SANCHEZ: “I want to pivot, sir, to the Supreme Court’s ruling overnight. They blocked New York’s Coronavirus restrictions limiting attendance at churches, synagogues and other houses of worship. I know a lot of folks that I’ve discussed this with, they’re asking about religious freedom and how certain officials are appearing to prioritize commerce over worship. But correct me if I’m wrong, there are specific reasons why going in a church, a synagogue or a mosque can be problematic compared to going to, say, a liquor store as Justice Gorsuch alluded to.”
HOTEZ: “Yeah, it’s absolutely crazy. This is not about religious freedom, this is not about civil liberties, this is about all hands on deck to save lives over the next few months until we get everybody vaccinated. You know, I’m not a constitutional scholar, I’m a physician scientist, but I can say with firmness and clarity that human life is not cheap. And that Supreme Court ruling did just that, it devalues human lives and makes it really tough for our health care providers to provide the best care possible to lower mortality rates. This is not a time to resort to ideologies or — this is a time to stay safe for American pragmatism, to focus on saving lives, over a very defined period of time, we’re not talking about perpetuity. Let’s just do this for the next few months in order to keep everybody and get everyone to the other side.”
SANCHEZ: “And to that point, practically, there is a difference between sitting in the same area huddled with a group of, a large group of people over a large amount of time versus walking into a space that’s restricted for a very short amount of time and then walking out. Dr. Peter Hotez —“
HOTEZ: “I mean, to compare going to a liquor store — I don’t know what kind of liquor store Judge Gorsuch is going to, but the last time I was in one, there weren’t hundreds of people singing or chanting or talking to each other without face masks. This is what we need to halt, any kind of large indoor gatherings, again, for that very specific defined period.”
SANCHEZ: “All right, Dr. Peter Hotez, we appreciate your expertise and perspective. Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving.”