>>> THIS IS "METROFOCUS" WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

"METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, SYLVIA A.

AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM, THE PETER J. PETERSON AND JOAN GANSZ COONEY FUND, BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION AND BY JANET PRINDLE SEIDLER, JODY AND JOHN ARNHOLD, CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN FAMILY, JUDY AND JOSH WESTON, DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA SOHN FOUNDATION.

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "METROFOCUS."

I'M JACK FORD.

LONG ISLAND IS ONE OF ITS WORST MONTHS DURING THE PANDEMIC.

IN JANUARY ALONE NASSAU COUNTY HAD OVER 34,000 NEW POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS CASES.

AS WE ALL ANXIOUSLY AWAIT A SUPPLY OF ADDITIONAL VACCINES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO TRY TO BUILD SOME SENSE OF NORMALCY DURING THESE VERY ABNORMAL TIMES.

DESPITE THE HIGH INFECTION RATES, RESTAURANTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES ON THE ISLAND REMAIN OPEN.

LIMITED CAPACITY AND FOLLOWING MEDICAL AND HEALTH GUIDELINES.

AND NOW MARKING A CHANGE FROM THE FALL, STUDENT ATHLETES WILL BE ABLE TO COMPETE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS BEGINNING THIS MONTH.

SO-CALLED HIGH-RISK ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES SUCH AS BASKETBALL, CHEERLEADING, AND WRESTLING HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO BEGIN WITH NEW SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE.

JOINING US NOW TO DISCUSS HER ONGOING EFFORTS TO NAVIGATE NAS SAW COUNTY THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC IS NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE LAURA CURRAN.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

>> IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO TALK WITH YOU.

LET ME START OFF FIRST WITH A BET OF A PERSONAL OBSERVATION FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.

YOU RECENTLY HAD A POSSIBLE EXPOSURE TO SOMEBODY WHO TESTED POSITIVE.

NOW, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS THIS.

THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS PANDEMIC WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM MEDIA MEMBERS, AT LEAST THE RESPONSIBLE ONES, AND FROM PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AGAIN, AT LEAST THE RESPONSIBLE ONES, ABOUT THE PROTOCOLS AND GUIDELINES AND WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOLLOWING.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU, RATHER THAN BEING ON THE GIVING END OF THAT ADVICE AND GUIDANCE TO BE ON THE RECEIVING END OF THAT ADVICE AND GUIDANCE?

>> YEAH.

I HAD TO TAKE MY OWN ADVICE AND FOLLOW THE PROTOCOLS AND THE GUIDELINES.

SO IN MY JOB I WAS USED TO BEING OUT THERE FOR THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC.

LUCKILY I HADN'T COME INTO CLOSE CONTACT WITH A POSITIVE BUT THEN I DID.

SOMEONE IN A WORK CONTEXT I WAS WITH TURNED OUT TO BE POSITIVE.

SO I HAD TO TAKE TEN DAYS OFF.

NOW, I TESTED NEGATIVE BUT I HAD TO STAY HOME.

AND THE NOVELTY WORE OFF AFTER ABOUT DAY FOUR.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET AND SCRUB THE FLOOR AND ALL THAT SO MANY TIMES.

AND I FOUND THAT I HAD A REAL EMPATHY FOR PEOPLE.

AND FOR ME IT WAS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

IT WAS JUST FOR TEN DAYS.

BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO FOR TEN MONTHS HAD TO WORK FROM HOME, I UNDERSTAND, I HAD A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF HOW CHALLENGING IT WAS.

>> IT'S PROBABLY GOOD FOR LEADERS TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE CHALLENGES.

>> I THINK SO TOO.

ABSOLUTELY.

IF WE'RE OUT THERE PROSELYTIZING ABOUT THE GUIDELINES AND THIS AND THAT, WE NEED TO FOLLOW THEM OURSELVES AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE.

>> VERY IMPORTANT.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT IF I CAN.

IN THE INTRODUCTION I TALK ABOUT THE TOUGH MONTH OF JANUARY OUT THERE, NASSAU COUNTY, 34,000 POSITIVE TESTS COMING BACK.

WHERE ARE THE NUMBERS NOW AS WE GET INTO FEBRUARY?

>> SO NASSAU COUNTY, WE'RE THE WESTERNMOST COUNTY ON LONG ISLAND-S NASSAU AND SUFFOLK.

OUR NUMBERS HAVE GENERALLY BEEN PRETTY GOOD THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.

WE HAD A HIGH.

WE WERE AT 10% POSITIVITY ON JANUARY 5th.

AS OF YESTERDAY WE WERE BELOW 6%.

WE'VE BEEN STEADILY GOING DOWN, DOWN, DOWN.

OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE BEEN GOING DOWN.

SO THAT'S VERY GOOD NEWS.

WE DID SEE THAT POST-HOLIDAY BUMP.

SOMEONE WAS ASKING ME TODAY ARE WE GOING TO SEE A POST-SUPER BOWL BUMP WITH EVERYONE HAVING PARTIES?

I HOPE NOT.

WE'LL SEE.

BECAUSE RIGHT NOW KEEPING THE VIOLENCE UNDER CONTROL IS VERY IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S VACCINES OUT THERE BUT THERE'S NOT THE SUPPLY YET.

THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS NOT OPEN ENOUGH THAT WE'RE GETTING ENOUGH TO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY AND TO MEET THE DEMAND.

SO WHILE WE'RE WAITING THESE CRUCIAL FEW WEEKS HERE, COUPLE OF MONTHS TILL WE GET MORE SUPPLY OF VACCINE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT WORKS AND I KNOW THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS AND ANXIETIES ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT VARIANTS, THE SOUTH AFRICAN, THE BRITISH, BUT WHATEVER THE VARIANT IS, AND THERE ARE 4,000 VARIANTS IN THIS VIRUS, WE KNOW THAT WEARING A MASK, SOCIAL DISTANCING, WASHING YOUR HANDS, THOSE THREE VERY SIMPLE THINGS WORK AGAINST ALL 4,000 VARIANTS.

>> YOU MENTIONED THE VACCINES.

WHERE IS NASSAU COUNTY RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF GETTING ACCESS TO VACCINE?

>> SO WE KNOW THE SUPPLY CHAIN, IT STARTS WITH THE PRODUCTION, THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, THEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEN THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND THEN DOWN TO US.

SO OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS RUNNING THREE VACCINATION SITES AT THE MOMENT.

AND ANY DOSE WE GET WE PUT INTO AN ARM.

WE HAVE NOT WASTED ONE DOSE.

WE HAVE NOT HAD TO THROW AWAY ONE DOSE.

AND WE'RE ALSO VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE MAKE APPOINTMENTS.

WE'LL MAKE APPOINTMENTS WHEN WE GET VACCINE IN HAND, NOT WITH WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN.

IT'S WHAT WE ACTUALLY GET.

SO WE HAVE LESS DISAPPOINTMENT.

I KNOW IT'S HARD TO GET AN APPOINTMENT TO GET A VACCINE BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE LESS DISAPPOINTMENT WITH CANCELED APOINTS.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR HOSPITALS AS WE HAVE BEEN THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PANDEMIC AND THEY HAVE THEIR VACCINATION PROGRAMS AS WELL.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO SYNC IT UP AND BE ON THE SAME PAGE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

>> ONE OF THE ISSUES HAS BEEN LOCATIONS, SITES FOR AS YOU MENTIONED GETTING THE VACCINE IN PEOPLE'S ARMS.

HOW ARE YOU DOING IN NASSAU COUNTY?

HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND OR WILL YOU BE ABLE TO EXPAND ONCE YOU THEORETICALLY GET ADDITIONAL VACCINE SUPPLY?

>> WE CAN ABSOLUTELY SCALE UP IF WE GET MORE SUPPLY.

WE'RE RUNNING A DISTRIBUTION SITE AT NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE, WHICH IS RIGHT IN THE HEART, RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF OUR COUNTY.

WE'RE RUNNING ONE AT A COMMUNITY CENTER IN WESTBURY, AND WE'RE JUST LAUNCHING ONE AT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY.

SO WE FEEL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT NICE GEOGRAPHICAL VARIETY THERE BUT WE'RE READY FOR MORE.

WE CAN DO MORE.

AND WE'RE ANXIOUS.

WE'RE WORKING WITH THE STATE ON GETTING MORE SUPPLY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THE STATE IS RUNNING ITS JONES BEACH OPERATION AS WELL.

AND HOSPITALS ARE DOING THEIRS.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE -- WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING -- AS SUPPLY COMES DOWN, URGENT CARES, DOCTOR'S OFFICE, COMMUNITY CLINICS THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THE VACCINE AS WELL.

REMEMBER AT THE BEGINNING TESTING WAS HARD TO GET AND THEN THERE WAS MUCH WIDER ACCESS?

I'M EXPECTING AS WE GET MORE SUPPLY OF THE VACCINE WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE SAME THING WITH THAT.

PLUS WE'VE GOT GREAT NEWS ABOUT THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON ONE-DOSE WONDER COMING SOON.

THAT'S EXCELLENT NEWS.

MAYBE WHEN I'M ELIGIBLE, BECAUSE I'M NOT ELIGIBLE YET, THAT WILL BE THE ONE I GET.

>> WE'VE HEARD A COUPLE OF RECURRING THEMES THAT ARE APPEARING AS HURDLES TO GETTING MORE PEOPLE TO FIRST BE AMENABLE TO TAKING THE VACCINE AND SECONDLY BEING ACTUALLY ABLE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN BE SIGNED UP.

IN TERMS OF THE FIRST CONCERN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE SEEN, ESPECIALLY AMONGST COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, IS A RELUCTANCE TO TRUST.

WHAT CAN FOLKS SUCH AS YOU AT YOUR LEVEL, COUNTY LEVEL, WHAT CAN BE DONE HERE TO GET THE WORD OUT TO SAY TO PEOPLE TRUST US, IT IS SAFE?

COME IN AND LET US PUT IT INTO YOUR ARM.

>> IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO GET THE WORD OUT THERE.

WE HAVE OUR OUTREACH OFFICE.

WE HAVE THE OFFICE OF MINORITY AFFAIRS.

WE HAVE AN OFFICE OF HISPANIC AFFAIRS, OFFICE OF ASIAN AFFAIRS, TO GET THE WORD OUT.

WHETHER IT'S ZOOM CALLS.

WE DID A BIG ZOOM CALL WITH THE HEALTH COMMISSIONER, DR. LARRY IKENSTEIN AND THE 1199 UNION.

ANY KIND OF COMMUNICATION WE CAN HAVE WITH OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND GROWING MORE DIVERSE COMMUNITY, GETTING PEOPLE TO TRUST IT, GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE THINNED IT AND UNDERSTANDING THIS IS THE PASSPORT FOR US, THIS IS THE THING THAT WILL HELP US GET BACK TO THE LAND OF NORMAL AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT THEN WE HAVE THE SECOND PART OF THAT, NOT HAVING THE SUPPLY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY ALREADY WANT IT.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER HURDLE THAT WE HAVE TO OVERCOME.

BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S REALLY TWO VERY IMPORTANT HURDLES.

IT'S GETTING ENOUGH SUPPLY AND THEN GETTING PEOPLE TO TRUST IT.

AND I THINK YOU SEE NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF EFFORTS YOU MAKE THERE WILL BE SOME WHO WILL NEVER TRUST IT.

BUT IT IS MY HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE THAT 75% WHO TRUST IT WHO CAN GET IT AND THAT WILL GIVE ALL OF US THE HERD IMMUNITY.

>> ANOTHER CONCERN WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT ON THE PART OF PRIMARILY OLDER CITIZENS WHO ARE JUST HAVING A TOUGH TIME NAVIGATING THE TECHNOLOGY HERE.

I'LL TELL YOU A PERSONAL ILLUSTRATION, I WAS TRYING TO GET ON.

I'M OLD ENOUGH TO BE IN THAT FIRST THRESHOLD THAT'S ENTITLED TO GET IT IN NEW JERSEY.

SO I WAS ON MY COMPUTER AND I WAS TRYING TO REGISTER WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT SITES AND I GOT TO ONE SITE AND I HIT IT AND IT LOOKED LIKE THERE'S A DATE AND TIME AVAILABLE AND I'M THINKING THAT'S MARVELOUS.

BUT I CAN'T GET IT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T YET REGISTERED FOR THAT SITE.

SO I TURN AROUND AND I CLOSE THAT PAGE AND I REGISTER FOR THE SITE.

AND BY THE TIME I GET BACK IT'S GONE.

THE APPOINTMENT IS GONE.

NOW, I'M FAIRLY COMPUTER L LITERATE.

BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS OUT THERE, OLDER FOLKS WHO AREN'T.

SO WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE THIS PROCESS?

AND NOT FEEL LIKE THEY'RE KIND OF SHUT OUT FROM IT?

>> YEAH, IT'S INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE AT THE BEGINNING THE STATE WAS ASKING EVERYONE TO SIGN UP FOR THE VACCINE THROUGH THEIR SYSTEM WHICH WAS A COMPUTER SYSTEM.

IT WASN'T A PHONE SYSTEM.

OLDER FOLKS, AND YOU HAD TO CONSTANTLY REFRESH, TO REFRESH THE BROWSER.

OLDER FOLKS AREN'T NECESSARILY AS COMPUTER LITERATE.

THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING TO HAVE THE PATIENCE OR THE KNOW-HOW TO SIT THERE AND CONTINUE TO TRY AND TRY AND TRY.

SO WE ACTUALLY ON MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY, WE DID A POP-UP DISTRIBUTION, OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT DID, AT A CHURCH IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.

BLACK CHURCH, BAPTIST UNION BAPTIST CHURCH IN HEMPSTEAD WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SENIORS.

SO WE WORKED WITH THE CLERGY GETTING SENIORS TO THE SITE.

AND THEN WE WERE EXPANDING THAT.

WE WERE SCALING THAT UP FOR SENIORS WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION, WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER.

BUT THEN THE STATE STEPPED IN AND SAID WE CAN ONLY DO THAT 1B CATEGORY, SO NOT THE 65 AND OLDER CROWD ANYMORE.

NOW IT WAS THE FIRST RESPONDERS, GROCERY STORE WORKERS, TRANSIT WORKERS, TEACHERS, THE QUOTE UNQUOTE ESSENTIAL WORKERS.

SO WE'RE READY TO GET BACK TO SERVING THE OLDER FOLKS.

IN THE MEANTIME, WE CAN LET THEM KNOW ABOUT OTHER PLACES THAT THEY CAN GET IT.

WE HAVE A WEBSITE WHERE WE HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT PLACES LISTED IN THE COUNTY WHERE YOU CAN GET IT.

IT'S NASSAUCOUNTYNY.GOV/VACCINE.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THAT AS MUCH OF A ONE-STOP SHOP AS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE IN NASSAU COUNTY, AROUND NASSAU COUNTY LOOKING TO GET VACCINATED.

>> ARE YOU SEEING IN TERMS OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL QUESTION, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LOGISTICS HERE.

UNDER THE NEW ADMINISTRATION.

ARE YOU GETTING A SENSE THAT THERE'S MORE BEING DONE, THAT THERE'S MORE OF A PLAN IN PLACE THAT IS ALLOWING MORE EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION, PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF WHAT THEY HAVE IN STOCK?

>> WELL, I'M HAPPY THAT THE NEW PRESIDENT, JOE BIDEN, HAS SAID VERY PLAINLY THAT IT IS HIS PRIORITY, HIS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY TO GET THIS VACCINE OUT.

SO SEEING THAT THEY'RE AT THE TOP OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN, US AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN, THAT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY.

OF COURSE IT ALL DEPENDS ON PRODUCTION.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS DEPENDENT UPON THAT PRODUCTION.

CAN THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES CHURN IT OUT QUICKLY ENOUGH?

THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

BUT I'M CONFIDENT THAT AT VERY HIGH LEVELS THIS IS SEEN AS A TOP PRIORITY.

AND HONESTLY, WE NEED TO GET OUR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL AND KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL.

WE NEED TO GET OUR BUSINESSES FULLY OPERATIONAL AGAIN.

ISOLATION -- THE HUMAN RACE WAS NOT BUILT TO BE ISOLATED.

WE'RE BUILT TO BE SOCIAL CREATURES WHO ARE OUT THERE GETTING THINGS DONE.

THAT'S HOW WE EVOLVED.

AND THIS HAS BEEN OUT OF CHARACTER FOR US THESE PAST 10, 11 MONTHS.

SO THE QUICKER WE CAN GET THIS VACCINE DONE, THE HAPPIER I THINK EVERYONE WILL BE.

>> AND DO YOU FIND THAT THE COORDINATION BETWEEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS PROVIDING YOU WHAT YOU NEED?

>> I KNOW THAT THEY'RE DOING THEIR BEST.

I KNOW EVERY LEVEL IS DOING ITS BEST AND EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS AND EVERYONE IS TRYING TO PUT PROCEDURES AND POLICIES IN PLACE TO GET IT DONE AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.

I'M CONFIDENT IN THAT.

>> ONCE AGAIN WE'RE TALKING WITH NASSAU COUNTY EXECUTIVE LAURA CURRAN ABOUT WHAT IS BEING DONE IN HER COUNTY IN TERMS OF AVAILABILITY OF VACCINES, PROVIDING THEM TO THE CITIZENS.

I WANT TO TALK WITH YOU ALSO ABOUT SOMETHING YOU JUST MENTIONED HERE, AND THAT'S THE NOTION OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND SCHOOLS.

WE'VE SEEN -- LET'S START WITH THE SMALL BUSINESSES.

IT'S HAD SUCH A CRIPPLING EFFECT, THIS PANDEMIC, ON SO MANY OUT THERE.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE -- YOU BEING NASSAU COUNTY.

TO PROVIDE SOME SORT OF BACKSTOPPING OR SOME SORT OF SUPPORT FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESSES AS WE HOPEFULLY GET TOWARDS -- MAYBE BORROW FROM CHURCHILL, WE'RE NOT AT THE END, MAYBE WE'RE AT THE -- NOT EVEN THE BEGINNING OF THE END BUT PERHAPS THE END OF THE BEGINNING.

WHO KNOWS WHERE WE ARE REALLY?

BUT WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO IN TERMS OF HELPING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?

>> SO RIGHT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING IN MARCH WHEN WE KNEW WE WERE IN A HEALTH CRISIS WE ALSO SAW THAT WE WERE IN AN XIK CRISIS.

RUNNING ON PARALLEL TRACKS.

SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS APPOINT AN ECONOMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL MADE UP OF SMALL BUSINESSES, HOSPITALITY, LABOR, CONSTRUCTION, NON-PROFIT.

AS WIDE A SECTOR AS POSSIBLE.

MOM-AND-POP SHOPS.

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.

TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.

I FELT THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK.

BECAUSE I KNOW SO MUCH OF THE POLICY THAT WAS SET BY THE STATE AFFECTS THEM.

SO FOR ME TO ADVOCATE FOR THE STATE I WANTED TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THEM.

AND YOU KNOW, I LEARNED THAT THEY WERE READY TO PIVOT AND MAKE WHATEVER ACCOMMODATIONS THEY NEEDED TO MAKE.

I LEARNED THAT NO BUSINESS WANTS TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THERE IS AN OUTBREAK.

THEY WANT TO KEEP THEIR CUSTOMERS SAFE.

THEY WANT TO KEEP THEIR EMPLOYEES SAFE.

SO YOU KNOW, I VISITED GYMS BEFORE THEY WERE ALLOWED TO OPEN, A YOGA STUDIO, BOWLING ALLEYS AND ALL OF THESE PLACES, AND I SAW THE INVESTMENT THAT THEY MADE.

I SAW THE MEASURES THAT THEY'D TAKEN.

AND IT MADE ME VERY CONFIDENT TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM.

ALSO WITH MALLS.

AND I WAS VERY -- I WAS SORT OF CHAMPIONING THE CAUSE, MAKE THE CASE OF WHY IT WAS SAFE.

AND THEN SAY YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK WE CAN TRUST THESE PEOPLE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

AND LO AND BEHOLD, WHEN ALL OF THOSE THINGS DID OPEN, WE FOUND VERY LITTLE AMOUNT OF VIRUS BEING SPREAD.

CONTACT TRACERS DID NOT FIND SPREAD IN SOMETHING LIKE A GYM OR A BOWLING ALLEY OR RESTAURANTS OR JUST TEENY TINY AMOUNTS IF THERE WERE.

SO I WAS VERY HAPPY TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM.

WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE IN NEW YORK CITY RIGHT NOW THERE IS NO INDOOR DINING.

WE KEPT INDOOR DINING AT 50% CAPACITY IN NASSAU COUNTY.

AND I MEAN, THAT WILL SAVE RESTAURANTS.

THAT WILL SAVE JOBS.

I THINK THE 10:00 P.M.

CLOSING IS A LITTLE EARLY.

THEY'RE MISSING OUT ON THAT CRUCIAL 9:00 P.M.

SEATING.

WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO GET TOGETHER A GRANT FOR RESTAURANTS, FOR ABOUT 300 RESTAURANTS, EITHER $5,000 OR $10,000.

IF THEY'RE IN NASSAU THEY APPLY FOR THE GRANT AND THEY GET IT.

THAT MIGHT HELP THEM GET OVER THE EDGE.

MAKE THAT RENT PAYMENT, PAY FOR THOSE OUTDOOR HEATING LAMPS OR WHATEVER IT IS THEY NEED TO DO.

I THINK SOMETIMES THE POLICIES THAT ARE SET ARE MADE WITHOUT FULLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT'S LIKE TO RUN A BUSINESS, WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE TO MAKE PAYROLL AND MAKE RENT AND KEEP IT GOING AND THE HUSTLE.

AND THE INTELLIGENCE THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE.

THEY'RE NATURAL PROBLEM SOLVERS.

THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DEAL WITH THIS QUITE WELL.

AND I THINK WE CAN TRUST THEM.

>> AND I THINK YOU MAKE AN IMPORTANT POINT, WHICH IS AGAIN, WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE, THE TECHNOLOGY.

BECAUSE IN THE BEGINNING I THINK EVERYBODY THOUGHT OH, MY, RESTAURANTS, GYMS, THEY MUST BE THE WORST POSSIBLE SPREADING SITES.

AND AS YOU MENTIONED, WHAT WE LEARNED IS THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY TRUE.

SO TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED UPON THAT SCIENCE IS CERTAINLY IMPORTANT FOR US.

HOW ABOUT SCHOOLS?

WHERE ARE YOU IN NASSAU COUNTY IN TERMS OF YOUR SCHOOLS AND IN-PERSON EDUCATION?

>> SO WE'VE GOT 56 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

YOU KNOW, NEW YORK CITY HAS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM RUN BY THE CITY.

WE HAVE 56 INDEPENDENT LITTLE MINI GOVERNMENTS WITH ELECTED BOARDS OF EDUCATION.

SO EACH IS DOING ITS OWN POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT MAKE SENSE FOR ITS COMMUNITY.

NOW, I SEND MY KIDS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL.

I'M VERY HAPPY WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

HONESTLY, ALL OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE DONE A VERY, VERY GOOD JOB.

AND AGAIN, CONTACT TRACING IS NOT TRACING DISEASE SPREAD BACK INSIDE THOSE BUILDINGS.

SO SCHOOL IS A VERY SAFE PLACE FOR KIDS RIGHT NOW.

WE ARE SEEING EVERYTHING FROM FULL IN-SCHOOL, FULL REMOTE, TO HYBRID.

MY KIDS ARE IN A HYBRID MODEL RIGHT NOW.

I THINK PERSONALLY AS JUST A PERSON, AS A PARENT, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO BE SOCIALIZING, TO BE IN SCHOOL, TO BE WITH THEIR PEER GROUP, NOT TO BE ISOLATED, NOT TO BE STARING AT A COMPUTER SCREEN ALL DAY.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO GET BACK IN SCHOOL.

AND THEN THAT BRINGS US TO -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GET INTO SPORTS ALREADY BUT -- >> I WILL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND.

IN TERMS OF THE SCHOOLING AND THE IMPORTANCE THERE, AND JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IN TERMS OF YOUR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ARE YOU SEEING ANY KIND OF A UNIFORMITY IN TERMS OF THOSE POLICIES IN SCHOOL, OUT OF SCHOOL, HYBRID?

OR DOES IT REALLY VARY ACROSS THE BOARD?

>> YOU KNOW, ONE THING I'M SEEING IS THAT THE YOUNGER KIDS, K THROUGH 5, A LOT OF DISTRICTS HAVE CHOSEN TO HAVE THEM TO GO FULL-TIME IN SCHOOL.

AND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL ARE -- A LOT OF THEM ARE OPTING FOR THE HYBRID MODEL.

WE'RE FINDING A LOT OF OUR RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE FULL-TIME IN SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, THAT WORKS FOR THEM.

AND AGAIN, I THINK LIKE WE TRUST BUSINESSES I THINK WE CAN TRUST SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT'S ARE RIGHT FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND RIGHT FOR THEIR KIDS.

AND THEY'VE REALLY IMPRESSED ME.

I HAVE TO SAY I'VE BEEN VERY, VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE QUICK PIVOT.

I MEAN, IT'S A LOT.

YOU HAVE TO REARRANGE BUSING.

YOU HAVE TO REARRANGE SCHEDULES.

YOU HAVE TO REARRANGE SPACE.

THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT.

>> I THINK ONE OF THE LESSONS WE MIGHT TAKE FROM THIS IS THAT CHANGE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE GLACIAL, THAT WE DO HAVE THE CAPACITY AS GOVERNMENTS, AS LOCAL ENTITIES, WE DO HAVE THE CAPACITY THAT MAYBE WE DIDN'T THINK WE HAD BEFORE TO, AS YOU SAID, PIVOT QUICKLY.

YOU KNOW, AND TO BORROW THE LINE FROM "FRIENDS" AND ROSS, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT SCENE AS THEY'RE TRYING TO MOVE THE COUCH UP THE STAIRS.

PIVOT, PIVOT.

WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PIVOT.

AND I THINK THAT MAY WELL BE ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS PANDEMIC WHEN WE LOOK BACK ON IT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

>> YES.

I THINK THAT'S SUCH A GOOD INSIGHT, AND I REALLY DO AGREE WITH YOU.

WE'VE BEEN PUT TO THE TEST.

HUMANITY HAS BEEN PUT TO THE TEST MANY TIMES.

AND I THINK THE FACT THAT WE'VE SURVIVED AND THRIVED NO MATTER WHAT PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN THROWN AT US, THE FACT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ADAPT AND TURN ON A DIME AND WE HAVE THIS BRAIN THAT HAVE EVOLVED OVER THE MILLENNIA AND SOMETIMES WE REALLY HAVE TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES.

BUT WE'RE UP TO THE FAS K. AND I THINK THIS PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US THAT WE ARE.

THINK OF HOW MUCH WE'VE CHANGED OVER THE PAST TEN MONTHS AND HOW WE DO THINGS.

THE FACT I'M SPEAKING TO YOU ON ZOOM RIGHT NOW AND IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SECOND NATURE ALREADY I THINK IS TESTAMENT TO THAT.

>> I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

LET ME COME TO THE SCHOOLS AND ATHLETICS WITHIN THE SCHOOLS.

YOU KNOW, I COME AT THIS WITH A BIT OF A PERSONAL BIAS.

I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ATHLETE.

BOTH OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR DAUGHTER AND OUR SON, WERE HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ATHLETES.

I HAPPEN TO BE A VERY STRONG BELIEVER IN THE VALUE OF ATHLETICS IN THE FABRIC OF OUR LIFE AND OUR COMMUNITY AND THE FABRIC OF SCHOOLS.

THAT BEING SAID, WE KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS IN TERMS OF HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH THIS.

GENUINE CONCERNS.

SO THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE, AS I MENTIONED IN OUR INTRODUCTION, THAT STARTING THIS MONTH THAT ATHLETICS ARE GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO BEGIN WITH OBVIOUSLY CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS HERE.

LET'S START FIRST WITH THE DECISION.

THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE DETAILS ABOUT HOW IT'S ALL GOING TO GO.

WHAT WENT INTO THE DECISION TO SAY OKAY, WE'RE OKAY WITH DOING IT NOW, TO STARTING IT UP, TO GETTING THEM BACK INVOLVED IN THEIR SPORTS?

WHY WAS THAT DECISION MADE?

>> SO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STATE GUIDANCE ON THIS KIND OF THING.

AND I ACTUALLY HAD BEEN ADVOCATING TO THE STATE FOR MONTHS TO ALLOW ALL SPORTS TO HAPPEN.

AND OF COURSE IF A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR A LEAGUE DOESN'T WANT TO DO IT, NOBODY'S GOING TO FORCE THEM.

BUT LET THEM HAVE THE CHOICE.

NO PARENT IS GOING TO BE FORCED TO PUT THEIR KID IN A SPORT IF THEY DON'T FEEL IT'S SAFE, THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE.

GOD BLESS.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT.

SO I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING AND ADVOCATING AND OTHER PEOPLE HAD AS WELL.

AND THEN THE STATE ALLOWED IT.

I BELIEVE IT WAS A WEEK AGO FRIDAY.

WE GOT THE NEWS THAT AS OF YESTERDAY THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE IN ALL SPORTS.

SO I WAS VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE NEWS AND I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MY HEALTH COMMISSIONER, DR. LARRY EISENSTEIN.

WE KNEW WE'D BE GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AND THE REASON I WAS SO BULLISH ON THIS IS WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEFORE.

SCHOOL IS A SAFE PLACE FOR KIDS.

I THINK SPORTS UNDER SUPERVISION, FOLLOWING THE SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN A STRUCTURED WAY, IS THE BEST PLACE FOR KIDS TO BE.

FOR OBVIOUSLY THEIR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, THEIR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

IT'S THOSE IMPORTANT LESSONS OF HOW DO YOU WIN, HOW DO YOU LOSE, HOW DO YOU HANDLE BOTH, HOW DO YOU HAVE TEAMWORK, I THINK IS SO INCREDIBLE FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN YOU HAVE KIDS WHO ARE GOING TO RELY ON ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS FOR COLLEGE.

I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO MISS OUT ON THAT AS WELL.

SO THE STATE HANDED DOWN THE GUIDANCE.

IT WAS 16 PAGES.

IT WAS THOROUGH.

WE DECIDED NOT TO ADD ON TO IT.

NOT TO MAKE IT MORE CUMBERSOME THAN IT ALREADY IS AND LET THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS OF COURSE WE WOULD HELP INTERPRET THE GUIDANCE.

AND THEN WE'RE TASKED WITH DOING SPOT CHECKS, MAKING SURE THAT THE GUIDANCE IS BEING COMPLIED WITH.

SO WE TAKE THAT VERY, VERY SERIOUSLY.

AND THEN LET THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS DECIDE.

AND I THINK -- BY AND LARGE I'VE SPOKE NGUYEN SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS AND ATHLETIC DIRECTORS AND THEY WERE RELIEVED, THEY WERE HAPPY, PARENTS AND STUDENTS WERE RELIEVED AND THEY WERE HAPPY BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT, ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER BENEFITS IT'S SOMETHING NORMAL IN A VERY ABNORMAL TIME THAT KIDS CAN DO AND EMBRACE.

AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HAVING A LITTLE FUN WHILE YOU'RE AT IT AS WELL.

NOW, THERE'S JUST ONE CAVEAT.

SO HAVING -- I HAVE TEENAGERS.

I USED TO BE ONE MYSELF.

I KNOW WITH SPORTS, THERE'S AFTERPARTIES, AFTER-GAME PARTIES WHERE IT'S NOT UNDER SUPERVISION -- >> WE ALL RECALL THEM.

SOME FONDLY, SOME NOT SO FRONDL.

>> RIGHT.

THAT'S THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE THE DISEASE IS SPREAD.

IF ALCOHOL'S INVOLVED AND SOCIALIZING AND TOO MANY PEOPLE IN A BASEMENT OR WHATEVER.

WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AND BLOW THE WHOLE SPORT PROGRAM BECAUSE IF THERE'S A DISEASE OUTBREAK THEN THEN THE SPORT SHUTS DOWN.

THAT'S JUST MY ONE CAVEAT.

>> SOME PEOPLE SAID ALL RIGHT, IF YOU'RE DOING THAT, FINE.

BUT WHY ARE YOU NOT THEN TESTING ALL THE ATHLETES AND ALL THE COACHES BEFOREHAND?

OR DURING THE COURSE OF THE SEASON.

WHAT'S THE ANSWER TO THAT?

>> YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT -- AND I KNOW AT LEAST ONE IN NASSAU COUNTY THAT WANTS TO DO MANDATORY TESTING.

GO FOR IT.

BUT SINCE IT WASN'T IN THE STATE GUIDANCE I THOUGHT THE STATE GUIDANCE WAS COMPREHENSIVE ENOUGH.

I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT A REQUIREMENT.

BUT IF YOU FEEL THE NEED TO DO IT, THEN BY ALL MEANS.

BUT WE'LL SUPPORT ANY OTHER GUIDELINES THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO PUT ON.

BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO IMPOSE THAT ON THE COUNTY LEVEL.

>> AND THERE WILL BE, I MENTIONED, SAFETY GUIDELINES CERTAINLY FOR THE ATHLETES AND COACHES, FOR ALL THE PARTICIPANTS.

AND AS YOU SAID, UNDER THE GUIDELINES THERE IS THE CAPACITY FOR SPECTATORS.

OBVIOUSLY WITH CERTAIN LIMITATIONS.

WHAT'S THE IDEA BEHIND THAT AND WHAT LIMITATIONS WOULD WE BE TALKING ABOUT?

>> IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A FOOTBALL GAME, THE STATE GUIDELINES SAY TWO SPECTATORS PER PLAYER.

SO YOU HAVE TWO PARENTS COME.

IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE AT A FOOTBALL GAME, YOU'RE SOCIALLY DISTANT, YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE PER PLAYER, I THINK YOU CAN DO THAT.

YOU CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT VERY, VERY SAFELY.

AND AGAIN, IF A SCHOOL DISTRICT DECIDES THEY DON'T WANT SPECK TAITDORS, THEY DON'T HAVE TO.

>> LAST QUESTION FOR YOU.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT TWO MINUTES HERE.

CERTAINLY WE ALL TAKE LESSONS FROM THIS.

YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT SOME.

WE HAVE LESSONS AS PARENTS.

WE HAVE LESSONS AS GRANDPARENTS.

WE HAVE LESSONS AS COMMUNITY AND POLITICAL LEADERS.

WHEN WE LOOK BACK AT THIS TEN YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE WILL BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON IN TERMS OF ALL RIGHT, THIS WAS THE STRUGGLE?

IT SORT OF TOUCHES ON SOMETHING YOU TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.

THIS WAS A STRUGGLE BUT HERE'S HOW WE GOT THROUGH THIS -- >> I'M SORRY.

I MISSED THAT HERE'S HOW WE -- >> HERE'S HOW WE WERE ABLE TO OVERCOME IT.

NOW I'M LEAVING YOU WITH ABOUT A MINUTE AND THAT'S A TERRIBLE THING TO DO WITH A BIG QUESTION.

>> I'LL BE QUICK.

>> BUT JUST YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW WE'LL REFLECT ON IT.

>> I THINK WE WILL LOOK BACK ON THIS AND SAY THIS WAS VERY CHALLENGING, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT, IT WAS VERY PAINFUL, SOME OF US HAVE LOST LOVED ONES.

I KNOW THERE'S BEEN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND SUICIDE AND UNEMPLOYMENT AND IT'S TOUGH.

BUT I THINK WE WILL LOOK BACK AND SAY LOOK, WE LIVED THROUGH THIS.

WE HANDLED IT.

WE CAN HANDLE THIS.

WE CAN HANDLE ADVERSITY AND DIFFICULTY AND COME OUT STRONGER FOR IT.

AND WE'VE LEARNED A LOT.

WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT OURSELVES, ABOUT SOCIETY, ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS, NEW APPRECIATION FOR COOLS AND FOR TEACHERS.

AND SOMETHING ABOUT PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL.

SO I THINK IN TEN YEARS WE'LL LOOK BACK WITH A LITTLE BIT OF PAIN BUT ALSO WITH SOME IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED AND THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE'RE STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE WHATEVER COMES.

>> CERTAINLY A MESSAGE THAT WILL HELP US GET THROUGH THIS VERY DEEP TRAGEDY THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH.

NASSAU COUNTY X Y EXECUTIVE LAU CURRAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US.

WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING WITH YOU AGAIN REAL SOON.

TAKE CARE NOW.

>> THANK YOU.

>>> "METROFOCUS" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, SYLVIA A.

AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM, THE PETER J. PETERSON AND JOAN GANZ COONEY FUND, BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, THE AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION AND BY JANET PRINDLE SEIDLER, JODY AND JOHN ARNHOLD, CHERYL AND PHILIP MILSTEIN FAMILY, JUDY AND JOSH WESTON, DR. ROBERT C. AND TINA SOHN FOUNDATION.

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