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COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Have Started to Drop; Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) Under Fire for Slew of Controversial Proposals; Gonzaga Suspends NBA Legend's Season Tickets Over Mask Refusal. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired January 24, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

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[10:30:00]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN NEWSROOM: Some promising news on the pandemic front. Leading health experts believe the rise in omicron variant cases has peaked across many parts of the U.S. Cases are down in the last week for more than 800,000 per day to more than 600,000. And a key metric, hospitalizations, have also started to decrease, down just over 2 percent in the last seven days. But the picture is not the same across the country.

Joining me now, Dr. James Lawler, an infectious disease specialist and co-director of the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Doctor, welcome to the program.

And, listen, this is what health experts had been warning about in terms of how we measure progress in the United States. It is such a big and diverse country that we have seen many areas where, yes, there has been a decrease in the number of cases and hospitalizations, thankfully, but that is not yet what you are seeing in Nebraska. Tell us what is happening there on the ground.

DR. JAMES LAWLER, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST: Well, we're still seeing a high number of cases and hospitalizations in Nebraska. I'm hoping that we may have reached our peak. It looks as if perhaps the eastern part of the state where the more urban areas of the state are located may have peaked but there are plenty of areas in our state, especially rural counties in the middle and western parts of the state that probably have not yet peaked and so so there's plenty of pieces in the U.S. that still have some growth to grow with the omicron variant wave.

GOLODRYGA: Which is why you were warning people that it is not time yet to become complacent. What are the ramifications if that does happen too soon?

LAWLER: Well, it's clear that not using some of the tools that we have available, non-pharmaceutical interventions, wearing face masks, avoiding large gatherings, essentially, a let it rip strategy it's going to have dire consequences for communities just because of the overwhelming number of cases omicron can generate. And so it's not really true that omicron is mild. It certainly has a lower chance of putting an individual in the hospital. But when you look at the entirety of a community because of all of the cases that you can generate the impact on the health system and on the community can actually be even more devastating than prior variants.

GOLODRYGA: I'm just curious to get your take because we have been covering various approaches around the world to omicron and in particular, in the U.K., which has just lifted the majority of its restrictions. Granted, it's a smaller country. It has highly vaccinated and boosted and they are a couple of weeks ahead of us at least in terms of battling with this variant. But government officials and health officials are now saying that the new approach will be to treat omicron and COVID like the flu. What is your response to that? Do you think that it is timely? And do you think that we, in the U.S., could soon get to that place too?

[10:35:01]

LAWLER: Well, I think it would be a mistake for us in the U.S. to assume we're going to have a course exactly like the U.K. Their rates of vaccination and boosting are much higher than what we have in our country, and that's going to make a big difference in terms of impact, especially hospitalization, deaths and potentially the odds for long COVID.

One thing that they are seeing in the U.K. is the highest rates of transmission are occurring in kids, in school age children, and it shows, I think, the role that kids in schools will play in propagating the epidemic in communities that don't take significant protective measures in schools. In the U.S., we've already seen with omicron higher rate of hospitalization for school-age children than we've seen in any other time during the pandemic.

GOLODRYGA: And reminder, we still don't have a vaccine for children 5 and under and those 5 to 11 aren't eligible yet for a booster. So, we still have to be very for mindful of our children, especially when we want to keep schools open. Dr. James Lawler, thank you so much.

LAWLER: Thanks for having me.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: Florida's governor is now facing criticism after the state house passed a law that won't let you say, gay, or reference sexual orientation in the classroom. We'll have a live report next. But, first, a look at what else we're watching today.

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[10:40:00] GOLODRYGA: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis under fire this morning for a slew of proposals in the state. DeSantis has proposed a dedicated police force to investigate election fraud, plotted a scheme to redraw congressional maps that heavily favor Republicans and push a bill to ban instruction that could make people discomfort based on their race or sex.

SCIUTTO: So now Florida house lawmakers have advanced legislation that would ban any discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in schools. It's being called the Don't Say Gay bill. You heard that right.

CNN's Steve Contorno has more on this. So, Steve, you couldn't say gay in a classroom or even reference sexual orientation. Is this for real?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, the legislation proposed would specifically target school districts and prohibit them from encouraging conversations in the classroom around sexual identity, excuse me, gender identity or sexual orientation.

Now, LGBTQ advocates say this will have the effect of further stigmatizing in the community, including students who identify as LGBTQ or have same-sex parents. And Democrats are worried this will lead to the elimination of LGBTQ history being taught in schools and conversations that could prevent bullying.

And Republicans say that that's not the intention, that it's merely directed at school districts to prevent curriculum that they say is not they age appropriate.

GOLODRYGA: And while he is pushing this legislation from Tallahassee, I mean, we do have to note this is the final year of first term in office. Is DeSantis focusing on these red meat political issues as a way to posture himself for Washington, D.C., for a run for the White House in 2024?

CONTORNO: Well, look, Republicans here control all the levers of government. They control the governor's office, the house and the senate and they say that they're just pushing what the policies that their voters elected them to do. That said, Governor DeSantis has a national platform and he often talks about these issues in particular when he's speaking to that national audience. Whenever he's on Fox News doing fundraising pitches, these cultural issues come up and those are future primary voters. So, that's definitely leading to more intrigue around why he's talking about this particular topic.

SCIUTTO: No question. Steve Contorno, good to have you on the story.

NBA great John Stockton will not be in the stands for anymore Gonzaga this season. Up next, why his alma mater suspended season tickets even though he's in the NBA hall of fame. Hint, it has something to do with vaccines.

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[10:45:00] SCIUTTO: Gonzaga University has now suspended season tickets for one of its most notable, most famous alumni, Hall of Fame Basketball Player John Stockton. Why, Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: This comes after he refused to comply with the school's mask mandate at games. It's not that difficult, folks.

CNN's Natasha Chen has more on this.

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NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hall of Fame NBA Player John Stockton may be the most recognizable player to come out of Gonzaga University in Eastern Washington, but the nation's top ranked college men's team is now booting its own hero from its home court. The 59-year-old Stockton who went on to become the NBA all-time leader in assist and steals told The Spokesman Review that the school said it was going to have to, quote, ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets.

JOHN STOCKTON, HALL OF FAME BASKETBALL PLAYER: Gonzaga, it's come a long ways. I'm very proud to be a Zag.

[10:50:00]

CHEN: As omicron surged over the holidays, Gonzaga, like some other schools across the country, stopped serving food and drink at games in the New Year.

ANDY KATZ, REPORTER, TURNER SPORTS AND NCAA.COM: So, there was no excuse to drop your mask.

CHEN: Turner Sports and NCAA.com reporter Andy Katz said that's when an unmasked Stockton stood out, refusing to put a mask on when usher asked him to.

KATZ: Chris Stanford, who was a new athletic director at Gonzaga within this last year, spoke with John Stockton and basically laid it out for him. This is our policy. You can either mask or not attend.

CHEN: Gonzaga University also requires people 12 and up to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter athletic events and the school follows Washington State's mask mandate, a requirement for virtually all attendees five and up regardless of vaccination status. The university gave CNN this statement saying that it continues to work hard to implement health and safety protocols and would not speak to specific actions taken with any specific individuals. CNN has tried to reach Stockton but has not heard back.

This standoff on masks follows Stockton's appearance last year in a nine-part conspiracy theory-driven video series.

STOCKTON: This isn't a virus cheating us of this opportunity. It's the guys making decisions saying, no, no, we're too scared. We're going to shut everything down. Sit in your house and be careful. My kids and grandkids hearing these things and accepting them as truth and when I know by significant amount of research that it isn't.

CHEN: He told The Spokesman Review in an interview published on Saturday that he believes, quote, it's over 100 professional athletes dead. Professional athletes, the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court.

RICHARD CARPIANO, PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENTIST AND SOCIOLOGIST, U.C. RIVERSIDE: If something like that were to happen, we would know of that already.

CHEN: Professor Richard Carpiano says effective measures are in place to watch for potential adverse reactions to vaccines. The CDC requires health care workers to report deaths adverse effects following vaccination even if it's not clear whether the vaccine was the cause. The CDC says reports of serious issues are rare. So, Stockton's claim?

CARPIANO: It is really quite dangerous and it puts people at harm, it puts his fans at harm and it's going to get people sick and, unfortunately, someone is going to die too.

CHEN: Pandemic politics playing out right now especially in indoor sports like basketball where COVID restrictions are stricter than in outdoor arenas. And the NCAA does not regulate policies for regular season games, leaving schools to play COVID protocol referee.

KATZ: It's not just by conference. It is by state. This has been occurring across the country, basically, in a blue, red, purple divide.

CHEN: Divide even as the pandemic marches on.

CARPIANO: This is the boat that we're all in together, including John Stockton.

CHEN: Natasha Chen, CNN, Los Angeles.

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GOLODRYGA: Listen, Jim, Gonzaga just saying the rules apply to all of us, right, even hall of famers.

SCIUTTO: Well, that's the issue with all these stories, right, I mean, with an Aaron Rodgers too. His teammates abided by the rules. He did not. It's a -- or Novak Djokovic, the other players abide by the rules, he did not.

GOLODRYGA: Role models that are not doing the right thing in this instance.

Well, it was right television last night, I can tell you that. Two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL set their playoff game into overtime and that was just one, one of the four epic matchups we saw. After the break, we'll recap possibly the best weekend ever for football and well worth staying up late for too.

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[10:55:00]

GOLODRYGA: Well, the NFL's conference championships are set after a thrilling weekend with all four playoff games decided on the final play, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Andy Scholes, remind me, were these close games in the end? I'm trying to remember how it went down.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Guys, what an epic weekend. I mean, it was the first time in playoff history, four games decided on the final play and Chiefs-Bills last night, I mean, that's going to go down as one of it, not the best playoff games just ever. I'll show you how it went down in the final moment after exchanging touchdowns in the final two minutes, Josh Allen here going to find Gabriel Davis for the score, puts the Bills up three with just 13 seconds left. That means the Bills have thought they had won the game.

But Patrick Mahomes went on to complete two passes, the last one here Travis Kelce, and it was enough yards for Harrison Butker to make it a 49-yard field goal to send this game into overtime. The Chiefs then won the coin toss and Mahomes led them down the field, found Kelce again, this time, it would be for a game-winning touchdown.

And lots of people were really wishing the overtime rules were different last night and that Allen were going to get one more chance to match that touchdown but they didn't. Chiefs win a thriller, 42-36, and Andy Reid was asked after the game, how grim were things looking with just 13 seconds left.

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ANDY REID, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS HEAD COACH: Yes. When it's grim, be the grim reaper and go get it. So, he did that.

PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: To be in this moment in this game against that team and to make a play to walk off a game at Arrowhead, I'll remember this for the rest of my life.

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SCHOLES: Yes. And the Bucs and Rams game nearly just as good, Tom Brady led another epic comeback after being down 27-3 but Matt Stafford found Cooper Kupp down the middle, that's at the game winning field goal, guys, as the Rams won a thriller in that one.

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Brady said after the game he's going to take it day-by-day, no decisions yet, but I imagine he doesn't want to go out like that and he'll be back.

SCIUTTO: My Giants had a shot at Josh Allen --