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Numbers From CDC Indicate More Than 100 Million Americans Now Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19; Kentucky Derby To Take Place At Churchill Downs With Limited Capacity Due To COVID-19 Restrictions; Delta Air Lines Now Selling Middle Seats In Planes For First Time Since Start Of Coronavirus Pandemic; India Experiencing Oxygen Shortages As Coronavirus Cases Spike; Reporting Indicates Letter From Associate Of Representative Matt Gaetz Confesses Congressman Paid For Sex With Underage Girl. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired May 01, 2021 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[14:00:29]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

The U.S. hits a major vaccine milestone, but there remain concerns that vaccinations are beginning to slow. New numbers from the CDC show more than 100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. That's a little less than a third of the country. Near 80 percent is needed for herd immunity, and not nearly that number is being met thus far.

This as the U.S. is set to impose new travel restrictions from India as it is dealing with a devastating coronavirus outbreak, the country just setting a global, recording 400,000 new cases in a single day.

Meanwhile, back in U.S., more incremental steps for the normalcy. The Kentucky Derby is set for tonight with limited capacity of about 50,000 people. CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro is at Churchill Down. So Evan, what is being done there to keep everyone safe, and I imagine, folks are really just happy to be out and doing something that they really love.

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely, right, Fred. It is a party scene here, people really want to be out. And Churchill Downs has taken a lot of steps to try and make things different this time around. There is that limited capacity you mentioned. We've had upwards of 170,000 people at these derbies sometimes. This time around 50,000 is the expectation, with the limitations on tickets and things like that.

But the big test that is really going on is whether or not we can do these indoor events again while we're still dealing with the pandemic. And we're in this world now with these confusing CDC guidelines about what you can do with your masks, what not to do if you're vaccinated or not vaccinated. Here at Churchill Down, they say wear your mask unless you're actively eating or drinking. I am here in one of the main areas, the paddock area where people are hanging out before the races start an hour from now. We've been here all day. We're trying to keep an eye on how this experiment is going to work. And as you can see, look, people have been here for a while, there's been a couple of cocktails by now, and the mask wearing has kind of died down a bit. It's not as active as we saw earlier this morning. These are the kind of concerns that people had when they were having an event like this.

Now, look, event planners say they still have this thing where they want it to be. We're outside, they're trying to do the right thing. But as you can see, this is a party, not a pandemic protection plan, and the idea is can you do both those things at the same time. We don't know yet, but I will say people here are having a really, really good time, and they think that they can do it safely. We'll see how that turns out, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So this is a test, and it looks like folks there are really happy to be specimens in that test.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Absolutely. They are having a great time, but it's a serious time, too.

WHITFIELD: Yes, oh, it is indeed. OK, Evan McMorris-Santoro, you are masked up, and we did see some other folks who were masked up, too.

In yet another sign of this slow move towards normalcy, Delta is now selling the middle seats for first time since the start of the pandemic, despite the CDC warning against it. Delta is the last of the four major airlines to resume flying at full capacity in the United States. CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean explains why Delta thinks the move is safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The era of social distancing on board flights is over. Delta was the last major airline to cap capacity on board. Now every seat on every airline can be filled.

The newest changes to the pandemic era air travel will make it look more like before the pandemic. Delta Air Lines just resumed selling middle seats starting Saturday, something all other major carriers did months ago.

RANJAN GOSWAMI, VICE PRESIDENT, DELTA AIR LINES: It is safe to get back out there, to go out into world and see the folks in your life.

MUNTEAN: Ranjan Goswami heads Delta's inflight operations. It's latest estimate that almost 75 percent of Delta passengers have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Airlines say they could not continue capping capacity without a serious increase in fares.

GOSWAMI: The vaccination rate is really helping. We know our customers are feeling confident about it or they wouldn't be booking in such large numbers. MUNTEAN: The latest modeling from the CDC says leaving middle seats

empty reduces the risk of coronavirus exposure by as much as 57 percent. But the airline industry slammed the report for not considering the impact of masks now mandated on planes by the Biden administration.

[14:05:03]

Harvard University found masks and heavily filtered air on board makes coronavirus transmission rates very low regardless of where you sit.

DR. LEONARD MARCUS, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: It's done many things together at the same time do greatly reduce the risk of air travel, and in particular provides a safe opportunity for people, given the ventilation, given the wearing of mask, getting the disinfection on the planes, given the individual and personal hygiene attention that does allow for that middle seat to be occupied.

MUNTEAN: Industry groups think flying will look more like normal as more people get vaccinated. Some airlines are now bringing back in- flight food and drink service, something flight attendants fear could blur the messages.

SARA NELSON, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: As these policies are going away and we're seeing fuller aircraft, it is more important than ever that we are vigilant about those mask policies.

MUNTEAN: New ideas to bring passengers back are coming from all corners of the aviation industry. Plane maker Airbus envisions a future of seats arranged in pandemic friendly pods. This design from the University of Cincinnati imagines a productivity class, part plane, part coffee house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am excited to see the future of where some of these ideas might take us and where the industry might go in the future. So every crisis can also be an opportunity.

MUNTEAN: Delta says capping capacity on board cost it $100 million in March, that is when pandemic air travel started to surge and the numbers remain high. The TSA has screened more than 1 million each day at America's airports for seven months straight.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: And as the United States begins showing shades of normalcy, other countries around the world are facing a very different reality. The Biden administration is set to begin restricting most travel from India on Tuesday in response to a record surge of cases there. India reporting more than 400,000 new infections in a single day, shattering the global record.

And now more pain and heartbreak -- 18 people are dead after a fire broke out in a hospital's ICU ward overnight in India. The cause of the fire is unclear, but investigators believe it may have been electrical. CNN's senior interview correspondent Sam Kiley has more on the cost of the India's ongoing oxygen shortage.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A sensor reveals dangerously low levels of oxygen. Stifled by COVID-19 this canister of gas buys this patient time. All of these patients arrived barely able to breathe. This isn't a medical clinic. It's a tent on the outskirts of India's capital run by volunteers.

Without the initiative being shown by these volunteers run by the Hemkunt Foundation who are providing oxygen on the streets on the outskirts of Delhi, they say may dozens, perhaps over 100 patients would be in deep trouble medically now. They already had one death just over there earlier on today.

They treated over 100 people who have come in desperate for oxygen, unable to breathe. And it's all about this, the supply of these oxygen cylinders. It's a 300-mile drive each way to get one of these filled and brought back to Delhi. They cost about $25 when filled.

How easy has it been to find oxygen?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My God, trust me, this has been the toughest thing we are facing.

KILEY: With COVID-19 infections and numbers of deaths breaking records daily in India, many patients in Delhi have given up on the hospital treatment, where they know that oxygen is scared and beds often shared. Pankaj Chandrawal said he was turned away by three hospitals. He took off his oxygen mask demanding to be heard.

PANKAJ CHANDRAWAL, COVID-19 PATIENT: They are just not entertaining anything, and they are just refusing all things. I cannot tell to whom I can blame. It is both the government and these hospitals, also.

KILEY: Bottled oxygen is mostly produced outside Delhi. Neighboring states are prioritizing their own needs. And so the city gasps and many die unrecorded in their homes. Titinder (ph) Shunti (ph) collects the bodies of patients who die at home.

He'll pick up three in this one hour run. Many are even afraid to take their dying loved ones to hospital. Prashant Sharma's family decided to keep his grandmother at home.

[14:10:04]

PRASHANT SHARMA, MOURNER: We were scared seeing the condition around. So they got scared if we went to any nearby hospital who is going to be in touch with her, who is going to give us the information, exact information of what is going on within the hospital.

KILEY: India's government has promised a vaccination campaign with renewed vigor, but with around only two percent of the nation inoculated so far, that is cold comfort here.

Sam Kiley, CNN, Delhi. (END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up this hour, we are not sworn enemies. Congresswoman Liz Cheney is once again facing the ire of her own party after a fist bump, that one, with President Biden. Plus, there are plenty of questions about what you can safely do even after being vaccinated. Coming up at 2:30 eastern, a panel of doctors answering your questions about navigating the next era of COVID.

And tomorrow night on CNN, W. Kamau Bell is back for a new season of his show. Don't miss the premier of "United Shades of America" Sunday night, 10:00.

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[14:15:19]

WHITFIELD: All right, new details in the investigation swirling around Congressman Matt Gaetz. "The Daily Beast" says it obtained a confession from Gaetz associate Joel Greenberg, part of an effort to secure a pardon from then President Donald Trump. In it, Greenberg allegedly writes that the congressman paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl. Ryan Nobles has more from Washington.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The drip, drip, drip of accusation against Congressman Matt Gaetz continues, this now a "Daily Beast" story that outlines a letter that Joel Greenberg, the former associate and close political ally of Congressman Gaetz, sent to Roger Stone, the Trump ally, in which Greenberg asked Stone to help him with a pardon because of the problems that he was facing legally.

Now, in this letter which CNN has not been able to verify independently, Greenberg writes, quote, "My lawyers that I fired know the whole story about M.G.'s involvement," M.G. being Matt Gaetz, "They know that he paid me to pay the girls, and that he and I both had sex with a girl who was underaged." That was a letter sent to Roger Stone on December 21st.

Roger Stone for his point tells CNN's Chris Cuomo that he knew nothing about this letter, he said he never received it, and that he never attempted to solicit a pardon on behalf of Joel Greenberg. And Congressman Gaetz through a spokesman also saying that he knows nothing about these accusations from Joel Greenberg.

In a state he said, quote, "Congressman Gaetz has never paid for sex nor has he had sex with a 17-year-old as an adult. Politico has reported Mr. Greenberg's threats to make false allegations against others, and while "The Daily Beast" story contains a lot of confessions from Mr. Greenberg, it does not add anything of substance and certainly no evidence for the wild and false claims about Representative Gaetz.

In fact, the story goes some way to showing how Representative Gaetz was long out of touch with Mr. Greenberg and had no interest of involving himself in Mr. Greenberg's affairs." And Congressman Gaetz showing no signs of backing away as the pressure on him legally mounts. In fact, he has plans to go on a tour across the country with another controversial congressperson, and that would be Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

The two are teaming up for a political tour across the country they're dubbing an America first tour. The two also planning to fundraise together, filing a statement with the Federal Elections Commission forming a joint fundraising committee showing that Gaetz hopefully from his mind with the help of supporters of President Trump across the country plan to hold his ground as these accusations mount.

Ryan Nobles, CNN on Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: And for very different reasons, there is another prominent House Republican facing an uncertain political future. Congresswoman Liz Cheney has shown a willingness to break with the former president, and it continues to cost her. CNN's Manu Raju reports from Capitol Hill.

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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Congresswoman Liz Cheney facing new turmoil internally amid her feud with former President Donald Trump and his House GOP loyalists, erupting after the Congresswoman responded to questions at a GOP retreat this week in Florida, all stemming from Trump and his role in the deadly January 6th attack on the Capitol.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should Donald Trump be charged and prosecuted with anything?

REP. LIZ CHENEY, (R-WY) HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE CHAIR: Well, that's a decision that the Justice Department is going to have to make.

RAJU: Saying Trump is not the leader of the party.

CHENEY: I think our elected leaders are the ones who are in charge of the Republican Party.

RAJU: A senior House Republican member told CNN that Cheney could be in, quote, very big trouble, and expected that there could be another attempt to kick her out of the leadership. The members said lawmakers were, quote, really upset she trampled all over messaging during the party retreat. A fist bump with the current president of the United States this week even leading Cheney to tweet, "We are not sworn enemies. We are Americans."

The fallout underscoring how Trump's appeal to the base still makes him the GOP's dominant figure despite his electoral defeat. Many even endorse his lie that the 2020 election was rigged. Following her vote to impeach Trump, Cheney survived an attempt to oust her by a wide margin after House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy called on his colleagues to keep here in the number three job.

Yet the tension has only simmered. The two have not appeared together in a press conference since this incident more than two months ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you believe President Trump should be speaking, or former President Trump should be speaking at CPAC this weekend.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY, (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Yes, he should.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congresswoman Cheney?

CHENEY: That is up to CPAC. I have been clear about my views about President Trump and the extent to with on January 6th, I don't believe that he should be playing a part in the future of the party or country.

[14:20:03]

RAJU: A source told CNN McCarthy remains furious with Cheney. This week he declined to back her up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is Cheney still a good fit for your leadership team, to you believe?

MCCARTHY: That is a question for the conference.

RAJU: McCarthy's number two, Steve Scalise, making clear he is not in agreement with Cheney.

REP. STEVE SCALISE, (R-LA) HOUSE MINORITY WHIP: President Trump is still a very active part of our party and a vocal leader in our party.

RAJU: Now, Cheney does have support within the House Republican Conference, including from Anthony Gonzalez, who like Cheney joined with eight of their other colleagues to vote to impeach Donald Trump. Gonzalez told me if a prerequisite for leading our conference is lying to our voters, then Liz is not the best fit.

Now, it's still possible, though, that Cheney could face a vote within her House Republican Conference to maintain that number three leadership position. It's unclear, though, how that would turn out.

She fended off the last challenge, but this time it seems that she is losing support according to multiple Republicans who I have spoken with. However, these are secret ballot elections, so how such a vote like that could turn out is anyone's guess.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: And still ahead, life post-vaccine. There are still plenty questions about what you can do safely even after getting vaccinated. Up next, a panel of doctors answering your questions about navigating the next era of COVID.

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[14:25:54]

WHITFIELD: All right, we are finally seeing light at end of the pandemic tunnel. Businesses are reopening, cities are rolling back restrictions, and in-person learning is resuming in schools across the country. While there are several reasons to be optimistic, the nation's death rate just hit a record low for the year, cases are at their lowest point since October 12th, and more than 100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated.

So it sounds like a lot of good news, but if you are one of them who has been vaccinated, you still are wondering how can you go about safely? We will talk about travel, social events, much more in a moment.

But first, let's break down the latest headlines with Dr. Peter Hotez, professor and dean of tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Celine Gounder, CNN medical analyst, and Dr. Kali Cyrus, psychiatrist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Good to see all of you.

OK, it's surprising that with so much information out there, still people are rather confused at this juncture. So Dr. Hotez, you first. This week we learned fully vaccinated Americans don't need to wear a mask outside as long as they aren't around crowds. You can see the breakdown in this chart here. So where should vaccinated people be wearing their masks, and why is it that in some places it is still required?

DR. PETER HOTEZ, PROFESSOR AND DEAN OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: So, Fredricka, one of the reasons why there is so much confusion is because there's two answers to every question you will ask this afternoon. There's the answer of what America looks like by July and August when transmission has gone way down, and the answer for now while there is a significant level of transmission.

So as we head into the summer and hit 60, 70 percent vaccination rates, transmission will plummet, and that means that life will look very much like it did in 2019, with the one important exception of international travel, because we have not done a good job of vaccinating the rest of the world.

So a lot of international travel will still be treacherous. But that is the message that has to be given, that we are only talking about interim guidance right now until we get deep into the summer, and then things will really change for the better.

So for now, you have to act as though there is still a significant level of transmission. So yes, no masks outdoors, masks when you're indoors in the workplace or interacting with large crowds even outdoors, but I think that message needs to get through that there is two answers to this.

WHITFIELD: I see that already. So Dr. Gounder, and if the CDC is saying you should still wear a mask outside if it's crowded, now define what's crowded? DR. CELINE GOUNDER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: So, I think I would refer to

the Supreme Court justice who once said I know pornography when I see it. I think we generally know what a crowd is when we see it. But in general, if you are not able to stay six feet away from somebody else easily, you are probably in a crowded area.

WHITFIELD: OK, so Doctor, you worked on President Biden's coronavirus advisory board during the transition, and during the president's speech Wednesday night a majority of lawmakers wore masks as did the House Speaker and the vice president. But did they need to in a case like this? In other words, was this a missed opportunity, or is this sending mixed signals and messages to the nation?

GOUNDER: I think there is a mental checklist that I use when I think about these situations. So if you are vaccinated, everyone around you have vaccinated, you can really go back to pre-pandemic life. The problem is we don't always know who around us has been vaccinated or not. And while the president has been vaccinated, he had no way of knowing for sure that everyone in that room had been vaccinated.

And so when you are around other people who might not be vaccinated, we really revert to what is called the two of three rules. The three things are outdoors, wearing a mask, and remaining six feet apart. You want two out of three of those.

[14:30:00]

And there are some additional factors that help sort of sort out how risky the situation is, one of which is geography. Are you in a place, a county, for example, that has high levels of local transmission? I believe there is a map on screen now that shows where we are right now.

And so those red and the orange county are very high risk for getting COVID in the community right now, whereas the counties that are yellow and especially those that are blue are much lower risk. So if you are in a place that is higher risk, as the president was in Washington, D.C., I would be more conservative.

And then finally, I would look at in addition to your vaccination status, do you have symptoms? Do the people around you have symptoms? And have you or they been exposed to somebody you know has COVID? And that would also up the risk level in that situation.

WHITFIELD: I feel like for so many of us, me included, I feel like the mask has become almost like a security blanket. I am wearing it all the time except for inside of the house, so it might be hard to actually part with it even when the time is right.

So Dr. Cyrus, a new CNN poll finds that 45 percent of people have not been vaccinated. So how should you talk to someone who is hesitant about getting vaccinated? Sometimes that conversation happens right within the family, right? And families are strained, friendships are being strained now. So how do you that conversation?

DR. KALI CYRUS, PSYCHIATRIST: Yes, I think that you are highlighting how divisive this issue has become, even though it is really one about public health and do you want to stay alive and not get sick. So I say the first thing to do, if you are going to talk to somebody, try to not go in it as if you are going to convince them.

So if you need to take a walk, if you need to take a few deep breaths and take a second and be able so that you're not defensive, that you're not going to be reactive and that the goal is a way just to understand. You can't force people to change their minds, but what you can do is try to understand why, what makes them hesitant, what would they need to know to want to get the vaccine, and then through having conversations where you're listening and empathizing, you might slowly be able to change their minds.

We know that at least in our field, change is a dynamic process, though sometimes people are sort of into the idea, sometimes people are not sort of into the idea. So what you just have to do is meet them where they are at, and continue to have the conversation.

I think folks are just, it is really tense, and you have just got to change your mind, you've got to this done right now, and that might not necessarily be the right avenue for them this year.

WHITFIELD: And maybe it's not a matter of changing a mind, but it gets really prickly if it means being in each other's space, and if people are dug in with their heels, either they're never really going to get together, or it is just going to be unpleasant when they are.

CYRUS: Which is unfortunate, a lot of relationships are suffering.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it really is. It's tough.

OK, so we will have so many more questions coming, by the way, to all of you, and we're going to answer those right after this.

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[14:37:01]

WHITFIELD: All right, now, we are continuing your COVID questions answered. What about going to weddings, reunions, concerts? Right now some 50,000 people are gathering at Churchill Downs ahead of one of America's most storied sporting events, the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby, set to take place before a reduced crowd later on tonight.

Well, this is yet another sign that perhaps the country is returning to some semblance of normalcy, but the pandemic remains dangerous. Dr. Peter Hotez and Dr. Celine Gounder are back with me now to offer their advice on folks who are vaccinated.

So let's talk about specific social events like the Derby. Tell me, quickly, if you think people should be attending or avoiding, and why, Dr. Hotez. So if I have been vaccinated, is it safe to attend a sporting event in an arena that has 100 percent capacity?

HOTEZ: Yes, I probably would not do it at this point. I would not have a problem doing it by this summer. If you really feel compelled to go to a sporting event right now, even if you are vaccinated, given that there's going to a lot of people that's surrounding you that's still infected with COVID, you definitely want to wear a mask. By the summer as transmission goes way down, then you are going to be in a much better position to go to that event.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Gounder, OK, so I have been vaccinated. Is it safe to attend a wedding with an outdoor reception and indoor service?

GOUNDER: So alluding to what Dr. Hotez just said, I would look at what the local community transmission rates are. If you look at a map of the country, most of the country still has very high levels of transmission, what you see and read on this map. As more and more people get vaccinated, we are hoping to see more and more of the country turn blue.

Once you're at a place that looks blue, your risk is pretty minimal, and you probably can attend a wedding even if it's indoor safely. But until then you really need to adhere by that two out of three rule, so remember, outdoors, masks, and distance. so when you are outdoors, at the very least, you need to be wearing a mask.

And then when you're indoors from that wedding reception or ceremony, you need to be doubling up masks and social distancing.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Hotez, so if I have been vaccinated, is that safe to fly to my grandson's graduation in another state?

HOTEZ: Well, I think yes, it probably is. You definitely want to wear a mask on the plane. And certain family events are important. It'll even be safer as we head towards the summer. But flying has been relatively safe, but, if you are vaccinated, but there is quite a bit of transmission, especially at airports. So you want to be very careful to be masked the entire time you're at the airport and masked the entire time you're on the plane.

WHITFIELD: Again, these are your questions at home. So Dr. Gounder, if I have been vaccinate, is it safe to hug an unvaccinated family member?

[14:40:02]

GOUNDER: So again, go back to look at the map. Are you in a place or is your family member is in a place that is high or low risk with respect to community transmission, where you really hope that transmission drops across the country with more and more vaccination that that map turns blue. And then in the meantime, you really need to stick by those two out of three rules. So if you are hugging somebody outdoors and you are both wearing a mask, that is fine. But I think you really need to be following those guidelines for now.

WHITFIELD: All right, and Dr. Hotez, people are trying to make plans, and 4th of July is one of them. So if I have been vaccinated, is it safe to attend a 4th of July barbeque?

HOTEZ: I think it will be, because once we hitting 60, 65 percent vaccination the transmission is going to start going down, and hopefully by July we may even be better than that. It depends on how many people are going to be defying a vaccination. But I would give it a vote yes. If there is still a lot of transmission and there's a lot of people, then you will want to wear a mask, but I am hoping we might not have to do that

WHITFIELD: Folks are going to be really excited about making these plans. What about whether it is safe to go on the cruise, Dr. Gounder, if I have been vaccinated?

GOUNDER: Right, so again, same issue, you can't be sure everybody on that cruise has been vaccinated. It really depends on where people are coming from. Usually, a cruise has people from all over the world, so you have to assume that's a pretty high-risk situation. So again, it's two of three, masks, indoors or outdoors, and six feet apart.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Hotez, what about going to the gym for a workout if I have been vaccinated?

HOTEZ: Yes, absolutely. And I've even done that myself. At this point right now I'm wearing a mask when I'm in the gym, which is not the most pleasant thing in the world, but it's doable. And then later on as transmission goes way down over the summer, then we can not necessarily have to have masks on when we're in the gym.

WHITFIELD: Dr. Gounder, while there are some high schoolers who have been vaccinated, what if my child has not been vaccinated, is it safe for them to go to prom?

GOUNDER: That is a situation where really, again, you have to follow that two out of three rules. So if they are going to be going to the prom, you have to assume there is going to be an indoor component. And so they really need to be wearing a mask. And I would still be very concerned, because it is going to hard to maintain six feet apart, especially with that prom date. So I would prefer to see 16, 17, 18- year-olds getting vaccinated before celebrating that prom.

WHITFIELD: All right, Dr. Hotez, last one before this commercial break. So what about if I am vaccinated, but my kids are not. Should there be places that I don't take them, don't bring them?

HOTEZ: Well, just remember right now, when there is still a lot of transmission, any place you bring them indoors, there is risk of transmission. So, I would try to limit it at this point. So taking them to McDonald's and places like that, it's still better to do that, have outdoor dining at this point, because there is still quite a lot of transmission.

WHITFIELD: Doctors, thanks so much. Stand by, we still have so many more questions, this new chapter of the fight against COVID comes with a whole new set of challenges. Next, how to have those tough conversations with family and friends when you don't necessarily see eye to eye.

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[14:47:52]

WHITFIELD: All right, approximately 42 percent of Americans who want the vaccine have gotten at least one dose. Good news, as we work toward the hurdle of achieving herd immunity. As Dr. Lucy McBride writes in this CNN op-ed, "Every morning I walk into my office, greet my assistant, plop into my desk chair, and promptly take off my mask. I then see my vaccinated patients, those who are comfortable and have normal immune systems, one-on-one in my exam room. Unmasked. My patients tell me they love it."

Probably everyone is looking forward to that again. I want to bring back Dr. Cyrus. So, let's talk about this very complicated dynamic sometimes that arises between friends, family members, coworkers. So it's not secret that people have very different ideas of what's safe for them.

So when people do return to work, how should they address a coworker who perhaps has let down their guard, not taking all of the precautions that others have become accustomed to, how do you handle that?

CYRUS: The first thing I would consider is what is your goal, what is your relationship with the person? Is your coworker directly in front of you not wearing a mask while you are masked up? Then your goal is to actually probably be a bit more, I'll say firm, and say, could we please have some space.

But I think if you have a little time to ease into it, and you notice your coworker over the past few days has been getting a little lax, then I try to approach again, try to be non-defensive, and use "I" statements. So this would be I feel uncomfortable and a little bit unsafe when you are over there with your mask off. So that is one way to do it, and have a follow-up which means that, so maybe I am going to be sitting over here a little bit further away from you.

But I would try to separate this tension that you might be feeling about people because they have different values, they're not wearing their mask, and try to come at them as really what your goal is to try to get them to mask up. So again, keep it focused on you, and explain how you feel when they don't wear their mask. So that way you are not attacking them personally, and you're using yourself and the emotions that you are going through, which might actually help you appeal to them as a coworker.

[14:50:04]

And again, this depends some on the relationship that you might have with them and what your goal might be in the immediate and sort of in that long or short term.

WHITFIELD: That is very polite and lovely. I'm smiling so much because I was envisioning a first when you talk about "I" statements, I'm like, talking with your eyes, because that's what we're all doing nowadays.

(LAUGHTER) WHITFIELD: And our eyes can say a whole lot. But I get it.

So next weekend families are going to gather for Mother's Day weekend. So how do you address a family who has not been vaccinated and wants to be in the company of everybody else, others who have been vaccinated?

CYRUS: This is a really good question that's coming up quite a bit with some of my patients and my friends. I think as you mentioned, we all have different boundaries when it comes down to our sense of safety. I think the fact of the matter is that you can get sick and die from COVID.

So if someone who is not vaccinated is trying to come over to the house to celebrate Mother's Day, that's a pretty clear statement to say, we don't want to get anybody sick. So I think if this was a family member of mine, we are finding that folks are having to actually put down boundaries, which it's tough.

Maybe you don't say a lot of no's in your family, maybe conflict is not really your thing. But actually, it's something that I'm finding that folks are having to do more often, which is setting that boundary and actually having that conversation.

So again, I would go back to using "I" statements. I would feel horrible if you came and got sick from one of us if you are not vaccinated. Or I would feel horrible if you came and our mother got sick because you were here. I would never let myself live that down. So we're just thinking about the safety of everyone, which means that maybe you don't invite them.

And if they say they're going to show up any way, how do you not let them in the house. I have heard this from a friend who has a partner who doesn't want to get vaccinated. So maybe you say you can't come with me to this, or you can't sleep in the room. But if I love you and I just want to do this for my safety, they should understand that.

WHITFIELD: People are going to have to feel uncomfortable for a while, it seems, because there is still a lot to consider.

So now that the pandemic is improving a bit, many people are adjusting to old routines, how should people address anxiety related to their lifestyle once again changing?

CYRUS: I would say normalize anxiety. If you don't have any anxiety about getting back to real life, then that's probably a little more abnormal. So what I want to say is that of course you are going to have anxiety. First of all, we seem like we're get back to normal, but who really knows how this is all going to play out.

So I would one, must say, be uncomfortable experiencing a range of emotions. And it's going to come down to what's best for you. So if you know you that if you go to that baby shower that you're going to have a panic attack, maybe it's best for you not to go to that baby shower even if you use the two out of three rules, right? It comes to how you are feeling in your mental health. I would also, though, encourage folks to realize how much freedom they can achieve once getting vaccinated and being able to go back to normal. For example, I have a friend named David who is just finishing up vaccinations and going to a restaurant for the first time tomorrow.

I'm pretty sure he is going to enjoy that drink he's going to have, but probably be a little nervous about the chef or the waiters, are they vaccinated? There are a lot of question which may not have come up when you were at home getting takeout.

So I would just encourage folks to stick their toe in the pool and see how it feels. And if it's a little too much for you, that means the next time you try this maybe you stay masked the entire time. So I think there will take some trial and error and moving at your own pace, and that is going to depend on how risk averse you may or may not be, which might be an individual process for folks.

And it gets a little more complicated if you have family members. But I think at the end of the day, you need to prioritize your mental health and how comfortable you feel, or else you're not going to have a good time anyway.

WHITFIELD: This makes so much sense. There is so much anxiety, entering into it, being in the midst of all these changes in the pandemic, and then trying to exit it, too.

OK, so for your kids real quick, they are feeling some pint-sized anxieties as well, maybe worried about, oh, my gosh, is it really going to be safe for me to go back to school, even though they're all telling me it's OK without a mask. How do you help them?

CYRUS: We're talking about children. I think one thing to do is, again, is to normalize it. Feelings are normal. I think one thing that has happened during this pandemic is one we all know we're going through this.

I'm thinking about statistics that are showing that compared to 2019 the rate of anxiety, depression, and increase in substance abuse, even for youth especially, have gone up to about four out of 10, which means out of 10 of your friends, about four of you aren't feeling so comfortable or are going through something right now, most likely related to the pandemic.

So what I would say is normalize. Let's start talking about what these feelings mean. So if your child is saying something like this to you, you can normalize it and say, sometimes, I feel anxious, too. What might make you feel more comfortable.

And then maybe once you get an answer to that, you can say how much -- what kind of risk would you be willing to take? What if we go to school one day a week? Come up with a compromise, but really be OK with whatever answer is given to you.

[14:55:03]

WHITFIELD: I love it. We needed all of this. I am already feeling my anxiety level go down a little bit just because I got a chance to talk with you all. Dr. Kali Cyrus and also Dr. Peter Hotez, Dr. Celine Gounder, thanks so much to all of you. I know you have helped so many of us so much. Really appreciate it.

And everybody at home and wherever you are, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN NEWSROOM continues right after this with Jim Acosta.

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