But we recognize there also folks who are worried about their own health, health of their families, the health of their neighbors and yet the same time I have been so impressed by and grateful for, the manner in which this city has risen to the occasion.

Residents are taking direction from public health officials.

They are engaging in common sense practices.

There has not been any panic or hysteria. 00:00:55.880 --> 00:01:1.530 People are approaching this in a way that is that is calm and serious and measured and proportionate to the challenge. 00:01:1.600 --> 00:01:3.580 You described it as a moving target. 00:01:3.580 --> 00:01:14.090 Is that the hardest part of this, unlike when you're dealing with natural disaster, or that there's a beginning a middle and you can define wherever the end will be.

At least you know, with this you don't know what the next day will bring.

Well, yes, that is a part of the challenge.

Although logic tells us that the number of reported cases will continue to increase now, it's important to stress that that does not necessarily mean that the illness itself is spreading rather than detection of the illness is spreading.

We become more aware of those who have been infected.

Um, so it is impossible to know the scope and scale that this will eventually stabilize at.

But we do know that the common sense measures that are recommended by public public health professionals are the ones that we should always be employing.

And to the extent that we can improve awareness of those measures, we will all be better off. 00:01:58.660 --> 00:02:8.950 I do have to add a special word of of gratitude for an aberration to the community of young Israel of New Rochelle, which of course, is bearing the heaviest burden right now. 00:02:9.940 --> 00:02:27.700 And the degree to which uh, folks in that congregation have demonstrated patients and responsibility and ah, enormous regard not just for their fellow congregants, but for our entire city by voluntarily being engaged in this self quarantine.

We shouldn't underestimate the hardship that this entails and the fact that it's being done in a genuine commitment to the common good.

And I think I spoke too, some folks in the field of law and they said Right now, a lot of this is recommendations you can't really forcibly make.

People say they're the the way the communities like in your shell and will be many others in this country.

Before this is said and done, you have to rely on judgment and discretion of of her constituents, don't you? 00:02:58.940 --> 00:03:3.630 Well, my understanding this is a little bit in between in that, like so many things with this, right? 00:03:3.640 --> 00:03:7.140 As of now, it is a voluntary self quarantine. 00:03:7.140 --> 00:03:11.650 But the state has the authority as a backstop to enforce the quarantine.

Um, and that has been made clear to us.

A civic leaders made clear to the leadership of the congregation as well.

Everybody hopes, and everybody expects that that won't be necessary precisely because members of young Israeli, New Rochelle and other objective the quarantine have behaved so responsibly in such a public spirited fashion.

But if necessary, Um, the state can direct and ah, County and local authorities may not be required to participate in measures to enforce the quarantine.

So to me, what I would imagine in by no means did do you or any mayor of any city act unilaterally. 00:03:53.110 --> 00:04:4.050 There's officials from certainly the county from the state, lovely when the federal guidance coming over the Health Department's but from one day to the next some schools close. 00:04:4.950 --> 00:04:12.440 Some of you know places won't have basketball tournaments, for example, while the neighboring area will.

There doesn't seem to be a uniformity to this.

Some houses of worship say, you know, don't shake hand that hasn't been enforced in other places.

How do you navigate that when you're considering?

Say, Wait a minute, they're doing this.

We're doing that.

Who's right?

Who's wrong?

How do you temper the balance between being cautious without being hyper conned?

REAC or not being vigilant without being reckless?

Well, you just put your finger on.

I think exactly what is the central public challenge.

We want to make sure that we approach this with level of focus and concern and seriousness that is commensurate with a very serious public health challenge.

And at the same time we want to make sure that we don't stray into panic, which would create it's its own problems. 00:04:59.950 --> 00:05:5.760 We can't simply withdraw from the life and commerce of our communities entirely. 00:05:6.520 --> 00:05:17.430 Now, when there is clear direction from a public health authority from a public health expert, then the choices that are made by localities or school, district's or families become relatively simple.

The right thing to do is simply follow that guidance.

But there are other cases in which it's shades of gray, and it's a matter of reasonable people using common sense and deciding what is their own risk tolerance.

You know, for example, the county executive and I went out to lunch together at a kosher Asian restaurant in Ah, in the white Gil area.

We did so to demonstrate that we ourselves are completely confident that we could do this without any threat to our health whatsoever, that we shouldn't be stigmatizing an entire neighborhood as though the virus was sort of a cloud that surrounded it.

That's not how the virus is transmitted it if I could. 00:05:53.840 --> 00:06:0.500 Miss Mary used the example of Seattle, for example, There's pictures now where it looks like a ghost town. 00:06:1.150 --> 00:06:7.460 Obviously, they've had incidences in Kirkland, Washington, and now there's even a few cases in the tech sector in Seattle. 00:06:7.810 --> 00:06:14.590 But for folks who don't know and I've grown up in this county for almost 50 years, there's a renaissance going on in New Rochelle.

I'm not saying you're saying cross for me, but there are parts of this city that of 80,000 that are unrecognizable in a good way from ones that I grew up in.

How concerned are you?

That because you don't know where the end of this is yet that people, by being cautious, won't just not get on a plane now like we're seeing, but won't go out to have lunch like you did won't go to the theaters in New Rock City or whatever else.

How concerning is that and for counter a city whose bottom line relies so much on the commerce?

How much is even a bad week?

If it's a bad month, how much could that really impact the city? 00:06:58.450 --> 00:07:2.780 Well, in the long term, I don't have any concerns about this at all. 00:07:2.780 --> 00:07:6.450 We're gonna overcome this challenge for a resilient, strong community. 00:07:6.840 --> 00:07:13.550 And, uh, you know, whether it's a week or a month or two months, we're gonna get back Thio back to business.

And so I think we'll be resilient enough to overcome this.

In the short term, I am concerned for our local business community.

I'm just concerned for the fabric of of life and never shell, Which is why again, I suggest that unless there is a specific public health reason not to, that people are best off doing what they would ordinarily d'oh but taking help guidance in terms of common sense measures that they can use to protect themselves and their families.

Look, I respect everyone has to make judgments for themselves, and people may set the risk tolerance at different levels.

Obviously, if you're someone who has a compromised immune system or pre existing respiratory element, you're gonna set that level a little bit higher.

If you are an otherwise healthy adult, you're set your level a little bit lower. 00:07:58.020 --> 00:08:6.170 But you know the analogy I I've used with people is you can avoid any chance of a car accident if you choose never to drive and never to get on the road. 00:08:6.530 --> 00:08:15.100 But most people will not make that trade because we recognize that our risk avoidance needs to be reasonably calibrated to the actual threat that we face.

And if we go past that point, then we only harm ourselves.

Um, you've chosen, along with the other state leaders county and the medical fee to be as transparent as possible.

Seeing it in the press conferences, you lead exactly where things are, what the plan is.

Obviously, there's been an investment by the state, even as they wait for some guidance or more help from the feds.

But how do you when one of your constituents says, Well, what do I do if I'm not feeling good?

And so if you're not sick, you don't go work?

Your president says, Hey, go ahead and go or you are up front by saying, You don't know when exactly this will end.

The presence has the worst behind us. 00:08:58.980 --> 00:09:4.750 How complicating is it even more than it is when you don't have a consistent message? 00:09:5.140 --> 00:09:13.750 And the one thing is I've been reading last week, Here is the biggest mistakes are when there isn't transparency, then there isn't credibility and leadership.

How much has this White House made this job even more difficult than it already is?

Well, let me agree with your general point, which is that in a moment of anxiety and public concern, it's particularly important for people in leadership positions to speak with a voice that is clear and consistent.

I can't speak to the federal government because, frankly, I haven't had any direct relationship with the CDC or the White House.

My relationship has been primarily with state officials and county officials, and there I could not offer higher compliments.

They have been outstanding.

The governor has been outstanding.

County executive Latimer has been outstanding.

Their respective health authorities have been wonderful to work with.

We are all collaborating in orderto maximize the availability of useful, accurate information to the public, particularly for those most effective, ensuring that they have the most robust access toe.

Both information and the service is that they may need.

And I don't want to overstate.

By the way, my own role in the city of New Rochelle does not have its own public health apparatus or public health expertise.

So we really take direction from county and state officials and do our best to support and assist their efforts.

But I'm grateful that we can rely on their expertise because this is a moment when we need it there.

I can only imagine if I was sitting at that desk of the amount of unknown going into this and really not having a walk through like this before.

What do you do, for example, of a lot of apartment buildings?

What if somebody is self quarantining in an apartment building? 00:10:54.990 --> 00:11:0.620 And even if the science says you know it can't be transmitted just by being in the same building? 00:11:1.040 --> 00:11:4.530 There is a human element to this, and there's going to be fears. 00:11:4.610 --> 00:11:13.680 What are some of the, um, realizations you came across that you never would have thought of until you've gone through what you have the last 72 plus hours?

Interesting.

You raise that as a hypothetical example, and yet I had a conversation about precisely that subject yesterday afternoon, and I guess it does illustrate what my role is.

Perhaps is a connector.

You're the public face in this city.

I did hear from a coop leader at one of the large multi family complexes that's in the area that's most heavily affected with questions and concerns about exactly what sort of guidance should be offered.

Toe residents of that complex eso I connected her with an official of the county Department of Health.

That county official was in turn and in touch with counterparts at New York City who obviously have the most experience with multi family units. 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:4.690 And so the hope is that through that process of sharing information, people locally can be better armed with what to do. 00:12:4.700 --> 00:12:7.060 So I was not the source of information. 00:12:7.060 --> 00:12:8.140 I don't have that expertise. 00:12:8.140 --> 00:12:9.770 I don't pretend to have that expertise.

But hopefully I can play a constructive role in moving information from one source to another.

We've seen in different parts of this country certain populations, specifically Asian, um, and even orthodox communities that have been targeted or blamed for this irrational that maybe have you run into any of that here.

And how do you try and get out of a head from people?

Scapegoating others when fear is probably as big challenges any in dealing with us, you raise a great point.

So look in a community of 80,000 people.

They're always going to be a spectrum of reactions, some appropriate, some inappropriate. 00:12:52.180 --> 00:13:6.010 But I am proud to say that for the overwhelming majority of Nora Shelley ins and the overwhelming feedback that I've received has been nothing but support for and goodwill for all of our neighbors. 00:13:6.020 --> 00:13:10.020 The questions I get from folks are How can I help?

What can we do to support our neighbors who are in need?

And it is absolutely essential that we not make the foolish conclusion the wrong headed conclusion, the morally wrong conclusion that certain people, because of their religious affiliation or their racial or ethnic background, are somehow too be excluded and isolated in ostracised?

That is the worst thing we could D'oh, particularly in a diverse community like New Rochelle, which prides itself on welcoming people of every heritage.

And, uh, you know, that's a key part of our identity and something we will always uphold.

Um, this next question.

There's no way you can know the answer, but just intuitively, do you think you almost have to prepare your residents that this is going to get worse before it gets better? 00:13:58.790 --> 00:14:8.270 As you said when Mork it's become available, Toby, more testing and they'll be more detection, whether or not it's more cases made its by product of just having more information. 00:14:8.270 --> 00:14:12.950 But nonetheless, they'll be more, um, you're going to get questions.

Should people go on Metro North to get on the train?

Should they go to the basketball game?

Sure, they go to the mall, should they?

How are you going to answer that when you don't know when and how this ends and how big this gets by being honest about what we know and don't know In all of our communication?

This is true for the county and state as well.

We've indicated that there's every likelihood that there will be additional cases reported in the days ahead.

We haven't put some artificial deadline on when this is gonna end What we have committed.

Thio is sharing information as we have it, recognizing that new directives may follow as warranted, encouraging everyone to stay abreast of the news and continue again engaging in common sense practices that can protect themselves under all circumstances.

Ah, and taking it one day at a time. 00:15:0.650 --> 00:15:3.810 So I don't think there's any other way to approach this. 00:15:4.340 --> 00:15:12.750 But again, the good news is I think most people understand that recognize that are approaching this in a way that is logical and mature.

Um, and we'll get through this, you know, you never want to face a challenge like this as a community, of course, but it is heartening to see that when the challenge comes, people in New Rochelle are able to face it in a way that is so resilient and so strong and so illustrative of a commitment to each other.

Finally, um, when you get through this and you'll look back, um, even though there seems have been terrific cooperation from the top down in New York for this, this hopefully will not be a new normal.

But we should plan that will have to deal with something like this again. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:16:9.870 What needs to happen for people sit behind desks like yours that are mayors in this country that you don't have, or we didn't have in place that we need to have, whether it be on the medical side or whether the protocols that don't exist right now. 00:16:9.880 --> 00:16:19.280 I mean, you deal with every facet of this, from the folks on the medical side to the leadership and everything in between what isn't there that would have made this much more helpful.

A CZ You look back in the last world wind of a week, so that's a good question.

And I don't know that I have yet had the time to sort of reflect on this and the way that I will in the days ahead.

I know that from the public health professionals perspective, being able to ramp up testing capacity is a real priority, and it's ah, it's a constraint right now on our ability to respond.

But I don't know that it's This is just my lack of expertise that showing I don't know you could build up testing capacity for every potential illness.

You know, this may be something that's just baked into the cake is a limitation in all public health responses. 00:16:56.540 --> 00:17:8.130 So certainly I think there'll be an effort at every level to absorb lessons once this episode is largely behind us and figure out what we can do to better prepare in the future. 00:17:8.640 --> 00:17:10.850 But there's also that great Mike Tyson line.

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth and we should recognize that every incident like this will have its own peculiar unique characteristics which cannot necessarily be anticipated in advance.

And it's why having a relationship between different public authorities between different levels of government that is based on cooperation and trust is, in the end, maybe the most important asset because it enables you to respond flexibly and effectively to whatever comes your way.

Yes, I loing, as we've learned, never works here, but and I never met this more so than now.