Abrams: Maskless Photo I Dismissed Criticism of as ‘Dishonest’ Was ‘a Mistake’

BURNETT The CDC director ░░░░░░░░ the agency stands by ░░░░░░░░ current guidance that masks ░░░░░░░░ still be worn in ░░░░░░░░ Dr Rochelle Walensky citing ░░░░░░░░ Covid infections in the ░░░░░░░░ States telling Reuters quote ░░░░░░░░ is not the moment ░░░░░░░░ quote to end school ░░░░░░░░ mandates But this comes ░░░░░░░░ the Democratic governors of ░░░░░░░░ Jersey Delaware Connecticut and ░░░░░░░░ just yesterday set very ░░░░░░░░ timelines to lift masking ░░░░░░░░ the classroom mandates in ░░░░░░░░ states All of this ░░░░░░░░ happening in a froth ░░░░░░░░ Masking in schools is ░░░░░░░░ hot button political issue ░░░░░░░░ my next guest Stacey ░░░░░░░░ knows well after recently ░░░░░░░░ criticized for retweeting a ░░░░░░░░ deleted photo of herself ░░░░░░░░ at a school event ░░░░░░░░ a classroom of masked ░░░░░░░░ sitting behind her OUTFRONT ░░░░░░░░ Stacey Abrams candidate in ░░░░░░░░ s Democratic gubernatorial primary ░░░░░░░░ former Democratic leader in ░░░░░░░░ s House of Representatives ░░░░░░░░ Leader Abrams I appreciate ░░░░░░░░ time So obviously we ░░░░░░░░ all seen the picture ░░░░░░░░ ve all seen the ░░░░░░░░ of the picture Did ░░░░░░░░ make a mistake by ░░░░░░░░ a photo maskless in ░░░░░░░░ classroom when it appears ░░░░░░░░ everyone else including all ░░░░░░░░ children were wearing them ░░░░░░░░ Yes I will say ░░░░░░░░ I when to the ░░░░░░░░ to kids for an ░░░░░░░░ American Read In Day ░░░░░░░░ approached the podium with ░░░░░░░░ mask on I followed ░░░░░░░░ protocol I told the ░░░░░░░░ I m taking my ░░░░░░░░ off because I m ░░░░░░░░ to kids listening remotely ░░░░░░░░ well the kids were ░░░░░░░░ distance from me I ░░░░░░░░ them that s what ░░░░░░░░ was doing And then ░░░░░░░░ excitement because it was ░░░░░░░░ much fun working with ░░░░░░░░ kids I took a ░░░░░░░░ And that was a ░░░░░░░░ Protocols matter in protecting ░░░░░░░░ kids is the most ░░░░░░░░ thing and anything perceived ░░░░░░░░ undermining that is a ░░░░░░░░ and I apologize BURNETT ░░░░░░░░ let me ask you ░░░░░░░░ because at the heart ░░░░░░░░ this I understand you ░░░░░░░░ apologizing for making a ░░░░░░░░ But at the heart ░░░░░░░░ this is why we ░░░░░░░░ in this situation to ░░░░░░░░ with right Some people ░░░░░░░░ believe in mask mandates ░░░░░░░░ feel it is long ░░░░░░░░ the time especially when ░░░░░░░░ are no longer wearing ░░░░░░░░ mandates and mandates have ░░░░░░░░ lifted Yesterday four Democratic ░░░░░░░░ set specific time lines ░░░░░░░░ lift mask mandates in ░░░░░░░░ in the next few ░░░░░░░░ A New Jersey governor ░░░░░░░░ a few moments ago ░░░░░░░░ crossed saying he has ░░░░░░░░ quote overwhelmingly positive reaction ░░░░░░░░ his decision So do ░░░░░░░░ think it s time ░░░░░░░░ lift these mask requirements ░░░░░░░░ schools Would you lift ░░░░░░░░ if you were governor ░░░░░░░░ Georgia ABRAMS Covid hygiene ░░░░░░░░ going to be a ░░░░░░░░ of debate for a ░░░░░░░░ long time and we ░░░░░░░░ only follow the science ░░░░░░░░ follow our circumstances Unfortunately ░░░░░░░░ Georgia we re not ░░░░░░░░ a place where that ░░░░░░░░ is ready because we ░░░░░░░░ one of the lowest ░░░░░░░░ rates in the country ░░░░░░░░ have 40 percent of ░░░░░░░░ county s without general ░░░░░░░░ We refuse to expand ░░░░░░░░ so so many families ░░░░░░░░ t having access to ░░░░░░░░ I believe that our ░░░░░░░░ is to protect children ░░░░░░░░ I know that educators ░░░░░░░░ parents have to balance ░░░░░░░░ and that is a ░░░░░░░░ issue I think each ░░░░░░░░ has to evaluate what ░░░░░░░░ happening where they are ░░░░░░░░ have to look to ░░░░░░░░ CDC But we also ░░░░░░░░ to recognize that we ░░░░░░░░ shifting from pandemic to ░░░░░░░░ Some states are going ░░░░░░░░ get there faster than ░░░░░░░░ My responsibility if I ░░░░░░░░ lucky enough to be ░░░░░░░░ next governor of Georgia ░░░░░░░░ to look at the ░░░░░░░░ to follow the protocols ░░░░░░░░ to set the right ░░░░░░░░ And right now that ░░░░░░░░ is that we wear ░░░░░░░░ whenever possible But we ░░░░░░░░ that we can t ░░░░░░░░ a hard line about ░░░░░░░░ because situation change and ░░░░░░░░ have different moments where ░░░░░░░░ have to make decisions ░░░░░░░░ in this instance I ░░░░░░░░ say that as the ░░░░░░░░ of Georgia my job ░░░░░░░░ be at that time ░░░░░░░░ look at the science ░░░░░░░░ look at the situation ░░░░░░░░ to make the best ░░░░░░░░ to protect our kids ░░░░░░░░ All of which I ░░░░░░░░ You know at the ░░░░░░░░ of this you know ░░░░░░░░ m a parent My ░░░░░░░░ wear masks in school ░░░░░░░░ say they don t ░░░░░░░░