Labor Secretary Scalia on June jobs report, economic recovery amid COVID-19 pandemic

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Labor Secretary Scalia on June jobs report, economic recovery amid COVID-19 pandemic

This is a rush transcript from "Your World with Neil Cavuto," July 3, 2020. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Go forth and, well, celebrate the Fourth, where you can.

In Santa Monica, California, you can look at the beach. You just can't go to it this weekend. Much the same story right now in Dallas, where, if you want to go out, well, you're kind of limited where you can go. And you better bring a mask with you, because that will now be the policy throughout the state.

Florida, meanwhile, seeing its own spike in cases. We're going to talk about the impact with the Hard Rock International chairman and CEO, does a lot of business there, biggest casino operator in the Sunshine State. We will be speaking to him momentarily, as the nation gets prepared to celebrate. But you have to kind of pick and choose where you do it.

Casey Stegall in Dallas with the very latest.

Hey, Casey.

CASEY STEGALL, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Neil, Texas, you talked about this, now joins about 13 other states where masks or face coverings are pretty much required outside the home almost anywhere you go.

It is the latest executive order that was passed in this state by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in recent weeks to help slow the community spread of COVID-19. The announcement also comes on the heels of yesterday's record- breaking number of hospitalizations in Texas.

More than 7,300 patients diagnosed with coronavirus are now being treated at hospitals across the state, a figure that has doubled in just the last two weeks. Health officials all over the country have been expressing concern about this very holiday weekend, concerns that people would not heed the warnings about social distancing or gathering in large groups, particularly in states experiencing those surges.

A lot of public beaches have been closed in places like California, Florida, and also right here in South Texas, or at the very least access to those spots, including boat ramps and campgrounds, limited.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUDGE CLAY JENKINS, DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS: It's really up to all of us, keep those celebrations super small. It's a scary time, and we need to show grace to another, but we will get through it if we all move from selfishness to sacrifice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEGALL: Meantime, in Arizona, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID is going down, while the number of new cases has gone up, which officials have largely attributed to increased testing capacity.

According to data on the state's Web site, ICU bed space has increased to 91 percent in the last few days, while, in Florida, the mayor of Miami has implemented a curfew now, which goes into effect today. He's also ordered the city's movie theaters, arcades, bowling alleys, and a majority of casinos around that region to also close their doors yet again -- Neil.

CAVUTO: All right, thank you, my friend, very, very much.

Just to keep tabs on it here, more than half the states in this country are now imposing restrictions or slightly reversing phased reopenings here, some rather severely, like in Texas and Arizona and partially Florida.

But, by and large, these restrictions are not turning Americans away from finding a way to celebrate the Fourth, nevertheless, and even opt to look at travel options.

Christina Coleman with more on that from Santa Monica, California -- Christina.

CHRISTINA COLEMAN, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Neil.

Yes, for people who plan on hopping on a plane this holiday weekend, just know the feds are following the lead of the airports and airlines and encouraging people to wear one of these. Yes, they're saying you need to wear a mask.

And as for the beaches, like here in beautiful Santa Monica, you can see the beach is practically empty here. That's because it's closed, like many beaches throughout this state right now, as public officials are encouraging people to just stay home.

And travel experts at AAA say many people are doing just that, trips this week and expected to be down 15 percent from last year, a drop-off for the first time since the great recession. But lots of people are still heading out.

And for those who do, we're told that 97 percent will do so by car.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK JENKINS, AAA: In terms of destinations, it's oftentimes the open-air destinations, something that's outdoors, where you're not going to be in a confined space with a lot of other people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLEMAN: That's the case in Sacramento, where tubing along the American River is always a popular summer activity, more so this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to do our best to keep educating people, please ask them to wear masks, ask them to social distance, and try to respect other people's space.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLEMAN: Places all across the country have canceled fireworks shows, parades and July 4 beach celebrations.

Beaches remain a flash point in the fight over coronavirus restrictions. California has closed, reopened, and now for this weekend reclosed many of its beaches, saying the holiday crowds make it just too likely that people will spread this virus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I agree with them, because, otherwise, right now, we're supposed to be, like, six feet apart, but, still, it's pretty crowded. And I can imagine the Fourth of July.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLEMAN: And for people who still plan on having barbecues or family get- togethers, public officials are warning them to social distance and to wear a mask -- Neil.

CAVUTO: All right.

And the big question, I guess, Christina, will they? They -- oftentimes, they're told to do that. They don't do that.

Thank you, Christina. Great reporting, as usual.

Back to Florida right now, where, of course, they had to reimpose some restrictions as well, for example, on bars and that sort of thing.

A number of beaches, including those around Miami-Dade, they will be closed. Try telling that to Floridians and those visiting to hear, in that hot, hot weather, that the beaches are not going to be open this weekend.

The impact on the state as well with Jim Allen. He is the Hard Rock International chairman, Florida among one of his bigger operations, and, for the state of Florida, its biggest casino, period.

Jim, good to have you back.

What has been the impact on you guys, especially with the reimposition of some restrictions?   JIM ALLEN, CHAIRMAN, HARD ROCK INTERNATIONAL: Well, first of all, Neil, thanks for having me.

Florida has been interesting. South Florida is definitely challenged. But our operation in Tampa, frankly, is doing pretty well. The hotel in Daytona has been a little soft, and Orlando overall is Extremely soft.

But, yesterday, we opened Hard Rock Atlantic City, and, frankly, we saw them a little bit more volume than what we anticipated. So, each geographic area has its own unique set of circumstances.

CAVUTO: Now, in the New Jersey area, it's going to get interesting, because the governor there was holding off on indoor dining. And I'm wondering how that affected you, because outdoor dining is allowed.

Some operations, boardwalks and all, have reopened to a degree, but you're in a lot of areas here where restrictions are there, some more severe than others. What -- how are customers dealing with that?

ALLEN: Well, first, there was certainly some disappointment when the governor decided to curtail the indoor dining. Thank God we were able to adjust.

And I would say we're fortunate here. We have over four million square feet. So we have a lot of space on our outdoor decks and dining areas. So we were able to adjust. But, clearly, if you want to entertain or have a meal in one of the inside gourmet rooms, that's just something that's not available.

But there are no restrictions on food or beverage or alcohol in the hotel rooms themselves. And, candidly, occupancy has been extremely strong.

CAVUTO: You know, I was thinking too how it could in a weird way benefit you, with beach closures in Florida, for example, that a lot of people will seek indoor venues, or at least where they're allowed. Casinos like yours come to mind.

Are you seeing that, that a crowd that normally might be outside or looking to go to some of these other outdoor hot spots, and now can't, migrate to you?

ALLEN: Well, certainly, in Florida, no, we're not seeing that.

But on -- in Atlantic City, there's always been this debate about the casinos that are in the Marina District having a little bit of an advantage because of the road accessibility.

But, frankly, for the first time in probably over 25 years, it's actually an advantage to be on the boardwalk, because the guests can actually leave their facility, go outside, walk the boardwalk, enjoy all the other restaurants and activities that, frankly, just don't exist over in the Marina District. You're kind of landlocked there.

CAVUTO: Yes.

How are you doing it in the facilities themselves? It seems every other operator has a different standard, even putting up dividers, Plexiglas dividers, between those playing, even down to slot machines, every other one open.

What are you doing?

ALLEN: You know, we started this back in, frankly, end of March looking at what our options were.

We made the decision to first invest in technology. So, we went out and, frankly, led the industry here. For anyone that walks in the facility, you're automatically scanned through thermal imaging. Not only do we know your temperature, but we actually know who you are, because we can then tie back into many, many national databases.

So, contact tracing is something, in conjunction with our surveillance equipment, that really creates a safe environment.

Certainly, we're doing all the things like having one slot machine on and two off, putting the Plexiglas dividers between the gaming positions at all the casino tables, reducing the number of seats at the tables, and obviously revisiting all of our food and beverage menus and standing operating procedures, just to try to comply with what we think is something that is very important, the safety of our employees and our guests.

CAVUTO: Well, knock on whatever. It's working so far.

So, Jim, best of luck to you in dealing with all these changes.

You got to remember, in a case like his, a big international casino operation, what works in one place doesn't necessarily work in the other.

So, this holiday weekend, there are adjustments that people are making, but we have been through worse. We can get through this.

That will be a big reminder for the president of the United States when he visits Mount Rushmore tonight, big fireworks display planned. Masks are being provided if they want them. There isn't really any social distancing going on there. But they have very low cases in South Dakota anyway.

So the message from the governor, who is encouraging the president to do this, don't worry about it.

More after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: All right, Mount Rushmore, a pretty special place.

Welcome back to our special here, as we get into the holiday weekend here. It's going to be one of those weird weekends. We have been talking about it, but this should be something to celebrate tonight, the president going into the iconic venue there at Mount Rushmore that honors four presidents.

There could be protesters there. We already know there's an invited crowd of about 7,500 there, not necessarily honoring distancing provisions, but very much being offered on nasty each and all if they want to wear them. No one's going to force the issue.

The president will be speaking there. There will be a fireworks display. That can be sometimes a little dicey there, but, again, they're taking precautions at it, I think the first time in a decade they're doing something like this.

Jonathan Hunt is there right now with the very latest -- Jonathan.

JONATHAN HUNT, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Neil, hard to think of a more spectacular way to kick off America's July 4 weekend here at the iconic Mount Rushmore.

You can see it right behind me. Later this evening, we will have a fly pass by Air Force One, as the president comes in to land at nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base. Then Marine One will also fly past as he comes back to land right here.

But this is not just about celebration tonight. Obviously, in these times, there is always politics with it. Part of the politics here, coronavirus. The governor of South Dakota said there is no social distancing required.

We can tell you that, having seen the chairs, they are not separated by a single inch. And some of the benches below me are also filling up now.

I'd say, Neil, from my view, maybe 20, 30 percent of the people are wearing masks, but they are not required to. Officials are handing out masks if people want them, but by no means is it a requirement for attending this event.

Then you mentioned the fireworks. They are -- there they were stopped after 2009, because the fireworks had caused nearby forest fires. The South Dakota governor, Kristi Noem, said that -- when she took office, that she wanted to bring them back.

President Trump enthusiastically endorsed that, saying, what's there to burn? It's just stone.

Well, there's a lot of stone here. There's also a great deal of forest. So there are firefighting units on hand, strategically placed, should there be any issue with that.

There's also the question of this land, Neil. And Sioux Tribe members plan to protest on the roads leading up to Mount Rushmore today, because they say this land is rightfully theirs and should be given back to them.

Finally, Neil, we have the politics of President Trump's speech. We're going to get fireworks after that, literally. We may have figurative fireworks in the president's speech.

And to return to the theme of coronavirus, Neil, the stage behind me here has a couple of video screens on either side of it. They have been popping up warnings about dehydration, warnings about ticks being prevalent in the area, warnings about sunburn.

One thing they haven't mentioned, coronavirus -- Neil.

CAVUTO: Wow.

All right, thank you, my friend very, very much, Jonathan Hunt.

He's been on this and all over this all day today, will continue to be tonight.

I want to go to Senator Mike Rounds, the Republican senator from that beautiful state of South Dakota, who will be joining the president of the United States tonight.

Senator, very good to have you.

You have heard about this dust-up from those representing the Sioux Indians and other tribesmen, who say that this is a big mistake. They find that to be a black mark, that entire Mount Rushmore.

You have written very eloquently about the experience when you visited there, I believe with your 2-year-old, many, many years ago, and then that there is a uniting factor to that. But some of these protesters and these Native American leaders, they don't think so.

Could we have problems tonight?

SEN. MIKE ROUNDS (R-SD): Well, first of all, one of the rights that we have here in America is to peacefully protest.

These Native American leaders may very well come and protest. They're welcome to protest, as long as it's peaceful. And I believe that it will be.

But just about 12 miles away from this beautiful Mount Rushmore, where we have got the four guys up there, these guys that did so many great things for our country, there's also an entire mountain being carved, and that's Crazy Horse.

And when the Lakota leaders saw what Gutzon Borglum could do, they asked one of the guys who was working there, a guy by name of Korczak Ziolkowski, if he would concern helping them to carve a mountain, because they wanted their leaders to be represented as well.

And so for folks that come to South Dakota, please, come see Mount Rushmore, learn the story of America through the eyes of the presidents, and then go on over and see an entire mountain being carved just 12 miles away of Crazy Horse.

I think it's a fair and balanced approach. It's -- as I tell people, there's nothing wrong with diversity, and there's nothing wrong with celebrating diversity.

So, for me, I love to come to the hills. I love to go see Crazy Horse, but Mount Rushmore is so special. And it brings -- it tells America that these four guys, these people who were not perfect, but they're the folks that represent the ideals that we strive for.

And, as they said, they knew way back then it wasn't perfect, but they were striving to create a more perfect union. They put their lives on the line. Lincoln lost his life trying to make it even better.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: No, no, there's no doubt about that. There's no doubt about that, Senator.

I guess the timing of this -- and I understand what the president's trying to do to, unite people on this. But it's going to stick in some nerves.

You mentioned Crazy Horse and the dedication there, obviously, a great Sioux leader, spiritual leader, who was going after Americans at the time because they were taking the land that he believed belonged to all Native Americans. I believe the Black Hills region still technically is Native American land.

So it's going to incite some old grievances. So do you think the president should be there to agitate that? I can see what you mean that Mount Rushmore, it is a stunning, stunning wonder in this country, but that it could be interpreted as rubbing salt in some people's wounds.

ROUNDS: Any time that you have the president of the United States come to your state, he's not coming to cause problems. He's coming to celebrate. He's coming to unite people.

This will be the second time that I have been at Mount Rushmore with a president. I think it unites people. And I think that's exactly what the president wants to do. He wants to share a vision of what this country is all about, the goals that we have, making things better. And I don't think people see it as anything other than that.

But, for protesters, it gives them an opportunity to highlight their grievances. But with Mount Rushmore, and any time you bring an additional president to Mount Rushmore, there's always an opportunity for people to speak out. And that's never going to change.

CAVUTO: All right, as long as it stays peaceful and decent, to your point.

Senator, enjoy the evening.

By the way, are you going to wear a mask? It's voluntary, I guess, but what are you going to do?

ROUNDS: I am. And what I...

CAVUTO: OK.

ROUNDS: There's nothing wrong with wearing a mask. It'll make other people safe.

And use some South Dakota common sense.

CAVUTO: All right.

ROUNDS: You're going to see people being careful.

Look, we never really shut down as a state, and yet we have been able to keep our infections down. We're not perfect either. But I think we're going to come through this just fine. And I think America is going to see a real celebration this evening, one that unites us.

And I think that's what the president wants to do.

CAVUTO: All right. We will see.

Senator, thank you very much. Have a wonderful Fourth.

Again, the president will be with the senator and a whole host of other dignitaries tonight, a handpicked audience of about 7,500 there to watch this great moment. So, we will be following that on this network tonight.

In the meantime, there are other things going on around the country that might not be quite so jovial here. And that concerns police protests that continue, in fact, are expanding, and are actually intended to do so this weekend, including reports of a police sick-out in some of these localities, in New York City as well.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)  CAVUTO: All right, well, hell, no, they won't go.

These protesters in New York got what they wanted, more than a billion dollars in cuts in the police budget. But they're not satisfied. They want to see more.

The former New York police commissioner on why that could be risky.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: All right, a tale of two protests, and they're both going to be kind of hitting the fan at the same time, of course, what's happening in Washington, D.C., at that emancipation statue featuring Abraham Lincoln and a sitting slave that now has become the bone of contention between those who want to keep it the way it is and others who say it's got to go, and then in New York City, where protesters remain outside City Hall, even though they got what they wanted, largely, better than a billion dollars in cuts from the police budget.

They want more, and they're not leaving until they get more.

Howard Safir has been watching this very, very closely, because he's been watching these protests build, the former New York City police commissioner with us now.

Happy Fourth to you, Commissioner. Always good having you on.

HOWARD SAFIR, FORMER NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: You as well, Neil.

CAVUTO: The New York one, since that's your neck of the woods and you know it well, that's a little interesting, because they got what they wanted. You could argue that they played some Kabuki theater with the numbers here, that it's not going to be a billion, money was shuffled around, but they got at least the headline of cuts from the police department.

And it did, in fact, nix the class of recruits, so you could have potentially fewer officers, certainly new ones, coming on board. And you have got concerns about spikes in crime as a result, but they don't care. They want more. What do you make of that?

SAFIR: Well, this is a group that wants anarchy. They don't want safety.

The fact is that the cuts that have been made are going to be real. It may not be a million dollar -- billion dollars, but they're going to reduce the amount of police officers on the street. Cops are retiring at record numbers. Response time is going to go down.

You did away with the anti-crime unit, which was 600 plainclothes officers who prevented crime. Uniformed officers respond to crime. Plainclothes officers prevent crimes from happening. So it's going to be a much more dangerous city.

And, of course, Mayor de Blasio, as usual, has supported the protesters, has not supported the police. And police, because of the things that are happening, like taking away qualified immunity from them, are not going to respond. They're going to respond when they see a crime happening in front of them, but they're not going to do anything assertive.

And from the safest large city in America, it's going to go back to the bad old days, when there were 2,000 murders.

CAVUTO: You know, it quickly is. And I'm worried about that, I mean, especially at this time.

You and I discussed this, but even looking at the language and some of the signs spray-painted around City Hall, I mean, they're pigs, kill them, all of that -- we're going to show just a few -- but the fact of the matter is, crime has run up markedly, and this at a time when a lot of people who've been sheltered at home are now looking to go back, those who work in the New York area, into the city.

I'm not sure they're going to be so eager to do that, to say nothing of those who want to visit the city, tourists, the lifeblood of the city, who are looking at this and saying, I don't think so.

What do you think?

SAFIR: Well, Mayor de Blasio inherited one of the safest large cities -- well, the safest city in America, a booming economy, and it's all going in the wrong direction, because he is the number one cause of what's going on in New York.

What's happening is, he doesn't support the police. He supports the protesters. He's talking about having social workers and health professionals respond to 911 calls without police officers. That's ridiculous.

When somebody calls 911, it's because it's a police emergency. And nobody knows whether it's a domestic violence call or a call where there's going to be somebody with a gun. What's happening is, the good citizens of this city are going to be without the protection that they need.

And I have to say this, because I think of it every time I see the statistic. Mayor de Blasio was elected by 70 percent. But only 22 percent of the voters voted. So, I hope that, in the next election, they're going to get out and elect a mayor who's going to take care of safety in the city.

CAVUTO: You know, Howard, I'm wondering your thoughts on right now protests elsewhere in the country.

And a lot of police men and women who now wonder whether they should respond to a call, whether they should even -- even be police. We're talking -- hearing word in New York that they are planning a sick-out tomorrow to express their frustration.

I have talked to many officers who have sons or daughters who were interested in becoming cops themselves, and they're -- to a man or woman, they're telling me, I'm saying, no, don't do it.

What do you make of that?

SAFIR: Well, it's a terrible thing to think about.

I would never, ever think that I would recommend that somebody not become a police officer. But, unless things turn around, police officers put themselves not only at risk every day, as they have done for hundreds of years, but now, with what's going on in this country, they're putting their families and their economic survival at risk.

District attorneys in some of these progressive cities and attorney generals are looking more to charge police officers than to charge violent protesters and rioters. It's a ridiculous thing.

And with the Fourth of July coming, we should be celebrating the fact that these people have the freedom to protest, but they don't have the freedom to loot and vandalize and, as in Seattle, murder people.

CAVUTO: All right, Commissioner, we will watch it closely. Just we hope cooler heads prevail, no matter the harsh language spray-painted or out of people's mouths, but then cooler heads should prevail.

Commissioner, thank you very, very much.

Want to take you real quickly to Santa Monica, California. It's a beautiful place. Don't know if you have ever been there. A lot of people first head out to the beach. Not an option this weekend, beaches closed there, beaches closed in a lot of areas now, as people are violating these distancing provisions, so governors and mayors in those necks of the woods are saying, we're shutting them down in the weekend.

There are fines for this, which makes me wonder, if you're in a bathing suit, and you're there, and they want you to show your license while you're out there, of course, you have a bathing suit and then -- anyway, it's a mess.

More after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)  CAVUTO: All right, beautiful to look at in Santa Monica, but don't even bother bringing that bathing suit. Do, though, bring that face mask, because you can't swim in Santa Monica this weekend, but you better be wearing a face mask to keep things safe.

Just part of the national confusion of new restrictions and phased-in, well, reversals that have a lot of folks generally confused.

Jonathan Serrie keeping track of it all in Atlanta.

Hey, Jonathan.

JONATHAN SERRIE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Neil.

And it's hard to keep track of all of it, because it's really a patchwork across the country when it comes to these different regulations. Just today, Texas and Kansas began imposing mandatory policies for wearing face masks in public.

They join 20 other states in Washington, D.C., which have imposed similar mandates. However, some governors, such as Georgia's Brian Kemp, are hoping voluntary campaigns will encourage people to do the right thing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): I don't think we're going to have to get to that point. Our citizens have heeded the call before and helped us when we made the call for PPE. They hunkered down and closed businesses, even when they weren't mandated to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERRIE: Although Georgia has no statewide requirement, the mayor of Savannah has issued an emergency order imposing a $500 fine on people who fail to cover their faces in public. Some question whether it would hold up to a legal challenge, since the governor's executive order on COVID-19 supersedes local policy.

Around the country, other cities are enforcing face coverings. In West Hollywood, California, the first time you're caught unmasked, it could cost you $300. And that is drawing mixed reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely, in a crowded area, like, for instance, the beaches and whatever, yes, definitely, there should be enforcement.

But if you're just, like me, going out for a walk on the street, and I'm more than six feet away from the next person, I don't think -- it's totally crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And mask wearing is just -- it's just the only tool we got. We don't have a cure. We don't have a treatment. We don't have a vaccine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERRIE: But whether it's mandatory or not where you live, public health officials say wearing a mask, especially in situations where social distancing is difficult, significantly reduces the chances of spreading this dangerous virus -- Neil.

CAVUTO: All right, now it's up to people to do that, right? It is voluntary in some places, a strong order in others.

Jonathan Serrie, thank you very much.

It is still kind of like the case of law, certainly, in Texas, where we're just hearing from the Health Department that coronavirus cases rose today, as of today, by 7,550 to a total of 183,532. So, this acceleration continues.

Nationally, much has been talked about the spike in cases. What doesn't get as much attention is the fact that, despite the 14-day moving average that shows cases increasing about 90 percent to 55,595, on a rolling basis, the fact of the matter is that new deaths are down 19 percent in that same period to 722, again, looking at a 14-day sort of a cycle here that kind of puts it in a little bit better perspective.

Dr. Amesh Adalja joins us right now.

Doctor, you're looking at this. And we have chatted about these sorts of trends. What do you make of that? I mean, more cases, more testing, this is what you get. A lot of people like to point to the fact that the hospitalization spike nationally isn't as severe, and the death count actually is going down.

Put it all together for us.

DR. AMESH ADALJA, INFECTIOUS DISEASES SOCIETY OF AMERICA: Well, you can't look at deaths in isolation, because you have to remember that deaths are a lagging indicator. They're going to take some time to accrue.

So you can't look at deaths now and cases now and say that there's kind of a mismatch. We have to look at deaths in the future, because we know that some of these cases are going to take time to get sick, especially when there's younger individuals.

They have to actually then transmit it to a vulnerable person. That person has to get sick enough to need hospitalization, and then die. So I do think we will see some uptick in deaths, hopefully not as bad as what we saw early on in this pandemic, because we have got new tools, we have gotten better at dealing with these patients, understanding the complications and how to prevent them.

But I do think that we are going to see more deaths occur. It's a simple biological fact. As more people get infected, more people are going to die, but hopefully not at the rates that we saw in March and April.

CAVUTO: Doctor, we're looking at different numbers, obviously, in different states.

It does seem to be concentrated in Southern states, where many thought the warm weather originally would quash this. Now, there's a counterargument to that, because of the exceptionally warm weather, in some places, blistering hot weather, people were indoors.

But what do you make of that and where are these are concentrated?

ADALJA: It's definitely multiple factors that are at play right now.

Some of these states didn't get hit early on. And maybe there was some complacency in the psychology of the people there about this not being an issue there. Maybe they didn't hire enough contact tracers as well.

But the other issue is, is, we never thought that there would be complete seasonality. We thought that there might be some suppression, especially with surface transmission, when it got hotter, when it got sunnier, when it got more humid, and the virus wouldn't be viable as long.

But that doesn't really interfere with person-to-person transmission. And it's just that there's so many people susceptible, and so many people interacting, that we don't see that kind of seasonality that we see with other coronaviruses.

And we may not see a trough. But I think, alternatively, we have to be prepared in the fall for this to accelerate, when environmental conditions change. And it is definitely true that there may be a reverse effect with people going indoors because it is so hot and people are seeking shelter, and we know that indoor transmission is greater than outdoor transmission.

CAVUTO: Dr. Fauci has talked about a feared mutation that goes on here that might be harder to deal, that could potentially accelerate.

Do you know anything about that?

ADALJA: Sure.

We have been tracking this virus for a long time , looking at its genetics. And we know that all viruses mutate, but most mutations don't do anything. What we're seeing is some data emerge that there is a new strain of this, a new clone, I guess you would say -- it's still the same thing, it still does the same thing to you -- that has a different genetic sequence to it.

There's one specific change that's occurring. And it seems to be dominant in almost all places of the world where it has appeared. And it looks like, at least in laboratory settings, that it might be more efficiently transmitting.

We don't know if that's the case. We don't know if there's -- there's a lot more science that needs to be done. This is something we need to track. But it doesn't change the fact that the virus still has the same amount of lethality, the same amount of severity. It's just that it might be more transmissible.

But, again, we have to stay tuned to see what the actual science shows, based on these laboratory studies.

CAVUTO: All right, Dr. Adalja, thank you very much, the doctor an infectious disease specialist, that is -- that is at a minimum, also Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. He has been way ahead a lot of these trends and looking at the bigger picture.

We will look at the bigger picture as well, because, as you have these spikes in cases, now, suddenly, we have something else that's more favorable, an unusual spike in jobs for two months running now, almost eight million of them. What's going on?

Charles Payne on that -- after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAVUTO: Think about all the worry, all the virus worry, all the protests concerns, all the businesses that were hoping to open up that now have to shut down again, all those that were looking forward, for example, in New Jersey, restaurants, at least, to offer indoor dining, and soon.

They have to sit and wait. And yet, through all of that, we had a spike in jobs, continuing a spike that continued from the prior month, when everyone thought we would lose jobs, over the last couple of months now gaining about seven, eight million of them.

What is going on here?

Let's go to Charles Payne.

Charles, it defies logic, but it is what it is. What do you think?

(LAUGHTER)

CHARLES PAYNE, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Maybe -- maybe we could just end that by saying, it defies logic, but it sounds American, right?

CAVUTO: Absolutely.

PAYNE: Yes, I was out today, Neil, in New Jersey.

And the mall -- some of the malls are open. And people are trying. Businesses are trying. Some have appointment-only. Some are -- restaurants are sitting people outside.

We got to give a lot of props to the federal government and the Federal Reserve, honestly. I know people are upset about debt and all that kind of stuff, but they -- what they did to get money into the system quickly, as fast as they did, particularly for the small businesses out there, was just absolutely remarkable.

But we're coming to a point now where, yes -- and I listened to some of your interviews. I think it's right that people are going to self-adjust and that masks won't be a big issue anymore, social distancing, nothing like when we first came out of the -- out of our homes after months and months of being locked down.

There will be a lot more prudency, a lot more care and thought about all of that.

The key, though, is to try to keep this going, right, until we can really, truly, truly get the economy back.

CAVUTO: Right.

PAYNE: Well, it's not going to get back completely until the vaccine is here, but as close as possible. And we're getting there faster than anyone thought.

CAVUTO: I think the real news in your answer there was that you were at a mall. So that's...

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: I didn't know you were a shopper, but I'm -- no, I'm kidding.

Let me ask you about that, because you know, in New Jersey and elsewhere, just as, you know, we were unwinding and sort of getting out again, the governor slapped restrictions again, certainly on indoor dining, to delay that, not so much on other business activity.

But that has been the case, and in places like Texas and Florida, where a little bit has been dialed back. Do you think that's going to be reflected in the next month of data?

PAYNE: It could, Neil.

I'm not sure, just to -- for a big country, pockets, certain pockets where -- we weren't going to pack the restaurants. There was always going to be social distancing and limits there anyway. So it could.

CAVUTO: Yes.

PAYNE: I mean, in the last two months, America has created 13 million more jobs than the experts thought we would. So maybe we're a little bit ahead of our skis, but it's a good thing, a good place to be right now.

CAVUTO: Yes, I hear you, my friend.

And, by the way, you were on top of this before anyone else was. Everyone was, like, breaking out razor blades and stuff like that. And you said, no, no, no, no, these jobs are coming back, and they're going to come back strongly.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: So, my hat's off to you, sir. But, eventually, you will be wrong, Charles.

PAYNE: Thanks a lot.

CAVUTO: And I will seize on that day.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: All right, so, thank you, my friend. Have a...

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: You didn't think I was going to leave you with a compliment?

All right.

(CROSSTALK)

PAYNE: Happy Fourth of July.

CAVUTO: Thank you, my friend. Yes, all right. Yes, I know what you were saying.

All right, we have a lot more coming up, including how you get this and travel with this and what gadgets you need to get through all of this. We have just the solution for you.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)  CAVUTO: All right, well, if you are traveling, you want to know, especially if you're flying.

There are ways to maintain social distancing, to do what you're supposed to do to be healthy and to be wise and not to get in anyone's way.

Jennifer Jolly follows that, tech expert extraordinaire.

Jennifer, it's always interesting. People don't know when they're just out all of a sudden, am I staying six feet away? Am I in danger? But they actually have gadgets for safe travel and other issues, right?

JENNIFER JOLLY, TECH EXPERT: Well, we didn't have so many of these gadgets before, but we certainly do now. Necessity has been the mother of invention.

And I had to take my first flight. After four months of sheltering in place here in Oakland, California, I had to board a flight for work just a few weeks ago. These are all the gadgets I researched ad nauseum to make sure I was safe. And it's been a little over two weeks now, had my negative test. So they work.

Let's start with this. This is the Monos CleanPod. This is an ultraviolet C light sterilizer. It's about the size of a hairbrush. You turn it on, and you wave it over any kind of surface, whether it's your cell phone or the seat back or even your steering wheel.

And this cleans up the surface, gets rid of germs. It scrambles the germ's DNA, so it can no longer infect you. And this has been proven over and over again, UVC light has been, to be an effective fighter of germs. You just cannot use it on your skin, no matter what.

Another thing, we have now learned that the virus can potentially infect you through your eyes. So, in addition to masks, there are these bucket hats with either zip on or snap-on shields. You can have a bucket hat or a baseball hat. You just put it right over like that.

These run -- I found this at Amazon. These run about 16 to 18 bucks. But one of my favorite gadgets so far, Neil...

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: How many people would wear that? Come on. How many people are going to wear that? I mean, I guess if you're nervous, you would.

(CROSSTALK)

JOLLY: These come in all shapes and colors. And you would be shocked.

I have a pink one that I have actually worn out. And it's better than another gadget I'm about to show you. But people on the planes are wearing face masks. I'm going to put this one on...

CAVUTO: Got it.

JOLLY: ... and show you why this is my favorite. OK, so you wear a face mask. You wear a shield like this, a protective shield, right? I can't see you very well when I have that on, and it messes up my hair, so I will leave it off.

But look at this mask. This is from Buttercup and Vine (ph) on Etsy. And it has a hole for a straw right there. You lift the little flap up, and you have a hole for a straw...

CAVUTO: Wow.

JOLLY: ... so that you can drink, and you don't have to take that whole mask off to drink on a plane, because they're not serving much on planes these days, but they will give you a can of water and a straw.

So, you can be safe that way.

And then, Neil, this is the one that's ridiculous. But if you're feeling kind of nervous, which a lot of us are, check out the WalkingPod. This is the Under the Weather WalkingPod.

CAVUTO: Wow.

(LAUGHTER)

JOLLY: You can order pod, safety pods. They're for presale. These are the kind that will be just fine when you're actually sitting on a plane.

CAVUTO: Wow.

JOLLY: But I have walked down the street. I can't wait to walk into Safeway with my WalkingPod.

It's a little much for the airplane, but, hey, anything to stay safe and stay healthy.

CAVUTO: Got it.

JOLLY: And then you mentioned the little device for knowing how close you are to somebody.

Well, this is a laser beam measuring tape right there.

CAVUTO: There you go.

JOLLY: It tells me that I'm 12 feet away right now.

So there's all the gadgets you need to stay safe.

CAVUTO: Just so you know.

JOLLY: And -- yes, I found all of these at a site called...

(CROSSTALK)

JOLLY: ... dot-com.

CAVUTO: That was great.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: Jennifer, you covered it all, even the laser, even the laser.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVUTO: Or you could just shelter at home. Just stay at home. There's always that option.

Continue watching FOX. We will see you tomorrow morning.

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