Amanpour and Company

THESE ARE REALLY TERRIBLE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE HEARING AND IT IS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE STATE OF AFFAIRS RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY IN HOSPITALIZATIONS. >> WE HAVE SEEN CERTAINLY AN INCREASE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, ALTHOUGH LESS THAN WE EXPECTED TO DATE. WITH LESS SEVERITY IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON OUR INTENSIVE CARE UNITS. SO WE ARE VERY CONCERNED. THE QUOTE YOU JUST RAN CERTAINLY TYPIFIES WHAT I'M FEELING. THE CONCERN ABOUT HOSPITAL CAPACITY, HOSPITAL STAFF, WHAT HAPPENS AS THE NUMBERS START TO GO UP ABRUPTLY. TO DATE, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS STILL A MANAGEABLE SITUATION ON HOSPITALS. WE STILL HAVE CAPACITY AND MUCH BETTER APPROACHES TO COVID PATIENTS THAT HAVE LED TO BETTER OUTCOMES BY FAR THAN WHAT WE EXPERIENCED IN THE EARLY SPRING. >> SO LET ME ASK YOU. YOU SAY SO FAR IT'S MANAGEABLE UNLESS SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS. WE'RE SEEING A TERRIBLE THING HAPPEN ELSEWHERE. THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES IS BASICALLY TELLING EVERYBODY JUST TO STAY PUT. DON'T LEAVE THE HOUSE UNLESS FOR ABSOLUTE EMERGENCIES. SO THINGS ARE REALLY BAD IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. WHAT KIND OF PROCEDURES ARE YOU PUTTING IN PLACE TO AVOID ANY, THE WORST OF THE WORST CASE SCENARIO? >> WE WERE OBVIOUSLY THE EPICENTER OF THE CRISIS. WE LEARNED TO DO A LOT OF THINGS DIFFERENTLY. OUR HOSPITALS HAVE APPROACHED THE SITUATION VERY DIFFERENTLY IN TERMS OF SPACE AND STAFFING AND STRATEGIES AND AGAIN BEING YEARS BETTER OUTCOMES. WE'RE PREPARING FOR THE DANGER OF THE INCREASE. WE PUT OUT A HEALTH DEPARTMENT ORDER, TELL PEOPLE OVER 65 YEARS OLD OR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS LIKE DIABETES OR HEART DISEASE, TO STAY HOME AND ONLY GO OUT FOR THE MOST ESSENTIAL NEEDS LIKE DOCTOR APPOINTMENT. SO WE ARE STARTING UP THAT LADDER. WE ARE WORKING THE STATE OF NEW YORK IF ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS WILL BE NEEDED. BUT I DO WANT TO NOTE AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE HAVE SEEN THANKFULLY A HIGH LEVEL OF MASK USAGE BY NEW YORKERS, A LOT OF ADHERENCE TO RULES. BLUNTLY, MUCH MORE SO THAN SOME OTHER PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THAT IS HAVING SOME EFFECT. CERTAINLY OUR HOSPITAL TEAMS REPORT THAT BEING ONE OF THE REASONS THEY DON'T SEE THE SAME INTENSITY IS BECAUSE NEW YORKERS HAVE BEEN VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT MASK WEARING. AND THAT HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON THE TRAGIC EKT RIFT DISEASE HERE.