CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Governor Jared Polis
Interview
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[19:33:31]
BLITZER: As cases spike in Colorado and so many other places around the United States, the Colorado Governor is pleading, "Do not bring Coronavirus to the Thanksgiving dinner table."
Governor Jared Polis is urging people in Colorado to self-quarantine if they plan to see relatives from other households for Thanksgiving, and he warns that ignoring the virus is like Russian roulette.
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GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): The more family members that make that decision to self-quarantine, the more likely it is that you're not really bringing a loaded pistol for grandma's head.
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BLITZER: Strong words from the Colorado Governor Jared polis who is joining us now. Governor, how worried are you that family get- togethers this Holiday Season beginning Thanksgiving week could become super spreader events?
POLIS: Well, super spreader in the sense of that family with potential for devastating loss, Wolf and that's why I really don't mince words here. I mean there's really two options.
One is like our family is going to celebrate Thanksgiving with just our nuclear family as much as I'd love to see my mom and dad and Marlon's dad. We're going to do that. The other way to go is to start a self-quarantine immediately.
It would have been best yesterday, but starting today where you are essentially in a self-quarantine, self-lockdown for two weeks, if you really can't find another way to avoid having that intergenerational Thanksgiving because what of course can be deadly for people of all ages have significantly worse health impact for people in their 60s, 70s and 80s.
BLITZER: How bad is it in Colorado right now? I know you're getting ready for the ski season and tourism. How worried are you?
[19:35:11]
POLIS: Well, I think it's bad all over the country, Wolf. We're at about one in every 110 people have coronavirus now in Colorado. I think it is worse in some states, it might be a little better in some states.
To put that starkly, if you have a family of 11 people for Thanksgiving, there's a one in 10 chance that's why I use that Russian roulette analogy. I mean, it's like empty chamber, empty chamber, boom, you don't know if it's going to be you or not because a young nephew or niece or cousin could easily be asymptomatic.
Skiing is a safe activity outdoors. We a great summer recreation in Colorado: hiking, backpacking, and biking. You don't have to worry about the ski part.
Obviously, the town experience is different. So if you're renting a cabin, you're going to probably order in for food delivery. There's a little bit of capacity outdoors, depending on the weather.
But the mountains, outdoors in general, great places to be during this pandemic.
BLITZER: Just be very careful and just make sure you wear masks when you're with other people even if you're outdoors in the mountain area.
Some say encouraging personal responsibility, Governor, just isn't enough. Several local health officials have implored you and others to enact stricter statewide restrictions. Have you ruled out a lockdown for Colorado if the pandemic gets even worse?
POLIS: Well, look, we have pretty strong health standards in Colorado, the bars are closed. Restaurants have very limited dining capacity in the worst parts of our state, it is about 25 percent. They're able to serve more safely outside, and in other parts of our state they're at 50 percent.
But look, ultimately, when you're talking about spreading, when you're talking about what people empowered by science and data choose to do for Thanksgiving, who they choose to associate with, how many people, how close, how long, that is a matter of personal responsibility informed by data and science.
And our goal as an administration, and I encourage others across the country to do this, to just get that information out about what spreads a virus, how to avoid it, how to keep yourself and your family safe.
BLITZER: I know you've directed hospitals, Governor, to prepare for a possible God forbid, we hope it doesn't happen, a surge of cases. It is getting bad every -- worse every single day. How bad do you fear? What are your experts there telling you how bad do you think it's going to get before there's a vaccine, a safe and effective vaccine and things will start improving?
POLIS: We'll look it's anybody's guess, Wolf, but the entire country
has had an enormous surge these last few weeks, so has Colorado. We have over 1,100 people currently hospitalized in Colorado, I believe that number nationally is in the high tens of thousands, 60,000 to 70,000 even higher.
Most of them will make it out, some won't. I lost a dear friend to COVID just in the last week. I'll be attending her funeral wearing a mask in the next few days. But look, no one is untouched by this.
If you're fortunate enough to be untouched by the health impact, you're touched by the economic impact that is a toll on everybody, particularly our lower wage workers and hourly workers.
So we're going to get through this. We expect the first dosage of vaccine will be available to healthcare workers and first responders in December, hopefully with broader inoculation across the population in the first quarter of next year.
BLITZER: Very quickly, are the hospitals filling up? The intensive care units filling up in Colorado?
POLIS: They are surely more full than they were a few weeks ago. We laid out the plan where how hospitals have to suspend their elective surgeries to make more room. Some of them are actually at that point already.
We've also created some alternative care facilities that are ready to go if needed, if even suspending elective care doesn't open up enough beds. We want to make sure that everybody that contracts COVID in Colorado or has any other health condition like a heart attack or a stroke has the best possible care so they have a chance of getting well.
BLITZER: Good luck, Governor. I know the situation is awful right now. Thanks so much for joining us.
POLIS: Thank you, Wolf.
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