>> Announcer: MAJOR FUNDING FOR "CHAT BOX WITH DAVID CRUZ" IS PROVIDED BY NJM INSURANCE GROUP, SERVING THE INSURANCE NEEDS OF NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS.

THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, MAKING PUBLIC SCHOOLS GREAT FOR EVERY CHILD.

THE FUEL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY, THE NATIONAL OIL HEAT RESEARCH ALLIANCE AND BIOHEAT, THE EVOLUTION OF OIL HEAT.

PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY INSIDER NJ, A POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE NETWORK DEDICATED TO NEW JERSEY POLITICAL NEWS.

INSIDER NJ IS COMMITTED TO GIVING SERIOUS POLITICAL PLAYERS AN INTERACTIVE FORUM FOR IDEAS, DISCUSSION, AND INSIGHT.

ONLINE AT INSIDERNJ.COM.

♪ >>> HI, EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO "CHAT BOX," I'M DAVID CRUZ.

WE ARE PAST THE ONE-YEAR MARK ON THIS PANDEMIC AND MANY OF YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL BUT THIS LAST PHASE IS PROVING TO BE DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH AND THE CURRENT STATISTICS SUGGEST THAT WE'RE LOSING SOME MOMENTUM.

HERE FOR SOME FACTS AND SOME GUIDANCE, HOPEFULLY, IS OUR RESIDENT MEDICAL CENTER BOSS, HE IS THE CEO AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AND THE FORMER STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER.

DOC, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME AGAIN, DAVID.

>> SO, I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I FEEL A BIT EXHAUSTED.

I FOLLOW THIS STORY EVERY DAY FOR THE MOST PART, AND I'M OFTEN CONFUSED BY THE MESSAGES THAT I'M HEARING.

WE'VE INCREASED CAPACITY AT RESTAURANTS AND OTHER PLACES IN ONE DAY, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING WEEK, WE WONDER IF WE WENT TOO FAR BECAUSE WE SEE AN UPTICK IN CASES.

NO REAL CAUSE AND EFFECT, WE'RE TOLD, BUT HERE WE ARE, 3,200 NEW CASES, ANOTHER 30 OR SO DEATHS, OVER 2,100 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED.

ARE WE LEADING THE COUNTRY IN INFECTIONS RIGHT NOW?

>> WE ARE, DAVID.

WE HAVE THE HIGHEST NEW CASES PER CAPITA IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS CONCERNING.

WHAT I WILL SAY IS THAT THE STATE IS USING DATA AND EVIDENCE AS MUCH AS THEY CAN AND MAKING THESE CRITICAL DECISIONS.

WHAT I HAVE HEARD ON CALLS, LITERALLY EVERY DAY WITH THE STATE ON THE PANDEMIC AND THE REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR NORTHERN NEW JERSEY IS IT'S PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW VARIANTS IN NEW JERSEY, EITHER FROM TRAVEL OR RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER, THE HUDSON RIVER IN NEW YORK CITY, WHICH COULD BE INCREASING THE RATE OF SPREAD.

THESE VARIANTS ARE MORE TRANSMISSIBLE FROM ONE PERSON TO ANOTHER.

BUT ALSO, THE FACT THAT SOME FOLKS ARE JUST TAKING THEIR EYE OFF THE BALL WITH PRECAUTIONS.

AND BOTH OF THOSE THINGS CAN LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN CASES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO INDOOR GATHERINGS, GATHERING WITH FOLKS WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED, ET CETERA.

IN TERMS OF WHY WE'RE SEEING CAPACITY INCREASES ALLOWED IN PLACES LIKE RESTAURANTS AND GYMS, IT TURNS OUT THAT THROUGH CONTACT TRACING DATA, IT'S NOT SHOWN THAT RESTAURANTS AND GYMS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF SPREAD CASED ASSOCIATED WITH THEM AND SO A LOT OF THAT IS DUE TO THE DATA WE HAVE AND I DO THINK THOSE DECISIONS ARE RESPONSIBLE.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE BROADER ASPECT OF THINGS, NEW JERSEY'S STILL ONE OF THE MORE CLOSED STATES IN THE COUNTRY.

THERE'S STILL A MASK MANDATE IN PLACE.

THERE ARE STILL RESTRICTIONS ON A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT STAND.

COMPARE THAT TO, FOR EXAMPLE, TEXAS THAT'S COMPLETELY RESCINDED THEIR MASK MANDATE AND GONE TO 100% CAPACITY IN MOST AREAS AND MOST BUSINESSES.

SO, I DO THINK WE'RE TAKING A RESPONSIBLE APPROACH, BUT WE DO HAVE TO BE VIGILANT AS WE PROCEED FORWARD.

>> SO, WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WITH OPTIMISM, AND WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS THAT ARE A BAD SIGN?

>> THE MOST -- THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IS THE PACE OF VACCINATION.

NEW JERSEY IS GETTING FASTER AND FASTER WITH VACCINATION EVERY DAY.

WE'RE CONSISTENTLY ON THE TOP TEN LIST OF UTILIZATION OF THE DOSES THAT WE RECEIVE, AND AS OF NEXT WEEK, WE STAND TO GET HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MORE DOSES TO BE SENT TO EVERY VACCINE ADMINISTRATION CENTER ACROSS THE STATE, SO THAT'S VERY GOOD NEWS, BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY AT A FAST RATE OF VACCINATION THAT STANDS TO IMPROVE EVEN MORE, AND I CAN TELL YOU BEING A VACCINATOR OURSELVES HERE IN NEWARK, WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET MORE SUPPLY, WHETHER IT'S JOHNSON & JOHNSON, A ONE-SHOT DEAL, FOR FOLKS FOR WHOM THAT'S EASIER, OR MODERNA AND PFIZER, WHICH ARE VERY EFFECTIVE VACCINES AS WELL.

ESPECIALLY WHEN PREVENTING HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 100% EFFECTIVENESS AT HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH PREVENTION.

>> IS THERE ANY INDICATION THAT THE NEW CASES ARE LESS SEVERE?

>> WELL, WE'RE SEEING IN OUR HOSPITAL IS THAT THE FOLKS BEING ADMITTED ARE ACTUALLY YOUNGER ON AVERAGE THAN WE USED TO SEE BEFORE VACCINATION AND THAT MAKES SENSE.

NEW JERSEY HAS PRIORITIZED OLDER INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HIGH-RISK AND FOLKS WHO HAVE COMORBIDITIES.

WHAT IT IS SHOWING, THOUGH, IS THAT THERE MAY BE VARIANTS AT PLAY BECAUSE BEFORE, WE WEREN'T GETTING YOUNGER FOLKS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT CONCERNING.

THAT SAID, ALL THAT DOES IS MAKE US TRY TO MOVE FASTER IN THE PACE OF VACCINATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HIT MAY 1st, WHEN PRESIDENT BIDEN CALLED FOR EVERY ADULT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION.

WE HOPE THAT NEW JERSEY HAS ENOUGH SUPPLY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT IF THAT HAPPENS AND IT HAPPENS QUICK ENOUGH, WE SHOULD HOPEFULLY GET THIS NEW WAVE UNDER CONTROL.

>> FEWER PEOPLE ARE DYING AND FEWER PEOPLE ARE IN INTENSIVE CARE, YES?

>> YES.

WE HAVE A LOWER DEATH RATE THAT WHAT WE USED TO SEE, CERTAINLY IN THE FIRST WAVE, BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW TO MANAGE THIS DISEASE BETTER AND FRANKLY, FOLKS ARE MORE PRIMED TO GET TESTED IF THEY'RE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS BECAUSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THIS VIRUS NOW FOR OVER A YEAR, AND SO THE COMBINATION OF THOSE THINGS, CATCHING IT EARLIER, JUST BEING BETTER AT TREATING IT, HAS REALLY HELPED REDUCE DEATH RATES.

>> SHOULD YOU GET TESTED EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL ANY SYMPTOMS?

>> YOU SHOULD IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WITH COVID-19 AND THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION, DAVID, BECAUSE WE'VE TAKEN OUR EYE OFF THE BALL WITH TESTING A LITTLE BIT.

A LOT OF FOLKS ARE ONLY TESTING IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS THEMSELVES.

THEY'RE NOT PARTICIPATING WITH CONTACT TRACERS TO THE EXTEBT THEY SHOULD BE.

REMEMBER THAT CATCHING COVID-19 WHEN YOU'RE NOT SYMPTOMATIC YET COULD BE A LIFE-SAVING THING THAT YOU DO BECAUSE YOU'LL BE MORE PRIMED TO RGZ THOSE SYMPTOMS AND GETTING CARE IF YOU NEED IT.

BUT ALSO MAY QUALIFY FOR THERAPIES LIKE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES AND GETTING YOURSELF THERE TO GET THOSE THERAPIES SOONER.

AND SO, IT PROTECTS YOU TO BE TESTED IF YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT SYMPTOMATIC, BUT IT'S ALSO BETTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH IF WE KNOW HOW FAST THIS VIRUS IS SPREADING.

>> WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHO'S GETTING SICK, YOU SAID YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE GETTING SICK.

DO WE KNOW THE ETHNIC RATIO, BACKGROUNDS?

IS IT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN LOWER PAYING JOBS WHO HAVE TO GO TO WORK, CAN'T, YOU KNOW, TELECOMMUTE?

DO WE HAVE ANY INDICATION OF WHAT THAT SITUATION IS?

>> WELL, I CAN TELL YOU WE'VE BEEN TRACKING RACIAL AND ETHNIC DATA PRETTY CLOSELY FOR PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING SINCE THE BEGINNING AND SINCE THE SECOND WAVE STARTED BACK LAST FALL, WE'VE SEEN HISPANIC AND LATINO FOLKS BE THE OVERWHELMINGLY FIRST DEMOGRAPHIC THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS SECOND WAVE.

THAT WASN'T THE CASE THE FIRST TIME AROUND.

IT WAS BLACK AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN.

HERE IN NEWARK.

BUT IT'S CONCERNING.

THERE'S A LOT MORE MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLDS.

WE'RE CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE LANGUAGE BARRIER ISSUES IN SOME HOUSEHOLDS AND GETTING OUT THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

BUT ALSO ACCESS TO VACCINATION AND OTHER CRITICAL THERAPIES SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO EXPAND OUR BILINGUAL EFFORTS AND GETTING FOLKS INFORMED ABOUT THE PANDEMIC.

AND WE HOPE THAT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT.

>> YOU TALK ABOUT CONTACT TRACING.

I MEAN, I DON'T HEAR ANYTHING REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE CONTACT TRACING EFFORTS.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN A BUST.

AM I JUST HEARING ONE SIDE OF THIS?

>> CONTACT TRACING HAS NOT WORKED AS WELL AS WE HAD HOPED, PRIMARILY BECAUSE MOST FOLKS ARE STILL NOT WILLING TO COOPERATE WITH CONTACT TRACERS.

I THINK OVERALL, THERE'S JUST AN ISSUE OF TRUST WITH GOVERNMENT, WITH PUBLIC HEALTH POTENTIALLY, WITH GIVING YOUR INFORMATION TO A GOVERNMENT ENTITY, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THE COMMISSIONER HAS MADE VERY CLEAR THAT NONE OF THE DATA AND CONTACT TRACING WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO ANY OTHER AGENCY THAN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH TRACKING BUT ALL THAT SAID, WE DO HOPE THAT WE CAN SPREAD THE WORD EVEN MORE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PARTICIPATING WITH CONTACT TRACERS BECAUSE IT PROTECTS YOU AND IT PROTECTS EVERYBODY THAT YOU MAY HAVE EXPOSED, INCLUDING YOUR LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS.

SO, I HOPE THAT FOLKS DO PARTICIPATE.

>> WHAT'S THE SITUATION LIKE IN YOUR HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW, IN YOUR EMERGENCY ROOM?

HOW MANY PEOPLE ON VENTILATORS, THAT KIND OF THING?

>> SO, WE'VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN ADMISSIONS, AS I MENTIONED, DAVID.

WE HAD 12 ADMISSIONS JUST 2 NIGHTS AGO, 7 ADMISSIONS LAST NIGHT.

AND WE'RE STILL CONTINUING TO SEE THEM COME IN AND SO OUR CENSUS IS GROWING.

WE'RE NOW ABOVE 40 PATIENTS WITH COVID-19.

JUST A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE WERE AROUND 20.

SO, THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.

IN TERMS OF FOLKS IN THE ICU, WE HAVE ABOUT 20% OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ADMITTED HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO THE ICU.

RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE ABOUT SEVEN FOLKS ON VENTILATORS AND WE KNOW THAT OUTCOMES ARE MUCH WORSE IF FOLKS NEED CRITICAL CARE.

SO, WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN, OF COURSE, IN TREATING AND CARING FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS, BUT THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF IS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM GETTING COVID-19 IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHICH MEANS VACCINATION AND FOLLOWING ALL OF THE PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID GETTING IT.

>> YOU THREW SOME NUMBERS OUT THERE.

AND JUST LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, IN TERMS OF VENTILATOR USE, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO, SAY, THIS TIME LAST YEAR OR EVEN IN THE SUMMER WHEN THINGS WERE REALLY HOT?

AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT WEATHER.

>> THANKFULLY, IT'S MUCH LOWER AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL ADMISSIONS THAN IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD OUR SURGE.

OUR ICUs WERE FULL.

WE HAD TO MAKE MORE ICU CAPACITY TO FIT FOLKS WHO NEEDED VENTILATORS.

NOW, THAT 20% NUMBER IS MUCH LOWER THAN WHAT WE USED TO SEE, AND ALSO, THE THERAPIES WE HAVE, EVEN FOR FOLKS WHO NEED CRITICAL CARE ARE MUCH BETTER, PARTICULAR DEXAMETHASONE AND REMDESAVIR.

WE'RE DISCHARGING ALMOST 90% OF PEOPLE WHO COME IN WITH COVID-19.

IT'S MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT WE USED TO SEE BUT YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GOING TO FALL IN THAT 1% OR 10%, SO PLEASE DO TAKE EVERY MEASURE YOU CAN TO AVOID GETTING IT.

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S THE CONSTANT DEBATE HERE AND NOT ONLY HERE IN NEW JERSEY BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT OPENING UP.

ARE WE DOING IT TOO QUICKLY?

WHAT IS YOUR SENSE ABOUT HOW THIS ECONOMY IS OPENING UP AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET INTO THE MIDDLE OF THAT WHOLE DEBATE, BUT JUST IN TERMS OF WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS.

YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT RESTAURANTS AND BARS AND GYMS WERE NOT REALLY BIG TRANSMISSION SPOTS.

WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO YOU ABOUT HOW FAST OR WE'VE OPENED UP OR HOW FAST WE SHOULD BE OPENING UP OR PUMPING THE BRAKES MAYBE?

>> SO, WHAT THE SCIENCE TELLS US, DAVID, IS THAT ANY ENVIRONMENT THAT'S INDOORS WHERE YOU CAN'T SOCIALLY DISTANCE IS A BIGGER RISK FOR TRANSMISSION.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO SEE THAT HOUSEHOLD GATHERINGS WHERE FOLKS AREN'T REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS, CERTAINLY, BECAUSE IT'S YOUR PRIVATE HOME OR A PLACE WHERE YOU'RE GATHERING WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND LOVED ONES, THAT IS WHERE MOST OF THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL HAPPENING, WHICH IS, AGAIN, WHY THE MULTIGENERATIONAL HOUSEHOLD ISSUE IS SUCH A RISK FACTOR.

IF YOU HAVE AN ESTABLISHMENT WHERE YOU CAN SAFELY SOCIALLY DISTANCE, WHERE YOU CAN ENFORCE A MASK MANDATE AND FOLKS FOLLOW THE RULES, THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION AND GETTING COVID-19 DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE VACCINATING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE EVERY DAY DOES ALLOW US TO RELAX ON SOME OF THESE THINGS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE CDC IS ALLOWING FOLKS TO GATHER INDOORS AGAIN IF EVERYBODY THERE IS VACCINATED.

WITHOUT MASKS.

SO, ALL OF THAT IS HELPFUL AND OF COURSE YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE FOLKS ARE LOW RISK BEFORE YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT ALL THIS IS TO SAY THAT AS WE PROCEED FORWARD WITH VACCINATION, IT WILL BE SAFE TO START OPENING MORE THINGS UP AGAIN.

>> IS HOME STILL THE PLACE WHERE MOST PEOPLE END UP GETTING INFECTED?

>> GATHERINGS IN THE HOME, DAVID, IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

IT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING FROM CONTACT TRACING INFORMATION THAT WE DO HAVE, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW FOLKS ARE FATIGUED, THEY WANT TO SEE THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILY, COMMUNITY, LOVED ONES AGAIN, AND YOU CAN DO SO RESPONSIBLY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE VACCINATED, BUT THOSE LARGER INDOOR GATHERINGS ARE JUST A HUGE RISK FOR TRANSMISSION, AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE STILL SEEING THAT.

SO, HOPEFULLY WE GET THE WORD OUT EFFECTIVELY AND TRY TO REDUCE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

>> THERE'S NOW A DISCUSSION HERE IN NEW JERSEY AND AROUND THE COUNTRY ABOUT BROADENING VACCINE ELIGIBILITY.

ANYBODY WHO -- ANY ADULT WHO WANTS TO GET VACCINATED SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GET VACCINATED.

YOU ON BOARD WITH THAT CONCEPT?

>> I'M ON BOARD WITH IT, DAVID, AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE SUPPLY TO BE ABLE TO DO IT, AND I'M SENSITIVE TO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A VACCINATION CLINIC THAT'S ABLE TO DO UP TO 500 VACCINATIONS A DAY FOR THE COMMUNITY.

WE'RE ALSO VACCINATING EVERY DISCHARGED PATIENT, WHETHER IT'S FROM THE HOSPITAL OR THE EMERGENCY ROOM, WITH JOHNSON & JOHNSON SHOULD THEY ACCEPT IT.

AND SO, I DO KNOW THAT WHEN WE HAD A LOT OF DEMAND, WE NEEDED SUPPLY TO BACK IT UP, TO ACTUALLY DELIVER THE SHOTS IN ARMS.

SO, I DO THINK THE STATE IS MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET THAT SUPPLY BEFORE THEY PROMISE MOVING TO THAT, WHICH IS THE RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO RAISE EXPECTATIONS IF YOU CAN'T DELIVER.

>> WHAT DIFFERENCE IS THAT AVAILABILITY GOING TO MAKE IN TERMS OF YOUR ABILITY AND OTHER SITES AROUND THE STATE TO GET THESE VACCINES OUT?

WHAT IS THAT GOING TO MEAN TO THEM?

>> IT WOULD BE A HUGE THING, DAVID.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS JUST TALKING TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TWO DAYS AGO.

THEY HAVE VERY LARGE VACCINATION SITES THROUGHOUT ESSEX COUNTY AND WE ARE, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO VACCINATE SO MANY MORE IN THOSE CENTERS IF THE VACCINE SUPPLY COMES WITH IT.

HE HAS THE STAFF.

HE HAS THE EXPERTISE.

HE'S DONE THIS NOW FOR MANY MONTHS.

WE HAVE ROOM TO TAKE MORE INDIVIDUALS AS WELL WHEN WE GET THE VACCINATIONS, SO ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO BE A HUGE GAME CHANGER WHEN WE FINALLY GET THE SUPPLY.

>> I HEAR GAME CHANGER A LOT.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, THOUGH?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ABLE TO GET THESE VACCINES OUT?

YOU MENTIONED ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO VACCINATE 500 PEOPLE A DAY.

WILL A NEW BOX OF SHOTS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MEAN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO VACCINATE A THOUSAND PEOPLE A DAY OR JUST BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT 500 PACE?

>> IT WOULD BE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT UPTICK, DAVID.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE STAFFING AND OTHER PARAMETERS TO BE ABLE TO DO IT BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT BIGGER VACCINATION SITES ARE ABLE TO DO THOUSANDS A DAY.

AND THAT WILL ONLY GROW EVEN MORE.

SO, WHAT IT WILL MEAN FOR PEOPLE IS THAT WHEN THEY REGISTER ON THE STATE SCHEDULING SYSTEM OR WHEREVER THEY REGISTER, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET THAT APPOINTMENT MUCH SOONER AND BE RIGHT ON THE WAY TO IMMUNITY AND GET THAT PEACE OF MIND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SO IT'S A REAL THING THAT SHOULD HOPEFULLY CHANGE STARTING MID-MI MID-MONTH IN APRIL.

>> IS REQUIRING VACCINES A GOOD IDEA FOR EMPLOYERS?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT DEPENDS ON THE EMPLOYER AND THE JOB THEY DO.

FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S A SERVICE-BASED BUSINESS WHERE YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT CAN EITHER INFECT EACH OTHER OR INFECT CUSTOMERS, THAT WOULD BE, I THINK, A REASONABLE THING TO DO, TO MAKE SURE THAT RISKS ARE LOW FOR BOTH CUSTOMERS AND STAFF.

BUT ALL THAT HAS TO BE DONE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND I KNOW THAT EMPLOYERS ARE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT IT AND ALSO THERE'S ALREADY TALK ABOUT WHAT'S CALLED A VACCINE PASSPORT WHEN YOU HAVE A DIGITAL SIGNATURE THAT MATCHES TO YOUR IMMUNIZATION CARD THAT SAYS, HEY, I'VE BEEN VACCINATED, AND SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF THAT YET, IN TERMS OF POLICY, BUT NKNOW THAT BEING VACCINATED WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO MORE THINGS AT ONE POINT.

>> I WANT TO TALK MORE ABOUT VACCINES BUT BEFORE I FORGET, I WANT TO ASK WHAT'S UP WITH ASTRAZENECA.

SUPPOSEDLY JUKING THE STATS.

I THINK THAT'S THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO HEAR IF YOU'RE ON THE FENCE ABOUT GETTING VACCINATED.

WHAT WAS THE STORY WITH ASTRAZENECA AND IS IT AN OPTION, REALLY?

>> I THINK DR. FAUCI DESCRIBED THAT ISSUE PERFECTLY WHEN HE SAID THAT ISSUE IS A COMPLETELY UNFORCED ERROR BY THE COMPANY.

THIS IS, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, A VERY EFFECTIVE VACCINE.

IF YOU BELIEVE THE LATEST RELEASE AROUND 76% EFFECTIVE AGAINST ALL COVID-19 AND ALSO NEAR 100% EFFECTIVE FOR HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATHS, SO SIMILAR TO THE VACCINES THAT ARE ALREADY OUT THERE.

THE ISSUE WAS THAT THE DATA SAFETY MONITORING BOARD, WHICH IS AN INDEPENDENT BOARD, BY THE WAY, THAT GETS THE COMPANY'S TRIAL DATA ANALYZES IT AND THEN PRESENTS IT BACK TO THE EXECUTIVES OF THE COMPANY TO BASICALLY ELIMINATE ANY CHANCE OF JUKING BY THOSE EXECUTIVES IN TERMS OF THE DATA.

ALL OF THAT WAS COMPROMISED BECAUSE WHEN THEY GAVE THE DATA BACK TO THE COMPANY, THEY DECIDED TO DO A PRESS RELEASE WITHIN 24 HOURS WITHOUT CONSULTING BACK WITH THE MONITORING BOARD, AND SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT ACTUALLY GIVES ME CONFIDENCE THAT WE HAVE THESE INDEPENDENT BOARDS THAT ARE CHECKING THE WORK OF THESE COMPANIES TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING AROUND FINANCIAL INCENTIVES OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE GETS IN THE WAY OF THE REAL DATA GETTING OUT THERE, SO I ACTUALLY GOT A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENCE IN THE SYSTEM WHEN I HEARD THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S WORKING.

BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING THING THAT DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TO HAPPEN.

>> IS THERE ANY INDICATION THAT BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES ARE STARTING TO CATCH UP IN TERMS OF GETTING VACCINATED?

>> THERE ARE STRONG INDICATIONS OF THAT, DAVID, AND ONE THING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION HAD A VERY GOOD SURVEY MONTHS AGO THAT SHOWED THAT EVEN THOUGH ACCEPTANCE RATES IMMEDIATELY WERE QUITE LOW IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, THERE WAS ACTUALLY A RELATIVELY LOW RATE OF ABSOLUTE DENIAL OF THE VACCINE.

MOST PEOPLE SAID, I JUST WANT TO WAIT AND SEE AND LEARN MORE.

I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT IT YET.

WHO WERE HESITANT.

AND SO WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT IN NEWARK AND I KNOW THAT FOLKS ARE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND GETTING THE FACTS OUT THERE, APPROACHING THE COMMUNITIES HUMBLY AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE A LOT OF THAT SKEPTICISM COMES FROM, WHICH IS VERY WELL ROOTED IN SYSTEMIC RACISM, ESPECIALLY AT THE HANDS OF MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT.

BUT ALL THAT SAID, WE HAVE 40% ACCEPTANCE IN A SURVEY AS OF LAST FALL, AND NOW WE HAVE OVER 60% IN NEWARK BASED ON A SURVEY THAT PROJECT READY DID RECENTLY.

SO, THAT'S REAL PROGRESS, AND I DO THINK THAT PROGRESS WILL CONTINUE.

>> YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE IDEA OF EVERYONE SHOULD BE ELIGIBLE, BUT WE DID A THOROUGHLY UNSCIENTIFIC POLL ON OUR TWITTER FEED, WHICH IS BASICALLY US GOING LIKE THIS, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT AS MANY PEOPLE WHO SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T YET ELIGIBLE ALSO SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GET THE VACCINE, BUT THEN WE GOT A SIGNIFICANT OR NOT INSIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO SAID, I JUMPED THE LINE.

>> I GUESS -- >> I MEAN IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO SAY AS A HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR THAT YOU SHOULD JUMP THE LINE, BUT PEOPLE GETTING SHOTS IN THEIR ARMS IS PEOPLE GETTING SHOTS IN THEIR ARMS AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, NO?

>> IT'S TRUE.

AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE FOLKS WHO SAID THAT ACTUALLY GOT IT FROM A LEGITIMATE WAY, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHAT HAPPENS IS A VACCINATION CENTER HAS LEFTOVER DOSES AT THE END OF THE DAY THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO WASTE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PUT THEM BACK IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND IN STORAGE.

AND THEY HAVE PLANS FOR FOLKS IF THEY WANT TO BE ON WAIT LISTS, ESSENTIALLY, TO BE ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR THAT.

SO, THE CENTERS THAT ARE DOING THAT ARE DOING A GOOD THING BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, EVERY SINGLE SHOT IN AN ARM IS BETTER FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH EFFORT, AND I KNOW WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE BASED ON CLINICAL NEED, BUT SOME FOLKS ARE GETTING IT THAT WAY AND POWER TO THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GET VACCINATED.

>> THE STATE REGISTRATION SYSTEM SEEMS OVERWHELMED.

IT JOINS THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE NVC IN THAT REGARD.

BUT WHAT'S THE BEST STRATEGY FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO GET VACCINATED?

WHERE SHOULD THEY GO?

SHOULD THEY GO REGISTER AT MULTIPLE PLACES?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S FEASIBLE AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT SIGNING UP, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR A MODERNA VACCINE OR A PFIZER VACCINE AND THEN THE DAY BEFORE, YOU DECIDE TO CANCEL YOUR APPOINTMENT AND MAKE ANOTHER ONE A COUPLE WEEKS LATER BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VACCINE THAT YOU WANT.

THE STATE'S BEEN PRETTY CLEAR THAT IF YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE BACK OF THE LINE AND I THINK THAT'S ONLY FAIR BECAUSE AS A VACCINATION CENTER OURSELVES HERE AT UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, WE PLAN FOR IT, WE HAVE THESE DOSES READY AND WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO BE SCRAMBLING AT THE END JUST TO USE THE DOSE AND NOT WASTE IT.

SO THAT'S THE ONLY CAVEAT I WOULD PUT THERE.

BUT YEAH, CERTAINLY, TRY TO GET IN WHEREVER YOU CAN, AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND THE EARLIEST APPOINTMENT YOU CAN GET IS THE ONE I WOULD TAKE.

>> THE GOAL HERE, OBVIOUSLY, IS HERD IMMUNITY, RIGHT?

I READ AN OP-ED IN THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL" TODAY SUGGESTING THAT HERD IMMUNITY IS CLOSE AT HAND AND THAT IT'S NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF VACCINATIONS.

WHAT IS HERD IMMUNITY, EXACTLY?

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

AND WHEN'S IT GOING TO REALISTICALLY HAPPEN?

>> HERD IMMUNITY IS A CONCEPT WHERE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION IS VACCINATION, WHATEVER THAT THRESHOLD IS, WHETHER IT'S 70% OR 80%.

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT THRESHOLD IS YET FOR COVID, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT IF ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE IMMUNIZED, THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOU GETTING EXPOSED AND GETTING IT, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT VACCINATED, OR IMMUNIZED, GETS SO LOW THAT YOU HAVE EFFECTIVELY CONTROLLED THE PANDEMIC.

AND SO, THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO GET TO.

WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR THAT YET.

WE'VE ONLY VACCINATED STILL LESS THAN 20% OF NEW JERSEYANS FULLY.

WE NEED TO GET UP TO AT LEAST 60% TO 70% BEFORE WE START SEEING AN EFFECT, AND IN FACT, WE HAVE A MODEL FOR THIS ALREADY THAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING TO, WHICH IS THE COUNTRY OF ISRAEL, WHO HAS VACCINATED A VERY LARGE PERCENT OF THEIR POPULATION, AND THEY JUST RELEASED DATA SHOWING A PRECIPITOUS DECLINE IN CASES AFTER THEY'VE REACHED THRESHOLDS THAT ARE SIMILAR, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD SIGN THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN NEW JERSEY.

BUT, UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, UNTIL WE SEE SIGNS OF CASES ACTUALLY DECLINING IN RESPONSE TO VACCINATION, WE HAVEN'T BEEN THERE YET.

YOU CAN BECOME IMMUNE FROM A VACCINE, BUT YOU CAN ALSO BECOME IMMUNE BY GETTING THE VIRUS ITSELF.

AND SO, THE ONLY ISSUE WITH THAT, THOUGH, IS WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT IMMUNITY LASTS IF YOU HAD MILD DISEASE.

IT COULD BE AS SHORT AS THREE MONTHS AND YOU'RE BACK TO BEING SUSCEPTIBLE AGAIN SO THAT'S WHY WE DO STILL WANT EVERYONE TO BE VACCINATED.

>> WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THOSE WHO WANT TO COUNT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOTTEN SICK AND SURVIVED TOWARDS HERD IMMUNITY, IT'S NOT ENTIRELY SURE THAT THAT IMMUNITY IS GOING TO LAST.

>> EXACTLY.

WHICH IS WHY VACCINATION IS BETTER, BECAUSE WE HAVE MUCH MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW LONG THAT IMMUNITY LASTS AND WE KNOW IT'S AT LEAST SIX MONTHS, LIKELY AT LEAST A YEAR, AND WHEN WE FIND THAT DATA FROM THE STUDIES, WE WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE TO GET A VACCINE EVERY YEAR, ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, WE JUST DON'T KNOW YET BASED ON THE SCIENCE.

>> THAT LEADS TO MY QUESTION ABOUT THESE VARIANTS.

AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ARE SAYING, GET VACCINATED AS SOON AS YOU CAN, BECAUSE THESE VARIANTS ARE A WILD CARD.

IS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO THAT WE'LL ALL HAVE TO GET A BOOSTER SHOT OR GET REVACCINATED IF THESE VARIANTS ARE ALLOWED TO SPREAD AND CONTINUE?

>> WELL, WORST CASE SCENARIO IS IF WE HAVE A VARIANT DEVELOP THAT IS MUCH MORE RESISTANT TO THE VACCINES THAT ALREADY EXIST AND CAUSE A SURGE THAT WAS SIMILAR TO LAST SPRING.

NOBODY THINKS THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN YET, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A RISK IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE SPREAD AND MORE CASES, ANOTHER REASON WHY HAVING MORE CASES IS A BAD THING, EVEN IF THEY'RE MILD DISEASE.

ALL THAT SAID, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT WE VACCINATE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE NOW AND IF THE NEED FOR A BOOSTER ARISES, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT AT LEAST THE MRNA TECHNOLOGY THAT UNDERLIES MODERNA AND PFIZER IS ABLE TO BE QUICKLY REFORMULATED TO CREATE A NEW VACCINE AGAINST A NEW VARIANT, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S ALREADY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DEVELOPING BOOSTERS JUST IN CASE THAT HAPPENS.

SO, I KNOW THE CDC IS TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF THIS, AS ARE THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

>> ALL RIGHT, STILL SO MANY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER, RUNNING OUT OF TIME.

SHEREEF ELNAHAL, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU, DOCTOR.

THANKS FOR THE INFO AND THANKS FOR TAKING A FEW MINUTES WITH US TODAY.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAVID.

>>> THAT'S "CHAT BOX" FOR THIS WEEK.

THANKS TO OUR GUEST, SHEREEF ELNAHAL.

WE WE'RE OFF NEXT WEEK BUT JOIN US NEXT WEEK WHEN THE LUCAS BROTHERS WILL BE OUR GUESTS.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @DAVIDCRUZNJ AND BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR MORE "CHAT BOX," "REPORTERS ROUNDTABLE," NJ BUSINESS BEAT AND NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS.

I'M DAVID CRUZ.

FOR THE ENTIRE CREW HERE, THANKS FOR WATCHING.

WE'LL SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS.

>> Announcer: MAJOR FUNDING FOR "REPORTERS ROUNDTABLE" WITH >> Announcer: MAJOR FUNDING FOR "CHAT BOX WITH DAVID CRUZ" IS PROVIDED BY NJM INSURANCE GROUP, SERVING THE INSURANCE NEEDS OF NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS.

THE MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, MAKING PUBLIC SCHOOLS GREAT FOR EVERY CHILD.

THE FUEL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY, THE NATIONAL OIL HEAT RESEARCH ALLIANCE AND BIOHEAT, THE EVOLUTION OF OIL HEAT.

PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED BY INSIDER NJ, A POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE NETWORK DEDICATED TO NEW JERSEY POLITICAL NEWS.

INSIDER NJ IS COMMITTED TO GIVING SERIOUS POLITICAL PLAYERS AN INTERACTIVE FORUM FOR IDEAS, DISCUSSION, AND INSIGHT.

ONLINE AT INSIDERNJ.COM.