RUSH TRANSCRIPT Likely you ░░░░░░░░ someone you know has ░░░░░░░░ Covid recently The cases ░░░░░░░░ on the rise fueled ░░░░░░░░ highly contagious omicron subvariants ░░░░░░░░ boosters don t seem ░░░░░░░░ be preventing people from ░░░░░░░░ sick multiple times This ░░░░░░░░ L A County is ░░░░░░░░ to bring back the ░░░░░░░░ mask mandate And with ░░░░░░░░ happening right now we ░░░░░░░░ it would be a ░░░░░░░░ idea to clin in ░░░░░░░░ specialist nurse Alice Benjamin ░░░░░░░░ you for being here ░░░░░░░░ morning Good morning Bring ░░░░░░░░ the indoor mask mandate ░░░░░░░░ the end of the ░░░░░░░░ if we are still ░░░░░░░░ the high transmission category ░░░░░░░░ likely do you think ░░░░░░░░ is going to happen ░░░░░░░░ it almost seems inevitable ░░░░░░░░ s very likely that ░░░░░░░░ s going happen It ░░░░░░░░ not the end of ░░░░░░░░ week perhaps next week ░░░░░░░░ sometime some week before ░░░░░░░░ end of the year ░░░░░░░░ I think if people ░░░░░░░░ for people to understand ░░░░░░░░ we need to get ░░░░░░░░ the mind of readiness ░░░░░░░░ rates are up It ░░░░░░░░ not just infection rates ░░░░░░░░ the Covid positive hospitalizations ░░░░░░░░ which have triggered this ░░░░░░░░ are in the high ░░░░░░░░ We have more than ░░░░░░░░ administrations per 100 000 ░░░░░░░░ getting admitted with Covid ░░░░░░░░ we are in a ░░░░░░░░ place than last year ░░░░░░░░ year before that death ░░░░░░░░ are on the climb ░░░░░░░░ end of last week ░░░░░░░░ saw 100 deaths a ░░░░░░░░ from Covid and a ░░░░░░░░ ago it was at ░░░░░░░░ The mask mandate may ░░░░░░░░ a very good idea ░░░░░░░░ until the county moves ░░░░░░░░ to the medium transmission ░░░░░░░░ did drop over the ░░░░░░░░ Do you feel like ░░░░░░░░ there any hope this ░░░░░░░░ would be short lived ░░░░░░░░ it is enacted We ░░░░░░░░ happy to see that ░░░░░░░░ I think important that ░░░░░░░░ look at the overall ░░░░░░░░ So if a mask ░░░░░░░░ were to be put ░░░░░░░░ place it may be ░░░░░░░░ lived but you know ░░░░░░░░ like last year mandates ░░░░░░░░ on and off again ░░░░░░░░ again off again People ░░░░░░░░ to be ready for ░░░░░░░░ ebbs and flows because ░░░░░░░░ especially with the hyper ░░░░░░░░ variants that are out ░░░░░░░░ And you have to ░░░░░░░░ when we are looking ░░░░░░░░ the data it s ░░░░░░░░ us So we are ░░░░░░░░ the eight ball when ░░░░░░░░ are looking at this ░░░░░░░░ If a mask mandate ░░░░░░░░ put in I don ░░░░░░░░ want people to get ░░░░░░░░ know discouraged I think ░░░░░░░░ s important to keep ░░░░░░░░ safe And you mentioned ░░░░░░░░ new subvariants Highly contagious ░░░░░░░░ have family and friends ░░░░░░░░ have come down with ░░░░░░░░ within the last few ░░░░░░░░ And they were vaccinated ░░░░░░░░ were boosted more than ░░░░░░░░ You are just am ░░░░░░░░ off a shift at ░░░░░░░░ Can you tell us ░░░░░░░░ you are seeing at ░░░░░░░░ hospitals the ers They ░░░░░░░░ extremely busy last night ░░░░░░░░ didn t see an ░░░░░░░░ bed in any of ░░░░░░░░ ers that I visited ░░░░░░░░ night And so that ░░░░░░░░ you know that s ░░░░░░░░ sign Was everyone there ░░░░░░░░ Covid No But the ░░░░░░░░ are ticking up What ░░░░░░░░ important is that as ░░░░░░░░ re seeing an increase ░░░░░░░░ infection rates because should ░░░░░░░░ variants are very contagious ░░░░░░░░ have to be careful ░░░░░░░░ people are vaccinated who ░░░░░░░░ boosted still getting reinfected ░░░░░░░░ our concern is that ░░░░░░░░ variants are being able ░░░░░░░░ get around our vaccine ░░░░░░░░ and our natural immunity ░░░░░░░░ will be very important ░░░░░░░░ people take the precautions ░░░░░░░░ is why the mask ░░░░░░░░ has been something that ░░░░░░░░ been brought up You ░░░░░░░░ I would say that ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ key here you know ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated wear your mask ░░░░░░░░ all of those things ░░░░░░░░ the ers are getting ░░░░░░░░ busy Kids going back ░░░░░░░░ school What would your ░░░░░░░░ be for families Before ░░░░░░░░ starts You can reduce ░░░░░░░░ risks of transmission related ░░░░░░░░ travel talk to the ░░░░░░░░ Help them understand getting ░░░░░░░░ and boosted Recommend keeping ░░░░░░░░ home tests and cough ░░░░░░░░ cold medicines And encourage ░░░░░░░░ to bring masks to ░░░░░░░░ Right now it s ░░░░░░░░ mandated but if they ░░░░░░░░ a kid sniveling in ░░░░░░░░ class let s teach ░░░░░░░░ when it is appropriate ░░░░░░░░ okay to wear masks ░░░░░░░░ you for your insight ░░░░░░░░ advice Great to see ░░░░░░░░ Hopefully you get some ░░░░░░░░ Thank you Be safe ░░░░░░░░ Thank you.