>> IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS SINCE NEW YORK SHUT DOWN IN RESPONSE TO THE ARRIVAL OF COVID-19, BUT OUR LIVES CONTINUE TO BE SHAPED BY THIS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.

IN LIGHT OF THIS RECENT MILESTONE, WE WANTED TO EXAMINE THE CURRENT SHAPE OF THE PANDEMIC, HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHAT SHOULD COME NEXT.

ALL THAT, RIGHT HERE, ON CONNECT NEW YORK.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> WELCOME TO CONNECT NEW YORK.

I'M DAVID LOMBARDO, HOST OF WCNY'S THE CAPITOL PRESSROOM, A DAILY PUBLIC RADIO SHOW BROADCASTING FROM THE STATE CAPITOL.

TODAY'S PROGRAM WILL FEATURE A BROAD CONVERSATION ABOUT NEW YORK'S BATTLE WITH COVID-19.

BUT FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE STATE'S TOP HEALTH OFFICIAL DR. MARY BASSETT ABOUT THE CURRENT DANGER POSED BY COVID-19, THE POLICY OPTIONS TO FIGHT THE VIRUS AND HOW WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR PAST.

THE STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER SPOKE TO US A FEW DAYS AGO, FROM HER ALBANY OFFICE NEAR THE CAPITOL.

>> SO Dr. BASSETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THE TIME.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO FOR STARTERS, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT STATE OF THE PANDEMIC RIGHT NOW IN NEW YORK?

>> WE ARE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE.

AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE ON THE TAIL END OF THE OMICRON SURGE WITH ALMOST ALL OF OUR INDICATORS GOING DOWN AND ALL OF THEM MUCH LOWER THAN THEY WERE EVEN BEFORE THE OMICRON SURGE BEGAN.

WE ARE BACK AT NUMBERS WE SAW LAST, IN THE SUMMER OF LAST YEAR IN AUGUST OF 2021.

SO WE ARE IN A GOOD PLACE.

BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, WORRYING SIGNS AROUND THE WORLD AND I EXPECT THAT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THAT.

>> WHAT WOULD YOU DESCRIBE, I GUESS AN AVERAGE EXPOSURE IS ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS?

>> OF COURSE EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT.

AND EVERYBODY SHOULD BE ASSESSING THEIR RISK ACCORDING TO THEIR PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

I HAVE A MOTHER WHO IS 93 YEARS OLD AND I PAY ATTENTION WHEN I'M IN CROWDED PLACES.

I CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK.

AND I WILL PROBABLY KEEP DOING THAT UNTIL WE ARE ALL VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE COVID AFFECTING US BECAUSE OF MY MOTHER.

I'M FULLY VACCINATED AND BOOSTED, BUT MY MOTHER IS OLD AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO BE THE PERSON WHO EXPOSED HER TO COVID.

SO THAT'S MY SITUATION.

OTHER PEOPLE WILL CONSIDER THEIR SITUATION.

AS YOU KNOW, WE, AS OTHER STATES, HAVE RELAXED OUR MASK MANDATES.

WE NOW HAVE THEM IN PLACE ONLY IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES AND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

WE NO LONGER HAVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR MASKING EITHER FOR CONCERN SCHOOL CHILDREN OR PEOPLE IN PUBLIC INDOOR SPACES BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T ASSESS YOUR PERSONAL SITUATION AND DECIDE TO WEAR A MASK.

>> WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL DECISION AND TALKED ABOUT THIS AS A PERSONAL CHOICE TO A CERTAIN DEGREE RIGHT NOW BASED ON THE TRANSMISSION THAT WE ARE SEEING, BUT CONSIDERING THIS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE I GUESS THE BEST POLICY TO LEAVE THIS UP TO INDIVIDUALS, TO LET THEM MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THEIR PERSONAL SITUATIONS SINCE THEIR PERSONAL SITUATIONS CAN BLEED OVER TO YOUR MOTHER IN HER 90s, FOR EXAMPLE.

>> THAT IS ONCE AGAIN YOU'VE ASKED ME A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

AND I DON'T BELIEVE OUR HEALTH IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF PERSONAL CHOICE.

IN THIS CASE I BELIEVE IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GOVERNMENT TO GIVE PEOPLE INFORMATION AND TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO TAKE DECISIONS THAT WILL PROTECT THEIR HEALTH HEALTH AND MAKE THOSE DECISIONS THE EASY ONES TO MAKE.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS ABUNDANT PLACES TO GET VACCINATED.

WE WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO MASKS IN CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTS WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE THOSE AVAILABLE AND ADDING TO THAT ARE, KNOW, IS TESTING.

AS A STATE, WE HAVE PROCURED 90 MILLION HOME TEST KITS, DISTRIBUTED 50 MILLION OF THEM ALREADY AND THAT'S ANOTHER ADDED ACTIVITY, YOU KNOW, TESTING YOURSELF, WHEN YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS OR WHEN YOU ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU WANT TO DETERMINE YOUR STATUS.

SO THOSE ARE ALL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT I BELIEVE BELONG TO GOVERNMENT.

BUT WE ARE DEVOLVING INTO INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND TO INDIVIDUALS THEMSELVES AS TIME HAS GONE ON.

>> SO IN RESPONSE TO THE WINTER HOLIDAY SPIKE IN CASES, THE STATE IMPOSED A BROAD MASK REQUIREMENT IN PUBLIC SETTINGS.

IS THAT GOING TO BE THE DEFAULT RESPONSE TO RISING CASE NUMBERS MOVING FORWARD?

I MEAN ARE THERE ANY PRACTICAL POLICY OPTIONS IN THOSE SITUATIONS?

>> WELL, OF COURSE THE MASKS OR VAX MANDATE AS WE CALLED IT WHICH WE INSTITUTED ON THE TENTH OF DECEMBER AND IMPLEMENTED ON THE 13th VERY QUICKLY WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE OMICRON SURGE.

AND SO THESE DECISIONS ARE CONTEXTUAL.

THEY'RE BASED ON OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE CONDITIONS.

AND I REALLY CAN'T SAY THAT WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THAT ALL THE TIME.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT COVID MAY BECOME SEASONAL AND WILL REMAIN PART OF OUR LIVES.

CLEARLY IF WE LOOK AT THE WAVES SO FAR, THEY HAVE BEEN SEASONAL WITH THE LOWEST RATES GENERALLY SEEN IN THE SUMMER MONTHS.

SO THAT'S REALLY ALL I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW.

I CAN'T REALLY SAY WHAT WE WOULD DO IN TERMS OF MASKING AS AN ANNUAL EVENT.

>> I GUESS I'M CURIOUS.

ARE THERE OTHER POLICY CHOICES THAT COULD TAKE THE PLACE OF MASKING IF YOU DO SEE A RISE IN CASES?

COULD WE DO GOLF COURSE-- COULD WE GO BACK TO PUTTING CAPACITY RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN VENUES OR IS THE MASK POLICY THE EASTIEST MOST EFFECTIVE WAY WITHOUT DISRUPTING LIFE TOO MUCH.

>> I THINK ALL OF THOSE ARE ON THE TABLE, RIGHT?

TAKING CARE WHEN YOU ARE IN CROWDED PUBLIC INDOOR SPACES, WEARING A MASK I CONSIDER A PRETTY MODEST ACTION BUT OF COURSE YOU KNOW, THERE IS GROWING FATIGUE WITH ALL OF THE MEASURES I HOPE PEOPLE DON'T GET FATIGUED WITH, AND OUR RATES ARE PRESENTLY FLAT, IS GETTING VACCINATED.

WE STILL HAVE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE 44, 45% OF NEW YORKERS WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED ALL OF THE RECOMMENDED VACCINATION, PRINCIPALLY THE BOOSTER SHOT.

THAT'S SOMETHING PEOPLE CAN DO RIGHT NOW AND THERE IS NO REASON NOT DO THAT RIGHT NOW AND OUR VACCINATION COVERAGE IN CHILDREN IS MUCH LOWER THAN IT SHOULD BE.

WE ARE HOVERING ONE THIRD OF CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 5-11.

CHILDREN DON'T GET VERY SICK FROM COVID BY AND LARGE BUT THAT IS TRUE BUT ALSO TRUE DURING THE OMICRON SPIKE, WE SAW MORE HOSPITALIZATIONS IN CHILDREN THAN WE DID IN THE OTHER WAVES.

AND CHILDREN DO DIE OF COVID.

AND GETTING VACCINATED REALLY REDUCES OUR RISK FOR ALL OF US GETTING SEVERE DISEASE THAT MAY REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION OR EVEN CAUSE DEATH.

SO PEOPLE SHOULD STILL GET VACCINATED.

ALL OF THE OTHER TOOLS REMAIN IN OUR TOOL BOX, NOT TO USE AN OVER USED PHRASE, BUT THAT'S ONE THAT WE SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO RIGHT NOW AND OF COURSE THE OTHER ONE IS TREATMENT.

WE NOW HAVE THERAPEUTICS FOR COVID AND WE, IN NEW YORK STATE, HAVE ENOUGH OF THESE THERAPEUTICS ON HAND THAT WE REALLY WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS, YOU SHOULD GET TESTED.

IF YOU TEST POSITIVE, YOU SHOULD TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT WHETHER YOU ARE A CANDIDATE FOR TREATMENT, WHICH HAS TO BE GIVEN VERY EARLY IN DISEASE.

SO THESE TWO TOOLS ACCESS TO TREATMENT, VACCINATION REMAIN VERY ACTIVE AT THE MOMENT.

YOU MENTION THE COVID VACCINE AND THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A LOT OF STUDYING OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE AND EFFICACY.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE FUTURE ROLE OF A COVID VACCINE IN NEW YORK?

YOU ARE REFERRING TO STUDIES WE DID FIRST IN SHOWING THAT PEOPLE WHO WERE FULLY VACCINATED AND COMPARING TO PEOPLE WHO SURVIVED COVID, OF COURSE NOT EVERYONE SURVIVES COVID AND SHOWING THE INFECTION WITH THE CURRENT CIRCULATING VIRUS OFFERS GOOD PROTECTION IF YOU SURVIVE.

AND SOING THAT OUR CURRENT VACCINES ARE NOT AS EFFECTIVE AGAINST THE CIRCULATING VARIANTS AS THEY WERE AGAINST THE INITIAL VARIANT WHICH MAKES SENSE, RIGHT.

THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR THE INITIAL VARIANT.

OTHER WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE AND I'M PROUD OF THIS HEALTH DEPARTMENT TEAM, SUGGESTS A RAPID WANING OF VACCINE EFFICACY FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE RECEIVING THE UNDER 12, THE PEDIATRIC DOSE AND NEITHER OF THESE SHOW LACK OF EF CA SKI AGAINST-- EFFICACY AGAINST HOSPITALIZATION.

AND INCREASINGLY MANY OF US ARE THINKING OF A KEY ROLE OF VACCINATION IS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM GETTING SERIOUSLY ILL SO THAT THEY REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION SO PEOPLE FULLY VACCINATED AND BOOSTED HAVE GOTTEN COVID BUT THEIR RISK OF ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL IS FAR, FAR LOWER THAN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED.

AND THAT YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE IT.

IF YOU GET COVID SH IT'S NOT PLEASANT AND THERE IS ALWAYS THE RISK OF LONG COVID BUT VACCINATION WILL MAKE IT FAR MORE LIKELY THAT YOU DON'T END UP IN THE HOSPITAL.

>> WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE MASKS, YOU MENTIONED THE FATIGUE WITH THE MASK.

THAT MADE ME THINK ABOUT, SINCE TAKING THIS JOB AS COMMISSIONER, HOW HAVE YOU WITNESSED POLITICS AND PUBLIC HEALTH INFORM THE STATE'S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE REALLY AT THE CROSSROADS OF THOSE TWO INTERSECTING, SOMETIMES COMPETING INTERESTS AS YOU ARE A POLITICAL APPOINTEE BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A MEDICAL BACKGROUND.

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE TWO PRIORITIES SQUARE OFF IN YOUR TIME AS COMMISSIONER?

>> WELL, PUBLIC HEALTH HAS ALWAYS TAKEN PLACE AT THE INTERFACE OF SCIENCE AND POLITICS.

SO THIS ISN'T ANYTHING NEW FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.

FOR ME PERSONALLY, MY IDENTITY IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR AND I CONSIDER THAT MY OBLIGATION TO, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH, DRAWS FROM THAT.

AND NOT FROM ANY POLITICAL DIRECTIVE SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CORNERSTONE FOR ALL OF US IN PUBLIC HEALTH THAT OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT AND PROMOTE THE HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC.

THIS HAS BEEN A HARD TIME FOR PEOPLE WORKING IN GOVERNMENT PUBLIC HEALTH, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE FOR ME IN MY ROLE SO FAR ALTHOUGH I'M JUST HEADED UP TO FOUR MONTHS.

OBVIOUSLY THE GOVERNOR HAS TO CONSIDER THINGS THAT I AS A DOCTOR AM NOT PUTTING ON MICHAEL INCLUDES-- ON MY CALCULOUS.

EVEN THOUGH IT AFFECTS HEALTH, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT ON COVID.

OBVIOUSLY RISING POVERTY RATES ARE NOT GOOD FOR HEALTH BUT AS A DOCTOR, I KEEP FOCUSED ON DISEASE CONTROL AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO THINK MUCH MORE BROADLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO FIGHT THE PANDEMIC RIGHT NOW, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS ALL THE AUTHORITY AND FUNDING THAT IT NEEDS FROM THE LEGISLATURE OR ARE THERE ADDITIONAL TOOLS OR RESOURCES THAT YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT NEED TO KEEP TRANSMISSION RATES LOW AND TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE DO HAVE ACCESS TO VACCINES AND THE BEST THERAPEUTICS.

>> EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY GOOD BUDGET YEAR AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME THAT THIS DEPARTMENT HASN'T BEEN SCOURING ITS BUDGET FOR REDUCTIONS.

THIS DEPARTMENT UNDER WENT YEARS OF BUDGET REDUCTIONS AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS NOT BEEN GOOD.

AS A NATION, THE UNITED STATES UNDER INVESTS IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND I THINK OUR EXPERIENCE DURING COVID SHOWED THAT.

SO WE ARE IN A GOOD PLACE.

WE ARE GETTING A REAL BUMP UP TO OUR BUDGET.

WE ARE GETTING, I BELIEVE, IT'S OVER 500 ADDITIONAL LINES IN THE HARM, BUT OVERCOMING YEARS OF UNDERINVESTMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH WON'T BE A ONE-SHOT DEAL BUT THIS IS A GOOD BUDGET YEAR FOR US.

>> AND FINALLY, WE HAVE HAD INVESTIGATIONS, AUDITS AND HEARINGS INTO STATE POLICIES IMPLEMENTED SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF COVID-19 IN NEW YORK.

HOW, IF AT ALL, DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT UTILIZE THESE RETROSPECTIVES?

>> THIS HAS COME UP ALREADY AROUND NURSING HOMES AND THE FIRST THING TO SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TOLL OF THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID IN OUR NURMTS WAS CAT PHOTOGRAPHIC AND TRAGIC IN THE NURSING HOMES FOR ALL OF US WHO VALUE OUR ELDERS.

I TALKED ABOUT, I HAVE AN ELDER PARENT MYSELF.

AND YOU KNOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR FAMILIES DURING THAT PERIOD.

WE, OF COURSE, HAVE BEEN KEEPING LASER FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN AND I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR PERFORMANCE DURING OMICRON IN SHOWING I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW THE GRAPH, BUT EVERYWHERE THE PEAK OF OMICRON HAS CASE COUNTS THAT EXCEEDED THOSE OF ALL PRIOR WAVES, NOT IN OUR NURSING HOMES.

WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE A WHOLE EAR IS OF ACTIONS.

THIS WAS NEVER A SINGLE THING, WHICH I THINK THAT KEPT THE IMPACT DOWN AND WE ARE SEEING SOMETHING UNDER 1% OF OUR 93,000 NURSING HOME RESIDENTS ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE CASES SO WE THIS ALL REPRESENTS LEARNING FROM PAST EXPERIENCE AND, OF COURSE WE LOOK AT AND READ THESE REPORTS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC IS BOTH TO LEARN FROM THE PAST AND TO APPLY THOSE LESSONS TO THE PRESENT.

THAT'S WHAT I EVERYBODY FOCUSED ON DO YOU THINK WE NEED ANYMORE ADDITIONAL DEEP DIVE RETROSPECTIVES OF THE PANDEMIC ALL OF AWES IN A GLOBAL WAY, I THINK, NEED TO LOOK BACK THINK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED WHAT WE NEED TO DOCUMENT SO THAT THOSE LEARNINGS CAN BE AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW.

PEOPLE CHANGE.

I MAY NOT BE SITTING IN THIS SEAT AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE TAKEN THE TIME, AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, A CONTINUED BREAK FROM THE SERIES OF SURGES.

AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE TIME AND SIT DOWN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DOCUMENTED THE LESSONS THAT WE LEARNED.

THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE.

>> WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER Dr. MARY BASSETT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> PLEASURE.

>> AND NOW FOR OUR PANEL DISCUSSION WE'RE JOINED BY DR. INDU GUPTA, COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH FOR ONONDAGA COUNTY, DR. ISAAC WEISFUSE, A MEDICAL EPIDEMIOLOGIST AND ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY PUBLIC HEALTH, AND BILL HAMMOND SENIOR FELLOW FOR HEALTH POLICY AT THE EMPIRE CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY.

>> I WANT TO START WITH YOU, WE HEARD THE STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER SAY WE ARE IN A QUOTE UNQUOTE GOOD PLACE RIGHT NOW IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PANDEMIC DOES THAT TEAM SEEM LIKE AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION TO YOU WHEN WE THINK ABOUT NEW YORK?

>> LIKE ANY PHASE OF THE OUTBREAK, THERE ARE NOT EVERY PLACE IS IN THE SAME, YOU KNOW, IN THE SAME KIND OF CONDITION, SO THERE IS SOME VARIATION FROM COUNTY TO COUNTY, BUT I THINK OVERALL, GENERALLY CASES ARE WAY DOWN FROM JUST IN JANUARY, NEB AND THE PREVALENCE OF INFECTION AMONG THOSE TESTED IS WAY DOWN BUT AGAIN THERE ARE POCKETS IN THE STATE THAT HAVEN'T GONE DOWN AS MUCH BUT OVERALL, THAT'S A GOOD ASSUMPTION THAT THINGS ARE BETTER.

>> Dr. GUPTA, ONONDAGA COUNTY, WOULD THEY SAY THEY'RE IN A GOOD PLACE RIGHT NOW?

>> ONONDAGA COUNTY IS SHOWING SOME UPTRENDING IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS ACTUALLY, WHICH IS SORT OF IF YOU SEE GLOBALLY, THE WHO RECORDED THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, A LITTLE INCREASE WITH THE B.A.-2 VARIANT.

THE COUNTRY ITSELF HAS SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF UPTICK.

THE COUNTY HAS SEEN A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL REST OF THE STATE.

WE ARE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF WE DO A LOT OF TESTING BUT CERTAINLY IT IS A LOT LESS THAN BEFORE.

BUT WE WANT TO HAVE THAT STABILIZED AND HOPEFULLY DOWN TREND.

>> BILL, I KNOW YOU ARE LOOKING AT DATA PROBABLY ON A DAILY BASIS.

ARE YOU STARTING TO SEE TRENDS EMERGE LIKE WHETHER OR NOT Dr. GUPTA IS TALKING ABOUT IN ONONDAGA COUNTY, CASES ON THE RISE THAT MIGHT BE A SPIKE OR THIS IS AN EBB AND FLOW?

>> I HATE TO BE THE PESSIMIST HERE BUT WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS A FLATTENING.

THE BEST PHASE OF OUR PANDEMIC TO DATE SINCE IT STARTED WAS THE SUMMER OF 2020.

THE NUMBERS HAVE NEVER GOTTEN TO THAT LOW POINT.

>> THAT'S AT A TIME WHEN THERE WERE NO VACCINES AND THEY WERE USING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND MASKING.

>> THERE IS A FLATTENING AND THAT'S PROBABLY DUE TO SPIKES IN SOME PARTS OF THE STATE.

I'M LOOKING AT THE STATEWIDE PICTURE.

SO THAT'S DISCOURAGING TO SEE IT FLATTEN.

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE NUMBERS ARE STILL QUITE LOW COMPARED CERTAINLY COMPARED TO WHERE THEY WERE IN JANUARY.

THEY'RE MORE LIKE WHERE THEY WERE LAST FALL AND ANOTHER HOPEFUL THING IS THAT WE ARE APPROACHING THE WARMER WEATHER WHERE THAT SEEMS TO HELP SUPPRESS THE VIRUS.

>> DO YOU HAVE BIG SUMMER PLANS OR SOMETHING?

Dr. GUPTA, IN TERMS OF BEING IN A GOOD PLACE RIGHT NOW.

WHAT DOES THAT SAY FOR YOUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT?

OR DOES THIS STILL COMMAND A LOT OF YOUR DAY TO DAY ATTENTION.

>> THAT IN 2020, WE SAW THE BEST ACTUALLY, THE LOWEST NUMBER OF CASES BECAUSE THE WHOLE COUNTRY WAS SHUT DOWN.

WE DIDN'T HAVE TESTS.

ALL THE TOOLS WE HAD AT THAT TIME TO HAVE THE MASK UP, MAKE SURE THE PHYSICAL DISTANCE AND IF ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE.

WE DIDN'T KNOW MUCH.

SINCE THEN, THE VACCINE CAME IN DECEMBER.

WE STARTED TO SEE SOME DOWN TRENDING OF CASES AGAIN IN 2021.

WE HAD A LOT OF VACCINE BUT WE SAW UPTICK IN FALL AND LATER PART OF THE YEAR IN 2020.

WE HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES REPORTED END OF 2021 AND BEGINNING OF 2022.

WHEN WE HAD A LOT OF VACCINE.

AND TO COME BACK TO THE QUESTION IS THAT WE STARTED TO BRING BACK OUR CORE PUBLIC HEALTH WORK WHEN WE HAD A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE VACCINATED.

COUNTY WAS OPEN QUITE A BIT PEOPLE STARTED TO DO THEIR NORMAL ROUTINE.

WE FELT COMFORTABLE.

OPIOID EPIDEMIC, SUICIDES, S.T.I.s, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTION, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH WE CERTAINLY NEED TO CONTROL.

SO WE STARTED TO PUT ALL THE CORE PUBLIC HEALTH WORK AT THAT TIME AND WE ARE AT FULL FORCE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE WE HAVE VACCINE.

WE HAVE TESTS AND WE STILL HAVE MASK THAT I HOPE PEOPLE ARE USING SO WE ARE PRETTY MUCH DEDICATING OURSELVES, BOTH WITH THE COVID WORK AT THE SAME TIME, MOST OF IT AT THIS POINT IS OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AND ALSO VACCINATION PROMOTION AND VACCINATION IMPLEMENTATION.

WE STILL DO PROVIDE THAT BUT WE DON'T DO ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE THE WAY WE WERE DOING IN THE 2020 AND PART OF 2021.

SO OUR ROLES HAVE SHIFTED FROM ENFORCER OF THE POLICIES AS A PUBLIC HEALTH, YOU KNOW, I HAVE AUTHORITY TO PUT PEOPLE IN ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE AS A COMMISSIONER BECAUSE IT IS GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH TO HAVE EVERYBODY PRETTY MUCH WATCHING OUT SO THAT THEY CAN BE PROTECTED FROM ANY OVERWHELMING INFECTION IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO THAT PART THAT HAS GONE QUIETLY NOW.

AND THEN SHIFTING TOWARDS MORE OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY ROLE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AS Dr. BASSETT WAS ALSO MENTIONING.

>> IS CONTACT TRACING SOMETHING THAT IS GOING ON IN ONONDAGA COUNTY?

BECAUSE I KNOW AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS, CONTACT TRACING HAS BEEN A BIG PRIORITY BUT SOMETHING THAT BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DO BASED ON THE SCOPE OF TRANSMISSION AT VARIOUS STAGES.

WITH TRANSMISSION SO LOW RIGHT NOW IS THAT CONTACT TRACING SOMETHING YOU CAN DO OR WANT TO DO OR BECAUSE IT IS SO LOW IT'S NOT A TOP PRIORITY?

>> IT IS A GREAT QUESTION.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE EVERYBODY TO REMEMBER IS CONTACT TRACING IS THE FOUNDATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

CONTACT TRACING IS NOT NEW.

IT BECAME LIKE THE MOST POPULAR WORDS IF YOU LOOK AT 2020 AND 2021 BECAUSE THIS IS THE WAY WE TRACK THE DISEASE COMMUNICABLE DISEASE WE DO IT.

IT BECAME SO OPENLY KNOWN FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY IS A CASE THE PEOPLE AROUND US WHO ARE THE CONTACT, WE ARE GOING TO TRACE THE PATH OF THE WIDEST.

WE ARE NOT DOING IT AT THIS POINT IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHICH WE DID IN THE BEGINNING.

WE HAVE VISITED THE ROLE BUT AT SCHOOL WE ARE ASKING SCHOOL, IF POSSIBLE, YOU CAN TRACE THE PATH OF THE WIDEST IF YOUR STAFF IS POSITIVE.

IF YOUR STUDENT IS POSITIVE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN KEEP THE PEOPLE EXPOSED AT HOME AWAY FROM THE WORKPLACE AND SCHOOL AND THEN PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF INFECTION, SO INSTEAD OF HAVING ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY WHICH WE HAD FOR THE CONTACT TRACING THAT PUT QUARANTINE STARTING WITH THE 14 DAYS AND THEN 10 DAYS AND FIVE DAYS NOW.

IT IS MORE OF VOLUNTARY AT THIS POINT.

AT THIS POINT SO THAT PEOPLE EITHER THE EMPLOYER, THE SCHOOLS OR THE COMMON HOUSEHOLD WILL BE ABLE TO STILL TRACK THE PATH OF THE VIRUS.

THE CONTACT TRACING IS STILL SHOULD BE THE NAME OF THE GAME.

IT JUST IS NOT DONE BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT BECAUSE REMEMBER PANDEMIC IS STILL HERE PANDEMIC GLOBAL PANDEMIC HAS NOT GONE.

WE STILL SEE FLATTENING OF CASES, SOME ARE A LITTLE UPTICK AT TIMES SO THE MAIN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR WORK WILL BE, AT THIS POINT, THE TOOLS IN OUR TOOL BOX, WHICH WE HAVE LEARNED FROM 2020, 2021, FROM THE TESTING, TRACING, TEST TO TREAT, ALL THESE THINGS AND THE ONES THAT CONTROL THE UPTICK OR DOWNTRENDING OF THE INFECTION.

>> IN THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES RIGHT NOW IS THERE IS AN EMPHASIS IN TERMS OF GETTING VACCINATED BUT IN TERMS OF STOPPING THE VIRUS ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS IN OUR CURRENT LIVES, IT SEEMS LIKE THE MAIN RULE THAT WE ARE SEEING IF YOU ARE NOT VACCINATED, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WEARING A MASK IN INDOOR INDOOR SETTINGS.

WE NO LONGER HAVE THE MASK OR VAX POLICY.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE TRANSITION RATES WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, ARE WE TAKING ADEQUATE PREVENTATIVE MESS YOURSELF?

>> I THINK PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS TO MODULATE ITS INTERVENTION BOTH THE KINDS OF INTERVENTIONS AND THE DIFFICULTY OF THE INTERVENTIONS BASED ON THE DATA THAT'S GOING ON AND I THINK THE DATA SHOWS THAT THINGS ARE GOING MUCH BETTER I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE SORT OF NOT BEING EMPHASIZED THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL THAT ARE BASELINE THINGS.

NUMBER 1: IF YOU ARE SICK, DO NOT GO TO WORK, DO NOT GO TO SCHOOL AND ENFORCING THAT MAKING SURE ALL PARENTS KNOW THAT MAKING SURE ALL EMPLOYEES KNOW THAT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TRANSMISSION IN THE SCHOOL OR WORKPLACE.

THE EMPHASIS ON BETTER VENTILATION IN INDOOR SETTINGS SHOULD STILL BE A PRIORITY FOR SCHOOLS, FOR BUSINESSES, FOR ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEXES SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE STUFFY INDOOR SETTINGS WHICH MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO BE A VENUE WHERE TRANSMISSION OCCURS.

SO I THINK SOME OF THE BASICS STILL NEED TO BE EMPHASIZED EVEN IF WE ARE NOT DOING CONTACT TRACING NOW, I THINK SOME OF THESE BASICS ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY REASONABLE, ARE NOT ASKING THE PUBLIC TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT JUST SORT OF GOING WITH WHAT IS STILL GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES.

AND I THINK THOSE TWO SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE EMPHASIZED.

>> BILL, WE TALKED ABOUT Dr. BASSETT ABOUT THE INTERSECTION OF POLITICS AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE TWO CROSSROADS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WHO DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN WINNING, ESPECIALLY FROM THE STATE PERSPECTIVE WHERE YOU SPENT SO MUCH TIME AND CONSTANTLY MONITORING THINGS.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS A HAPPY MARRIAGE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS OR HAVE WE SEEN POLITICS IN CHARGE OF THE SITUATION?

>> NEW YORK IS A PRETTY BLUE STATE, DEMOCRATIC STATE AND PRETTY BY AND LARGE A PRO-INTERVENTION STATE.

WE ARE OFTEN HELD UP IN CONTRADISTINCTION TO PLACES LIKE FLORIDA THAT HAVE BEEN ANTI-INTERVENTIONIST, I THINK ANOTHER THING THAT HAS HAPPENED THOUGH AND IT WAS REFLECTED IN YOUR INTERVIEW WITH Dr. BASSETT IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE LETTING PEOPLE MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS MORE AND MORE.

AND THE THING IS, THE PEOPLE ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO DO THAT.

I MEAN WE ARE FULLY AQAIR-- AWARE THAT THIS VIRUS EXISTS.

IF YOU PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THE MEDIA AT ALL, YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHETHER IT'S GETTING WORSE OR GETTING BETTER.

YOU MAY HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW CROWDED YOUR LOCAL HOSPITAL IS, YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THE RISK TO YOU PERSONALLY A SENSE OF THE RISK TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS AND YOU HAVE ACCESS TO OPTIONS.

MUCH BETTER MASKS AVAILABILITY ONE THING I THINK WE STILL HAVEN'T MADE ENOUGH USE OF AND I THINK IT GOES IN THE SAME CATEGORY WITH VENTILATION AND AWARENESS OF NOT GOING TO WORK WHEN YOU ARE SICK IS TESTING.

I FEEL LIKE IF TESTING WAS JUST LIKE UBIQUITOUS.

YOU HAD THESE AT HOME TESTS THAT YOU COULD PICK UP, EITHER AT NO CHARGE OR VERY LOW COST, IF THEY WERE PILED UP AT THE CHECKOUT AT THE SUPER MARK AND PEOPLE WERE ENCOURAGED TO DO IT A LOT, TO TEST THEMSELVES ON A WEEKLY BASIS REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING BEFORE THEY GO TO A PARTY, BEFORE THEY GO TO A LARGE GATHERING, THAT WOULD BE ALMOST LIKE A DISTRIBUTED FORM OF CONTACT TRACING BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE AWARE OF YOUR OWN STATUS.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE CAN DO BETTER.

>> YOU MENTIONED FLORIDA.

YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE OUTCOMES FOR NEW YORK.

LOOKING AT FLORIDA.

I'VE SEEN ALL YOUR CHARTS.

THEY'RE GREAT.

HOW HAS NEW YORK FAIRED COMPARED TO FLORIDA, CONSIDERING WE HAVE TAKEN SUCH DIFFERENT APPROACHES AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE METRICS THAT YOU WOULD USE TO JUDGE THE NEW YORK EXPERIENCE VERSUS THE FLORIDA EXPERIENCE?

>> SO NEW YORK IS A LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL BECAUSE ITS WORST PERIOD WAS SO CONCENTRATED RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING.

WE HAD THIS MASSIVE SPIKE OF BOTH RAPIDLY SPREADING INFECTIONS, RAPIDLY FILLING HOSPITALS, AND A HIGH DEATH RATE ALL IN THE FIRST SAY EIGHT WEEKS.

AND FURTHERMORE, IT WAS CONCENTRATED IN ONE PART OF THE STATE.

IT WAS CONCENTRATED NEW YORK CITY, LONG ISLAND AND THE SOUTHERN HUDSON VALLEY.

THAT AREA-- NEW YORK CITY IN PARTICULAR, REMAINS ONE OF THE HIGHEST MORTALITY RATES IN THE WORLD CERTAINLY HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER STATE HOWEVER, SINCE THAT FIRST SPIKE NEW YORK HAS DONE A BETTER JOB OF MANAGING THINGS, THE EXCEPTION WAS LAST WINTER WHEN OUR INFECTION RATE WAS ONCE AGAIN ONE OF THE HIGHER ONES IN THE COUNTRY.

IRWILL SAY FLORIDA'S MORTALITY RATE IS LOWER THAN OURS BUT THEY HAVE BEEN CATCHING UP AND IT'S KIND OF DISCOURAGING TO SEE THAT THEY'RE CATCHING UP IN THE PERIOD WHEN VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE.

WHEN AWARENESS OF THE DISEASE IS SO MUCH BETTER SO THAT I MEAN YOU CAN WEIGH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE STATES IN DIFFERENT WAYS BUT NEW YORK HAS-- ITS INTERVENTIONIST POLICIES, I WOULD SAY IN TERMS OF PROMOTING VACCINES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE MASKS MAKES.

WE HAD A REALLY BAD SURGE IN SPITE OF WIDESPREAD MASK USAGE.

>> Dr. GUPTA, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY ISSUE THAT BILL RAISED AND Dr. BASSETT RAISED BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT WE SHOULD PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THE WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE INFORMED ABOUT THE RISKS AND IN ORDER TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS, WE ARE GOING TO PLAY A CLIP, THIS LITTLE HIGHLIGHT OF THE P.R.

BATTLE THAT HAS BEEN WAGED BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN TOMPKINS COUNTY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.

>> I'M SHANNON.

I'M A PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION COORDINATOR FOR THE TOMPKINS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

MY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AS PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR ARE TO MANAGE AND MODERATE OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT, FACEBOOK AND ON TWITTER.

THE ROLE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS HAS BEEN EVOLVING THE PAST TWO YEARS.

IN MARCH 2020, I WAS PULLED FROM THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT THAT I DID WORK AT, WHERE SOCIAL MEDIA WAS A PART OF MY JOB BUT NOT ALL OF MY JOB.

PULLED INTO THIS PUBLIC INFORMATIONS TEAM AND WE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING FROM THERE AND THEN THE FALL OF 2021, THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CREATED THIS PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR POSITION IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO MEET THE DEMAND AND STAY ON TOP OF THE LARGER AUDIENCE WE HAVE GROWN IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.

IN MARCH OF 2020 UNTIL TODAY, MARCH 2022, WE HAVE GAINED OVER 4500 FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS AND OVER 3,000 TWITTER FOLLOWERS AND SO I THINK THAT THAT REALLY HAS BEEN AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR US TO GET INFORMATION OUT.

>> I'M KELVIN KING, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ISCHOOL UNIVERSITY.

MY RESEARCH FOCUSES ON HOW INFORMATION FLOWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

SOCIAL MEDIA HAS BECOME MORE OF A NEWS SOURCE, BUT I FIND USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR NEWS IS PERMANENT, RIGHT?

YOU TYPICALLY CAN'T MISS INFORMATION.

AND IT'S IMMEDIATE.

MOST TIMES ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS, YOU GET A IDENTIFICATION.

A BREAKING NEWS.

SO A LOT OF PEOPLE USE AND RELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR NEWS AND INFORMATION.

>> IN ORDER TO CHAIR PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGES ON A VARIETY OF MESSAGES, WE MAKE SURE IT'S RELEVANT AND TIMELY.

FOR INSTANCE, THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC WE LARGELY FOCUSED ON SAFETY MEASURES, KEEPING DISTANCING, HANDWASHING, HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU ARE SICK.

WHAT IS COVID, MORE INFORMATIONAL AND THEN IN THE SPRING OF 2021, WE FOCUSED VERY HEAVILY ON VACCINES AND NOW OUR SHIFT IS HOW TO CONTINUE TO STAY SAFE, TO GET YOUR BOOSTER, MAKE SURE UPDATED GUIDANCE IS UNDERSTOOD AND ANY CHANGES TO INFORMATION THAT WE ARE SPREADING, WE TRY TO SHARE MESSAGING ABOUT THAT AS WELL.

>> AS MUCH AS WE CAN SHARE INFORMATION WIDELY, SO CAN ANYONE ELSE.

THERE IS A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE AND IT IS UP TO THE USER TO LOOK AT A POST AND SEE IF IS THIS CREDIBLE OR CLICK BAIT.

>> MISINFORMATION IS SPREAD WHEN INFORMATION THAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE ARE LACKING OR SUBJECTIVELY AMBIGUOUS PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE THE INFORMATION SO THEY HAVE ANXIETY AND FEAR SO THEY TRY TO FILL THE GAP WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN TYPICALLY WE CALL THEM THE THREE CS, CRISIS, CATASTROPHE AND CONFLICT.

WHEN THESE THINGS HAPPEN, PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE EXPOSED TO RESPOND TO MITS INFORMATION.

>> WE GET OUR INFORMATION LARGELY FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, THE CDC AS WELL AS NEW YORK STATE OF HEALTH.

WE DISSEMINATE INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM THOSE SOURCES OR WE ADAPT INTO OUR OWN FORMAT AND BRANDING STYLE NORD TO SHARE WITH THE TOMPKINS COUNTY COMMUNITY.

WOO GET EIGHT-- WE GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK.

THE CONTENT RANGES FROM QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE POSTED TO COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE POSTED WHICH MAY BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.

WE HAVE HAD A RANGE OF COMMENTS ON ALL SIDES OF THE ISSUES.

WE LARGELY ALLOW OUR FEEDS TO MODERATE THEMSELVES.

WE DO TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY THE EMOTIONAL SAFE SPACE OF OUR PAGES AS WELL AND WE DO LIKE TO TAKE QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON OUR FEEDS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCOURSE AND EDUCATION IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DIRECTING PEOPLE TO THOSE RELIABLE SOURCES WHERE THEY CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOPIC THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.

>> I THINK FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, THEY'RE BUSINESSES AND DOING BEST THEY CAN.

IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO VERIFY INFORMATION WITH THE SHEER NUMBER OF MESSAGES AND INFORMATION THAT FLOWS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS EVERY MINUTE.

YOU KNOW, THEY TRY TO FACT CHECK AND FLAG POSSIBLE MISINFORMATION.

USE THE YOUR RIGHT TO BELIEVE SOMETHING EVEN IF IT IS NO THE TRUE.

WE SHOULD EDUCATE PEOPLE TO BE MORE OPEN MINDED, TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT THEY MIGHT BELIEVE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE THE ACCURATE INFORMATION.

>> FACT CHECK.

MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SOURCES ARE RELIABLE.

THAT THEY'RE COMING FROM VALID SOURCES THAT ARE BACKED IN REAL SCIENCE, THAT ARE EITHER FROM THE CDC OR YOUR STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR FROM YOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND IF SOMETHING SEEMS A LITTLE TOO INTERESTING TO BE TRUE, IT JUST MIGHT BE.

>> Dr. GUPTA, I HAVE TO IMAGINE WHAT WE JUST SAW IS A STORY YOU ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, HAS IT ULTIMATELY MADE YOUR JOB EASIER, SERVING AS A TOOL TO DISSEMINATE USEFUL INFORMATION OR HAS IT MADE YOUR JOB MORE DIFFICULT, MOST OF THE TIME I THINK IT HAS MADE OUR LIFE A LOT EASIER.

EVEN THE DISINFORMATION COMES.

THE NEGATIVE INFORMATION ALSO INFORMS US HOW TO ALL ACTUALLY TACKLE IT.

I WOULD SAY SOMETIMES PEOPLE PUT DIFFERENT COMMENTS IN ALL BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT CHALLENGES US.

IT CHALLENGES US HOW TO RESPOND TO THAT AND WE HAVE TO BE VERY CREATIVE SO SOCIAL MEDIA HAS A VERY STRONG ROLE WHETHER WE DID FACEBOOK OR WE DON'T HAVE TWITTER IN OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUT WE DO USE ALSO THE WHAT DO YOU CALL TRUSTED MESSENGERS.

IN THE COMMUNITY SO SOMETIMES NOT EVERYBODY USED SOCIAL MEDIA.

THEY DO, THEY, WE HAVE TO GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO GET THOSE TRUSTED MESSENGERS LIKE A CHURCH LEADERS, OR IF THEY ARE REFUGEE COMMUNITIES OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY SO WE ARE USING SOCIAL MEDIA ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE TO DO THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MYTHS ABOUT VACCINATION ARE GOING TO BE COMMUNICATED THROUGH THE RIGHT PEOPLE BY THE RIGHT PEOPLE SO IT HAS BEEN QUITE, QUITE-- I WOULD THINK BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY.

>> WELL, DO YOU THINK THAT EFFORT HAS ULTIMATELY CREATED A CITIZENRY THAT CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN PUBLIC HEALTH; THAT THEY KNOW WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO WEAR A MASK OR IS THIS ULTIMATELY STILL PEOPLE JUST SEARCHING OUT FOR WHATEVER SOURCES VALIDATE THEIR OWN BELIEFS AND IF THEY WANT TO WEAR A MASK THEY'RE GOING TO WEAR A MASK, IF THEY WANT TO GET VACCINATED THEY WILL GET VACCINATED AND IF THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO FIND AND REINFORCE.

>> RIGHT, SO MOST OF THE TIME IF YOU SEE THE JOURNEY FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC FROM 2020 TO NOW, PEOPLE WERE VERY THIRSTY FOR THE INFORMATION AND THEY KEPT ON TRYING TO FIND WHETHER IT'S FROM OUR WEBSITE OR THE STATE OR THE CDC OR NEWS MEDIA, WE HAD TO MAKE SURE WHAT INFORMATION WE ARE PUTTING IN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HAD DIRECT LINKS SO PEOPLE COULD GO AND CONFIRM THAMENT THAT.

THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.

WITH THE TIME AND COMMUNICATING THROUGH THE PRESS BRIEFINGS, I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL OF THEM, ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS DIRECTLY, DOING THE FACEBOOK LIVE FOR PEOPLE SO YOU CAN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS.

AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT.

WITH THE TIME, I DO BELIEVE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED QUITE A BIT.

I WOULD SAY THERE ARE STILL MANY PEOPLE STILL FEEL, I WOULD SAY THAT SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT BELIEVE IN MASK AND VACCINE BUT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN THE MESSAGE BECAUSE WHEN WE SEE THE THREAD DURING THE FACEBOOK DISCUSSION PEOPLE ARE PRETTY PRODUCTIVE IN THEIR CONVERSATION, A FEW OF THEM WOULD BE NEGATING SOME OF THE CONCEPTS BUT OTHER PEOPLE WILL COME AND AVOID THE MITSD.

WE ALSO ACTIVELY TRY TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT THIS IS HOW THE CDC IS RECOMMENDING, HOW THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS RECOMMENDING AND THIS IS THE FACTS ABOUT WHETHER IT'S ABOUT VACCINE OR CASES, WHETHER IT'S ABOUT VACCINE DEVELOPMENT SO MANY VACCINE MYTHS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT.

SO REPEATEDLY COMMUNICATING THOSE MESSAGES HAS HELPED QUITE A BIT.

TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER DO I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE DECISION ON THEIR OWN, IT IS SORT OF A MIXED BAG.

WE ARE IN THE SECOND-YEAR, AFTER TWO YEARS, THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC NOW, AND THERE COMES A TIME WHEN YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF TOOLS IN THEIR TOOL BOX.

I ALWAYS USE THAT WORDING, PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO TEST BY THE HOME TESTING.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF TESTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

WE CONTINUE TO PROMOTE THAT.

THERE ARE ALSO PCR TESTS AVAILABLE.

THERE ARE TREATMENTS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S FOR THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES OR ANTIVIRAL MEDICATIONS.

VACCINES AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WHETHER IT'S PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER OR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR PHARMACY.

AND ALSO THERE ARE MASKS AVAILABLE.

SO MANY THINGS WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE IN 2020, YOU JUST FEEL LIKE WE WERE LIVING IN AN ALTERNATE WORLD AT THAT TIME.

SO RIGHT NOW PEOPLE DO HAVE THOSE TOOLS.

WHEN I GO OUT IN WEGMANS OR OUT TO TOPS OR DIFFERENT PHARMACIES, I DO SEE PEOPLE USING MASKS AT TIMES.

DO EVERYBODY USE IT?

NO.

BUT MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

AND I HAVE TO BELIEVE IT'S LIKE A SEATBELT RULE, RIGHT?

THERE ARE THINGS, THERE ARE PUBLIC POLICY WHICH ARE OUT THERE WHICH ARE NOT BEING ENFORCED AT THIS POINT.

SO IF YOU THINK OF THAT, EVEN THOUGH THE RULE OF SEATBELT IS THERE, IF YOU ARE STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE AND YOU ARE AT THE RED LIGHT, PEOPLE STILL STOP AT THE RED LIGHT, THEY STILL HAVE THE SEATBELT ON.

I WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THE SAME SCENARIO.

THE PANDEMIC IS STILL HERE.

THE POWER IS IN PEOPLE'S LAND AND THEY HAVE ALL THE TOOLS THEY CAN USE IT.

>> ONE OF THE MAJOR AREAS IN WHICH WE HAVE SEEN OUR INFORMATION, WHERE WE GET OUR NEWS SOURCES SHAPE OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DECISIONS IS WITH VACCINE UPTAKE AND LIKE WE HEARD WITH Dr. BASSETT, 40% OF NEW YORKERS ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTERS HAVE NOT GOTTEN A BOOSTER.

WHAT IS THE RAMIFICATION OF THAT MOVING FORWARD?

BECAUSE WHEN VACCINES INITIALLY ROLLED OUT, THE TALK WAS ABOUT WHAT DO WE NEED TO GO IT UP TO TO GET THAT SWEET, SWEET PROTECTION FOR EVERYBODY, IS IT 80%, IS IT 90%?

AND NOW WE ARE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT BOOSTERS AND NOT EVERYBODY WANTS ONE AND NOT EVERYONE HAS BEEN VACCINATED TO BEGIN WITH.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE FUTURE?

>> IT MEANS WE HAVE A RESERVOIR OF PEOPLE IN NEW YORK STATE INCREASED RISK OF GETTING COVID BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT TWO DOSES UNFORTUNATELY IS NOT A LONG LASTING IMMUNITY AND DO NEED THE BOOSTERS.

SO TO THE DEGREE THAT PEOPLE ARE UNVACCINATED OR PEOPLE WHO ARE INADEQUATELY VACCINATED, THERE IS A POOL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, AT RISK AND ESPECIALLY WITH B.A.-2 VARIANT WHICH IS HIGHLY INFECTIOUS, THE VIRUS IS GOING TO FIND THEM BASICALLY.

SO AND THE LEVEL OF IMMUNITY IS NOT A STATIC NUMBER.

IT HAS TO DO WITH HOW INFECTIOUS THE PARTICULAR AGENCIES IS AND THE MORE INFECT SUCCESS THE AGENT IS, THE HIGHER THE LEVEL OF IMMUNITY YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE TO ACHIEVE THAT MAGICAL HERD IMMUNITY LEVEL.

BUT BEFORE I GO ON, I ALSO WANT TO DO A SHOUT OUT TO TOMPKINS COUNTY.

TOMPKINS COUNTY IS THE HOME OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY WHERE I WORK AND I THINK THAT THEY DID A TREMENDOUS JOB.

AND THEY WERE STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT, AND I THINK THAT THAT LEADS ME TO ONE ISSUE THAT Dr. BASSETT SAID WHERE SHE GOT 500 LINES IN THE NEW STATE BUDGET, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN IN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR A LONG TIME AND I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT GETTING 500 NEW LINES.

BUT MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WHAT TOMPKINS COUNTY WENT THROUGH AND PROBABLY ONONDAGA COUNTY WENT THROUGH, HOW MANY OF THOSE LINES ARE GOING TO BE GOING TO LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS?

WHAT RESOURCES, IN ADDITION TO THOSE LINES, ARE GOING TO GO TO LOCAL HARMS?

BECAUSE WE ARE AT A POINT-- LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE WE ARE AT A POINT IN THE PANDEMIC WHERE WE CAN MAKE REAL ADJUSTMENTS AND I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE I SAW WITH TOMPKINS COUNTY IS THAT THEY WERE STRETCHED BEYOND THE LIMIT AND AGAIN I'M SURE THAT WAS THE CASE FOR MANY COUNTIES.

AND SO THE QUESTION IS WHAT NEW RESOURCES ARE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS GOING TO GET?

ARE THOSE LINE GOING TO GO TO LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS OR MORE RESOURCES GOING TO LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT?

IT IS A CRITICAL TIME TO GET THAT FIGURED OUT AND A CRITICAL TIME TO FIX THAT ISSUE LOCAL HEALTH HAS SUFFERED SINCE THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2008-2009.

LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS HAVE HAD AN EROSION OF PERSONNEL IN THEIR HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND THIS IS THE TIME IT CAN BE FIXED.

>> I THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE I AM PRESIDENT OF NEW YORK COUNTY HEALTH ASSOCIATION ALSO AND ADVOCATED TREMENDOUSLY OVER AT THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY AND HAVE INCREASED FUNDING NOT ONLY FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS WHICH WE DON'T KNOW THE NEXT PANDEMIC.

WE DO HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF FUNDING IN 2021 FOR THE VACCINE AND TESTING AND OUT REACH BUT WE WANT IT ONGOING.

NOT ONLY FOR PREPAREDNESS BUT THE CORE PUBLIC HEALTH WORK, LEAD, OPIOID.

SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE THE FOREFRONT SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD WANT THE STATE TO CONTINUE TO FUND US AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.

>> BILL, WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WE ARE TALKING BEFORE THE STATE BUDGET HAS BEEN FINALIZED DO YOU GET THE SENSE FROM WHERE THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN PUBLICLY AND THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE WITH THEIR ONE HOUSE BUDGETS THAT WE ARE POISED TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WAS GOING TO SET US ON THAT VERY POSITIVE COURSE THAT Dr. BASSETT OUTLINED?

>> THERE IS GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS.

I'LL START WITH THE GOOD NEWS.

GOOD NEWS IS LONG TIME PRIORITY OF THE LOCAL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS HAS BEEN TO CHANGE THE FORMULA WHERE THE STATE SENDS MONEY TO THE COUNTIES FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.

THE GOVERNOR INCLUDED THAT CHANGE IN HER BUDGET.

IT MEANS, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT NEW FUNDING FLOWING TO COUNTIES.

THE LEGISLATURE IS ALMOST GUARANTEED TO APPROVE IT.

THAT'S A GOOD THING.

I THINK THERE IS A SUSTAINED LONG-TERM PERMANENT INCREASE IN FUNDING TO COUNTIES.

THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.

SHE MENTIONED THAT SHE HAS 500 NEW LINES, MEANING, YOU KNOW, JOBS SHE CAN FILL.

MOST OF THOSE ARE GOING TOWARDS MEDICAID, WHICH IS ABOUT MEDICAL CARE, NOT ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH.

ANOTHER BIG CHUNK IS GOING TO CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION WHICH IS KIND OF HARD TO KNOW HOW THEY ARE GOING TO USE THAT.

BUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID NOT GET A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE EITHER IN FUNDING OR IN PERSONNEL AND THAT'S KIND OF PUZZLING TO ME BECAUSE WE ARE AT THIS HISTORIC MOMENT WHERE PEOPLE CARE ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH.

I WOULD HAVE EXSEECTED-- EXPECTED SOME SIGNIFICANT INITIATIVE IN THAT AREA AND I DIDN'T SEE IT.

I WANT TO ALSO TO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE THAT YOU JUST PLAYED THAT CLIP.

THIS IS AN AREA WHERE I FEEL LIKE THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT REALLY WAS WEAK.

THE GOVERNOR WENT ON TV EVERY DAY, SO THAT WAS A BIG SOURCE OF COMMUNICATION.

>> AND THIS IS FORMER GOVERNOR CUOMO.

>> YES.

BUT THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD VERY MINIMAL EFFORT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

THEIR WEBSITE IS NOT VERY USER FRIENDLY THEY FINALLY DID PUT UP PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS DURING THE FIRST WAVE.

Dr. ZUCKER, NOT A CHARISMATIC PRESENCE ON TV AND IT WAS OFTEN OUT OF DATE THE INFORMATION HE GAVE.

HE WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS IS SENIOR CITIZEN.

THAT WAS AFTER THE STATE HAD GONE TO A A SHUTDOWN OF THE THE FACT THAT COMMUNICATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE HAD A MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE AND WELL DESIGNED PROGRAM I REMEMBER LAST SPRING, I WENT OUT WESTING DRIVING AROUND OREGON AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.

YOU COULD NOT AVOID SEEING PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT VACCINATIONS GET VACCINATED NOW.

IT WAS ON BIEL BOARDS, ELECTRONIC SIGNS OVER THE HIGHWAY, TELEVISION, RADIO.

AND I WAS JUST THINKING WHY HAVEN'T I SEEN THAT IN NEW YORK.

NOW MAYBE I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE WRONG MEDIA.

BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT'S AN AREA WHERE THE STATE INTO EDS TO IMPROVE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE VACCINE IN THE FUTURE DO YOU ENVISION THIS BEING AN ANNUAL BOOSTER THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET?

I HEARD Dr. BASSETT TALK ABOUT SEASONAL SPIKES WHICH REMINDS ME OF THE FLU SO COME NEXT FALL ARE WE ALL GOING TO GET BOOSTERS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

>> I THINK IT IS SAFE TO SAY WE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE LAST OF COVID-19 VACCINE AND THAT POINTS TO A FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM IN THE WORLD REALLY.

LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES HAVE HAD REALLY POOR VACCINATION RATES IN PART BECAUSE OF THE BEGINNING, THEY DIDN'T GET VACCINE ON AN EQUITABLE BASIS COMPARED TO YOU KNOW, THE OTHER COUNTRIES.

AND NOW BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME ISSUES IN TERMS OF GETTING IT OUT INTO THE FIELD AND GETTING PEOPLE VACCINATED.

AND SO THE MORE-- THE LONGER YOU HAVE THAT SITUATION, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS THAT SOMEBODY WITH A NEW VARIANT WILL COME OR NEW VARIANT WILL EMERGE THAT WILL THEN COME TO US AND, YOU KNOW, OUR MANTRA IS ALWAYS THAT ANY INFECTION ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD CAN COME TO NEW YORK WITHIN 24 HOURS.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF QAITION, WE ARE OPEN AND VULNERABLE TO THIS NEW VARIANT WHICH MIGHT REQUIRE OTHER, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE LOT OF, YOU KNOW INTERVENTIONS LIKE MASK WEARING, ET CETERA, AND NEW VACCINATIONS SO I THINK THE EASIEST THING TO SAY IS THAT WE ARE NOT DONE WITH COVID-19 VACCINE IN SOME FORM.

IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER IT BECOMES YOU KNOW, A YEARLY INFLUENZA VACCINE WHICH IS, WE HAVE TO SEE IF THAT'S THE PATTERN.

IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS THE WAY NOW, OR IF IT BECOMES ONE WHERE, YOU KNOW LIKE INFLUENZA, WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE NEW STRAINS.

THERE IS A LOT TO BE LEARNED EVEN IN THE NEXT YEAR, EVEN IF THINGS ARE QUIET ABOUT WHERE WE GO WITH VACCINATION.

I I DID WANT TO TOUCH ON ONE OTHER POINT THAT HAD TO DO A LITTLE BIT WITH THE BUDGET.

WHICH HAS TO DO WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS THAT COVID-19 EXACERBATED.

SO WE HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.

WE HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL CRISIS BECAUSE KIDS LOST A YEAR OF SCHOOL AND THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO CATCH UP AND LOTS-- AND WE HAVE HEALTH EQUITY CRISIS BECAUSE PEOPLE IN POOR NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE STATE REALLY HAD A MUCH WORSE TIME WITH COVID-19.

THERE HAS TO BE SOME RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE WITH LONG COVID.

LONG CROAD IS GOING TO BE WITH US FOR QUITE A WHILE AND WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON HOW MANY LONG COVID CASES THERE ARE IN NEW YORK STATE.

IT'S GOT TO BE CONSIDERABLE.

SO THERE ARE LOTS OF NEWISH PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS THAT HAVE ARISEN BASED ON COVID-19 THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED THROUGH BUDGETARY AND PROGRAMMATIC WAYS.

EVEN THOUGH WE ARE IN A NICE PHASE NOW WE NEED TO FACE UP TO SOME OF THE LONGER TERM ISSUES AND NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT AND WE NEED TO BUILD UP CAPACITY AT THE LOCAL LEVEL SO THAT IF THINGS HAPPEN AGAIN WE DON'T HAVE TO START HIRING AND TRAINING PEOPLE BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY ON BOARD PERHAPS DOING OPIOID INTERVENTIONS BUT CAN BE SWUNG OVER TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IF THE NEED COMES.

WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR PLATE AND IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND OTHER PERSPECTIVES I THINK THIS IS A TIME TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND START LOOKING FORWARD AT HOW WE ARE GOING TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND THE BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS ARE IT REALLY IS IMPORTANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE,.

>> WE HAVE 30 SECONDS AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE BILL A QUICK PITCH IF WE ARE GOING TO LOOK FORWARD, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS IT THAT WE LOOK BACKWARDS AND DO A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF WHERE WE WENT RIGHT AND WHERE WE WENT WRONG.

>> THIS IS A BIG HISTORIC EVENT.

IT EXPOSED WEAKNESSES IN OUR PUBLIC HEALTH DEFENSES AND I FEEL LUN WAY TO PREPARE THE DEFENSES IS TO STUDY THEM SO I THIS I WE NEED SOME KIND OF COMMISSION, INVESTIGATION TO GO BACK THROUGH WHAT WAS DONE, WHAT WENT WRONG WHEN WENT WELL BOAFLT BEST PRACTICES AND BUILD A TRULY ROBUST PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS IN NEW YORK.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE OUT OF TIME.

AND WE'LL HAVE TO LEAVE THINGS THERE.

I WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS FOR JOINING US... ONONDAGA COUNTY HEALTH COMMISSIONER.

DR. INDU GUPTA, CORNELL UNIVERSITY PUBLIC HEALTH ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, DR. ISAAC WEISFUSE, AND EMPIRE CENTER SENIOR FELLOR FOR HEALTH POLICY, BILL HAMMOND.

ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE TEAM AT WCNY, INCLUDING EVERYONE BEHIND THE CAMERA TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK GOOD, I'M DAVID LOMBARDO.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.