CNN "The Situation Room" - Interview with Jared Polis

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Let's talk about the breaking news right now with the governor of Colorado, Jared Polis.

Governor, thanks so much for joining us.

The sad news, more than 90,000 Americans, as of right now, are dead from this virus. I understand you just got off of a conference call with President Trump, you and your fellow governors around the country.

Where does his focus seem to be right now?

GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): Well, the focus of today's call was really about mental health. And I think it's really an unspoken problem, where so many people are

isolated, non-contacting others. We have a free hot line that people in Colorado can call. We have had 300 to 400 calls a day to support them.

[18:10:08]

So, looking out for our mental health is really important during this crisis, which is often called a health crisis or an economic crisis. Well, it's also a mental health crisis.

BLITZER: Well, what was his main focus in the conversation you had with the president? The economy or the health, the situation involving the continuing huge numbers of dead?

POLIS: Well it's not exactly a linear conversation with this president, so a little bit of everything.

Here in Colorado, we're certainly focused on both. I don't believe that you can address the economic crisis without addressing the health crisis. People need confidence. We're moving soon. We have most of our businesses open, manufacturing offices, hopefully restaurants in the next week or so. We're working on those guidelines.

It's really important to get that going. But being open isn't enough. You also have to make sure you're inspiring confidence among the general public that actually is -- knows that they can do it in a reasonably safe way.

BLITZER: The other the breaking news that we have been following for the last hour or so, do you worry that the president perhaps is setting a bad example by announcing he's taking this unproven drug, hydroxychloroquine, that potentially could have some very serious and dangerous side effects?

POLIS: Well, at least he won't be getting malaria any time soon, Wolf.

But no, I -- obviously, when he says something like that, it creates a run on the drug. I mean, he has a lot of people that listen to every word he says.

I really wish he would use this platform to say, let's all wear masks. I mean, the difference that that would make, as opposed to recommending a questionable drug, with mixed evidence, at best, about its clinical benefit is really -- is really substantial.

So, I just hope he uses that soapbox that he has, and we all use the soapboxes we have, to talk about the need for staying apart from others six feet and wearing masks when we're in public.

BLITZER: Yes, and I hope there's going to be enough hydroxychloroquine for those people who really need it for lupus or malaria or arthritis.

Those are the people who need that prescription. And there could be a run on that drug, as we know. We have gotten, as you also know, some very promising early results from the Moderna vaccine trial. But the president has been emphasizing that a vaccine isn't necessarily the only path to beating this virus.

Without a real vaccine, an effective, safe vaccine, what's the best- case scenario for Colorado's so-called new normal?

POLIS: Yes, I mean, we do need the vaccine to be able to move past this.

And I think we need to go past the normal approach, phase one, phase two, phase three, this 12-month, two-year thing. Forget about that. Let's do it all right away. Let's see what we can get, gear up to manufacture several. If one of them works, we do it. The worst case is, we have to throw away things that don't work.

But we got to move that way. In the meantime, we have to enshrine social distancing and how we work. So, as we look at getting, for instance, restaurants back, we're looking at how they can have more tables outdoors, on sidewalks, in their parking lot, so that people can be eight, 10 feet apart in a reasonably safe way.

Our stores are doing a great job. They have been open for two weeks here, really having social distancing, every employee wearing a mask. All that is part of the way we need to live. And I don't think we want to live like that forever, Wolf.

I mean, we really look forward to the date when a vaccine helps put this behind us.

BLITZER: Well, it's a good thing the weather is getting better, the spring and the summer, so people will be able to eat outside.

Colorado, as you know, was one of the first states in the country to begin reopening. And now you're working on the safety guidelines for the restaurants, the schools, the houses of worship.

Based on the metrics you're tracking, Governor, right now, how confident are you that this won't necessarily lead -- and we hope it won't -- to a new spike in cases?

POLIS: Hopefully, the way that Colorado has been doing it can be a model for other states.

We have had stores open for a couple weeks. I encourage other states to look at those guidelines. We're really being thoughtful about the restaurant process. They're already open in about 10 counties in our state for limited in-room dining. They were actually never shot for takeout or delivery.

I was jealous of these governors that are opening their beaches. I told my people, we got to open Colorado's beaches, but the only beach we have is Great Sand Dunes, which, if you have been there, is incredible. And the federal government is going to be opening that very soon.

So, Colorado's beaches will soon be open.

BLITZER: You got the Rocky Mountains. You got a lot going on in Colorado, as we all know.

Governor, thank you so much for joining us.

POLIS: Always a pleasure, Wolf.

BLITZER: Good luck.

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