Dr. Gupta Presses Sec Azar on W.H. Holding Christmas Parties While Americans Are Being Advised to Avoid Holiday Gatherings

GUPTA Congratulations big day ░░░░░░░░ I know it s ░░░░░░░░ a lot of hard ░░░░░░░░ I do want to ░░░░░░░░ about something other than ░░░░░░░░ for a second though ░░░░░░░░ we ve spent so ░░░░░░░░ time recently as you ░░░░░░░░ Secretary talking about telling ░░░░░░░░ not to have holiday ░░░░░░░░ telling people don t ░░░░░░░░ any holiday gatherings this ░░░░░░░░ Ambassador Birx said if ░░░░░░░░ do have a holiday ░░░░░░░░ with people outside your ░░░░░░░░ you have to assume ░░░░░░░░ are infected You can ░░░░░░░░ wear masks when you ░░░░░░░░ these holiday gatherings if ░░░░░░░░ re eating or drinking ░░░░░░░░ yet Secretary there s ░░░░░░░░ than a dozen parties ░░░░░░░░ parties going on at ░░░░░░░░ White House How are ░░░░░░░░ suppose to reconcile this ░░░░░░░░ know you attended one ░░░░░░░░ these parties how do ░░░░░░░░ reconcile this and what ░░░░░░░░ do you think the ░░░░░░░░ people should take away ░░░░░░░░ that AZAR Well Sanjay ░░░░░░░░ m not as prescriptive ░░░░░░░░ the way you described ░░░░░░░░ What I say is ░░░░░░░░ you are in an ░░░░░░░░ gathering you are at ░░░░░░░░ risk When you do ░░░░░░░░ wear your face coverings ░░░░░░░░ you can t practice ░░░░░░░░ distance you are at ░░░░░░░░ risk And each of ░░░░░░░░ have to decide our ░░░░░░░░ risk tolerances and what ░░░░░░░░ behaviors will be My ░░░░░░░░ is the same regardless ░░░░░░░░ setting whether it s ░░░░░░░░ White House Christmas gathering ░░░░░░░░ someone at their house ░░░░░░░░ s wash your hands ░░░░░░░░ your distance and wear ░░░░░░░░ face covering when you ░░░░░░░░ t watch your distance ░░░░░░░░ it is the same ░░░░░░░░ I ve got my ░░░░░░░░ covering on when I ░░░░░░░░ at one of those ░░░░░░░░ I keep my distance ░░░░░░░░ others If people come ░░░░░░░░ me who don t ░░░░░░░░ a mask on I ░░░░░░░░ them to put a ░░░░░░░░ on or I m ░░░░░░░░ going to be able ░░░░░░░░ engage with them And ░░░░░░░░ s the practice that ░░░░░░░░ engage in We don ░░░░░░░░ have to we don ░░░░░░░░ have to wall ourselves ░░░░░░░░ completely we can be ░░░░░░░░ with each other in ░░░░░░░░ community but these very ░░░░░░░░ steps very simple steps ░░░░░░░░ be the pathway for ░░░░░░░░ to keep safe and ░░░░░░░░ so that we can ░░░░░░░░ around for the next ░░░░░░░░ season GUPTA Yeah but ░░░░░░░░ just want to be ░░░░░░░░ though that the CD ░░░░░░░░ the Coronavirus task force ░░░░░░░░ ve been pretty clear ░░░░░░░░ this that indoor gatherings ░░░░░░░░ people outside your household ░░░░░░░░ is not the year ░░░░░░░░ do it Secretary Azar ░░░░░░░░ you agree with that ░░░░░░░░ least AZAR So Sanjay ░░░░░░░░ we say is it ░░░░░░░░ greater risk We actually ░░░░░░░░ an excellent slide available ░░░░░░░░ CD C gov Coronavirus ░░░░░░░░ that walks you through ░░░░░░░░ to make the decisions ░░░░░░░░ consider the various factors ░░░░░░░░ for as you know ░░░░░░░░ you re outside you ░░░░░░░░ at less risk If ░░░░░░░░ are going to be ░░░░░░░░ then certainly try to ░░░░░░░░ as much of ventilation ░░░░░░░░ possible including opening windows ░░░░░░░░ much as possible or ░░░░░░░░ the if you have ░░░░░░░░ ceiling fan turn it ░░░░░░░░ it pulls upward Have ░░░░░░░░ safe food handling practices ░░░░░░░░ each of those choices ░░░░░░░░ make the more people ░░░░░░░░ more indoors the less ░░░░░░░░ every one of those ░░░░░░░░ increases risk and of ░░░░░░░░ distance and mask they ░░░░░░░░ an important mitigation The ░░░░░░░░ is clear Two people ░░░░░░░░ masks at one meter ░░░░░░░░ 72 percent reduction in ░░░░░░░░ transmission The data is ░░░░░░░░ These work distance works ░░░░░░░░ I hate to interrupt ░░░░░░░░ we just crossed a ░░░░░░░░ milestone with more than ░░░░░░░░ 000 deaths We ve ░░░░░░░░ that line it s ░░░░░░░░ 300 267 The U ░░░░░░░░ with four percent or ░░░░░░░░ of the world s ░░░░░░░░ has roughly at least ░░░░░░░░ to official numbers 20 ░░░░░░░░ of the world s ░░░░░░░░ deaths It is a ░░░░░░░░ milestone and I wonder ░░░░░░░░ you have any comment ░░░░░░░░ it and also why ░░░░░░░░ think it s so ░░░░░░░░ here AZAR Well Jake ░░░░░░░░ death from Covid is ░░░░░░░░ terrible tragedy any death ░░░░░░░░ this context okay We ░░░░░░░░ and not just directly ░░░░░░░░ Covid You know I ░░░░░░░░ my father in April ░░░░░░░░ wasn t able to ░░░░░░░░ him for the month ░░░░░░░░ a half before I ░░░░░░░░ gotten to experience the ░░░░░░░░ that individuals who can ░░░░░░░░ be with their relatives ░░░░░░░░ were in a nursing ░░░░░░░░ be with the relatives ░░░░░░░░ are dying in intensive ░░░░░░░░ units what they experience ░░░░░░░░ pain and the anguish ░░░░░░░░ our health care system ░░░░░░░░ our country is real ░░░░░░░░ that is why I ░░░░░░░░ up everyday with the ░░░░░░░░ commitment to deliver vaccines ░░░░░░░░ we re doing today ░░░░░░░░ the therapeutics that can ░░░░░░░░ people out of the ░░░░░░░░ or that can help ░░░░░░░░ recover if they ve ░░░░░░░░ serious disease And that ░░░░░░░░ where my commitment comes ░░░░░░░░ every single day waking ░░░░░░░░ working for the American ░░░░░░░░ to try to bring ░░░░░░░░ therapeutics and vaccines to ░░░░░░░░ because we want these ░░░░░░░░ to stop we want ░░░░░░░░ turn around the hospitalizations ░░░░░░░░ want cases to go ░░░░░░░░