Because if you talk about waves, were really essentially still in the first wave when youre having, you know, up to 70,000 new infections in certain areas of the country, that is something you need to focus on right now as opposed to looking ahead at what will happen in september or in october. Dr. Fauci also weighed in on the ongoing and frankly ridiculous debate over face masks. Im sorry, you just have to put it that way at this point. Remember, there are still state leaders such as the georgia governor who continue to resist requiring masks even though science said it is necessary to get through this. I could say as a Public Health official that i would urge the leaders, the local, political and other leaders, in states and cities and towns, to be as forceful as possible in getting your citizenry to wear masks. Masks are important. Here is another way of thinking about it. As dr. Fauci puts it, not Wearing Masks is slowing down reopening the country. Think about it. And also try to wrap your mind around this. The country just shattered another record that seemed unthinkable just weeks ago. More than 77,000 new infections reported yesterday. That is more than triple the number of covid cases from one month ago. Look at this. Were going to show you the map and you could see the problem just by looking at the colors. 38 states are going in the wrong direction. Only four have reported fewer cases in the last week. The nations epicenter, florida, reporting new record numbers of deaths with the virus killing 156 people. It is one of ten states to hit a new high in deaths in a single day this week. Nationally the number of people in the hospital because of the virus continues to rise as well. More than a dozen states seeing the highest sevenday averages this week. Any way you slice it, as you look at the graphics, it looks like the country right now is losing the battle against this virus. This many months in. Joining me now is dr. Rashiel wollinski and chief of Infectious Disease division at ma general. It is nice to see you again. We just hit the 77,000 mark new cases in one a day. Do you think it is possible at this point to stop the country from hitting the terrifying marker that dr. Fauci had warned about of 100,000 cases a day, do you think the country could still stop it or at this point with the rate at which were breaking these records and jumping up in new cases, is the horse out of the barn . Good afternoon, kate. Good to be with you. I think that the nation needs to do everything it can to stop the number of cases. I cant tell you where it is going to peak. I worry that this is going peak at over 100,000. In the stayathome orders at the end of march our case count was five times than when we had stayathome orders. I want to interrupt you but i want to make sure people are is will is listening to what you said. There were 55,077,000 new cases yesterday and you have to unnumb yourself to get perspective on what that actually means, doc. That is exactly right. And what is even more worrisome is after those stayathome orders at the end of march, we saw a really precipitous incline in numbers of new cases up until mid to end of april. April 24th. So whatever it is that we do now, were going to continue to see a precipitous incline for about a month. Now i dont mean to say that we cant stop things because i promise you that there are a lot of people left to infect. Like about 300 million. But i think that what we really need to do now is to do our absolute best to shut this virus down because i worry about what comes ahead. And the way you put it, i think is so Crystal Clear and posh for people to hear. Dr. Fauci is laying out a brutal wakeup call when he said forget about the worry about a second wave in the fall, the problem now is so urgent, the here and now is the ome thing we should be focused on. What does that say about the trajectory of where things are headed . I think it is absolutely right. I think if you just simply look at the numbers, your right, were numb to the numbers. What we had in april, that is a wave. What we have right now is a tsunami. It is five times bigger. And, in fact, when we look at the deaths that we have tragically seen over the last many months, we have many more of those ahead because we know the deaths are a lagging indicator, four to five weeks after what has happened in tests and new diagnose. Last week we saw 450 through diagnoses, if four or five weeks, that is going to mean at least 4,500 to up to 60 thousands. I want to get your thoughts on what you think of this unpublished now Public Document that was prepared for the White House Task force that showed that at least 18 states are in such a bad spot that they should be rolling back reopening, and locking back down. This is showing the map, the states on the list. It seems like this would be pretty Key Information to help convince the public to get on board with any type of measure. It doesnt make any sense to not Something Like this public. No, i have been sort of screaming it from the rooftops as well. If you have 10,000 new cases a day, it is irresponsible to not think of how you could save the public and the people by doing everything in your power to stop everything, shut things down and stop this virus and then we could Start Talking about how we can safely think about this again. That is right. A real reset is in front of us. Whether we want it or not or accept it or not at this point. Doctor, thank you very much. In florida, things are also getting worse. The state is reporting more than 11,000 new Coronavirus Infections in a single day. And that is also more than 100 deaths of florida residents for the fourth straight day. And now florida is leading the country with the most covid infections per capita with 55 cases for every 100,000 people. Rosa flores is miami for us. Rosa, they keep talking about potentially needing to shut back down, talking about it in miami especially, how close are they now . Reporter you know, it depends on who you ask. Because city of miami mayor Francis Suarez said yesterday he was a few days away from that threshold. I just asked Miamidade County mayor Carlos Jiminez and he said hes not there yet. And theyre looking at the same data. Here are the facts. The Positivity Rate in miamidade today is 27 . The icu capacity is at 119 . Yesterday it was 107 . The goal for the county is not to exceed 70 . Now here are the numbers. Miamidade reports 386 icu beds available but 459 patients. Now the good thing is that they do have other beds that they could transfer over to icu beds. But that is definitely not the place where any countries around this country want to be. As we learn that 12 employees in the eoc in tallahassee tested positive. Four of them just yesterday. This is according to the Communications Director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management who also said that the florida where they were working was closed and that it is going to be cleaned and, kate, theyre scheduled to reopen on monday and they do say individuals are working from home to the Covid Response here in florida continues. Thank you so much. Coming up for us, masks are now a major legal fight in georgia. The governor pushing ahead with suing atlanta mayor. Im going to talk to Stacey Abrams about what this means for her states fight against the virus, next. Plus, that unpublished white house report saying at least 18 states should roll back reopening. What should states do that are that list right now . When you walk into an amazon fulfillment center, its like walking into the Chocolate Factory and you won a golden ticket. All of these are face masks. This looks like a bottle of vodka. But when we first got these, we were like whoa [laughing] my threeyearold, when we get a box delivered, screams mommys work mommys work. With this pandemic, safety is even more important to make sure we go home safe every single day. Well the names have all changed since you hung around but those dreams have remained and theyve turned around whod have thought theyd lead ya back here where we need ya welcome back, america. It sure is good to see you. I appreciate what makes each person unique. Thats why i like Liberty Mutual. They get that no two people are alike and customize your Car Insurance so you only pay for what you need. Almost done. What do you think . I dont see it. Only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. You try to stay ahead of the but scrubbing still takes time. Now theres powerwash dish spray its the faster way to clean as you go just spray, wipe and rinse it cleans grease five times faster dawn powerwash. Spray, wipe, rinse. For as little as 5, now anyone can own companies in the s p 500, even if their shares cost more. At 5 a slice, you could own Ten Companies for 50 instead of paying thousands. All Commission Free online. Schwab stock slices an easy way to start investing or to give the gift of stock ownership. Schwab. Own your tomorrow. A debate over case coverings has become a political and legal bat until georgia. Republican Governor Brian Kemp is suing the mayor of Atlanta Keisha lance bottoms over the mask mandate in place for the city and he is not backing down today. Im confident that georgians dont need a mandate to do the right thing. Instead of issuing mandates that are confusing and unenforceable im asking that all enforce the current executive order. But that current executive order Keisha Lance Bottoms said is putting lives in danger. What i see happening is that the governor is putting politics over people. We all know, the cdc is in our own backyard, the cdc has said that wearing a mask will stop the spread of this virus overwhelmingly people in atlanta support a mask mandate. And so it is a waste of taxpayer money and we are spending time fighting each other when this virus doesnt understand politics and it doesnt respect that it is a state or the city. Joining me right now is Stacey Abrams, former georgia gubernatorial candidate and founder of fair fight action. Thank you for being here. You heard more of what Governor Kemp said this morning. Georgians dont need a mandate to do the right thing, he says. What do you say to that . I would say that the evidence of our eyes belies the notions that he may hold. We know that georgia is one of the 18 states that has the Fastest Growing cases of coronavirus. We know that a disproportionate number of black and brown communities are affected and these people are compel the by state and federal law if they want to keep their jobs, they have to keep going to work to expose themselves. We know the best evidence, from an unpublished Task Force Report from the white house said that mandating masks is a good thing. And this notion that a mandate, if can be enforced shouldnt be issued would undermine most of the laws in our country. One of the reasons we require things is to signal that partly sunny important and suggesting that people take care of themselves and those around them is an insufficient way to address a scourge and a pandemic. You hit on one of the reasons that the governor gives for why he doesnt you cant mandate masks because he said it cant be enforced. But another reason hes laid oust more than once is that he thinks mask man dates hurt business. Do you see that . Given that the largest retailer in the country and in the world, walmart, are going to require masks undermines that argument. It is not suv to say that he want to reopen the economy by killing our consumers and that is the choice hes telling us to make. And while hes using atlanta as a proxy, this is a war against savannah, augusta, a war against the people of georgia who elected him to lead, not to suggest. One thing that mayor bottoms brings up is that the govern named her personally in the lawsuit along with city council. And that has more than more than a small group of people suggesting that one goal here, then, it looks like from the governor is to try to tarnish a potential democratic Vice President ial candidate as she is being talked about and you are as well. Do you think that is at least in part what the governor is doing here . I do my best not to investigate the political motives of brian kemp because what hes been willing to do to the people of georgia with the secretary of state and as governor suggest that he does not care about the people of georgia. But what i will say is that his targeting of mayor bottoms, his targeting of mayor johnson and mayor davis and his willingness to throw aside the needs of people they serve, the constituents he swore to serve is a signal of his lack of moral leader slip. It is a bit head scratching. Because if you take it on face, the position is confusing. Hes encouraging people to wear masks. He even went on a statewide tour to promote mask wearing. But still he does not see and he will not mandate it. Im trying to figure out, look, you ran against him in a contentious governors race so youve been around his politics more than most, you could explain that contradiction or confusion of how hes laying this out. This isnt confusion. Brian kemp is a crow ard. Hes afraid hell alien ate the president of the United States who has symbolled his ambivalence about masks and alienate a Republican Party may not stand with him in reelection if he goes against the minority declaring that masks are somehow an infringement on their liberty but hes a coward because he refuses toute the pulpit of leadership to tell people what they need to do to save their lives but the vulnerable around them. This is not a moment of couldnt raw diction or confusion, it is an act of cowardice. If the governor made the mandate, they would still vote for him if they voted for him before. On topic of joe bidens running mate, the Vice President is in the final stages of vetting and expected to make the announcement at the beginning of next month. Have you had a direct conversation with joe biden about the vp spot since the vetting process began . I refer all questions about vetting to the Biden Administration the Biden Campaign. And i appreciate that very succinct answer if they are under consideration. How have you found, can you describe, how have you found this process to be . It is an unusual thing. Are you talking about the campaign . No, the vetting process. Youve been very vocal about what you know your capable of and what you would like to do. And the vetting process for a Vice President ial candidate is i think one of the more unique processes that there is in american politics. How you have this vetting process . I will say that ive spent 16 months answering the question would i be willing to service as Vice President and i recently got the question am i capable. I responded to both of those questions in the affirmative because it is critical to me that we speak that we answer questions directly when we can and that we always, especially as a woman of color, that i never diminish what i believe im capable of or the capacity of others who look like me. But i, again, say that the process itself is being run by the Biden Campaign and i direct all questions about the process to them. And i know you like to answer questions directly. This is particularly a position that i know you find yourself in with having to redirect to the Biden Campaign. But regardless, it is great to see you. Well, kate, it is a direct answer. The direct answer is if you want an answer, go to Biden Campaign. Ill take it. Thanks for coming on. I appreciate your time. Thank you. Still ahead for us, new reporting on why President Trump is pushing so hard to fully open schools in a matter of weeks. Chicago ok, so, magnificent mile for me i thought i was managing. My moderate to severe Crohns Disease. Yes until i realized something was missing. Me. You ok, sis . My symptoms kept me from being there for my sisters. Flight boarding for flight 2007 to chicago. So i talked to my doctor and learned. 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