Biden COVID Adviser Can’t Explain Why CA And FL Have Similar Numbers Despite Different Approaches

GABE GUTIERREZ, NBC NEWS REPORTER: About a month ago, California had 56 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, Florida had 35. Now they’re similar. As for total COVID cases, California has about 8,600 per 100,000 people Florida about at 8,400. And if you compare COVID curves for both states, while Florida was hit harder per capita during that first spike, they’re pretty similar, considering California’s population is nearly double, leading some to question whether lockdowns like those in California have been effective. Experts say it’s complicated.

COMMENTATOR: People act locally. So even though California had a statewide stay at home order, people in for example, San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, were still moving about and there were still crowds forming.

GUTIERREZ: Other factors may have contributed to Florida’s improvements such as fewer people traveling there from the northeast and more of the state’s older population becoming eligible for the vaccine. You had the governor not issue strict stay at home orders. But you did see some towns react by putting into place measures that really discouraged in person gatherings.

GUTIERREZ: But as both states grapple with the economic fallout and the social impact on children, a heated public health debate is underway. Gabe Gutierrez, NBC News.

STEPHANIE RUHLE, MSNBC HOST: Joining us now to discuss, the man who knows best, White House Senior Advisor for COVID response, Andy Slavitt. Andy, I’m so glad you’re here this morning, I got a lot of questions. I want to start with what we just saw, contrast states like Florida and California. California, basically in lockdown and their numbers aren’t that different from Florida?

ANDY SLAVITT, BIDEN OFFICIAL: Well, good morning, Stephanie. Look, there’s so much of this virus that we think we understand that we think we can predict, that’s just beyond, a little bit beyond our explanation, but we do know is that the more careful people are, the more they mask and social distance, and the quicker we vaccinate, the quicker it goes away and the less it spreads. But we have got to get better visibility into variants. We don’t know what role they play, large events, etc. But the you know, this is a as we all have learned by this time, this is a virus that continues to surprise us. It’s very hard to predict. And you know, all around the country, we’ve got to continue to do a better job. And I think, I think we are but we’re not done yet.

RUHLE: But what does that look like? Because people are fatigued by this. They want to send their kids back to school, they want to go back to work. They don’t want to lose their businesses. And they’re saying they simply aren’t getting clear guidance.

SLAVITT: Yeah, well, look, I think we live through a year, if [inaudible] over the last year when the end of the pandemic was just around the corner, just around the corner, just around the corner. And that is fatiguing, because people feel like okay, maybe I can hold out for another week or another week or what have you. I think what President Biden is communicating is, it’s still a marathon. There are still challenges. We all we all wish it was over. And so we need to orchestrate this together. Number one, we need Congress to pass the American rescue plan, as you pointed out in your in your coverage. We can’t get through this and Americans can’t get through this without the support of their country. That’s what people pay taxes for. This is why people are here. And we need to demand Congress act. Secondly, the government and country needs to execute and that starts with leveling with people and … then it it really goes to competence. It goes to executing a vaccination rollout that works and it’s effective. And while we have an under supply situation, and people are going to be frustrated, we’ve got to improve every day and every day and every day. And I think we are but it’s going to require more patience from the public than people may want. But I don’t think the public wants to be lied to either.

RUHLE: The President did say last night that we should have enough vaccines for every American by July 1. What does that mean? Does that mean two months from now, there’s suddenly going to be a flood of vaccines? Because right now at this moment, I’m pretty sure both you and I have got family members around this country going refresh, refresh, refresh and they cannot get appointments. 

SLAVITT: Well, so there’s two important things to what you said one is President Biden came in and we did not have enough vaccines for this country. …