Hello and welcome to PBS39n WLVT.

Community update on coronavirus.

It's presented by Capital e Cross and brought to you wh help from our community par Lehigh Valley Health Netwo.

We are coming to you live m the Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

I'm Brittany Sweeney.

Our guests today include an infectious disease doctor monitoring a clinical triaf the Pfizer vaccine right he in the Lehigh Valley.

Also here is someone from r Crest College involved in s coming weekend, Mayfair Festival othe Arts.

It's back our guests will e with us in just a moment.

If you have a question, yon give us a call.

The phone number is four et four eight two one zero zeo zero eight.

We'll answer some of those questions live.

Plus for coronavirus updat, be sure to sign up for our newsletter.

You can do that at our webe coronavirus Lehigh Valley.

Dog.

There you'll find informatn in both Englis and Spanish.

Now let's take a look at today's top headnes.

According to the CDC, as of this morning, 51.8 percentf Pennsylvanians a 18 and olr are fully vaccinated.

Vaccine providers have administered over 10.2 miln doses so far.

The state reported 693 new coronavirus cases today an6 on Sunday, 14 more deaths e reported the past two days, bringing the total since Mh of last year.

To7,000 43 deaths.

A new study ranks Pennsylva as the fifth most effective state in battlg a coronavis pandemic.

The study by SAIC's Busines Process Company examined factors like hospital admissions, testing, posity rates and vaccine distribu.

Hawaii ranked number one ie nation next year.

Marilyn Washington and Connecticut, New Jersey can at number 25 US health officials say that most fuy vaccinated people can skip testing for Covid-19 even f they were exposed to an infected person.

Experts say the waning importance of testing refls a new phase of the pandemi.

They say that aggressively testing vaccinated people n lead to unnecessary worry d disrupt work and school.

Japan is on a mission to sd up its vaccin rollout and b Covid-19 infection.

Just two months before hosg the Olympics, the Prime Minister has pledged to hod the summer games and wantso finish vaccinating the eldy by the end of Ju.

Many Japese remain unvaccinated, and that has prompted calls for thelymps to be canceled.

The Games are scheduled to begin on July 20.

Third, let's meet our guess for the day.

Dr Joseph Rosenbaum is an infectious disease specialt at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Also with us is Drakkar.

She's the chief financial officer at Cedar Crest Col, host of Mayfair Returning s year after being canceled n 2020 because of the pandem.

Thank you both so much for joining us today.

Audra will be with you in t a couple of minutes.

We're going to begin with r Yosfiah.

Great to have you back onhe show today.

Dr.

Thank you, Bernie.

It's great to be back.

Let me ask, are you seeingt LVHN what we're seeing acrs the country and in Pennsyla fewer cases and fewer hospitalizations Gamma So e are continuing to see improvements both in the nr of cases, the number of tes out of all that we order tt has positive.

So that positivity rate, wh gets us a little bit of int into how much tnsmission is going to the community ando how adequately we're testig individual hospitalizatione coming down.

Those the intensive care ut are coming down and certaiy locally, statewide and acrs the US, we're starting to e declines in deaths as well.

So I do think the picture e locally matches what we're seeing across the state and nationally.

But I do want to point out there's still a significant amount of virus being transmitted in the communi.

So we're certainly not done yet.

I was just going to ask ifu can puthat all in perspecte for us.

Where does that put us in s of the pandemic?

Are we almost the end, woud you say?

Or what is the infectious disease community saying at this point?

Yeah, I don't think it's te to really hang the mission English banner and move forward.

We definitely are not at a point where we're need to e that this virus.

Now listen, predicting what this infection and what ths virus in this pandemic is g to do has been very humbli.

And anyone who's tried hasd to come back a few wee latr and say why they were why y were wrong.

But there's no doubt that e really starting tourn the corner about pandemic flu pandemic, at least here ine United States.

So we're really making pros if we look at the number of hospitalizations declining cases, declining deaths declining, it's clear that we're getting there and its clear that vaccination is e of the main drivers and res why things are moving downs they are the numbers are getting huge.

If we look at the amount of vaccination doses providedn the US, we're approaching 0 million.

So about 285 million dosesf vaccine and given out to Americans over the next dar two, we're going to hit 50f all people living in the Uo received at least one dosef vaccine and 50% of adults o were fully vaccinated.

That compares to more than% of individuals over the agf 65 who are fully vaccinate.

And that's directly contributing to the decreas in deaths that we see and e decline in hpitalization.

And so we're really making progress.

But I think it's a little premature to say that we've gotten this be sure we aret this point in the US being fewer than 30,000 cases, nw cases of Covid-19 a day, wh in the grand scheme of this is better than what we've n seeing over the past year a half.

But there's still a lot of questions, a lot of people asking about masking when y should be asking when they shouldn't be masking.

I've heard unvaccinated pee say I'm not sure if I shoud get vaccinated.

Already had Covid-19 can yu clear some of that for us?

When should people mask and when should they get vaccinated?

Sure.

We'll start with masks.

I think the CDC guidance oe last week into a week or to really kind of caught some people off guard, really weren't expecting it.

But that really is the direction in which things e been going over the last fw weeks.

In the last month we're seg better data in real life wh these Covid-19 vaccines, particularly Reading vaccis than we even saw on clinicl trials.

We're seeing that they are decreasing rates of asymptomatic carriers.

So carrying the virus, beig infected without having any symptoms.

We'r seeing evidence of decreased transmissibility.

So a little less likely to transmit the virus when yoo have one of those breakthrh cases.

So everything was really mg in this direction on populn level, both from data hered outside of the United Stat.

So as far as mask in is, basically what the CDC is w saying is based on all this information, if you're vaccinated, you're fully vaccinated two weeks afterr second dose of the umani vaccines or two weeks after your single dose, Jnson and Johnson vaccine, you go abt Mastin situations indoors d outdoors.

The risk to you as an individual, assuming you ha normal immune system, is qe low and as we stated befor, even if you are one of thoe individuals who has breakthrough infection, yoe unlikely to transmit the vs to others.

The key thing here to remer is that if you are a virusd press or you're on medicats that supprs your system, yu might not develop the same level of protection as oths will.

So you are going to need to talk to your doctor who is managing them and really ck with them to see if there'y advice that they would pro.

And I would continue to maf I was being suppressed.

Certainly when you're indos around other individuals ad choosy about what type of events they do, you will attend.

I remember the CDC not say, OK, masks are over.

Everybody take off.

You can still wear your maf you're fully vaccinated.

You're in a situation that you're just not yet comfore with that's perfectly fine where you're mask.

There's no problem with th.

The other thing is if you'e unvaccinated, the recommendations really havt changed.

There's been some clarificn that you can be outside if you're not around other pee and not really be at risk r Covid-19 or if you're in a small group gathering outd, just wear a mask while youe there.

And that would lower risk.

So I think that's kind of always been the case.

But just clarifying that information.

But most importantly, if ye unvaccinated, please consir getting your vaccine proveo be safe and proven to be extremely effective.

Hundreds of millions of dos given out.

Rare things if they do occr being identified.

There's no better time than now.

To get vaccinated and start taking some of these improd recommendations.

Dr Riegelsville, I have toy that I was at an outdoor et this weekend and it was everybody was pretty spread out, but not a lot of peope were wearing masks.

Was nice to not have them Susquehanna see people's fs a change because so many pe are vaccinated at this poi.

But I do haveuestion as a parent of children who were under the age of kids who t vaccinated, should y stille worried?

Should you still be wearing that mask even as a vaccind person?

I just have people other pe in the house who are not vaccinated is what's the re for that or what's the guie for that?

You should ask.

So the same guidance does y against an individual.

You're less likely to realy become an even if you do he an exposure.

Now that said, I think that there's still that small ce the vaccine we're not 100% effective in trials and the were a small breakthrough cas.

The symptoms are usually m. But I think if you're goino be living with people who e not yet been vaccinated, they're certainly no harm h continuing to mask what yoe out around others and being choosy with the types of ps we go and we're going to be around other individuals ad the types of things that wo outdoors is always safer tn indoors.

But yes, I mean, if you are living with unvaccinated individuals or individuals within the systems, I do tk it would be reasonable to continue to wear a mask whe you're out and just take tt extra level of prection wherever you wherever you n get it.

And again, if you did have Covid-19 previously and I'm sorry about this earlier, s still important to get vaccinated this reduction f places and situations in wh it is recommended wear a mk does not apply.

Having had Covid-19 previo, the level of immunity and e exact type of you get for t Ed Zucal disease may not be enough to prevent a secondy infection and it might note enough to prevent an infecn against the different varis that are that are circulatg by getting vaccinated or gg to further boost that immue response.

Both get antibody levels ad your cell mediated immunity booster and that will giveu a true protection, really, really reduce your risk of becoming infected.

So so I really encourage ys soon as you recover and be isolated after your infect, once you're 10 days out improving its symptoms ando fever for the last 24 hours that you do consider gettig your vaccine in order to lk in that immunity and protet it.

The oneatch is that you receive monoclonal antibody treatment.

Make sure you wait at leas0 da after you had your infusion and if you have tt system inflammatory syndroe that was originally identid is but is now happening in adults.

You're going to want to wat until your symptoms resolvd your 90 days out from that.

But most people with the rr complicated Covid-19 or ify don't receive antibodies fr treatment, they can get thr vaccine right away as soons they leave isolation and Aa Oyler some great informatin there.

Dr Yazbek, you did mention breakthrough cases, people getting sick who have been vaccinated.

Can you talk a little bit t that?

What are you seeing?

How often are you seeing ts happen?

So so not often at all.

Personally, I haven't seene case yet to test the gentln on Friday.

Result, thankfully, was negative.

So we're really not seeing these all that often.

But they are occurring certainly across the health network.

We've seen cases know the bottom line is that they ae Moderna people are generaly not developing severe dise.

However, the same risk facs for developing severe disee do apply.

And although it's going toa very small number of peopl, you will see a few that enp in the hospital or end up seriously ill and some of e large population level stus have shown it is possible o get sick, but the chance of that becomes very, very lo.

These vaccines are giving a little bit of a glimpse oft the future will look like.

We've got to accept that there's going to be breakthrough infections.

They don't want people to e alarmed by what we're doins we're rendering sars-cov-2d Covid-19 to become a mild illness and that's what geg the vaccine it really can o for you.

Again, I don't see future without this virus.

If we can turn this into a mild, mild syndrome where e have very few people who develop severe disease and complications, to me that's close to a win as you can.

We've heard about doctor, e heard about people who gete second shot getting a coupf symptoms and not feeling so great after that second sh.

But what about people who d Covid?

I'm hearingrom some people who had Covid and then thet those shots saying that boh shots made and feel under e weather.

Is that common?

Is that's something that pe can not expect but might hn to them had they had Covidd then they get both shots Ga Yeah, absolutely.

I think anyone who's had a rough go around either of e doses will certainly tell anyone and everyone else.

I can tell you my second de certainly was a little rou, but it's really just a lite bit of discomfort.

Thankfully nothing serus after having Covid-19 when people are getting vaccina.

We've heard every spring.

We've heard the symptoms we really rough after the firt snob's got after the second we've heard both doses havg common side effects and symptoms and heard the oppe where people said that I ry didn't have anything.

So so we've really seen all ends of the spectrum.

I just think as humans we d don't go as well.

Dr USCAP, before we let yoo today, we've talked before about the Pfizer clinical l that you are a part of at .

Can you give us an update n that?

Any updates to report at ts time?

On that trial?

Yeah.

So so a few weeks back we completed our six month vis and that data has now been released publicly at leasta small amount of the data ad still demonstrating for th1 91% protective against any symptomatic disease.

So six months out, just a y slight drop off in the effectiveness against any symptomatic disease and stl extremely highly protective against hospitalizations.

So so we're making great strides there and thankfuly durability of immunity is persisting where things are going to be shifting, movig forward is really taking ak at what would be optimal.

So now that the virus is mutating a little bit and e seeing different variants t I thankfully are still beig covered by the immunity wet from vaccine would be boosg at some point later six to2 months down the road.

Make a difference.

We've already seen some inl data with Moderna showing t you are getting much higher antibody response with evea low dose booster.

And when you lose against a version of the vaccine, ths your specifically towards e of the new variants.

It looks like it even works better.

That's really where we're g to see the efforts going or the next few months.

We have not seen a lot of severe disease from the variants and people who wee previously fully vaccinate.

So the question of being completely necessary to gea booster dose remains to be answered.

But it is looking clearer t it might be optimal to geta booster dose and sometime n the road.

So so more to come that as we do the studies and gathr data and see where things e going.

But I think we're looking d to the future and trying to figure out where all of ths fits in the long run.

Wonderful.

Dr Joseph Rosenbaum from Lh Valley Health Network, some great information today.

Thank you so much for joing us.

You're welcome.

Thank you.

And we continue this commuy update on coronavirus on P. You can hear the rebroadcan the radio tonight at nine n 91 three WT.

Now let's bring in our next guest.

Audra Carr is CFO Cedar Crt College and Allentown.

College and Allentown.She'r Committee, the Mayfair Fesl of the Arts will be held ts coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a free in-person festival with bands, food trucks and arts workshops.

This is very exciting.

Another sign that things ae opening up.

Audra, thank you so much fr joining us today.

Can you tell us a little bt more about this festival Ga Thank you so much for havis here with you today.

Mayfair has been in the wos now for a couple years.

It feels like, y know, we'e been planning for this evet for now over a year and a .

We were canceled after last March when the pandemic rey hit our area and we determd that it wasn't the best thg to move forward with at tht time.

So we've been taking that e to plan to prepare and to g the community who loves Mayfair.

So much.

This festival, a 30 year tradition here in the Allen area for those that have bn born and raised here, knowt very well.

But we're so excited to brg it back here to our campus.

This will be our third yead it will be a safe environmt for all.

And so we thank all those partners that we've had hes make this event a safe environment.

What were some of the facts that you had to consider in deciding to do this year in 2021 after canceling last u know, being a protective environment in a safe environment for employees r staff, for the majority ofe people that volunteer for r festival year over year, mg sure that they were safe, r community was safe, that we could hold an event where performers, artists, vendos could come and enjoy and we could be among each other e big factor in our decision making for this festival without being able to prova safe environment, we wouldt have been able to pull thif and so our community partns like LVHN have helped us tk about how to do things on r campus differently.

That let us have our studes here o campus.

Let us have guests.

Let us have people that our pool even we've been able that very well over the lat year.

And so we are confident the will be able to bring thiso our community here Lehigh Valley.

And so for this year's festival, what protocols or safety measures did you hao put in place to make sure t everybody is being safe throughout the weekend?

Well, Brittany, this changy the day almost, but we puta lot of safety measures in including sanitation.

We're asking and encouragi, strongly encouraging all of festival goers to continueo wear masks.

We understand that the CDCd the Pennsylvania Department Health has released some of those masks wearing needs.

But remember, we're going e among many other people and people who may have not yet been vaccinated, children, adults even.

And so we are thinking abot those people, too.

And so when we're out about among other festival goerse ask that people wear masks.

But when they're sitting in their pod areas, eating wih their family and their gro, that they can remove their masks and enjoy the music d the art, we will be cleania lot during the festival ths year.

Something different that we haven't done in the past is we're asking our festival s to bring their own chairs.

It allows us to not have to worry about sanitation throughout the day and alls people to sit comfortably g their groups.

So that's going to be someg much different than in the past.

But as we think about movig forward, we think about mag sure our all of our peopleo are here are safe.

We will continue to have hd sanitizing stations, even giveaways of hand sanitizes for event goers that they n use throughout the festiva.

And this is a free festiva.

People can just show up.

They don't have to register anything like that.

Correct.

No, it's 100% free and we e everybody enjoys that make.

Used to be a free festivalk early in its time.

It ended up being a paid e. But when we brought it baco our campus, we made sure ta it was a free event for alo enjoy and encourage familio attend together to stay the whole festival if they wan.

There's fun for your child, for adults, even for the grandparents.

So we encourage you all to wonderful.

And so what are you hearing from your staff and volunts who will be manning the stations at the festival ts weekend?

Were you hearing are they r to do this or was are some hesitancy when you were planning Gamma You know, Ie one of the best jobs here t Cedar Crest.

I ve the abity to work with some exceptional staff and employees and they have all pitched in in differe ways.

So they may not have been comfortable being at the festival among people, but they're working behind the scenes to make it possible.

So those that are feeling comfortable will be there h safety masks provided to t, gloves, plexiglass shields.

We've made some changes to delivering food and beverae that will continue to prove that safe environment.

But all of our employees he have pitched in to make ths event possible.

And we're expecting about 0 volunteers to help us maket through these three days.

And so I hope you when youe the festival goers go aroud volunteers, please.

Thank you.

Because this festival woult be possible without all the wonderful volunteers that e have.

And what kind of feedback e you hearing from the commu?

This is one of the first in-person events people hae been able to go to in a log time.

I'm sure they're excited fr it.

But what are you hearing Ga The results have been so positive, Brittany, we have heard such wonderful feedbk from all of our community,m the vendors, the artists, e musicians to people who are eager to attend our social media has been really posie and knows that we're receig our also positive.

So I expect a really great attendance.

I am praying for some realy nice weather as well.

Maybe not as hot, maybe a t sunshine on are beautiful.

84 acre campus and there wl be events both indoors and outdoors.

You talked a little bit abt the masking and how it's situational.

The same thing for both ins and outdoors just wear your mask when you're with other people or are there certain rules for both Gamma Yes, e asking everybody to just be mindful of others and so te same rules go indoors and outdoors.

We strongly encourage wearg masks, but we understand tt might not always be the cae for everyone, but we ask tm to be mindful of others and hopefully we can encourages festival going policy for everyone because if we do s well, all of our other festivals in the Lehigh Vay and beyond can have a wondl safe festival.

This year to all of these musicians, vendors, artists took a year hiatus for us during this pandemic.

They helped strengthen us through really difficult ts by listening to music or jt looking at their art.

And so now it's our time to right by them and ensure tt they can continue to have a wonderful season now that e enter into spring and summr time, address something ths differenthis year is that t the festival Gamma From whI understand, you'll be offeg vaccines in a partnership h St Luke's.

Can you tell us a little bt about that?

Will people need an appoint to do so?

Yes, they can go on our website, WWC or Aidoo Backh Mayfair and they can schede an appointment for a Johns& Johnson vaccine with St Lus University Health Network.

They can also call if they don't want that vaccine and they would like the Pfizerr the Moderna they can do soy reaching out to the health netwk and receiving on ther campus location.

But there will be shots available here for people o available here for people .

But we ask that you do sigp for a time slot in order te sure that there's enough to around and this at Cedar C, who benefits from the Mayfr Festival?

Where did some of the procs go Gamma That's a wonderful question.

Are proceeds go right backo our students?

It helps make education affordable.

It allows us to provide acs to education to students wo need it.

And Cedar Crest is all abo And Cedar Crest is all abo.

And so your support of Mayr will support students for s to come.

Great job before we let yoo today, can you let us knowe schedule?

When does it open?

This weekend.

Our festival opens up this Friday at 4:00pm.

We're so excited to welcomr festival goers.

It goes each night till 10:00pm, Saturday and Sund.

The festival opens at 1200n to 10pm and it's free and n to the public.

Is there a website where fs can get a little bit more information?

If they're looking for tha, they sure can w w w dot cer dot ed backslash Mayfair Drakkar from Cedar Crest.

Thank you so much for all f that wonderful information.

Have a wonderful weekend.

I hope the weather holds ur you.

Thank you so much.

And we want to thank our gs for being with us today ane want to thank you for joing us for community update on Coronavirus will be here at 4:00pm each Monday, Wednesy and Friday on PBS39 and one radio at nine 30 those same nights on WLVT.

Our news will be back Wedny at four with ArtsQuest Ce-e Gerlach Hilgert to upte pls for this summer's music fe.

If you have a question, yon leave it at our website, PBS39.org on social media r give us a call and leave it there.

The phone number is 44 eigt two one zero zero zero eigt four PBS39 WLVT hour news.

I'm Brittany Sweeney CDC.