>>THIS WEEK ON NEWSNIGHT, HOSPITALS REPORT COVID-19 RE-INFECTION, SAYS VARIANT CASES CLIMB IN FLORIDA.

ARE VACCINES BEING ADMINISTERED FAST ENOUGH TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE?

AND GOVERNOR DESANTIS SIGNS A BILL SHIELDING BUSINESSES AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS FROM COVID-19 LIABILITY WHILE PROMISING TO OPPOSE VACCINE PASSPORTS.

NEWSNIGHT STARTS NOW.

♪ MUSIC ♪ >>HELLO, I'M STEVE MORT, AND WELCOME TO NEWSNIGHT, WHERE WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIG STORIES IMPACTING CENTRAL FLORIDA AND HOW THEY AFFECT ALL OF US.

AND WE DO THAT BY BRINGING TOGETHER A TEAM OF REPORTERS FROM DIFFERENT LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES.

JOINING US THIS WEEK, WE HAVE DARALENE JONES OF WFTV-CHANNEL 9, AND MATTHEW PEDDIE OF 90.7 WMFE.

THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

MY COLLEAGUE, NANCY ALVAREZ, SAYS SHE WILL BE BACK WITH US VERY SOON.

OKAY.

FIRST TONIGHT; ABOUT A FIFTH OF ORANGE COUNTY'S POPULATION HAS NOW RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF COVID-19 VACCINE.

ABOUT 11% ARE FULLY VACCINATED.

BUT AS COVID-19 VACCINATIONS INCREASE, SO DO COVID VARIANT CASES.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE PANDEMIC, FLORIDA CURRENTLY SITS AT A CROSSROADS.

>>OF GETTING PEOPLE VACCINATED, BUT ALSO WE'RE SEEING MORE LETTING DOWN; PEOPLE NOT ADHERING TO THE SAFETY MEASURES OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AND FACE MASKING.

SO WE HAVE THAT POTENTIAL TO HAVE AN INCREASE WITH THESE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES, THESE LARGE CROWDS GATHERING, NOT WEARING MASKS.

I AM VERY WORRIED WHEN I SEE THE VIDEO OF PEOPLE ON BEACHES, BECAUSE WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR OUTBREAK.

>>ACCORDING TO RECENT REPORTING IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE SPRING BREAK SCENES IN FLORIDA ARE CONCERNING EPIDEMIOLOGISTS BEYOND THE STATE.

FLORIDA LEADS THE NATION IN VARIANT CASES AND THE PAPER SAYS IF RECENT TRENDS ARE ANY INDICATION, THE REST OF THE COUNTRY MAY BE IN TROUBLE.

>>LAST WEEK WAS THE FIRST WEEK THAT WE HAVE MORE CASES THAN THE WEEK BEFORE SINCE WE HAVE SEEN A DECLINE.

>>AS VACCINATION EFFORTS CONTINUE, CASES APPEAR TO BE RISING AGAIN, DRIVEN BY INFECTIONS IN YOUNGER PEOPLE.

>>PEOPLE FROM 15 TO 24 ACCOUNT FOR OVER 30% OF ALL NEW INFECTIONS.

SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO AGGRESSIVELY MOVE INTO THE [INAUDIBLE] OF THE POPULATION.

SO PLEASE COME AND GET VACCINATED.

>>ADVENTHEALTH IS REPORTING RE-INFECTIONS NOW; PEOPLE WHO'VE ALREADY HAD COVID-19 TESTING POSITIVE FOR A SECOND TIME SEVERAL MONTHS LATER.

DOCTORS SAY THAT'S A GOOD INDICATION THAT COVID-19 VARIANTS ARE SPREADING, BUT EVEN THOUGH REPORTED CASES ARE RISING EXPONENTIALLY, OFFICIAL FIGURES COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT UNDERCOUNT.

>>BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHO HAS THE VARIANT.

LESS THAN 1% OR 0.5% OF POSITIVE TESTS IN THE STATE ARE BEING SAMPLED IN WHAT WE CALL GENOMIC SEQUENCING TO IDENTIFY IF THERE'S THAT MUTATION.

>>MEDICAL EXPERTS EXPECT HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS TO REMAIN LOWER THAN DURING PAST VIRUS CASE INCREASES BECAUSE A SIZABLE PORTION OF FLORIDA'S SENIORS ARE NOW VACCINATED.

WHILE SOUTH FLORIDA ACCOUNTS FOR MOST VARIANT CASES, SPRING BREAK IS BUSY FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA'S TOURIST DESTINATIONS TOO.

MEANWHILE, STARTING MONDAY, ALL FLORIDIANS CAN GET A VACCINE THAT'S APPROVED BY THE FDA; 16 AND OLDER FOR THE PFIZER VACCINE, 18 AND OLDER FOR THE OTHER VACCINES.

WELL, DARALENE, LET ME START WITH YOU ON THIS ONE.

FLORIDA HAS LAGGED THE LEADING STATES WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE COMPLETELY VACCINATED.

I'M WONDERING HOW OUR NUMBERS LOOK NOW, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE THE LOWER AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR PEOPLE GETTING VACCINATED.

HAVE YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES NOTICED ANY VACCINE HESITANCY AMONGST YOUNGER PEOPLE?

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?

>>SO I THINK NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE YOUNGER AGE GROUPS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A VACCINATION, THEY ARE STARTING TO GET VACCINATED.

I THINK EARLIER ON THERE WERE SOME THOUGHTS THAT MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T, BUT THOSE APPOINTMENTS ARE BEING SNATCHED UP VERY QUICKLY.

AND WE EVEN SEE SOME EXPANSION OF AVAILABILITY OF THOSE APPOINTMENTS AT VARIOUS SATELLITE SITES.

IN TERMS OF THE HESITANCY, I STILL THINK YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A CORE GROUP OF OUR POPULATION, ESPECIALLY AS WE GET YOUNGER INTO THE AGE GROUPS, OF PEOPLE WHO SAY, "IF I CAN STILL GET THIS VIRUS EVEN IF I'M VACCINATED, WHAT'S THE POINT?"

AND THEN ADD ON TOP OF THAT THE VARIANTS THAT ARE BECOMING A CONCERN TO OUR LOCAL POPULATION.

I THINK ALL OF THAT FACTORS INTO THAT.

>>YEAH.

MATT, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS WARNING OF A FOURTH SURGE.

WHAT ARE MEDICAL PROVIDERS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA SORT OF SAYING WRIT LARGE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SEEING?

>>YEAH, THERE IS SOME CONCERN FROM PHYSICIANS ABOUT SPRING BREAK AND THE PEOPLE VISITING FROM SPRING BREAK MAY PICK UP THE VIRUS AND TAKE IT HOME WITH THEM.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE FLIP SIDE OF A SPRING BREAK WHICH, OF COURSE, HAS BROUGHT A WELCOME BOOST TO THE CENTRAL FLORIDA TOURISM ECONOMY; THEME PARTS BOOKED OUT, PASSENGER TRAFFIC AT ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT UP AS WELL.

AND AS YOU MENTIONED, STEVE, THERE'S ALSO CONCERN ABOUT THOSE VARIANTS.

THE B117 VARIANT, WHICH ORIGINATED IN THE UK, HAS TAKEN OFF IN FLORIDA.

IT'S MORE CONTAGIOUS AND MORE DEADLY THAN OTHER STRAINS OF CORONAVIRUS.

AND JUST TO PICK UP ON WHAT DARALENE WAS SAYING, THE GOOD NEWS, I GUESS, IS THAT ALL ADULTS STATEWIDE NOW ARE ELIGIBLE TO GET THE VACCINE FROM THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL.

GOOD TIMING.

AND MY COLLEAGUE, JOE BURNS, IS ALSO REPORTING ABOUT ELIGIBLE STUDENTS AT EUSTIS HIGH SCHOOL IN LAKE COUNTY WHO WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE FIRST SHOT AFTER SCHOOL ON MONDAY.

JUST SHOWS YOU HOW WIDESPREAD THOSE VACCINES ARE BECOMING NOW.

>>AND OF COURSE WE GOT SOME POSITIVE NEWS THIS WEEK FROM PFIZER ON THE EFFICACY OF ITS VACCINE FOR PEDIATRIC CASES.

AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES GOING FORWARD IN TERMS OF FDA APPROVAL.

>>DARALENE, THE GOVERNOR MET WITH LEADERS OF THE CRUISE LINE INDUSTRY AT PORT CANAVERAL LAST FRIDAY, CALLING ON THE CDC TO ALLOW SAILINGS TO RESUME.

WHY DOES THE INDUSTRY SAY IT'S NOW SAFE?

AND WHAT IS THE CDC SAYING ABOUT THIS?

>>LOOK, THE CDC SAYS THEY SIMPLY AREN'T READY.

THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.

THE CRUISE LINE INDUSTRY IS SORT OF A VERY UNIQUE INDUSTRY IN THAT YOU ARE STUCK IN A CLUSTER OF PEOPLE FOR A LONG AMOUNT OF TIME.

YOU'RE THERE.

IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE ON AN AIRPLANE FOR THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE HOURS AND THEN YOU GET OFF AND YOU GO TO YOUR DESTINATION.

A CRUISE LINE, YOU'RE THERE WITH LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE FOR AN UNDETERMINED AMOUNT OF TIME, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG YOUR CRUISE LASTS.

BUT THE CRUISE LINE INDUSTRY IS ARGUING, "LOOK, YOU HAVEN'T GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE OURSELVES, TO PROVE THAT WE HAVE PUT PROPER SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN PLACE, TO PROVE THAT OUR INDUSTRY CAN DO THIS TOO, JUST LIKE OTHERS."

AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE BACK AND FORTH, BUT RIGHT NOW, THE CDC SAYS IT'S NOT HAPPENING AND THEY'RE NOT BUDGING ON THEIR TIMELINE, WHICH LOOKS LIKE MAYBE THEY'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING LATER IN THE YEAR, IN THE NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME.

>>AND DARALENE, IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF THE ECONOMY IN PART OF OUR AREA.

IN BREVARD COUNTY IN PARTICULAR.

>>OH, IT'S HUGE.

I MEAN, THERE ARE JOBS THERE.

NOT ONLY THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE WHO USE THE CRUISE LINES, BUT THE JOBS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THE CRUISE LINE INDUSTRY OVER THERE.

SO IT IS HUGE.

AND THAT AREA HAS STRUGGLED QUITE A BIT.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT TRULY IS THE ONLY TRAVEL TYPE INDUSTRY OR ENTERTAINMENT TYPE VACATION INDUSTRY THAT STILL HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO PICK BACK UP.

AIRLINES ARE OPERATING AGAIN, PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING ON THE ROAD AGAIN, EVEN IF THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE ON AN AIRPLANE, AND THEY'RE CHECKING INTO HOTELS AND AIRBNBS AND VRBO'S.

AND SO THE CRUISE LINE INDUSTRY IS LIKE, "LOOK, WE NEED A BOOST TOO.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER WE CAN DO THIS."

>>MATT, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE OPENING OF GOVERNMENT FOR A MOMENT.

MAYOR JERRY DEMINGS THIS WEEK ANNOUNCED THAT MORE PARTS OF ORANGE COUNTY GOVERNMENT WOULD REOPEN.

WHY NOW?

AND WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE?

>>YEAH.

IN A PRESS CONFERENCE, MAYOR DEMINGS TALKED ABOUT REOPENING INDOOR FACILITIES LIKE SENIOR CENTERS AND GYMS.

AND THE RATIONALE FOR THAT, HE SAID, IS THAT VACCINATIONS ARE GOING UP AND THINGS ARE, TO QUOTE HIM, "SLOWLY RETURNING TO NORMAL."

SO COUNTY RECREATION CENTERS ARE GOING TO REOPEN ON MONDAY WITH 50% CAPACITY.

DR. RAUL PINO, THE HEALTH OFFICER FOR THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN ORANGE COUNTY, ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE UPTICK IN VACCINATIONS AND THAT BEING SOMETHING TO MONITOR, BUT THEN, OF COURSE, MAKING THE POINT THAT THEY ARE GOING TO START A LITTLE BIT SLOW; SORT OF ENFORCING THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING AT THOSE GYMS AND JUST SORT OF SEE HOW IT GOES WHILE KEEPING AN EYE ON THOSE CASES OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

>>HERE IN ORANGE COUNTY, LEADERS, OF COURSE, HAVE TAKEN A MUCH MORE SORT OF CONSERVATIVE APPROACH THAN THEY HAVE ON THE STATE LEVEL, IN TERMS OF MITIGATION MEASURES.

DARALENE, THOSE FEMA SITES IN FLORIDA, INCLUDING THE ONE AT VALENCIA'S WEST CAMPUS, ARE NOW GOING TO REMAIN OPEN FOR AN ADDITIONAL FOUR WEEKS, WE LEARNED THIS WEEK, UNTIL MAY 26TH.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR PEOPLE SEEKING FIRST DOSES FROM THOSE SITES?

>>I THINK WHAT THEY'RE HOPING IS THAT THIS WILL NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE, BUT IT EXPANDS TO GET THAT AVAILABILITY.

I THINK, INITIALLY, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, THEY EXPERIENCED A SITUATION WHERE PEOPLE WERE ONLY ABLE TO GET THAT SECOND DOSE THERE, AND SO IT MAY HAVE DISCOURAGED SOME PEOPLE FROM GETTING THE VACCINE.

AND SO NOW, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A RESTART FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SAY, "LOOK, WE HAVE THESE DOSES, WE WANT AND NEED YOU TO GET VACCINATED."

AND I JUST WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID PREVIOUSLY.

I THINK WHAT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND EVEN IF WE GET INTO THE NEXT COUPLE TWO OR THREE MONTHS, IS REALLY REMINDING PEOPLE THAT, THOUGH THINGS ARE OPENING UP, THOUGH MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING VACCINATED, YOU ARE NOT FULLY PROTECTED FROM CONTRACTING COVID-19 JUST BECAUSE YOU GET THE VACCINE.

WHAT THEY SAID IS THAT IT WILL HELP PREVENT DEATHS AND KEEP DEATHS DOWN, BUT THEY HAVE NOT SAID THAT YOU ARE 100% PROTECTED FROM THIS VACCINE.

SO I DO THINK THAT'S WHY YOU SEE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS STILL ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO WEAR A MASK, TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE STILL PRACTICING PHYSICAL DISTANCING.

>>YEAH, IT IS AN IMPORTANT POINT TO MAKE.

YOU CAN SEE MORE OF THAT INTERVIEW THAT I DID WITH DR. TIMOTHY HENDRIX FROM ADVENTHEALTH CENTRA CARE ON OUR WEBSITE.

IT'S AT WUCF.ORG/NEWSNIGHT.

YOU CAN ALSO FIND A LINK THERE TO THE LATEST FIGURES ON THE NUMBER OF VACCINE DOSES ADMINISTERED HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.

>>ALL RIGHT, NEXT TONIGHT, VACCINE PASSPORTS.

FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE WORKING ON DEVELOPING STANDARDS FOR PEOPLE TO PROVE THEIR VACCINATION STATUS.

COMPANIES RANGING FROM CRUISE LINES TO SPORT TEAMS SAY THEY'LL REQUIRE THEM WHEN THEY REOPEN.

BUT HERE IN FLORIDA, SO-CALLED VACCINE PASSPORTS BECAME THE TARGET FOR THE GOVERNOR THIS WEEK, WHO SAYS THEY WILL NOT BE WELCOME IN THE STATE.

>>IT'S COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR EITHER THE GOVERNMENT OR THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO IMPOSE UPON YOU THE REQUIREMENT THAT YOU SHOW PROOF OF VACCINE TO JUST SIMPLY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN NORMAL SOCIETY.

YOU WANT TO GO TO A MOVIE THEATER?

SHOULD YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT?

NO.

YOU WANT TO GO TO A GAME?

NO.

YOU WANT TO GO TO A THEME PARK?

NO.

>>SO WE'RE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE CERTAIN FREEDOMS AND INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEMSELVES.

I ALSO WONDER, IT'S LIKE, "OKAY, YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS, AND THEN, WHAT?

GIVE ALL THIS INFORMATION TO SOME BIG CORPORATION?

YOU WANT THE FOX TO GUARD THE HENHOUSE?"

I MEAN, GIVE ME A BREAK.

I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS HUGE PRIVACY IMPLICATIONS.

IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO DO.

>>NOT NECESSARY TO DO.

>>MATT, A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD DISAGREE WITH THAT SENTIMENT.

SO LET'S START WITH SOME OF THE PROPOSALS THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR VACCINE PASSPORTS.

WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS BEING EXAMINED?

>>WELL, THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF INITIATIVES UNDERWAY.

ACCORDING TO THE RECENT ARTICLE IN THE WASHINGTON POST, SOME 17 DIFFERENT INITIATIVES BEING SORT OF EXAMINED AND THOUGHT THROUGH.

THERE'S A DIGITAL PASS THAT IBM HAS DEVELOPED.

IT'S BEING TESTED IN NEW YORK.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO ACTUALLY ROLLING OUT SOME KIND OF VACCINE PASSPORT, SO TO SPEAK, IT'S EXPECTED THAT THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE THROUGH A SMARTPHONE APP OF SORTS.

BUT THAT RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE READY ACCESS TO DIGITAL DEVICES.

AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ABOUT ENTERPRISE ON THIS SCALE INCLUDE CREATING A STANDARD FOR HOW VACCINE DATA IS TRACKED, KEEPING THAT DATA SECURE, AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WITHOUT ACCESS TO TECH, OR INDEED VACCINES, AREN'T SHUT OUT OF THE PROCESS.

SO YOU'VE GOT THAT HAPPENING.

AND IN THE MEANTIME, COMPANIES ARE ALREADY KIND OF TRYING TO WORK OUT THE PRACTICALITIES OF WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE VACCINATED.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, MIAMI HEAT THIS WEEK ANNOUNCING THAT SPECIAL SECTIONS AT THE GAME WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR FULLY VACCINATED FANS WITH MORE RELAXED RULES AROUND SOCIAL DISTANCING, ET CETERA.

SO IT'S A BIT COMPLICATED AND NOTHING'S REALLY BEEN FULLY WORKED OUT YET.

>>YEAH.

AND DARALENE, CRITICS OF THE GOVERNOR SAY THAT HIS PROBLEM WITH VACCINE PASSPORTS IS LIKELY GOING TO FUEL VACCINE HESITANCY, BUT CAN GOVERNOR DESANTIS ACTUALLY PREVENT COMPANIES LIKE CRUISE LINES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE HEARD ABOUT IN OUR PREVIOUS SEGMENT, FROM REQUIRING SUCH DOCUMENTATION?

IS THAT WITHIN HIS POWER, DO YOU THINK?

>>THAT IS A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE LIKELY LOOKING INTO BECAUSE, LOOK, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THESE ARE PRIVATE BUSINESSES AND PRIVATE INDUSTRIES, AND SO IF THEY FEEL THE NEED TO IMPOSE THESE REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE TO GO TO A BASKETBALL GAME, GET ON A CRUISE SHIP, GET ON AN AIRPLANE, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME PUSHBACK FROM THOSE INDUSTRIES EVEN, SAYING THAT, "WE NEED THIS IN PLACE IN ORDER TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL SAFE, TO GET THE COUNTRY AND THE ECONOMY BACK GOING AGAIN."

>>I MEAN, LOOK, EVEN IF YOU GO TO SOME BUSINESSES NOW ...

I WENT TO A RESTAURANT THE OTHER DAY.

YOU WALK IN AND THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS, UPON ENTERING, YOU ARE BASICALLY INVITING YOURSELF INTO A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD POTENTIALLY CONTRACT COVID-19 BECAUSE IT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE GATHERING.

AND SO BUSINESSES, I THINK, ARE PREPARING FOR THIS.

BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE ARE GOING TO SEE SOME SORT OF PASSPORT SYSTEM IN PLACE, AND IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF OUR LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT CAN DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE THAT.

>>YEAH.

OF COURSE IT DOES CROSS OVER WITH THAT VACCINE LIABILITY ISSUE, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A SECOND.

BUT I WANTED TO ASK YOU, MATT; PROOF OF VACCINATION IS REQUIRED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.

I MEAN, THE WHO HAS HAD VACCINE PASSPORTS OR CERTIFICATES OF VACCINATION AND PROPHYLAXIS FOR A LONG TIME, FOR DECADES, AND I WONDER WHY THIS IS NOW CONTROVERSIAL.

>>YEAH.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, YOU OFTEN HAVE TO SHOW PROOF OF VACCINATIONS.

IF YOU EMIGRATE TO THE UNITED STATES, I THINK THERE'S SOME 14 DIFFERENT VACCINATIONS YOU HAVE TO PROVE THAT YOU HAVE.

AND IT'S NOT JUST TRAVEL.

I MEAN, THERE'S ALSO SCHOOL.

ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, JUST TO PICK ONE, YOU NEED AN UP-TO-DATE IMMUNIZATION RECORD TO ATTEND; SHOTS FOR THINGS LIKE POLIO, HEPATITIS, ET CETERA.

SO THIS KIND OF THING IS IN PLACE ALREADY.

>>I THINK THE CONTROVERSY THOUGH IS, IT WOULD BE KIND OF A PARADIGM SHIFT.

AND THE IDEA THAT YOU'VE HEARD FROM GOVERNOR DESANTIS, HE'S SAYING THAT IT KIND OF REPRESENTS GOVERNMENT OVERREACH.

HE CALLED IT COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT PASSPORTS WOULD BE REQUIRED BY GOVERNMENT OR BUSINESS FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY.

>>THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT DATA PRIVACY.

AS WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, JUST KIND OF MANAGING ALL THIS DATA FROM THESE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AND KEEPING THAT SECURE.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE ALSO HEARD FROM THE GOVERNOR.

HE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT ALLOWING THE FOX TO GUARD THE HEN HOUSE, IF WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW SOME OF THESE COMPANIES TO KEEP CONTROL OF DATA.

>>SO A LITTLE BIT OF POLITICS MIXED IN THERE, BUT SOME GENUINE CONCERNS TOO, ABOUT JUST WHAT EXACTLY SOME KIND OF ROLLOUT OF A VACCINE PASSPORT ON A LARGE SCALE WOULD MEAN FOR PRIVACY AND FOR PEOPLE'S DAILY LIFE AND HOW THEY GET AROUND.

>>YEAH.

PRIVACY IS A BIG ISSUE FOR THE GOVERNOR ON THIS ONE.

>>DARALENE, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE COVID-19 LIABILITY ISSUE THAT YOU'D MENTIONED THERE.

AT THAT SAME EVENT, WHERE THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED HIS OPPOSITION TO VACCINE PASSPORTS, HE ALSO SIGNED A BILL THAT PROTECTS BUSINESSES AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS FROM LIABILITY IN COVID-19 CASES.

IT WAS A KEY PRIORITY FOR THE GOVERNOR, OF COURSE, THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

HOW WILL THAT WORK?

>>ESSENTIALLY, WHAT IT DOES IS IT DOES EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.

IT PROTECTS THEM FROM THE LIABILITY OF A COVID-19 OUTBREAK AT THEIR BUSINESS.

AND I MEAN, LOOK, THESE BUSINESSES, ENTITIES, THEY WANT TO GET BACK UP AND RUNNING, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE FEAR OF LAWSUITS COMING AND CAUSING THEM FURTHER FINANCIAL HARM.

>>YEAH.

MATT, THAT'S INTERESTING, ISN'T IT?

THAT IT ALSO INCLUDES HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AS WELL.

AND THAT WAS A SORT OF CONTROVERSIAL PART OF THIS.

PRESUMABLY THE BAR TO PROVE LIABILITY FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IS DIFFERENT.

>>YEAH, FOR SURE.

I MEAN, AS WE WERE SAYING BEFORE, THERE'S A LOT OF COMPLICATED ELEMENTS TO THIS.

IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS.

WELL, IT'S BEEN A VERY BUSY WEEK IN POLITICS, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT HERE ON THE SHOW NEXT WEEK.

MEANWHILE, YOU CAN JOIN OUR CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE'RE AT WUCF TV ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM.

ALL RIGHT, FINALLY TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DURING THE PANDEMIC.

A RECENT STUDY FINDS THAT VIOLENT INCIDENTS INCREASED MORE THAN 8% IN PLACES WHERE LOCKDOWNS WERE ORDERED DURING THE PANDEMIC.

AND THERE'S BEEN AN UPTICK HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AS WELL.

I SPOKE WITH MATT'S COLLEAGUE, DANIELLE PRIEUR, WHO'S BEEN COVERING THIS STORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

BUT FIRST, LET'S HEAR A CLIP FROM A WOMAN WE INTERVIEWED WHO LIVES AT A SHELTER THAT'S RUN BY HARBOR HOUSE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA.

WE'RE CALLING HER CHRISSY, BUT THAT'S NOT HER REAL NAME BECAUSE WE'RE PROTECTING HER IDENTITY.

TAKE A LISTEN.

>>I EXITED MY RELATIONSHIP AT THE SAME TIME THE COUNTRY SHUT DOWN, SO IT WAS A TRANSITION NOT ONLY [INAUDIBLE] SITUATION, BUT ALSO A TRANSITION INTO AN ENTIRELY NEW WORLD FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN.

SO IT WAS TWICE THE AMOUNT OF STRESS FOR US.

>>ONLY TWO WEEKS AFTER I GOT TO HARBOR HOUSE, MY JOB SHUT DOWN, SO I WAS OUT OF WORK.

I WAS OUT OF WORK FOR ALMOST THREE MONTHS.

SO THE FIRST THREE MONTHS WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

SO THE LAST YEAR, IT'S JUST REALLY BEEN A LEARNING PROCESS, BUT ALSO AN ADJUSTMENT PROCESS.

A HUGE ADJUSTMENT PROCESS.

>>ALL RIGHT, WELL, DANIELLE, YOU'VE COVERED THIS ISSUE EXTENSIVELY.

YOU MUST HEAR STORIES LIKE THAT A LOT.

>>ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH.

AND WE'VE SEEN A RISE IN IT, STEVE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.

THERE ARE SO MANY STRESSORS ON MOST FAMILIES RIGHT NOW, THAT WE'VE REALLY SEEN ABOUT AN 8.1% INCREASE ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN VIOLENCE.

AND THAT'S ONLY THE VIOLENCE THAT'S BEEN REPORTED.

WE KNOW THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TENDS TO BE UNDER-REPORTED FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS.

SO EXPERTS ARE WARNING WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SURGE IN CASES REPORTED AGAIN ONCE LIFE GOES BACK TO NORMAL AND PEOPLE CAN GET HELP, BUT RIGHT NOW, IT IS VERY HARD FOR MOST VICTIMS TO GET HELP.

>>YEAH, AND FROM THE REPORTING THAT YOU'VE DONE, DANIELLE, WHAT IS THE MAIN DRIVER HERE?

I MEAN, IS IT JUST THAT PEOPLE ARE IN CLOSE QUARTERS?

YOU MENTIONED STRESS THERE.

OR IS IT A COMBINATION OF ISSUES?

>>I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION BECAUSE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS SUCH A COMPLICATED ISSUE, RIGHT?

BUT WE KNOW THAT ISOLATION IS AN ABUSER'S BEST FRIEND.

WHEN YOU CAN ISOLATE YOUR VICTIM, IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR THEM TO GET HELP AND IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR YOU TO KIND OF REALLY MONITOR ALL OF THEIR MOVEMENTS, INCLUDING ONLINE MOVEMENTS, HOW THEY'RE USING THEIR PHONE TO GET HELP, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO THE FACT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN QUARANTINED AT HOME IS ACTUALLY NOT A GOOD THING.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM WORK AND SCHOOL WHERE TEACHERS AND COLLEAGUES COULD REPORT SIGNS OF ABUSE AND GET HELP FOR VICTIMS.

AND THEN OF COURSE, YEAH, WE HAVE ALL THESE EXTRA STRESSORS, RIGHT?

PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS.

>>CAN PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC ABUSE EVEN RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS ALWAYS?

>>IT'S SUCH A GREAT QUESTION, STEVE.

REALLY, DOMESTIC ABUSE IS AN ABUSE OF CONTROL.

AND IT'S NOT JUST PHYSICAL ABUSE.

IT'S NOT JUST SOMEBODY WITH BRUISES, WHICH WE THINK OF WHEN WE THINK OF DOMESTIC ABUSE.

REMEMBER, IT'S ALSO EMOTIONAL ABUSE.

IT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE.

IT IS CONTROLLING SOMEBODY'S FUNDS AND THEIR FINANCES.

CONTROLLING WHO THEY CAN SPEAK TO, MAKING SURE THAT THEY STOP SEEING THEIR FRIENDS, THAT THEY STOP SEEING THEIR FAMILY.

CONTROLLING WHETHER THEY CAN EVEN APPLY FOR A JOB.

>>WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.

I WANT TO PLAY A CLIP OF MICHELLE SPERZEL FROM HARBOR HOUSE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, TALKING ABOUT THE KINDS OF CASES THEY'RE SEEING DURING THE PANDEMIC.

>>SO WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN MORE LETHALITY WITHIN THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENCES.

SO AS FAR AS A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ADVOCATE, A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CENTER, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT, WE TALK ABOUT FINANCIAL ABUSE, EMOTIONAL ABUSE, PHYSICAL ABUSE, PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE.

AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING TO SURVIVORS, WE'RE HEARING ALL OF THAT; WE'RE HEARING IT AT A HIGHER LEVEL.

BUT WE'RE ALSO HEARING THAT THERE ARE WEAPONS INVOLVED, WE'RE HEARING THAT THERE ARE GUNS INVOLVED, THAT A KNIFE WOULD BE INVOLVED.

MORE INTIMIDATION, MORE THREATS.

AND THEN ALSO A LOT MORE OF THE INCIDENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH INVOLVE STRANGULATION.

>>SO AN UPTICK IN CASES OF MORE LETHALITY.

WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE?

AND ARE THERE ENOUGH OF THEM?

>>I WAS TALKING TO SOME EXPERTS LAST WEEK AND THEY SAID THERE'S DEFINITELY NOT ENOUGH.

WE'LL NEED TO SEE MORE CARES ACT FUNDING SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS ISSUE, SUPPORTING SOCIAL SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES THAT WILL HELP THE VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

>>HARBOR HOUSE HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB.

WHAT THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS LIMITING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAN BE AT THE SHELTER AND SPACING OUT BEDS TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE.

THEY HAVE AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM AND A VIRTUAL SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR KIDS SO THEY DON'T GET BEHIND IN THEIR VIRTUAL LEARNING RIGHT NOW.

SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF GREAT RESOURCES.

AND IF PEOPLE WANT TO HELP, THEY CAN VOLUNTEER AT HARBOR HOUSE.

AND SO MANY OF OUR SHELTERS IN THIS AREA, NOT JUST HARBOR HOUSE, NEED THINGS LIKE DIAPERS, BABY FOOD, CLEAN LINENS, CLEAN CLOTHES FOR THESE FAMILIES THAT ARE COMING IN IN DROVES.

>>ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE HEARD FROM HARBOR HOUSE THERE, THAT THEY'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN CASES IN TERMS OF LETHALITY.

>>DARALENE, WHEN I WAS PREPARING THIS SHOW, I FOUND SOME REPORTING THAT YOU'D DONE SEVERAL YEARS AGO ON THE ISSUE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

AND I WAS CURIOUS TO ASK YOU WHETHER THIS IS, IN YOUR VIEW, SORT OF AN INTRACTABLE ISSUE, OR ARE THERE REALLY SORT OF CONCRETE STEPS THAT ARE BEING TAKEN TO TRY TO BRING THESE NUMBERS DOWN?

>>IT IS SO HARD TO DEAL WITH AND MANAGE, STEVE, BECAUSE IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE'RE DEALING WITH ALL OTHER KINDS OF SOCIETAL CONCERNS.

I THINK FOR A WHILE, THERE WAS A REAL CONCENTRATED EFFORT TO FOCUS ON SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INCIDENTS.

SEVERAL OF OUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA HAVE ACTUALLY EVEN PUT THEIR OFFICERS OR DEPUTIES THROUGH SPECIFIC TRAINING TO KNOW HOW TO LOOK FOR SIGNS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE SITUATIONS, TRYING TO DEESCALATE THESE SITUATIONS WHEN THEY'RE ON DIFFERENT SCENES, AND ALSO TRYING TO GET HELP, NOT ONLY FOR THE VICTIM, BUT ALSO THE OFFENDER TO REDUCE THE REPEAT OFFENSES.

BUT NOW, YOU'RE DEALING WITH SO MUCH MORE IN OUR SOCIETY.

AND AS WE HAVE ISSUES THAT POP UP OVER TIME ... YOU KNOW, POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAD TO DEAL WITH SOCIAL INJUSTICE LAST YEAR, THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH COVID-19.

AND SO [INAUDIBLE] YOU'VE GOT NEW ISSUES COMING UP, AND SO YOU KIND OF FORGET ABOUT THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE WORKING ON AND THEY BECOME LESS OF A FOCUS.

AND THAT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE I THINK THAT, OVER THE LAST YEAR, AS WE'VE SEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES.

I JUST THINK THAT IT'S A REALLY HARD THING TO TRY TO GET CONTROL OF WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH SO MANY OTHER ISSUES AND TRYING TO MANAGE SO MANY OTHER PROBLEMS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

>>I MEAN, IT IS SUCH A DIFFICULT ISSUE GIVEN THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COVERS SO MANY DIFFERENT EXAMPLES.

MATT, I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT A REVIEW THAT GOVERNOR DESANTIS ORDERED LAST YEAR AMID A SCANDAL OVER COMPENSATION FOR THE FORMER CEO OF THE FLORIDA COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

THE COALITION HAD A SINGLE SOURCE CONTRACT WITH THE STATE TO DISPERSE FUNDS TO SHELTERS AROUND THE STATE.

WHAT HAS THAT INVESTIGATION FOUND SO FAR?

THERE WAS A PRELIMINARY REPORT, CORRECT?

>>YEAH.

AND JUST TO BACK UP A BIT, THAT REVIEW WAS STARTED FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION PROMPTED BY SOME REPORTING FOR THE MIAMI HERALD THAT TIFFANY CARR, SHE'S THE CEO OF THE COALITION, OR WAS THE CEO OF THE COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, HAD BEEN PAID ABOUT $7.5 MILLION OVER THREE YEARS.

STAGGERING AMOUNT OF MONEY.

SO THIS REPORT FOUND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS FLOWING INTO SOME 839 ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE SOLE SOURCE PUBLIC-PRIVATE AGREEMENTS WITH THE STATE AGENCY.

ONE OF THOSE AGENCIES RECEIVED MORE THAN HALF THEIR FUNDING FROM STATE AND FEDERAL SOURCES.

THE REPORT ALSO FOUND THAT OVERSIGHT BY DCF AND LEGISLATORS WAS LACKING.

BUT THESE ORGANIZATIONS, THEY'RE SAYING THE REPORT IS EITHER INACCURATE OR IT'S TOO BROAD AND COUNTING COMPENSATION THAT WASN'T PAID FOR WITH STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDS.

SO THERE'S MORE TO COME ON THIS.

A LOT OF THESE AGENCIES ARE PUSHING BACK.

BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE IS SOME ACCOUNTABILITY THAT'S NEEDED IN JUST HOW MUCH MONEY THESE AGENCIES ARE GETTING AND HOW THEY'RE SPENDING IT.

>>INDEED.

AND YOU CAN FIND MORE OF MY INTERVIEW WITH MICHELLE SPERZEL OF HARBOR HOUSE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA ON OUR WEBSITE.

IT'S AT WUCF.ORG/NEWSNIGHT.

WELL, THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR THIS WEEK.

MY THANKS TO MATTHEW PEDDIE OF 90.7 WMFE AND DARALENE JONES OF WFTV-CHANNEL 9.

WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN HERE NEXT WEEK ON NEWSNIGHT.

FROM ALL OF US ON THE PROGRAM, TAKE CARE AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.