With COVID cases plummeting and 58 percent of adults having received at least one dose of a vaccine, people looked to get back to normal on Sunday as they traveled and gathered to get back to mom to celebrate Mother’s Day. But ABC’s Good Morning America was not having any of it. At one point in their newscast, they lashed out at those trying to go back to normal, including the vaccinated as air travel numbers soared.
“Let's switch back to the pandemic now, and new concerns about people getting together in large gatherings and spreading the virus. Today's worry, of course, is Mother's Day,” huffed co-anchor Dan Harris.
The report was delivered by correspondent Zohreen Shah, who led into the video portion by trying to shame the vaccinated for traveling. “As more Americans get vaccinated, more are flying. TSA's top official telling me they are shattering pandemic records. He says this shows we’re returning to a sense of normalcy,” she warned.
“This weekend, a single-day pandemic air travel record. Airports like Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson slammed with long TSA lines,” she announced at the top of the video.
At one point in the report, Shah griped about the kids eager to see their moms again:
SHAH: 1.7 million travelers passing TSA Friday compared to 200,000 this time last year. Here at L.A.X., some kids flying just to surprise mom.
UNIDENTIFIED MOM: So glad you came. Love you.
UNIDENTIFIED SON: I could have come back later, but I wanted to be back for Mother's Day.
“Now, all of this coming as states are turning down thousands of vaccine doses, as demand plummets. Experts fearing that the places where the vaccinations are being turned down, that there could be an outbreak as variants spread,” Shah concluded.
Further on in the program, co-anchor Whit Johnson brought on NIH director Dr. Francis Collins and tried to have him aid in their fear-mongering and bashing of vaccinated travelers.
“We are making progress on vaccinations as you mentioned. Cases coming down, but there will be family gatherings this weekend for Mother's Day, of course. Given where we are in the pandemic right now, how much does that concern you…” Johnson teed him up.
But Johnson ultimately failed as Dr. Collins chose to praise mothers instead:
Well, first of all, let me say Happy Mother's Day to all the moms cause this is their day, and moms are the ones who have often been handling a lot of the responsibilities for COVID. You’ve been ordering the masks and the hand sanitizers. You’ve been checking out the information about the vaccines. In a lot of families, it's the moms who’ve basically gone out and said, “Yes, we need to get this family immunized.”
It’s like ABC didn’t want things to go back to normal and wanted the country to live in perpetual fear and a perpetual lockdown.
ABC’s ridiculous pandemic and Mother’s Day reporting was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Folgers Coffee and State Farm. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
May 9, 2021
8:04:18 a.m. EasternDAN HARRIS: Let's switch back to the pandemic now, and new concerns about people getting together in large gatherings and spreading the virus. Today's worry, of course, is Mother's Day. ABC's Zohreen Shah is at the airport in Los Angeles where we're seeing a big spike in air travel this weekend. Zohreen, good morning to you.
ZOHREEN SHAH: Good morning, Dan. As more Americans get vaccinated, more are flying. TSA's top official telling me they are shattering pandemic records. He says this shows we’re returning to a sense of normalcy.
[Cuts to video]
This weekend, a single-day pandemic air travel record. Airports like Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson slammed with long TSA lines.
SEDRIC SALINAS (traveler): Right after I checked my bag in, here was a line way around the corner.
SHAH: 1.7 million travelers passing TSA Friday compared to 200,000 this time last year. Here at L.A.X., some kids flying just to surprise mom.
UNIDENTIFIED MOM: So glad you came. Love you.
UNIDENTIFIED SON: I could have come back later, but I wanted to be back for Mother's Day.
SHAH: As fliers return, acting TSA administrators saying they are significantly ramping up staff.
DARBY LAJOYE (acting TSA administrator): Between now and the Fourth of July, we do expect to add several hundred thousand more on some of our busiest days. So, this really is shaping up to be a very busy summer.
SHAH: As the traveling boom continues, airport vaccine clinics expanding. Miami Airport joining some U.S. cities like Atlanta Monday in offering the vaccine.
Now, the focus turning to young people. The FDA expected to announce this week whether 12 to 15-year-olds can get Pfizer's vaccine. States nationwide preparing for the rollout. In Florida, Orange and Osceola counties planning to create vaccination sites at their schools. And Texas health officials urging pediatricians to be prepared.
DR. FLOR MUNOZ: Parents and providers alike are really [transition] making sure that everyone who needs to be vaccinated is able to, and that we start vaccinating as soon as possible.
SHAH: This father eagerly waiting for his two teens to get the vaccine.
GURU RAMAMRTHY: They want to get back to a sense of normalcy. [Transition] They want to engage with their friends, you know, with much more freedom. They want to participate in events.
[Cuts back to live]
SHAH: Now, all of this coming as states are turning down thousands of vaccine doses, as demand plummets. Experts fearing that the places where the vaccinations are being turned down, that there could be an outbreak as variants spread. Eva?
EVA PILGRIM: Zohreen Shah for us there, thank you.
(…)
8:10:15 a.m. Eastern
WHIT JOHNSON: And as we've seen with this pandemic, threats overseas can certainly be a problem here for us at home, but I want to turn back to the U.S. We are making progress on vaccinations as you mentioned. Cases coming down, but there will be family gatherings this weekend for Mother's Day, of course. Given where we are in the pandemic right now, how much does that concern you, and what advice do you have for how we should actually get together?
DR. FRANCIS COLLINS: Well, first of all, let me say happy Mother's Day to all the moms cause this is their day, and moms are the ones who have often been handling a lot of the responsibilities for COVID. You’ve been ordering the masks and the hand sanitizers. You’ve been checking out the information about the vaccines. In a lot of families, it's the moms who’ve basically gone out and said, “Yes, we need to get this family immunized.”
And maybe they haven't. Maybe the dads and adult children haven't gotten around to it yet. So, a pitch here. All you husbands, sons and daughters who are 16 and older, give mom a present. Sign up and get your vaccine if you haven't already done it, and let me give you one little tip here of how you find out how to do that.
Go to your phone and just punch in a text to “get vax.” G-E-T-V-A-X. So, that would be 438829. Punch in your zip code, and you will get immediately three locations where vaccines are available. So, no reason to say, “I don't know where to go.” G-E-T-V-A-X. 438829. It's Mother's Day. Give mom a present. She'll love you for it.
