Alex Azar on Reopening: ‘It’s Not Health Versus The Economy; It’s Actually Health Versus Health’

RUSH EXCERPT:

AZAR: “ Jake, thanks to the president’s historic response efforts and the collaborative work of our governors and heroic health care workers on the front lines, we’re in a position to reopen. The president has left it up to the states to know their local situation the best. It’s very hard to judge in any community whether a bar being open, a restaurant, a school is the right thing. That’s why the local leaders lead this, the state supervises, and the federal government provides expertise and support from our level. It depends so much on what the disease burden is. In almost half of our reported counties, we’ve had not a single death. 62% of covid cases come in just 2% of the reported counties in the United States. These are very localized determinations. There should not be one size fits all approaches to reopening. But reopen we must, because it’s not health versus the economy. It’s actually health versus health. There are serious health consequences to keeping us shut down, whether it’s the suicide rates or cardiac procedures not being received, pediatric vaccinations declining. All of these are critical health needs that are part of reopening the economy.”