The next is a transcript of an interview with New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams that aired Sunday, January 9, 2022, on "Face the Nation." MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to FACE THE NATION, we flip now to the mayor of New York Metropolis, Eric Adams. Good morning to you, Mr. Mayor. NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS: Good morning. Good to be on with you. MARGARET BRENNAN: Thanks. You have got mentioned that someplace round 70% of hospital beds in your metropolis are presently occupied. Are the hospitals near being overwhelmed? MAYOR ADAMS: No, in no way, my each day briefings with my well being care professionals, I had one earlier right this moment, they acknowledged that we're steady they usually're doing a tremendous job and people heroes and sheroes who're the nurses and docs and hospital workers, we simply want to essentially commend them for the job. And we're watching this intently and we're going to ensure we reply and pivot as COVID continues to take action. MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, we want you luck with that. You- you have got the most important faculty district within the nation in your metropolis, after all, and you've got been very clear you're preserving colleges open. To try this, you have given out and N95 masks, required workers be vaccinated, everybody's bought to be masked. You've got bought air purifiers, you have routine screening, however you are not requiring a destructive take a look at earlier than college students return to the classroom. That is one thing they're doing right here within the District of Columbia. Are you assured you'll be able to maintain the extent of transmission low? MAYOR ADAMS: You realize, and it is so vital that you simply laid out the issues that we put in place as a result of COVID is a formidable and transferring goal and now we have to pivot, and shift based mostly on that. And our insurance policies have been rooted in, I would like my kids at school. And if my medical professionals inform me, Eric, now we have to do a mandated vaccine, we'll try this. However proper now, now we have introduced over 1.5 million exams in our colleges, as you indicated, N95 masks in addition to different assets and instruments. And now we have been doing a tremendous job due to one factor: coordination and communication with our UFT and different businesses concerned, and I consider we're doing the suitable factor for our kids, having them within the most secure place and that's in a college constructing. MARGARET BRENNAN: That- you are speaking concerning the union there. You are speaking concerning the union there, however you have saved colleges open. However the plain truth of the matter is individuals are nonetheless going to get sick. And I do know you have got had some workers shortages on account of that. Attendance at school this previous week was about 70%, so about 300,000 out of one million college students missed class. Are you going to must elongate the college 12 months to make up for all this? MAYOR ADAMS: You realize, I am so glad you mentioned that, as a result of I believe many individuals are lacking it. There was a tremendous article within the New York Instances that acknowledged that is the primary time we spent extra time and vitality round defending adults than the way forward for our kids. I am troubled that we nearly had a two-year loss for our kids. They're behind in math, behind in English. We'll sit down with my new chancellor and say, how will we begin doing the catch up? As a result of distant choices usually are not actually getting used and cannot be used accurately for these kids who haven't got entry to excessive pace broadband, want the meals that they want. I do know now we have to have a look at a special way of life with COVID every time a brand new variant comes out and one space is schooling. MARGARET BRENNAN: However you do have these staffing shortages, as- as many faculties are seeing across the nation. The federal authorities says they're giving out loads of cash so that you can rent individuals to come back in. However how do you get somebody to take a job as a instructor proper now in the midst of a pandemic at a low wage? MAYOR ADAMS: Nicely, we'd like them in, and our lecturers are paid accordingly to an ideal union contract, they usually get the assist that they deserve. And we have to appeal to individuals to do what I wish to say: educating is a calling. We're not simply making an attempt to ensure we fill a job applicant. No, we wish the most effective in entrance of our kids. And what now we have carried out efficiently right here on this metropolis is pivot and shift based mostly on the wants and the way COVID is altering. We should study to reside with COVID, and now we have to do it in a secure method. MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, we might must reside with it, however for the an infection price, after I take a look at the New York State Division of Well being report, which I simply did, it mentioned potential elevated severity of the Omicron variant may play a task in elevated price of hospitalizations for kids beneath age 11. What makes you assured that Omicron is not inflicting dangerous outcomes in youngsters when the state makes this level? MAYOR ADAMS: Nicely, let's take a look at one thing else the state and metropolis is stating, a toddler is 4 instances extra more likely to be hospitalized if they are not vaccinated. So, I'm saying to my dad and mom and the individuals of New York, get vaccinated and get booster pictures. We do not have to really feel helpless like the start of this virus in 2020, science and international communities got here collectively. We now have the instruments that we'd like. So, let's empower ourselves with the vaccination and booster pictures. If we try this, we'll carry down these hospital charges, and that's what I am encouraging dad and mom to do. MARGARET BRENNAN: However some dad and mom are simply not vaccinating their 5 to 11 12 months outdated's at that youthful demographic. However what about youngsters who're 4 and beneath? They do not have an choice to take a vaccine, and that's the place you are seeing the quickest rising an infection price, in response to the New York State Division of Well being. Are you going to maintain daycare amenities open or are you going to maintain preschools open when these youngsters cannot be vaccinated? MAYOR ADAMS: Sure, we're. We'll proceed to do what we're doing, coordinating with our well being care professionals. If you begin to disrupt the soundness of childcare, of daycare and schooling, it has a rippling influence all through our total metropolis. Dad and mom not allowed- cannot maintain their kids house, they must work. The economic system can be a part of this disaster that we face. And with the correct steadiness of making a secure atmosphere inside our daycares, our colleges, in different areas, our dad and mom can go and do the roles they should do, and that's what I need to face within the metropolis. Now we have to make sure the monetary ecosystem is wholesome in addition to our kids and our households are wholesome on the similar time. MARGARET BRENNAN: Mr. Mayor, we'll be watching. Thanks to your time this morning.
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