Biden Covid Adviser Warns of a 4-to-6 Week National Lockdown to Drive Down Covid Numbers

OSTERHOLM And in terms ░░░░░░░░ the task force and ░░░░░░░░ with the President Elect ░░░░░░░░ Vice President Elect right ░░░░░░░░ we really don t ░░░░░░░░ the detailed agenda that ░░░░░░░░ being crafted as we ░░░░░░░░ So I would just ░░░░░░░░ that there really is ░░░░░░░░ effort being made to ░░░░░░░░ of all be prepared ░░░░░░░░ hit the ground running ░░░░░░░░ January 20th And number ░░░░░░░░ in the meantime even ░░░░░░░░ not in control of ░░░░░░░░ government as such what ░░░░░░░░ we pull together and ░░░░░░░░ with the states and ░░░░░░░░ out there that have ░░░░░░░░ been left to their ░░░░░░░░ devices in terms of ░░░░░░░░ to respond to this ░░░░░░░░ so that in fact ░░░░░░░░ that kind of information ░░░░░░░░ support can be there ░░░░░░░░ you know you ll ░░░░░░░░ hearing much more I ░░░░░░░░ in the very very ░░░░░░░░ term in terms of ░░░░░░░░ the transition team is ░░░░░░░░ on FUJITA On that ░░░░░░░░ process Doctor we ve ░░░░░░░░ a lot about some ░░░░░░░░ the challenges other departments ░░░░░░░░ agencies are facing right ░░░░░░░░ Because the Trump administration ░░░░░░░░ t necessarily on board ░░░░░░░░ the transition as they ░░░░░░░░ to these legal fights ░░░░░░░░ individual states From your ░░░░░░░░ as we try to ░░░░░░░░ a more comprehensive Covid ░░░░░░░░ to take effect in ░░░░░░░░ how big of a ░░░░░░░░ does that create for ░░░░░░░░ OSTERHOLM Well you know ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t say it ░░░░░░░░ a hurdle yet I ░░░░░░░░ t comment on that ░░░░░░░░ as a member of ░░░░░░░░ task force I know ░░░░░░░░ the leadership of the ░░░░░░░░ force as well as ░░░░░░░░ staff and the transition ░░░░░░░░ are working on that ░░░░░░░░ You know as you ░░░░░░░░ from listening to people ░░░░░░░░ Tony Fauci and others ░░░░░░░░ know we ve had ░░░░░░░░ fair amount of information ░░░░░░░░ that already has occurred ░░░░░░░░ the recent months And ░░░░░░░░ s continuing You know ░░░░░░░░ s a fair amount ░░░░░░░░ transparency in that piece ░░░░░░░░ s just a matter ░░░░░░░░ what the actual points ░░░░░░░░ that will be made ░░░░░░░░ priority So I think ░░░░░░░░ this point that will ░░░░░░░░ out And we surely ░░░░░░░░ as task force members ░░░░░░░░ as our just everyday ░░░░░░░░ careers we are already ░░░░░░░░ with people at HHS ░░░░░░░░ an extensive basis GUZMAN ░░░░░░░░ Doctor as one of ░░░░░░░░ new members of the ░░░░░░░░ force as well as ░░░░░░░░ said just an expert ░░░░░░░░ kind of getting this ░░░░░░░░ control I d be ░░░░░░░░ to get your take ░░░░░░░░ what you might stress ░░░░░░░░ the task force in ░░░░░░░░ of changing some of ░░░░░░░░ strategies we ve seen ░░░░░░░░ under the Trump administration ░░░░░░░░ I d point to ░░░░░░░░ s playing out in ░░░░░░░░ Paso right now It ░░░░░░░░ from three mobile overflow ░░░░░░░░ there to four now ░░░░░░░░ The city despite having ░░░░░░░░ under 700 000 people ░░░░░░░░ has more cases more ░░░░░░░░ patients than some states ░░░░░░░░ we ve seen you ░░░░░░░░ officials there grappling the ░░░░░░░░ battling the governor battling ░░░░░░░░ county judge and all ░░░░░░░░ What are you looking ░░░░░░░░ do differently when it ░░░░░░░░ to actually implementing some ░░░░░░░░ to protect Americans OSTERHOLM ░░░░░░░░ the first thing that ░░░░░░░░ to happen is we ░░░░░░░░ to have a story ░░░░░░░░ tell America We have ░░░░░░░░ be able to explain ░░░░░░░░ them what s happening ░░░░░░░░ know this is the ░░░░░░░░ versus us This is ░░░░░░░░ the virus versus one ░░░░░░░░ of politicians versus another ░░░░░░░░ regional area against another ░░░░░░░░ versus what goes on ░░░░░░░░ the community This is ░░░░░░░░ versus the virus You ░░░░░░░░ I said yesterday that ░░░░░░░░ are entering this period ░░░░░░░░ I call Covid hell ░░░░░░░░ know back on Labor ░░░░░░░░ we were at about ░░░░░░░░ 000 cases of new ░░░░░░░░ infection every day Today ░░░░░░░░ re going to be ░░░░░░░░ the 130 000 to ░░░░░░░░ 000 again And that ░░░░░░░░ is going to keep ░░░░░░░░ rapidly And you know ░░░░░░░░ ve been predicting this ░░░░░░░░ a combination of pandemic ░░░░░░░░ People just being tired ░░░░░░░░ trying to avoid the ░░░░░░░░ and places that puts ░░░░░░░░ at increased risk pandemic ░░░░░░░░ We re up to ░░░░░░░░ third of the U ░░░░░░░░ population doesn t believe ░░░░░░░░ pandemic is real to ░░░░░░░░ with So why adhere ░░░░░░░░ any kind of public ░░░░░░░░ recommendations And then we ░░░░░░░░ have indoor air We ░░░░░░░░ a situation We re ░░░░░░░░ indoors right now We ░░░░░░░░ that virus concentrations build ░░░░░░░░ inside And transmission is ░░░░░░░░ more there So we ░░░░░░░░ to tell the story ░░░░░░░░ what s coming People ░░░░░░░░ t want to hear ░░░░░░░░ El Paso isn t ░░░░░░░░ isolated event El Paso ░░░░░░░░ many instances will become ░░░░░░░░ norm And you know ░░░░░░░░ have health care systems ░░░░░░░░ now that are overwhelmed ░░░░░░░░ right now And we ░░░░░░░░ talking about potentially doubling ░░░░░░░░ number of cases over ░░░░░░░░ time period before the ░░░░░░░░ Elect even takes office ░░░░░░░░ so I think that ░░░░░░░░ message is how do ░░░░░░░░ get through this We ░░░░░░░░ FDR moments right now ░░░░░░░░ need fireside chats We ░░░░░░░░ somebody to tell America ░░░░░░░░ is what in the ░░░░░░░░ is going to happen ░░░░░░░░ this is what we ░░░░░░░░ got to do about ░░░░░░░░ in a way that ░░░░░░░░ believe it They understand ░░░░░░░░ They feel it And ░░░░░░░░ see that somebody is ░░░░░░░░ to lead them And ░░░░░░░░ can be anybody But ░░░░░░░░ believe that the transition ░░░░░░░░ surely is placing the ░░░░░░░░ Elect in particular to ░░░░░░░░ guide us And his ░░░░░░░░ has been very clear ░░░░░░░░ just understand everyone on ░░░░░░░░ screen will know a ░░░░░░░░ related event either in ░░░░░░░░ or your family or ░░░░░░░░ colleagues in the days ░░░░░░░░ If you haven t ░░░░░░░░ it happen already it ░░░░░░░░ going to happen There ░░░░░░░░ t be any blue ░░░░░░░░ red states anymore There ░░░░░░░░ t be blue or ░░░░░░░░ counties It will be ░░░░░░░░ color FUJITA And Doctor ░░░░░░░░ that point we ve ░░░░░░░░ a number of states ░░░░░░░░ the last few days ░░░░░░░░ more aggressively in placing ░░░░░░░░ implementing restrictions We had ░░░░░░░░ with that mask mandate ░░░░░░░░ this week Now we ░░░░░░░░ got these reports suggesting ░░░░░░░░ in New Jersey schools ░░░░░░░░ close down from the ░░░░░░░░ of this month into ░░░░░░░░ How effective can these ░░░░░░░░ be state by state ░░░░░░░░ the absence of a ░░░░░░░░ mandate OSTERHOLM You know ░░░░░░░░ re going to have ░░░░░░░░ limited impact But let ░░░░░░░░ just come back to ░░░░░░░░ point Because this has ░░░░░░░░ I think a very ░░░░░░░░ issue And that is ░░░░░░░░ If I interviewed 50 ░░░░░░░░ today in the U ░░░░░░░░ for what they define ░░░░░░░░ lockdown as I could ░░░░░░░░ 75 different answers And ░░░░░░░░ think that one of ░░░░░░░░ challenges has been that ░░░░░░░░ really is no understanding ░░░░░░░░ what a lockdown is ░░░░░░░░ about We talk about ░░░░░░░░ pain and suffering of ░░░░░░░░ virus about the pain ░░░░░░░░ suffering to the economy ░░░░░░░░ what it does You ░░░░░░░░ I d refer everyone ░░░░░░░░ to an op ed ░░░░░░░░ in early August that ░░░░░░░░ Kashkari the president of ░░░░░░░░ Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank ░░░░░░░░ I did in the ░░░░░░░░ York Times Number one ░░░░░░░░ predicted where we d ░░░░░░░░ right now We said ░░░░░░░░ would happen if we ░░░░░░░░ nothing different Number two ░░░░░░░░ that when you look ░░░░░░░░ the personal savings rate ░░░░░░░░ this country it s ░░░░░░░░ gone from about 8 ░░░░░░░░ to over 22 percent ░░░░░░░░ have a big pool ░░░░░░░░ money out there that ░░░░░░░░ could borrow The historic ░░░░░░░░ interest rates by the ░░░░░░░░ government we could pay ░░░░░░░░ a package right now ░░░░░░░░ cover all of the ░░░░░░░░ lost wages for individual ░░░░░░░░ for our losses to ░░░░░░░░ companies to medium sized ░░░░░░░░ for city states county ░░░░░░░░ We could do all ░░░░░░░░ that If we did ░░░░░░░░ then we could lock ░░░░░░░░ for four to six ░░░░░░░░ And if we did ░░░░░░░░ we could drive the ░░░░░░░░ down like they ve ░░░░░░░░ in Asia like they ░░░░░░░░ in New Zealand and ░░░░░░░░ And then we could ░░░░░░░░ watch ourselves cruising into ░░░░░░░░ vaccine availability in the ░░░░░░░░ and second quarter of ░░░░░░░░ year and bringing back ░░░░░░░░ economy long before that ░░░░░░░░ Well Doctor I really ░░░░░░░░ to quickly ask you ░░░░░░░░ we let you go ░░░░░░░░ the vaccine push here ░░░░░░░░ Because that s going ░░░░░░░░ be key for your ░░░░░░░░ force And when we ░░░░░░░░ at that there are ░░░░░░░░ worries that Americans just ░░░░░░░░ not want to get ░░░░░░░░ vaccine And you think ░░░░░░░░ polling at 50 percent ░░░░░░░░ Americans roughly saying that ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t want to ░░░░░░░░ it Talk to me ░░░░░░░░ the incentives that the ░░░░░░░░ force is going to ░░░░░░░░ to work with to ░░░░░░░░ push Americans to get ░░░░░░░░ out there since we ░░░░░░░░ it s important to ░░░░░░░░ this pandemic under control ░░░░░░░░ do you see playing ░░░░░░░░ OSTERHOLM Yeah that s ░░░░░░░░ critical You know particularly ░░░░░░░░ you look at the ░░░░░░░░ that this virus infection ░░░░░░░░ disproportionately impacted the black ░░░░░░░░ and communities of colors ░░░░░░░░ there It has We ░░░░░░░░ to understand that they ░░░░░░░░ have reasons not to ░░░░░░░░ things like vaccines So ░░░░░░░░ we all want all ░░░░░░░░ to be vaccinated eventually ░░░░░░░░ know we re going ░░░░░░░░ have a hard time ░░░░░░░░ some groups who may ░░░░░░░░ at the highest risk ░░░░░░░░ so we have an ░░░░░░░░ need to begin educating ░░░░░░░░ public about these vaccines ░░░░░░░░ they can do what ░░░░░░░░ can t do about ░░░░░░░░ safety again telling a ░░░░░░░░ We need to tell ░░░░░░░░ story And you know ░░░░░░░░ can t go from ░░░░░░░░ to day from crisis ░░░░░░░░ crisis How are we ░░░░░░░░ to get to the ░░░░░░░░ of protecting our country ░░░░░░░░ the world It s ░░░░░░░░ to be getting to ░░░░░░░░ that are safe and ░░░░░░░░ And it s going ░░░░░░░░ take a while to ░░░░░░░░ there So what do ░░░░░░░░ do in the meantime ░░░░░░░░ that s I think ░░░░░░░░ is the immediate issue ░░░░░░░░ now And what I ░░░░░░░░ I think all of ░░░░░░░░ need to work towards ░░░░░░░░ how do we help ░░░░░░░░ how do we help ░░░░░░░░ world get to a ░░░░░░░░ when we will have ░░░░░░░░ supplies of the vaccine ░░░░░░░░ not have to have ░░░░░░░░ know thousands and thousands ░░░░░░░░ deaths before that happens.”