Transcript: Lori Lightfoot on "Face the Nation," December 6, 2020
The following is a transcript of an interview with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot that aired Sunday, December 6, 2020, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: The state of Illinois recorded more coronavirus deaths than any other state in the past seven days, according to the CDC. We want to go now to the mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, who we've periodically checked in with during this crisis. Good morning to you.
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT: Good morning, MARGARET.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Madam Mayor, you issued a stay-at-home order that will expire in about 10 days. Is that kind of directive helping you control the spread? Does it make a dent when you have an outbreak like this?
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: Well, I- I think it has. We went from well over 2,000 cases a day. Now we're down to about 1,300. Not where we want to be by any stretch, but a significant improvement just over a couple of weeks. We're still nervously watching the numbers to see if there's going to be a post-Thanksgiving surge. But I think everything that we can do to heighten people's awareness that this second surge is just as deadly, if not more so than the first is critically important. So I do think that these advisories make a difference.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Early on in this pandemic, when you joined us, you told us half of those dying of COVID in Chicago were Black, despite making up just 30% of your population. Have those numbers improved?
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: They have improved, but there's still a concern. We're seeing people of color, both Black and Latinx, leading in the number of cases infected, but also leading in deaths. We've done a lot I think. The- certainly the treatments have improved because we've learned a lot more about this virus. But it's still a concern because of the underlying health disparities that bring on comorbidities that make Black and brown Chicagoans more susceptible to the worst results of this disease.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, we know from Dr. Slaoui that- that hope is on the horizon in terms of this vaccine. And the federal government plans to directly supply the vaccine to the mayors of major cities like Chicago. So I'm wondering how much discretion you will get as mayor to decide who goes first and who goes last.
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: Well, we really get no discretion because part of the agreement with the- the federal government is that we agreed to the specific prioritization protocol that they put forward. But I think the good news about that for a city like Chicago is obviously our front-line health care workers are going to get it. They are very diverse. Our essential workers will be next in the queue. They are extraordinarily diverse and really lean towards people of color. So there will be an equity lens as it applies to distribution of the vaccine here in Chicago.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, how do you decide whose front line, who's essential and- and when will you be able to vaccinate them all?
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: Well, a lot of that, again, is defined by the CDC. We expect to get the first tranche of vaccines here in the next couple of weeks. That's already predetermined to go to the front-line workers who are dealing directly with COVID patients. We expect to get around 23,000 doses. Now, that's a fraction of what we will need. But we've been working with our hospital partners to identify those within their workforce who are going to be front of the queue to get the early doses of the vaccine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But that, for example, those are doctors and nurses. Those aren't firefighters.
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: They are not. The- the- the first responders will be in the second wave. First, we've got to make sure that we get the front-line health care workers vaccinated. First responders though are very much at the top of the list, as are essential workers, those folks who have no choice but to go out and work on the front lines. So we'll be taking care of them as well. But the most important thing is making sure that we get a robust supply of a vaccine so we can get it distributed as effectively as possible.
MARGARET BRENNAN: When it comes to racial disparities we know from a study done by the NAACP, only 14% of Black people trust that a vaccine will be safe, 18% trust it will be effective. And among Latinos, 34% trust it's safety. How are you going to convince your constituents to take the vaccine?
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: Well, I think we- we're going to do this in a number of ways. Number one, we have organized here locally a scientific advisory panel made up of diverse practitioners. We're going to verify and- and validate the process by which this vaccine has been produced. So, I think that's critically important. We're then also looking at a variety of trusted community leaders from the medical profession, but also local stakeholders who themselves are also going to be on the front lines of getting this vaccine. We've launched a campaign going door to door, particularly in those neighborhoods where the virus is- really continues to be a challenge, where there's high percent positivity case rates. So, that's been ongoing and we're bringing them news of the vaccine and why it's so important. But bottom line is, we've got to get local trusted leaders who are going to validate why it's important to take the vac- vaccine. I can talk all I want, but people have to trust their neighbors and stakeholders in the community. And that's why we've activated this group of folks to be really the spokespeople about the vaccine.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, one of the- the sticking points in Congress right now over providing relief to the American people financially is state and local money.
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You have taken a loan, 450 million dollars in the short term. You're even borrowing against future revenue from the sale of recreational marijuana in order to try to avoid layoffs. What are you going to do if Congress doesn't provide funds to you?
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: Well, we- we passed a budget on the assumption that we were not going to get any additional federal moneys. Now that would be a tragedy not just for Chicago, but also for the people who really depend upon the kind of services that the government provides: our seniors, our young people, the most vulnerable population, homeless and- and so forth. So, I hope that the partisan divide that has prevented a package from getting to the president's desk will actually be broken through. Because if you look at the devastation of our economy, it's not just blue states. It's red, it's purple. Everyone has been affected by COVID-19 economic impacts. And we just need to make sure as mayors and governors, we continue to beat that drum so Congress does its work and gets a package to the president's desk for signature.
MARGARET BRENNAN: All right, Mayor Lightfoot, thank you for joining us this morning.
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT: Thank you very much.