL RIGHT.
GABE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEW YORK CITY MAYOR BILL DE
BLASIO JOINS US FROM CITY HALL.
MR. MAYOR, GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, SIR.
>> THANK YOU, SAVANNAH.
>> YOU MENTIONED, I BELIEVE,
YESTERDAY THAT NEW YORK CITY
RESIDENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED
POTENTIALLY TO HAVE TO
SHELTER-IN-PLACE, SOMETHING LIKE
WE’RE SEEING HAPPENING IN SAN
FRANCISCO.
FRANCISCO. THEN NEW YORK’S GOVERNOR ANDREW
CUOMO SAID NO, NO, SOMETHING
LIKE THAT IS NOT GOING TO
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. CAN YOU CLEAR IT UP?
WHERE DOES THAT STAND?
>> SAVANNAH, I WAS VERY CLEAR
YESTERDAY, IT CAN ONLY BE DONE
WITH THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY TO
PEOPLE IS THIS DISEASE IS MOVING
SO RAPIDLY.
SO RAPIDLY. YESTERDAY WE HAD OVER 100 NEW
CASES IN NEW YORK CITY.
WE’RE AT ALMOST 1,000 CASES
RIGHT NOW, SAVANNAH.
WE’VE LOST 10 PEOPLE ALREADY.
IT’S INCREASING IN A WAY, I
DON’T EVEN THINK OUR LEADERS IN
WASHINGTON BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND
THIS.
THIS. BUT HERE IN NEW YORK, WE HAVE
THE MOST CASES OF ANY STATE IN
THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. SO WHAT I WAS SAYING TO PEOPLE
IS GET READY FOR THE
POSSIBILITY.
POSSIBILITY. IT’S A DECISION WE WOULD ONLY
MAKE WITH THE STATE OF NEW YORK,
OF COUR.
OF COUR. BUT PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE AT
THIS POINT THAT THIS DISEASE IS
GOING TO PUT MANY, MANY PEOPLE,
THOUSANDS AND TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE’S LIVES IN DANGER, AND
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THINGS
VERY DIFFERENTLY.
VERY DIFFERENTLY. AND IF WE EVEN GET TO
SHELTER-IN-PLACE, WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE TO COME UP WITH HUGE NEW
APPROACHES TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE
HAVE ENOUGH FOOD AND MEDICINE
BECAUSE THEY SURE AS HELL DON’T
HAVE INCOME RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HEARD
SECRETARY MNUCHIN, $1,000 IN
PEOPLE’S POCKETS IS NOT ENOUGH,
NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO STAY WHOLE
AND AFFORD BASICS IN LIFE.
WASHINGTON IS GOING TO HAVE TO
GET REAL IF THERE’S
UNEMPLOYMENT, WE NEED A MASSIVE
FEDERAL RELIEF PROGRAM THAT
LOOKS LIKE THE GREAT DEPRESSION
SO PEOPLE ARE WHOLE ECONOMICALLY
SO THEY WILL HAVE MONEY FOR FOOD
OR MEDICINE.
OR MEDICINE. THAT’S WHAT I FEAR.
>> THESE ARE THE EARLY DAYS.
THERE’S SO MUCH TO FEAR RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. YOU TALKED ABOUT IF YOU HAD TO
DO A SHELTER-IN-PLACE, THE
QUESTION OF HOW PEOPLE GET THOSE
CRITICAL NEEDS.
CRITICAL NEEDS. THE OTHER ISSUE, AS YOU WELL
KNOW, OUR CAPACITY IN HOSPITALS,
THE SUPPLIES, THE VENTILATORS,
THE RESPIRATORS, THE PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT, WHERE DOES THAT STAND
IN YOUR MIND RIGHT NOW IN TERMS
OF YOUR OWN NEEDS AND WHETHER
THERE’S SUFFICIENT RESOURCES IN
THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
>> SAVANNAH, I SPENT A FEW WEEKS
TRYING TO REASSURE NEW YORKERS
BECAUSE WE DID HAVE A LOT OF
CAPACITY, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF
CAPACITY.
CAPACITY. BUT AT THIS POINT WITH THE
TRAJECTORY OF THE DISEASE, WE
HAVE TO BE HONEST.
IF THERE IS NOT A PROFOUND
FEDERAL INTERVENTION QUICKLY TO
ENSURE THAT WE HAVE MORE
VENTILATORS, WE HAVE MORE
SURGICAL MASKS, ALL THE BASIC
SUPPLIES, IF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT DOES NOT GET INVOLVED
QUICKLY, AND SPECIFICALLY THE
UNITED STATES MILITARY, AND I
SPOKE TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
JOINT CHIEF OF STAFF, THE
MILITARY HAS EXTRAORDINARY
MEDICAL CAPACITY, IT’S NEEDED IN
PLACES LIKE NEW YORK RIGHT NOW.
BUT IT’S QUITE CLEAR THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON HAS
NOT MOBILIZED THE AMERICAN
MILITARY.
MILITARY. THERE IS STILL -- THERE ARE
AMERICAN MILITARY OFFICERS RIGHT
NOW STILL BUILDING A WALL AT THE
SOUTHERN BORDER WHEN ALL THEY
SHOULD BE DOING DOMESTICALLY IS
ADDRESSING CORONAVIRUS.
ADDRESSING CORONAVIRUS. WE NEED THEIR MEDICAL RESOURCES,
THEIR LOGISTICAL KNOW HOW.
WE NEED THEM TO MAKE SURE FOOD
AND MEDICINE MOVES AROUND THE
COUNTRY AND OUR SUPPLY CHAIN IS
NOT DISRUPTED.
NOT DISRUPTED. RIGHT NOW WE’RE IN THE MIDST OF
A CRISIS WE HAVE NOT SEEN FOR
GENERATIONS, SAVANNAH, AND YET
THE AMERICAN MILITARY IS BEING
SIDELINED WHEN THEY SHOULD BE
GIVEN THE CHANCE TO GET IN THIS
GAME AND HELP US ALL.
>> CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT THE
FIGURE THAT YOU MENTIONED AT THE
TOP OF THIS INTERVIEW.
YOU SAID I THINK THERE ARE 100
NEW CASES IN NEW YORK CITY.
I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN DOING A LOT
OF MATH.
OF MATH. IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THAT
RATE, THE RATE OF INCREASE, JUST
RECENTLY THAT GIVES YOU PAUSE OR
SUGGESTS THAT THE SOCIAL
DISTANCING THAT WE’RE ALL TRYING
TO PRACTICE ISN’T BENDING THE
CURVE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT IT TO?
>> I THINK THAT’S THE EXACT
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. SO 100 PLUS NEW CASES YESTERDAY,
SAVANNAH.
SAVANNAH. THAT’S WHAT I’M SEEING AS KIND
OF A GALLUP NOW.
THIS MORNING, LATEST NEWS, 923
CASES BUT WE’RE GOING TO TOP
1,000 TODAY UNDOUBTEDLY.
WE’RE GOING TO BE AT 10,000 NOT
SO LONG FROM NOW.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT,
SAVANNAH, THAT KIND OF RATE OF
INCREASE, WHAT THAT’S GOING TO
DO TO OUR HOSPITALS,
PARTICULARLY OUR ICUs.
LOOK, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
NEEDS URGENT INTERVENTION BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND I THINK
WE’LL HAVE TO GO DEEPER CHANGING
OUR APPROACH, WHICH IS WHY AN
HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT
SHELTER-IN-PLACE HAS TO HAPPEN.
AGAIN, THIS DECISION CAN ONLY BE
MADE WITH THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
I WILL BE SPEAKING WITH THE
GOVERNOR ABOUT IT LATER ON
TODAY.
TODAY. BUT I THINK THE TIME IS TO GET
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND.
>> REAL QUICKLY, BECAUSE I’M
ALMOST OUT OF TOWN.
YEAH.
YEAH. ARE YOU GOING TO RECOMMEND TO
THE GOVERNOR THAT NEW YORK CITY
DO SHELTER-IN-PLACE?
DO SHELTER-IN-PLACE? >> I’M ALMOST AT THAT POINT.
WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE TO MAKE
SENSE OF, HOW TO GET PEOPLE FOOD