>>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE OMICRON VARIANT OF THE CORONAVIRUS.

THAT'S AHEAD ON THE NEXT HOUR OF ARIZONA PBS.

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

THE AVAILABILITY OF ICU AND INPATIENT BEDS IN ARIZONA RIGHT NOW ARE AT THEIR LOWEST LEVELS IN RECORD.

MORE THAN 95% OF ICU BEDS ARE IN USE.

THERE ARE FEWER THAN 5% OF IN-PATIENT BEDS AVAILABLE AS WELL.

THEY ARE CONCERNED THIS IS ALL HAPPENING AHEAD OF THE WINTER FLU SEASON.

>>> ARIZONA REPORTED MORE THAN 3600 CASES OF COVID-19 CASES TODAY.

>>> FDA TODAY AUTHORIZED THE PFIZER VACCINE BOOSTER FOR 15 TO 17 YEARS OLDS.

THE MOVE COMES A DAY AFTER PFIZER RELEASED STUDIES SHOWING TWO DOSES PLUS THE BOOSTER CAN BE ENOUGH TO FIGHT THE OMICRON VARIANT.

>>> LAST WEEK'S UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS WERE LOWER THAN THEY HAVE BEEN SINCE 1969.

IT WAS MORE THAN ECONOMISTS HAD EXPECTED.

THAT SAID, ANALYSTS SAY THAT TODAY'S REPORT SHOW THAT THE NATION'S JOB RECOVERY IS PUSHING AHEAD THIS WINTER.

>>> AND AS LEAST 650 MIGRANTS HAVE DIED THIS YEAR CROSSING THE BORDER.

THEY SAID THE NUMBER OF FATALITIES IS THE HIGHEST IT HAS BEEN SINCE 2014.

THE AGENCY REPORTS THAT ARRESTS ALONG THE BORDER WERE HIGHER IN MONTHS WHEN NUMBERS TYPICALLY TROP -- DROP.

>>> WE TALKED TO FORMER STATE HEALTH DIRECTOR WILL HUMBLE ABOUT THE OMICRON VARIANT.

WILL HUMBLE, GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE AS ALWAYS.

IN GENERAL, WHAT IS THE OMICRON VARIANT?

>> YEAH, SO IT'S THE LATEST NEW VERSION OF COVID-19.

HE STARTED WITH THE ORIGINAL CHINESE STRAIN.

WE STARTED NAMING THEM STARTING WITH THE ALPHA VARIANT.

AND OMICRON VARIANT IS THE NEWEST VERSION, AND IT HAS SOME CHANGES, SO THAT'S -- YOU KNOW, IT CHANGES THE BASES.

>> I READ IT IS FROM A DIFFERENT LINAGE FROM THE DELTA VARIANT.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> WELL, IT'S A FAMILY TREE, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS.

>> DOES IT MEANS THAT IT COULD IN SOME WAYS MITIGATE SOMEONE WHO GETS OMICRON?

>> WELL, IT'S -- WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT THINGS DON'T LOOK SUPER BAD ON THAT FRONT.

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS SOME PROTECTION.

PROBABLY SOME MORE PROTECTION, BUT IT IS NOT DEVASTATING.

>> IS IT INNATELY MORE CONTAGIOUS?

>> YES.

WE DO KNOW NOW THAT OMICRON IS MORE CONTAGIOUS THAN DELTA.

IT'S JUST -- IT'S MORE CONTAGIOUS?

>> WILL IT SPREAD FASTER THEN?

>> THAT'S IS CORRECT.

IN A GROUP OF UNVACCINATED PEOPLE IT WILL SPREAD FASTER THAN UNVACCINATED PEOPLE?

>> MORE DANGEROUS THAN DELTA?

>> THAT IS WHAT EVERYONE IS PAYING ATTENTION TO RIGHT NOW.

WE DON'T KNOW YET IF IT IS MORE LETHAL OR LESS LETHAL.

SO LET'S IMAGINE THAT OMICRON IS TWICE AS CONTAINOUS AND DELTA, BUT HALF AS LETHAL, RIGHT?

>> RIGHT.

>> SO YOU CAN SAY THAT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE A WASH IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER PEOPLE IT IS GOING TO KILL.

BUT IT IS TWICE AS INFECTIOUS AND JUST AS LETHAL, THEN IT IS GOING TO BE EVEN MORE LETHAL.

AND WE NEED THE KEY PIECE OF THE STUDY OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONTRACTED THE OMICRON VARIANT AND LOOK AT WHAT THEIR CLINICAL OUTCOMES WERE.

>> RIGHT.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA ARE YOUNGER FOLKS.

>> YES.

>> THAT'S WHAT THE EPIDEMIOLOGY PEOPLE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW.

>> IMPACT OF THE CURRENT CROP OF VACCINES ON OMICRON.

>> WELL, WE STILL NEED MORE DATA TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

THERE ARE BENCH AND LABORATORY STUDIES SO FAR, PFIZER CAME OUT WITH LAB STUDIES SUGGESTING THAT THE BOOSTER SHOT BOOSTS IMMUNIZATION ENOUGH, BUT WE'LL SEE.

>> BUT BREAK-THROUGH CASES, STILL A RISK?

>> THERE WILL ALWAYS WITH.

>> THERE IS A CONCERN WITH AN INCREASE IN DELTA AND NOW OMICRON, AND I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THESE HOSPITAL NUMBERS I'M SEEING IN ARIZONA.

AM I OVERREACTING.

>> NO.

LAST TIME I SAID WE HAVE SEEN THE WORST OF IT, AND NOW I WILL SAY ALL INDICATIONS ARE IT IS GOING TO BE WORSE THAN LAST WINTER.

THERE ARE STILL 3 MILLION ARIZONANS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN VACCINATED.

NOW OMICRON IS GOING TO TAKE OVER FROM DELTA, AND UP -- UP IN FLAG TODAY, THERE IS NO ICU BEDS LEFT.

>> AND I KNOW IN TUCSON, THEY HAVE ABOUT 8 ICU -- WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN INTO FLU SEASON YET, WILL?

>> I KNOW.

AND IT IS BAD FOR EVERYBODY.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO NEED HOSPITAL CARE, YOU ARE WALKING INTO LOWER STANDARDS OF CARE BECAUSE OF LOWER STAFFING.

TRIAGE MOVING SOMEONE FROM A GENERAL WARD TO AN ICU UNIT, SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ADD UP, SO THAT IS SO DISTRESSING ABOUT THIS.

>> WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE BEDS MAX OUT?

>> IT IS CHANGING IN STAFFING RATIOS.

>> BUT I MEAN A REAL MAX OUT?

WILL THERE BE PLACING WHERE YOU CAN'T BE TREATED?

>> YEAH, IT IS HAPPENING NOW.

TAKE A PATIENT WALKING IN TO AN ED TODAY, AND TODAY THEY ARE GETTING SENT HOME.

>> AND YOU ARE SAYING, IF YOU ARE NOT SICK ENOUGH, YOU ARE NOT GETTING IN.

DO PEOPLE KNOW THIS?

>> WELL, PEOPLE EXPERIENCE IT EVERY DAY.

PEOPLE ARE SEEING IT, BUT VACCINATED PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING ABOUT THEIR LIVES ARE NOT GOING TO SEE IT UNLESS THEY HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE UNVACCINATED, THEN THEY ARE SEEING IT PERSONALLY.

>> SO HOW DO WE BEST ADDRESS THIS?

>> I MEAN WE NEED A TIME MACHINE TO GO BACK SIX MONTHS.

NOW IT IS AN EMERGENCY-RESPONSE MODE, AND WE NEEDED TO HAVE COMPELLED PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED WITH MANDATES A LONG TIME AGO.

WE NEEDED TO WALK INTO A RESTAURANT, BAR, PUBLIC SPACE AND SHOW YOUR VACCINATION CARD A LONG TIME AGO.

WE NEEDED TO HAVE THE UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS HAVE REQUIRED VACCINES, AND YOU ARE ASKING ME, WHAT DO WE DO TODAY?

THE DECISIONS WERE MADE MONTHS AGO, AND NOW I DON'T HAVE ANY ANSWERS FOR YOU.

>> WOW, WILL HUMBLE, FORMER ARIZONA HEALTH DIRECTOR, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR DECISIONS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> TAKE CARE.

>> UP NEXT, ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," HOW BEST TO TALK TO KIDS ABOUT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS.

>>> THE STATE OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AROUND THE COUNTRY THE LEAD TO CHILDREN EXPERIENCING A VARIETY OF ANXIOUS FEELINGS.

HOW BEST TO KIDS ABOUT THOSE FEELINGS, WE TALK TO SARAH JOHNSON ABOUT THAT.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

WHEN YOU TALK TO KIDS ABOUT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT?

>> EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT.

AND YOU ARE NEVER PREPARED FOR THAT CONVERSATION.

SO MOST OF THE TIME THAT HAPPENS, THE NEWS WILL COME ON, AND THE RADIO MAY BE ON IN THE BACKGROUND, AND YOU GET POPPED WITH THAT QUESTION OF HEY, AM I SAFE AT SCHOOL, OR WHAT HAPPENED HERE, OR WHAT HAPPENED HERE?

AND YOU AS A PARENT ARE STUCK IN THE MOMENT OF HOW DO I HANDLE THIS APPROPRIATELY?

>> WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE IT.

>> OUR SCIENCE SHOWS US THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE IT IS TO PAUSE AND TAKE A MOMENT AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE IN THE SPACE TO HANDLE THIS MOMENT, AND MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, AND FOCUS IT AROUND EMOTION.

WE WANT TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER, AND WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THAT, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS UNDERSTAND OUR CHILDS' EMOTIONS AND REDISTRICT -- REDIRECT THEM TO THE RIGHT PLACES.

>> YOU WANT THAT REASSURANCE, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO BE HONEST.

>> EXACTLY.

WE WANT TO TELL OUR KIDS THEY ARE SAFE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T PROMISE THAT TO OUR CHILDREN.

UNFORTUNATELY 3 MILLION CHILDREN IN THE U.S. WILL WITNESS A SHOOTING THIS YEAR, BUT A VERY SMALL NUMBER WILL BE AT SCHOOLS, SO SCHOOLS ARE SAFE PLACES FOR KIDS, BUT IT IS ABOUT TEACHING THEM OR SHOWING THEM, OR TEACHING THEM, WHO ARE KEEPING THEM SAFE?

AND HELPING THEM THINK THROUGH THE FACT THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE TO KEEP THEM SAFE.

>> I THINK OF MR. ROGERS, FIND HEM THE HELPERS.

>> EXACTLY.

AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN A STUDENT IS A PERPETRATOR OF A SCHOOL SHOOTING, THEY HAVE MENTIONED IT TO SOMEONE, AND HAVING THOSE HARD CONVERSATIONS OF WHAT TO DO IF THIS HAPPENS.

>> THE WARNING SIGNS, YOUNG CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY, THAT THEY HEARD SOMETHING, THEY HAVE SEEN SOMETHING, OR THEY HAVE HIT THAT TIPPING POINT?

>> UH-HUH.

IT'S BEING AWARE OF WHAT IS UNUSUAL.

IT IS THAT PARENTAL INTUITION OF SOMETHING IS DIFFERENT.

ARE THEY NOT WANTING TO SLEEP ALONE AND HAVING NIGHTMARES, BODY ACHES, WEIRD STOMACH ACHES, ARE THEY NOT WANTING TO GO TO SCHOOL.

ARE THEY ACTING OUT DIFFERENTLY, RIGHT?

SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS WOULD BE CUES THAT, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT WANT TO PROMPT A LITTLE BIT TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON UNDER THE SURFACE, AND YOU CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, AND IF IT IS REALLY DISRUPTIVE, I WOULD GO TO THE SCHOOL AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

>> SO WHAT IS BEING DONE OUT THERE IN ARIZONA SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE SAFETY.

>> YES, A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK THERE WAS A STUDENT-LEAD INITIATIVE TO SAY WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HELP ARIZONA SCHOOLS, AND IT REALLY INVOLVES A TEAM-APPROACH TO SAFETY, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT IN ARIZONA WE HAVE HAD A STATE FUNDED PROGRAM SINCE THE 1990S, AND TWO YEARS AGO THEY EXPANDED THAT TO ALLOW MORE FUNDING.

>> SARAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> OUR NEXT GUEST IS AN ARTIST WITH THE SCHOOL OF ART ON ROOSEVELT ROW IN PHOENIX.

THEIR GOAL IS TO HAVE A GENERATIONAL IMPACT.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE >> WE ARE THE FIRST GALLERY SPACE THAT HAS BEEN BUILT IN PROBABLY OVER TEN YEARS IN DOWNTOWN PHOENIX, AND IT IS LEAD BY OUR COMMUNITY, MEMBERS, AMBASSADORS AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED.

>> AND YOU MENTIONED CREATIVE PLACE KEEPING.

>> YES, THAT IS A TERM THAT I DON'T THINK HAS BEEN VOCALIZED A WHOLE LOT, BUT IT IS A DISCUSSION AROUND WHAT PLACE MAKING IS, IT IS SOMETHING THE CITY DOES IN COALITION WITH THE ARTS AND CREATING A SAFE SPACE TO TELL A STORY OF THE SOCIAL ARTS, AND FOR ME, BEING INDIGENOUS, THE LANDS WE ARE ON NOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE AREN'T ACKNOWLEDGED IN SPACES, AND FOR ME PLACE KEEPING MEANS WE ARE COMING BACK AND TRYING TO KEEP OUR PLACE HERE AND DOING IT IN A SENSE THAT IS CREATIVE, AND INCORPORATED OUR CULTURE AND OUR STORY.

>> AND YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT CREATING PROJECTS WITH A GENERATIONAL IMPACT.

>> YEAH, THE MAJORITY OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES COME WITH SIMILAR VALUES.

AND WE ARE A VALUE-BASED ORGANIZATION, WHERE WE BELIEVE IN COMMUNITY INCITE, AND LEAD BY CONSENSUS CONSENSUS, SO THERE IS NO VOTING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND WE JUST COME TO THE TABLE AND COME TO A CONSENSUS.

AND WE HAVE OPERATED LIKE THAT FOR EONS OF TIME.

OUR GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS SOMETIMES ARE BASED IN SOME FORM OF COMMUNICATION, SO WHEN OUR COMMUNITIES COME TOGETHER, YOU HAVE THOSE VALUES, SO OUR SPACE REALLY ELEVATES THAN UNDERSTANDING.

>> INTERESTING.

AND PUTTING IT INTO MODERN TERMS.

>> YES.

AND I AM FROM THE NAVAJO NATION, FROM A VERY RURAL, RURAL COMMUNITY, AND MY CO-FOUNDER ALWAYS COMES FROM A VERY RURAL, REZ COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE ALWAYS FREQUENTED THE BACK AND FORTH JUST TRAVELING BETWEEN METROPOLITAN AND RURAL AREA.

AND WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS ART, BUT I DIDN'T JUST WANT TO PAINT, RIGHT?

I WANTED TO USE MY CREATIVITY IN A BETTER COMMUNITY.

AND I LOVED THE MOVIE "HACKING," AND I LEFT TO LEARN THE COMPUTER, TO LEARN WHAT THAT POSSIBILITY COULD BE.

AND I WENT TO A DESIGN SCHOOL IN TEMPE.

AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS I WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY WORKING MY JOB AND GOING TO SCHOOL, AND I HAVE BEEN A DESIGNER SINCE THEN.

>> SO WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR ART, WHEN IT COMES TO THE ART THAT THE SHOW REPRESENTS AND PRESENTS, WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE TO TAKE FROM WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT THE COLLECTIVE DOES?

>> YEAH, A LOT OF TIMES NATIVE PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, SO FOR ME WHEN I TAKE IT BACK TO LEARNING ABOUT DESIGN, WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT DESIGNERS, GRAPH ERIC ERIC -- GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, AND ART HAS MORE OF A PERSONAL NARRATIVE, AND A PERSONAL, CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR IDEA, AND YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO PUT IT OUT THERE, WHEREAS DESIGN IS THERE TO SOLVE A PROBLEM, WHETHER IT'S IN BRANDING OR SOLVING A WATER CRISIS, AND IING KIND OF OPERATE RIGHT IN BETWEEN.

A LOT OF NATIVE PEOPLE DO THAT.

AND YOU HAVE THESE MULTI-TALENTED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, AND I WAS LIKE WHAT IF WE GOT A TABLE TOGETHER AND HAD THEM IN ONE ROOM, AND TRIED TO CREATE PROJECTS THAT FOCUSED ON SOCIAL IMPACT.

>> WELL, IT'S VERY FORWARD THINKING.

AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS.

>> YEAH.

YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE OR FOLLOW US ON ANY OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS.

>> VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

I'M TED SIMONS.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

COMING UP ON CRONKITE NEWS, MEET A VOLLEY FOOTBALL PLAYER AND HIS REMARKABLE TEAM SPIRIT.

AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, A CONVERSATION ABOUT DIVERSITY IN JOURNALISM.

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