>>THIS WEEK ON NEWSNIGHT, ORANGE COUNTY JOINED SEVERAL OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN IMPLEMENTING A UNIVERSAL MASK MANDATE FOR STUDENTS.

LOCAL HOSPITAL SYSTEMS HOPE THE FDA'S FULL APPROVAL OF PFIZER'S COVID VACCINE MIGHT ENCOURAGE MORE CENTRAL FLORIDIANS TO TAKE THE SHOT.

AND SOME CRUISE LINES BEGIN TO REQUIRE PROOF OF VACCINATION DESPITE FLORIDA'S BAN ON VACCINE PASSPORTS.

NEWSNIGHT STARTS NOW.

♪ MUSIC ♪ >>HELLO.

I'M NANCY ALVAREZ AND WELCOME TO NEWSNIGHT WHERE WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIG STORIES IMPACTING CENTRAL FLORIDA AND HOW THEY AFFECT ALL OF US.

AND WE DO THIS BY BRINGING TOGETHER A TEAM OF JOURNALISTS FROM DIFFERENT LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES.

SO JOINING US THIS WEEK, ABE ABORAYA, WHO COVERS HEALTH FOR 90.7 WMFE, AND STEVE LEMONGELLO, WHO COVERS POLITICS FOR THE ORLANDO SENTINEL.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING BACK TO THE SHOW THIS WEEK.

MY COLLEAGUE, STEVE MORT, IN THE STUDIO WITH ME ONCE AGAIN.

AND STEVE WE'LL START WITH YOU.

>>THANK YOU, NANCY.

FIRST TONIGHT, MORE FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICTS SPLIT WITH THE DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION ON MASKS FOR STUDENTS.

DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA ARE REPORTING HUNDREDS OF COVID-19 CASES AMONG STUDENTS AND STAFF.

OSCEOLA COUNTY WAS FORCED TO CLOSE A K-8 SCHOOL THIS WEEK AND REVERT TO DIGITAL LEARNING.

VOLUSIA COUNTY WILL HOLD AN EMERGENCY MEETING THIS COMING TUESDAY TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE MASK MANDATE.

AND THIS WEEK, ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO IMPOSE A UNIVERSAL MASK MANDATE WITH ONLY A MEDICAL OPT-OUT BEGINNING THIS MONDAY FOR 60 DAYS.

>>WHAT IS THE REASON NOW FOR SHORING UP OUR FACE-COVERING REQUIREMENT?

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR TIGHTENING THAT UP IS TO PREVENT THE CLOSURE OF OUR SCHOOLS SO THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN CONTINUE TO GO TO SCHOOL.

ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, DISTRICTS ARE HAVING TO SHUT DOWN SCHOOLS AND PIVOT TO ALL VIRTUAL, AND WE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

>>I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY OF THIS EITHER.

I WANT IT BACK TO NORMAL TOO JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO GET BACK TO NORMAL UNTIL WE ALL START TAKING THE MEASURES THAT WE NEED TO TAKE TO GET THIS VIRUS, WHICH YES IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE HERE FOREVER, BUT GET IT DOWN WHERE IT'S MANAGEABLE.

>>THERE IS SOME REAL DATA THAT SAYS MASKS DO HAVE SOME PROTECTION.

IS IT THE BE-ALL, END-ALL?

NO.

DO I LIKE WEARING MASKS?

NO.

DO I WANT TO MASK OUR KIDS?

NO, I DON'T.

I DON'T WANT TO MASK OUR TEACHERS.

I DON'T WANT TO MASK ANYBODY.

BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE.

>>SO AS WE SPEAK, A LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY PARENTS AGAINST THE STATE'S BAN ON MASK MANDATES SITS WITH A JUDGE IN TALLAHASSEE.

THE STATE HAS CALLED WITNESSES THAT QUESTIONED THE ROLE OF MASKS IN STOPPING THE SPREAD OF COVID IN SCHOOLS.

>>THE MARGINAL BENEFIT OF MASKS ESSENTIALLY, EVEN WITH THE DELTA VARIANT, IS VERY CLOSE TO ZERO AS FAR AS STOPPING DISEASE SPREAD.

CERTAINLY, THERE'S NO HIGH-QUALITY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE ASSERTION THAT MASKS STOP THE DISEASE FROM SPREADING.

SOMETIMES YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT PEOPLE SAY, "LOOK, MY MASK PROTECTS YOU EVEN IF IT DOESN'T PROTECT ME."

BUT I'LL SAY THERE'S NO RANDOMIZED EVIDENCE IN THE LITERATURE AT ALL THAT SUPPORTS THAT NOTION.

>>ALL RIGHT, WE SHOULD NOTE, WE ARE RECORDING THIS SHOW ON THURSDAY MORNING, SO OF COURSE, THINGS MAY CHANGE BY AIRTIME.

PROBABLY WILL.

STEVE, THERE'S A CHANCE SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS MAY JOIN FORCES IN A CHALLENGE TO THE STATE.

THE SCHOOL BOARDS AND THE STATE ACCUSE EACH OTHER OF ACTING ILLEGALLY HERE.

WE'LL GET TO WHETHER MASKS WORK IN A MOMENT.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE MAIN LEGAL DISPUTE BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.

WHAT ARE THEIR MAIN POINTS OF CONTENTION?

>>WELL, BASICALLY THE STATE IS SAYING THAT THANKS TO THE PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS THAT WAS PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR, THAT GIVES PARENTS THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR KIDS WILL DO AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT THEIR KIDS TO WEAR A MASK OR NOT.

NOW, THE SCHOOL BOARDS ARE SAYING THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION, WHICH SAYS GIVEN EVERYTHING ELSE, THE SCHOOL BOARDS, THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS, WILL BE IN CHARGE OF ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEY DO IN THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

THEY SAY THAT THE STATE GOVERNMENT CANNOT INSERT ITSELF IN HERE LIKE IT'S BEEN TRYING TO DO, ESPECIALLY WITH A BILL, A NEW LAW, THAT PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE UNCLEAR ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY IT'S SUPPOSED TO DO OR WHAT IT DOES.

>>SO, ABE, WE HEARD THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS THERE SITE DATA THAT MASKS DO WORK IN SCHOOLS AND AN EXPERT FOR THE STATE SAYING THE BENEFIT IS ONLY MARGINAL.

THAT WAS HIS WORD.

IT IS OVERWHELMING FOR PARENTS WHEN WE HEAR THESE SIDES GOING BACK AND FORTH.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THE SCIENCE ACTUALLY SAYS.

>>WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL WHEN THEY STARTED EXAMINING, LOOKING AT IN GEORGIA WHERE YOU STARTED HAVING STUDENTS COMING BACK TO SCHOOL, THEY HAD A LOT OF DATA COMING OUT OF THERE.

THEY HAD 90,000 STUDENTS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT.

AND THEY LOOKED AT ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS, AND THERE'S FOUR MAIN BUCKETS.

THERE'S FOUR MAIN TOOLS THAT SCHOOLS HAVE.

YOU'VE GOT DISTANCING, KEEPING STUDENTS AT LEAST THREE FEET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.

YOU'VE GOT HAND WASHING.

YOU'VE GOT VENTILATION, INCREASING THE VENTILATION SO YOU HAVE BETTER AIR CIRCULATION.

AND YOU'VE GOT MASKING.

AND MASKING IS ONE LAYER OF AN IMPROVEMENT ON THERE.

>>AND BECAUSE THEY HAD DIFFERENCES IN THE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WHAT THEY DID AND WHETHER THOSE MASK MANDATES WERE MANDATORY AND UNIVERSAL, WHETHER THEY WERE OPTIONAL, THEY DID SEE SOME PRETTY GOOD DATA THAT EVEN WHEN IT WAS A MANDATORY IT DID DECREASE THE LEVEL OF TRANSMISSION.

NOW, THEY DID SAY THAT IT WASN'T NECESSARILY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT COMPARED TO OPTIONAL, BUT IT WAS A DECREASE.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT UNIVERSAL MASKING OF EVERYONE IN A SCHOOL IS ONE WAY TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS IN COMBINATION WITH ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO.

>>RIGHT.

AND THE COMBINATION OF IT.

AND STEVE, THE GOVERNOR THIS WEEK PROMISED QUOTE "CONSEQUENCES" FOR THE SCHOOL BOARDS.

SO DO WE HAVE ANY CLEAR INDICATION OF WHAT THE STATE MAY ACTUALLY DO GIVEN THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS THAT ARE NOT COMPLYING NOW?

>>YES, HE DID SAY THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES ON WEDNESDAY, DID NOT SAY WHAT THOSE CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE.

THE STATE AND DESANTIS HAVE HAD SEVERAL THREATS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.

AT ONE POINT, IT WAS TO CUT FUNDING IN GENERAL.

AT ANOTHER POINT, IT'S TO CUT THE SALARIES OF BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENTS AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS WHO WOULD BE IMPOSING MASK MANDATES.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S PART OF ALSO THE LEGAL CASE UP IN TALLAHASSEE TOO.

IT'S ALSO UNCLEAR WHAT AUTHORITY THEY HAVE TO DO ANY OF THAT.

>>AND STAYING ON THE SUBJECT OF KIDS HERE.

ABE, LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY FIVE TO 14-YEAR-OLDS ARE CONTRIBUTING THE LARGEST NUMBER OF NEW COVID CASES RIGHT NOW.

SO CAN WE DEFINITELY CONCLUDE HERE THAT THAT'S A RESULT OF KIDS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL?

>>I THINK THAT IT'S A VERY SAFE CONCLUSION AT THIS POINT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TALK TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

DR. RAUL PINO LIKES TO MAKE THE POINT IN ORANGE COUNTY THAT SCHOOLS ARE NOT SOME VACUUM THAT EXISTS INDEPENDENTLY.

THEY ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, AND SO THEY ARE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE GATHERING AND IT IS A PLACE FOR SPREAD.

AND WE HAVE HIT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE'VE HAD ENOUGH TIME FROM THE START OF SCHOOL THAT YOU SHOULD START SEEING SOME OF THESE CASES AND THE TRANSMISSION SHOWING UP IN THE TESTING.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE DATA IS SHOWING AT THIS POINT.

YOU DON'T NEED TO LOOK TOO MUCH FURTHER PAST THE NUMBER OF...

THE HUNDREDS OF POSITIVE CASES IN SCHOOLS AND THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN QUARANTINE BECAUSE THEY WERE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE IN A SCHOOL.

>>ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO ALSO BE CONSIDERING IS ONE OF THE OTHER MITIGATION FACTORS SCHOOLS CAN DO IS CONTACT TRACING.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD TESTING AND GOOD CONTACT TRACING TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE AND LET THEM KNOW, "HEY, YOU WERE IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO TESTED POSITIVE."

AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS FALLING BEHIND ON THAT BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT AND THE VOLUME, AND IT'S TAKING TOO LONG FOR PEOPLE TO GET NOTIFIED.

AND THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN THEY HEAR THAT THERE'S SOMEONE WHO HAS TESTED POSITIVE, THEY'RE REACHING OUT, USING THEIR SEATING CHARTS TO THE KIDS IN THE CLASS, AND TO THE TEACHERS, AND TRYING TO LET THEM KNOW THEMSELVES, AND HAVING THEIR OWN LEVEL OF CONTACT TRACING.

BUT THAT GOES TO WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE, AS FAR AS, MASKING BEING ONE OF THE LAYERS THAT YOU CAN PUT ON THERE BECAUSE CONTACT TRACING MAYBE ISN'T WORKING.

THAT HAVING KIDS STAY MORE THAN THREE FEET APART FROM EACH OTHER AND BEING GOOD ABOUT HAND WASHING, SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE PRACTICAL AND SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE NOT AS PRACTICAL DEPENDING ON THE AGE GROUP.

AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP REDUCE THAT SPREAD.

>>AND THOSE DELAYS JUST REALLY CONTRIBUTING TO THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CONTACT TRACE OR QUARANTINE IN TIME, AND SO YOU MAY HAVE KIDS WHO ARE POSITIVE STILL IN SCHOOL.

SO IT'S CAUSING A LOT OF STRESS ON SCHOOLS AND PARENTS.

AND REMEMBER, YOU CAN JOIN THIS CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE'RE AT WUCF ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM.

WELL, LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THERE APPEARS TO BE A LEVELING OFF IN THE PANDEMIC IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, BUT CASE NUMBERS DO CONTINUE TO BREAK RECORDS.

STEVE SPOKE EARLIER THIS WEEK WITH DR. STEVEN R. SMITH, ADVENTHEALTH, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC OFFICER, AND HE STARTED BY ASKING HIM WHETHER THE FDA'S DECISION TO GIVE FULL APPROVAL TO PFIZER'S COVID-19 VACCINE WILL HELP CONVINCE VACCINE-HESITANT FLORIDIANS TO FINALLY GET THE SHOT.

>>WE ARE COMPELLED AND HOPEFUL INDEED, THAT THIS WILL TAKE THOSE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN ON THE FENCE AROUND THE SAFETY OF THE VACCINE AND BRING THEM OVER ACROSS THE LINE.

WE'RE VERY HOPEFUL RIGHT NOW, STEVE.

>>HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER CONCERNS FROM PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT THE VACCINES ARE SHOWING WANING EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST THE DELTA VARIANT?

>>WANING EFFECTIVENESS OF VACCINES IS NOT A NEW PHENOMENON, AND IT'S CERTAINLY NOT PECULIAR TO THE VACCINES THAT WE HAVE TODAY.

LET ME POINT OUT ONE THING, AND THAT IS, IS THAT THESE VACCINES ARE STILL PREVENTING HOSPITALIZATION, SEVERE CASES, DEATH, AND DYING.

OKAY?

ARE THEY AS EFFECTIVE AS PREVENTING EITHER ASYMPTOMATIC OR MILD DISEASE?

NO, THE DATA'S VERY CLEAR.

THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE WANING OVER TIME, BUT THEY'RE STILL EFFECTIVE FOR PREVENTING SEVERE DISEASE.

>>LET'S TALK ABOUT BOOSTER SHOTS A MOMENT.

FIRST, HERE'S GOVERNOR DESANTIS LAST WEEK WHEN ASKED WHETHER HE SUPPORTS PEOPLE GETTING A BOOSTER SHOT WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE TO THEM.

>>JUST BECAUSE SOME EXPERT SAYS SOMETHING, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE UNDERLYING DATA FOR WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SAY.

A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE JUST LAST MONTH WERE SAYING, "DON'T DO THE BOOSTER."

CDC SAID, "BEWARE OF DOING THE BOOSTER SHOTS."

THEY SAID THAT LAST MONTH.

AND SO THE POINT IS, IS JUST PEOPLE JUST NEED TO LOOK AND EVALUATE THIS FOR THEMSELVES.

>>GOVERNOR DESANTIS THERE.

SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF BOOSTER SHOTS AND WHO SHOULD GET THEM WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE?

>>SO AS OF TODAY, PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD TWO SHOTS, LET'S SAY A MODERNA OR PFIZER, AND WE KNOW HAVE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED CONDITIONS.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE ELDERLY, PEOPLE WHO TAKE IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE MEDICATIONS, HAVE HAD A TRANSPLANT.

WE HAVE A LONG LIST OF THOSE.

IF YOU'RE AT ALL IN DOUBT, TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR OR LOOK IT UP.

IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF YOU'RE IN THAT CATEGORY AND YOU'VE HAD TWO DOSES PREVIOUSLY THAT YOU CONSIDER GETTING A THIRD SHOT.

THAT'S BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY IN THOSE CONDITIONS HAS A FULL RESPONSE TO THE FIRST TWO VACCINE SHOTS.

>>WHAT ABOUT MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENTS?

THE GOVERNOR'S BEEN SPEARHEADING THE OPENING OF SEVERAL MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT CENTERS AROUND THE STATE.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT THERAPY AND WHO'S RIGHT FOR IT?

>>YEAH.

SO THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES ARE REALLY AMAZING.

AGAIN, THE TECHNOLOGY HAS DEVELOPED SO FAST THAT WE NOW HAVE THESE TREATMENTS THAT EVEN TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO WE COULDN'T HAVE IMAGINED.

WHO ARE THEY FOR?

THEY'RE FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID, WHO...

IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY IN YOUR FAMILY OR SOMEBODY THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN CLOSE CONTACT, THAT'S ONE INDICATION.

THE OTHER IS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST DEVELOPED COVID EARLY IN THE COURSE TO, AGAIN, PREVENT PEOPLE FROM HAVING TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL OR THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND BE ADMITTED.

AND NOW THAT WE HAVE EXPANDED ACCESS, HAVE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GET TO, WHAT THAT HAS ALSO DONE IS THAT IT'S EMPHASIZED THE SAFETY OF THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES.

WE HAVE MORE AND MORE DATA ON A REGULAR BASIS TO SHOW THAT THIS APPROACH IS WORKING.

IT'S KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL AND THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THESE MONOCLONALS, VERY SMALL, AND WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE, WE'RE WATCHING FOR THOSE.

BUT SO FAR THINGS HAVE BEEN LOOKING REALLY, REALLY GOOD.

WE'RE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC.

>>MAYOR DEMINGS HAS TALKED ABOUT SEEING A LEVELING OFF IN POSITIVITY, A PLATEAU IF YOU LIKE, AT AROUND 20% IN ORANGE COUNTY.

WE'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF UNIVERSITY STUDIES AS WELL SAYING WE MAY BE AT OR NEAR THE PEAK.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING AT ADVENTHEALTH IN YOUR SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE REGION?

>>IN TERMS OF HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS, WE ARE SEEING WHAT MAY BE A PLATEAU.

ALTHOUGH HISTORICALLY WE'VE SEEN LITTLE PAUSES AND THEN THINGS GO UP AND TO THE RIGHT.

SO UNTIL WE SEE THAT CURVE FULLY MOVING DOWN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO REST.

SO I WOULD SAY WE'RE EITHER AT THE PEAK OR WE'RE GOING TO BE AT THE PEAK SOON.

WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT SEEING CASES GO DOWN AND THAT'S STILL CONCERNING FOR US.

>>ALL RIGHT.

WELL, WE JUST HEARD DR. SMITH THERE SAYING MAYBE THEY'RE SEEING A PLATEAU.

LET'S START WITH THE TRENDS THIS WEEK.

ABE, IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT WE'VE PASSED THE PEAK HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA?

>>IT'S DEFINITELY TOO EARLY TO SAY AT THIS POINT.

THE HOSPITAL OFFICIALS AT ADVENTHEALTH, THEY HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT THEY THINK THAT WE'RE APPROACHING THAT.

AND THE NUMBERS... WE'RE AVERAGING AROUND 21,000 CASES A DAY AT THIS POINT, BUT WE HAVE ALSO SEEN VERY RECENTLY JUST BEFORE TAPING, WE'RE HITTING RECORD LEVELS OF DAILY CASES AGAIN.

SO WHETHER THAT'S A BLIP, WHETHER THE LEVELING OFF IS A BLIP, WE STILL NEED TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO SHOW IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.

THE ANALOGY THAT I WOULD USE IS THAT IF YOU'RE IN A CAR AND YOU'RE DRIVING TOWARDS A CLIFF AND YOU'RE SPEEDING OUT OF CONTROL, LETTING OFF THE ACCELERATOR IS GOOD.

IT'S NOT AS GOOD AS HITTING THE BRAKES, SO WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET BY ANY STRETCH.

SO WE NEED TO WATCH AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE WE ARE STILL SEEING... AT THIS POINT, IT MAYBE IS NOT AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES AND THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS, BUT WE'RE STILL AT REALLY HIGH, I WOULD ARGUE UNSUSTAINABLE, LEVELS OF COVID CASES AT THIS POINT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

>>THAT'S A GOOD ANALOGY THERE.

I JUST WISH WE COULD ALL GET OUT OF THE CAR.

WOULDN'T THAT BE NICE?

>>I WOULD TOO.

>>SO, STEVE, HOW DOES THE GOVERNOR ANSWER CRITICS WHO SAY HE'S NOT PUSHING VACCINES HARD ENOUGH IN FAVOR OF PROMOTING MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES?

>>YEAH.

EVERY DAY IT SEEMS DESANTIS IS AT A DIFFERENT SPOT IN FLORIDA PROMOTING REGENERON CLINICS SAYING, "IF YOU HAVE COVID-19, COME HERE EARLY.

DON'T NEED A DOCTOR'S NOTE.

GET TREATMENT WITH REGENERON."

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, A LOT OF CRITICS ARE SAYING HE HASN'T REALLY HELD A SIMILAR EVENT TO PROMOTE VACCINES SPECIFICALLY SINCE THE EARLY SPRING.

HE'D PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY ALMOST IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, HE WAS OUT THERE PUSHING VACCINES, GOING TO VACCINE SITES.

BUT HE HASN'T REALLY DONE THAT SINCE IT WAS OPENED UP TO EVERYONE OF ALL AGES IN EARLY APRIL.

>>NOW, WHEN YOU ASK THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ABOUT THAT, AND YOU ASK THE GOVERNOR, HE'LL TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE EVENTS HE DID BACK IN THE WINTER AND SPRING WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT WHY HE ISN'T REALLY DOING ANYTHING NEW.

THE POLLS SAY THAT A LOT OF THE VACCINE SKEPTICAL ARE REPUBLICANS.

A GOOD 50% OF TRUMP VOTERS, FOR EXAMPLE, AN NBC POLL SAY THEY HAD NOT GOTTEN THE VACCINE YET, AND IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT DESANTIS WOULD BE INFLUENTIAL WITH THAT GROUP.

BUT WHILE HE TALKS ABOUT VACCINES IN PASSING SOME TIMES, AND HE DOES SAY, "GET VACCINES AS PART OF STEP ONE.

IF YOU STILL GET IT, REGENERON'S STEP TWO, " BUT THERE'S REALLY NOTHING TO THE LEVEL OF WHAT HE'S DOING WITH REGENERON TO PUSH AND PROMOTE VACCINES.

>>OH, WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT HOSPITALS.

ABE, YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING THIS WEEK ON A SHORTAGE OF THOSE ECMO MACHINES FOR COVID PATIENTS IN FLORIDA.

>>YEAH.

ECMO STANDS FOR EXTRACORPOREAL MEMBRANE OXYGENATION, WHICH IS A VERY DIFFICULT WAY OF IT'S AN EXTERNAL SET OF HEART AND LUNGS THAT A PATIENT CAN BE PUT ON IT.

I'VE SEEN THESE MACHINES DESCRIBED AS MIRACLE MACHINES.

THEY ARE VERY SPECIALIZED.

THERE'S ONLY, AT LAST CHECK, NINE OR 10 CENTERS IN FLORIDA THAT DO THIS.

THEY ARE...

PRIMARILY AND HISTORICALLY, THEY MOSTLY HAVE BEEN USED FOR CHILDREN, OR THEY'VE BEEN USED AT THE LAST BIT OF... OR LAST LITTLE BIT TO BUY PEOPLE TIME FOR MAYBE GETTING A TRANSPLANT.

WHAT THEY'RE BEING USED FOR WITH COVID-19 PATIENTS BECAUSE THE DELTA VARIANT IS HITTING YOUNGER PATIENTS AND MAKING THEM SICKER, THERE ARE MORE CANDIDATES FOR PUTTING A PATIENT ON ECMO AND TRYING TO GIVE THEIR HEART AND LUNGS TIME TO RECOVER SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEM BACK OFF AND RECOVER FROM THIS.

>>WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW THOUGH, IS THAT WE'RE HAVING A HARDER TIME GETTING ANSWERS VERY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CENTRAL FLORIDA, ORLANDO REGION.

WE KNOW THE TAMPA BAY REGION AS OF A WEEK OR TWO AGO, WAS OUT OF ADULT ECMO CAPACITY.

AND WE ARE SEEING PATIENTS WHO ARE LEAVING FLORIDA, WHO ARE BEING TRANSPORTED AS FAR AWAY AS CONNECTICUT TO GET ECMO TREATMENTS.

AND THIS IS NOT PUTTING SOMEONE IN AN AIRPLANE AND PUTTING THEM ON A COMMERCIAL JET AND FLYING THEM NECESSARILY.

THIS IS VERY COMPLEX MEDICAL TRANSPORT THAT IS BEING DONE THAT'S VERY HARD TO DO LOGISTICALLY.

AND WHEN I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT TRACK THIS SORT OF DATA NATIONWIDE, THEY'RE BASICALLY SAYING, "IT'S NOT A FLORIDA PROBLEM.

IT'S A SOUTHEAST PROBLEM AT THIS POINT."

WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE HAVING TO REACH OUT DESPERATELY TO DIFFERENT ECMO CENTERS AND TRYING TO FIND A PLACE THAT WILL TAKE A LOVED ONE, OR DOCTORS ARE TRYING TO FIND A CENTER THAT'LL TAKE ONE OF THEIR PATIENTS.

>>OF COURSE, WE'VE ALSO SEEN OUC ASK CUSTOMERS TO CUT DOWN ON THEIR WATER CONSUMPTION BECAUSE OF A SHORTAGE OF OXYGEN SUPPLIES AT THE HOSPITAL.

STEVE LET'S PIVOT A LITTLE BIT.

DISNEY'S JOINING NORWEGIAN AND CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE IN REQUIRING PROOF OF VACCINATION FROM PASSENGERS AS WE SEE THESE CASES TICK HIGHER.

WHAT TRIGGERED THAT DECISION AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR FLORIDA'S BAN ON VACCINE PASSPORTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO MUCH?

>>YES, WELL DISNEY, ONE OF THEIR MAIN DRAWS IS THEIR PRIVATE ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS.

THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT THEY ADVERTISE, "COME SPEND SOME TIME IN OUR LUSH PRIVATE ISLAND."

THE BAHAMAS HAS A VACCINE REQUIREMENT, A VACCINE PASSPORT ESSENTIALLY.

AND DISNEY'S HANDS WERE TIED ESSENTIALLY, AND THEY JUST DECIDED TO GO FOR IT.

WE SAW THAT ALREADY WITH NORWEGIAN AND A BUNCH OF OTHER BIG CRUISE LINES REQUIRING VACCINATIONS FOR PASSENGERS.

AND OF COURSE, THIS COMES AS DESANTIS HAS MADE BANNING VACCINATION PASSPORTS ONE OF HIS BIGGEST PRIORITIES, ISSUING AN ORDER THEN GETTING A LAW PASSED.

BUT AGAIN, DISNEY IS THE BIG DOG IN FLORIDA.

IT'S UNCLEAR WHAT DESANTIS CAN AND WILL DO AGAINST ONE OF THE, IF NOT THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.

>>AGAIN, OF COURSE, DISNEY JUST REACHING AN AGREEMENT THIS WEEK WITH THE UNIONS, OR ONE OF THE MAJOR UNIONS, ON VACCINATING STAFF.

AND YOU CAN SEE MY FULL INTERVIEW WITH DR. SMITH FROM ADVENTHEALTH ON OUR WEBSITE AT WUCF.ORG/NEWSNIGHT.

OKAY.

FINALLY, TONIGHT, OUR ECONOMY IS SHOWING SIGNS OF A STRONG RECOVERY.

THE LATEST STATE FIGURES SHOW FLORIDA HAS RECOVERED 75% OF THE JOBS LOST SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC, BUT HUNGER REMAINS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN OUR REGION.

>>WORKERS AT CENTRAL FLORIDA SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK PACKAGE SUPPLIES FOR DELIVERY.

THE ORGANIZATION IS A MEMBER OF FEEDING AMERICA, WHICH SAYS ONE IN SEVEN PEOPLE, INCLUDING 20% OF CHILDREN IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, ARE NOW FOOD INSECURE.

A NUMBER OF LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE PROVIDING FREE MEALS TO ALL STUDENTS THIS SEMESTER.

IT COMES AS CONGRESS PREPARES TO DEBATE THE CHILD NUTRITION REAUTHORIZATION ACT, WHICH COVERS MANY OF THE FOOD PROGRAMS FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, INCLUDING SCHOOL LUNCHES.

REAUTHORIZATION TAKES PLACE EVERY FIVE YEARS ALLOWING NEW POLICY AND SPENDING PRIORITIES TO BE SET, BUT LAWMAKERS FAILED TO AGREE ON A PACKAGE IN 2015.

MOST PROGRAMS HAVE CONTINUED SINCE THEN THOUGH THROUGH INDIVIDUAL APPROPRIATIONS.

I SAT DOWN WITH KELLY QUINTERO FROM SECOND HARVEST TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING NEED.

>>WHAT WE SAW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC WAS THAT WE WERE DOING TWICE AS MANY MEALS ON A DAILY BASIS THAN WHAT WE WERE DOING PRE-PANDEMIC.

AND NOW WE ARE STARTING TO SEE A BIT OF AN UPTICK.

A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAYBE COMING OUT OF THOSE FEDERAL MANDATES, WHETHER IT WAS EVICTION MANDATE OR FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT, OR MAYBE THEY GOT THAT CHILD TAX CREDIT GOING INTO THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS.

SO WE KNOW THAT THAT NEED IS PRESENT, AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO SEE ORANGE COUNTY TAKE THAT ROLE WHERE CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO GET FREE SCHOOL MEALS.

BUT WE KNOW THAT THROUGHOUT... AFTER THE PANDEMIC, WHENEVER THAT IS, THAT NEED IS STILL GOING TO BE PRESENT.

>>AND OF COURSE, CONGRESS IS LIKELY TO TAKE UP CHILD NUTRITION AGAIN IN THE NEXT SESSION.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO MAINTAINING PROGRAMS LIKE THAT?

>>IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

SO IT ACTUALLY HASN'T BEEN REAUTHORIZED IN ABOUT 11 YEARS NOW, AND IT'S ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO BE REAUTHORIZED EVERY FIVE YEARS.

SO WE'RE PRETTY BEHIND THE BALL RIGHT NOW.

AND THE REASON IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT UPDATED IS BECAUSE WE KNOW PROGRAMS CHANGE, THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITIES CHANGE AS WELL.

SO HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THAT FEDERAL LEGISLATION STAYS UP TO DATE SO THAT WAY WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING FOR AFTERSCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM, SUMMER FEEDING, A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT COMMUNITIES HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA REALLY USE.

THIS AFFECTS SO MANY CHILDREN HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.

ONE IN FIVE CENTRAL FLORIDA CHILDREN ARE AT RISK OF GOING TO BED HUNGRY TONIGHT.

SO WE KNOW THAT THIS CAN HAVE AN IMPACT RIGHT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR OUR NEIGHBORS IN NEED.

>>YEAH.

SO, STEVE, SECOND HARVEST IS CALLING ON THE LOCAL CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO BACK REAUTHORIZATION OF THE CHILD NUTRITION ACT.

BUT IN THE CURRENT SENATE, COULD IT BE HARD TO GET REPUBLICANS ON BOARD?

>>YEAH, IT'S BASICALLY HARD TO GET REPUBLICANS ON BOARD FOR MUCH OF ANYTHING IN THE CURRENT SENATE RIGHT NOW.

PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING HAS BEEN FILIBUSTERED OR BLOCKED THAT...

EXCEPT FOR THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND THE OTHER BILL EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT ESSENTIALLY JUST NEEDED 50 DEMOCRATIC VOTES.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT.

PLUS, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN SORT OF A RESISTANCE IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO THIS... TO THE CHILDREN'S FOOD STANDARDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

FAMOUSLY IN THE 80S, THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION RE-DESIGNATED KETCHUP AS A VEGETABLE TO TRY TO GET UNDER THE FOOD STANDARDS THERE.

SO IT REALLY WILL HAVE A TOUGH TIME, LIKE BASICALLY EVERYTHING ELSE WITH REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE.

>>AND, ABE, WE'VE TALKED ON THE SHOW BEFORE ABOUT THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT LIVE IN FOOD DESERTS HERE LOCALLY, AND THE PANDEMIC HAS NO DOUBT PLAYED INTO THAT ISSUE.

>>YEAH.

I MEAN, WE... FLORIDA HAS SEEN, FROM 2010 TO 2015, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL 250,000 PEOPLE IN FLORIDA WHO WERE LIVING IN FOOD DESERTS.

AND SOME OF THE STUDIES THAT WERE DONE LOOKING AT FOOD INSECURITY DURING THE PANDEMIC HAVE FOUND A ONE-THIRD INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE FOOD INSECURE.

IT'S REALLY STARK.

AND A LOT OF THE BIG ISSUES FOR PEOPLE WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD INSECURITY, IN ADDITION TO UNEMPLOYMENT WHICH YOU WOULD EXPECT, IT'S ALSO TRANSPORTATION, WHICH SORT OF PLAYS INTO THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE SEEING AS FAR AS HAVING HUGE NUMBERS IN FLORIDA AND IN CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT ARE LIVING IN AREAS WHERE IT'S MORE THAN A MILE TO GET TO A GROCERY STORE IF YOU'RE LIVING IN AN URBAN AREA OR MORE THAN 10 MILES IN A RURAL AREA.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT... HOPEFULLY, SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DEBATED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WILL HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THE PROBLEMS.

AND SOME OF THE STUFF THAT SECOND HARVEST IS DOING AND SOME OF THOSE AS WELL WILL HOPEFULLY ALLEVIATE SOME OF IT, BUT IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM.

>>YEAH, AND JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF THIS PANDEMIC ON OUR COMMUNITY.

THINGS WE'LL BE DEALING WITH, HOPEFULLY NOT, BUT PROBABLY FOR YEARS TO COME.

AND THAT IS ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR THIS WEEK.

MY THANKS TO STEVE LEMONGELLO OF THE ORLANDO SENTINEL AND ABE ABORAYA OF 90.7 WMFE.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT AT 8:30 RIGHT HERE ON WUCF.

FROM ALL OF US HERE AT NEWSNIGHT, HAVE A GOOD AND SAFE WEEKEND.