THERE.
I LOVE MAJANI RESTAURANT, IT IS
A GREAT PLACE.
>> COVID CASES AND
HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE SURGING
DOCTORS BELIEVE THAT IS DUE TO
THE DELTA VARIANT IT'S EXPECTED
ILLINOIS WILL SEE MORE CASES OF
THE OMICRON VARIANT AS WELL.
OUR AMANDA VINICKY SPOKE WITH A
KEY WHITE HOUSE ADVISER ABOUT
HOW THE NATION IS READY TO
TACKLE IT WITH AN EYE TOWARD
EQUITY.
AMANDA JOINS US NOW WITH THE
RUNDOWN.
>> PARIS IT BECAME CLEAR EARLY
IN THE PANDEMIC THAT BLACK AND
BROWN POPULATIONS WERE
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
THE CORONAVIRUS.
Dr. CAMERON WEBB SAW THAT PLAY
OUT IN VIRGINIA AND THAT HAS
INFORMED HIS ROLE AS SENIOR
POLICY ADVISER TO THE WHITE
HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM.
>> I THINK THAT THE PROGRESS YOU
KNOW, FOR A LOT OF GROUPS IS
THERE.
IF YOU LOOK NATIONALLY THE RATE
OF CASES, THE RATE OF
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND DEATHS ALL
MUCH IMPROVED IN COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR AND RELATIVE TO WHITE
AMERICANS.
SO WE'VE SEEN STRONG IMPROVEMENT
AND WE OWE A LOT OF THAT TO THE
VACCINATION EFFORT AND IF YOU
LOOK AT VACCINE SPECIFICALLY
AMONG ADULTS C.D.C. PUTS OUT A
SURVEY EVERY WEEK TO GET A SENSE
WHERE WE ARE WITH THE
VACCINATION EFFORT AND THE RATES
OF VACCINATION AMONG ADULTS ARE
EQUIVALENT BETWEEN BLACK, WHITE
AND LATINO ADULTS.
THAT IS GOOD NEWS IT TELLS US
THAT EQUITY CONTRARY TO WHAT
SOME BELIEVE IT IS NOT AN
ASPIRATION IT'S SOMETHING YOU
CAN ACHIEVE IF YOU CENTER IT.
>> LIKE RECOGNIZING HISTORICAL
AND DYNAMICS OF COMMUNITIES IN
KEEPING THAT AS A PRIORITY.
ALSO, AGAIN, KEY PART OF THAT
OUTREACH, THE COVID VACCINE SAT
LAY WILL MARK ONE YEAR SINCE THE
F.D.A. GAVE EMERGENCY USE
AUTHORIZATION TO THE FIRST
PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE FOR
ADULT USE.
BLUT BUT BLACK AND BROWN
INDIVIDUALS ARE FALLING BEHIND
IN ILLINOIS WHEN IT COMES TO
GETTING THE BOOSTER SHOT THAT
DOCTORS BELIEVE WILL GIVE EXTRA
PROTECTION AGAINST THE OMICRON
VARIANT.
Dr. WEBB SAID GIVE IT TIME
THAT BOOSTER EFFORT IS
RELATIVELY NEW.
>> KEEP IN MIND THE ORIGINAL
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOOSTERS
WERE FOCUSED ON THE OVER 65
POPULATION AND FOLKS WITH RISK.
THERE ARE DEMOGRAPHIC
DIFFERENCE.
THE C.D.C.'S RECOMMENDATION
ABOUT A WEEK-AND-A-HALF AGO
SAYING ALL ADULTS SHOULD GET
BOOSTERS, THAT IS WHEN YOU START
THAT CONVERSATION AROUND HOW CAN
WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL ADULTS ARE
GETTING THE BOOSTERS.
AND WE'RE WORKING OVERTIME TO
MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS.
WORKING WITH COMMUNITY, FAITH,
AND PARTNERS ON THE GROUND IN
COMMUNITIES.
THE KEY IS MAKING SURE KNOW WHY
THAT SCIENTIFIC RECOMMENDATION
WAS MADE AND WHERE THEY CAN GO
TO GET THEIR BOOSTERS.
>> AS OF TODAY, THE C.D.C.
RECOMMENDING THAT 16 AND
17-YEAR-OLDS ALSO GET THAT
BOOSTER SHOT.
THE WHITE HOUSE'S NEXT STEPS FOR
BATTLING COVID CALL FOR RAPID
RESPONSE TEAMS WITH RISING CASES
SUPPLYING TREATMENT PILLS ONE
THAT IS AVAILABLE, AND MORE
RAPID AT HOME TESTING.
>> YOUR ABILITY TO KNOW IF YOUR
STUFFY NOSE IS A COLD THAT YOU
TEND TO HAVE EVERY DECEMBER OR
IS COVID THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
R DIFFERENCE FOR YOUR WORKPLACE
FOR YOUR KID'S SCHOOL AND YOUR
COMMUNITY.
TESTING IS A KEY PART OF THE
EQUATION HERE.
>> AT HOME TESTS IF YOU CAN GET
ONE, ARE ABOUT $20 EACH.
AND THAT'S UNAFFORDABLE FOR SOME
LEAVING FREE TESTING SITES THAT
MAY BE INCONVENIENT OR HAVE A
LONGER TURN AROUND TIME AS THE
ALTERNATIVE.
THE WHITE HOUSE PLANNED TO
DISTRIBUTE MILLIONS OF AT HOME
TESTS TO COMMUNITY SITES AND
MAKING IT THOSE WITH INSURANCE
WILL BE ABLE TO GET REIMBURSED
FOR BUYING AT HOME TESTS.
CRITICS SAY IT'S NOT ENOUGH
NOTING THAT REIMBURSEMENT IS
COMPLICATED.
>> THERE IS NO ONE SINGLE WAY
THAT IS GOING TO WORK FOR
EVERYBODY.
FOR A LOT OF AMERICANS
PARTICULARLY FOR FOLKS WHO BEEN
THE HARDEST HIT FOR THEM IT'S
THE ABILITY TO GET THE FREE
TESTS FROM THE LIBRARY OR A FOOD
BANK OR FEDERALLY QUALIFIED
HEALTH CENTER.
WHEN YOU PUT THESE TOGETHER, YOU
HAVE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO
REACH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
AND SO I THINK WE KNOW THAT AT
THE END OF THE DAY WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE IT'S WIDELY AVAILABLE.
>> AND THAT IS THE NATIONAL
FRONT TAKING IT BACK LOCALLY,
WEBB IS IN THE WASHINGTON D.C.
AREA.
BUT HE DID SPEND SEVERAL YEARS
IN CHICAGO WHEN HE WENT TO LAW
SCHOOL AT LOYOLA, HE IS BOTH A
DOCTOR AND A LAWYER.
>> CHICAGO THERE ARE A LOT OF
AMAZING LEADERS AND AMAZING
MEDICAL CENTERS AND WE THEY ARE
SERVING DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
COMMUNITY ALL THE TIME.
THE KEY IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF
THOSE RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE,
AND CONNECTED IT WITH COMMUNITY.
I'VE SEEN IN MY TIME IN CHICAGO
SOME INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY-BASED
INITIATIVES.
BARBERSHOP INITIATIVES AND
PHYSICIANS LIKE Dr. FISHER AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
CONNECTED WITH THAT COMMUNITY
WORK.
GREAT WORK R FOLKS ARE DOING
GREAT WORK ON THE GROUND EFFORT
WILL BE A KEY TO THE EFFORTS TO
ADDRESS SOME OF THE DISPARITIES
THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH REGARD TO
COVID.
>> NOW, BEFORE I'M DONE, A
COUPLE NOTES ON COVID.
SATURDAY WILL MARK TWO WEEKS
UNTIL CHRISTMAS AND CHICAGO
PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSIONER Dr.
ALLISON ARWADY SAYS THAT THAT
MAKES IT A REALLY GOOD TIME IF
YOU ARE TO GET THE SHOT WHETHER
IT'S THE BOOSTER OR MAYBE YOU
WANT TO BE FULLY VACCINATED
BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS AND IT'S TWO
WEEKS TO GET THAT J & J VACCINE.
SATURDAY IS A DEADLINE.
AND SAYS THAT IF YOU ARE
VACCINATED BUT GET WHAT IS COME
TO BE KNOWN AS A BREAKTHROUGH
CASE OF COVID THERE'S NO NEED TO
WAIT TO GET THE BOOSTER SHOT.
IF YOU HAVE COVID YOU NEED TO
STAY AT HOME THAT ISOLATION
PERIOD OF AT LEAST 10 DAYS AND
AFTER THAT AS SOON AS YOU CAN
SHE RECOMMENDS GETTING A BOOSTER