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Coronavirus Stir the World's Order; Positive COVID-19 Patients Raise Issue on Drugs; Fears Push Consumers to Panic; Trump Administration Proposed a Trillion-Dollar Assistance Fund; Coronavirus Pandemic, Trump Shifts Tone On Virus Crisis As U.S. Cases Soar; America's Choice 2020; Super Tuesday III, Biden Wins; Impact Of Coronavirus Crisis On Campaigns; U.K. Changes Tactics To Slow Virus Spread. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired March 18, 2020 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[03:00:00]

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JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN Newsroom live from studio 7 at CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta.

Ahead this hour, the coronavirus confirmed in all 50 U.S. States, and it could be weeks before we know if social distancing has made any difference.

The big money plan from the Trump administration to ease the pandemics economic toll. You get $1,000 and you get a $1,000. Household across America get $1,000.

And Joe Biden yet again another Super Tuesday sweep increasing his delegate lead and upping the pressure on Bernie Sanders to drop out.

Officials in the U.S. are confirming a growing number of coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours alone. The total rose from 4,500 to over 6,100. As CNN's Nick Watt reports, the death toll is also rising, forcing officials to intensify containment efforts.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Confirmed cases now in all 50 states, more than 100 dead nationwide, unprecedented times, unprecedented measures.

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MICHAEL PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The president also has us inventorying what you would all understand as field hospitals or mash hospitals that can be deployed very quickly.

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WATT: Two navy hospital ships could soon be deployed; defense officials tell CNN. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): There is a federal reserve of medical supplies, which is really our last best hope. You can't buy a ventilator, which is very important because most of these people have respiratory illnesses. We are shopping for ventilator's all around the globe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Federal officials warn there are not enough gowns, gloves, and masks stockpiled.

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PENCE: We would urge construction companies to donate their inventory of N95 masks to your local hospital.

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WATT: In San Francisco's Bay Area, seven million awoke to a draconian dawn, now allowed out only for essential needs. Three neighboring counties, nearly another million people will join that lockdown tomorrow night. Tuesday afternoon, New York City's mayor said he might issue a similar order within 48 hours.

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MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D-NY): New Yorkers should be prepared right now for the possibility of a shelter in place order.

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WATT: New York's governor, not so keen.

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CUOMO: You say shelter in place if you stay in New York City. I'll go stay with my sister in Westchester. I don't think you can really do a policy like that just in one part of the state. I don't think it works.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATT: Brooklyn's D.A. has stopped prosecuting low level offenses that don't jeopardize public safety. The Brooklyn Nets star, Kevin Durant announced he is now positive.

And Tuesday, while touting a one-trillion-dollar economic stimulus plan, the secretary of the treasury reportedly warned Republican lawmakers that without intervention, this virus could revamp the unemployment rate to a staggering 20 percent.

Nationwide, a new normal continues to unfold. Uber and Lyft have stopped all pool and shared rides. In Vegas, the Palazzo and Venetian now closing until at least April 1st. The airlines taking a hit. Nearly a million fewer passengers in one day compared to a year ago.

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STEVEN MNUCHIN, U.S. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: This is worse than 9/11. For the airline industry, this is, they are almost ground to a halt.

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WATT: Meanwhile, Amazon is hiring another 100,000 workers to meet online shopping demands. Late Tuesday, Orange County announced that they are banning all gatherings, public or private. Orange County is home to more than three million people, just south of Los Angeles.

So, all eyes will now be on Orange County, and also the San Francisco area, to see if people actually obey these new orders.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

VAUSE: Live to Hong Kong now, Dr. John Nicholls, a clinical professor in pathology at the University of Hong Kong is with us. Professor and doctor, thank you for being with us.

JOHN NICHOLLS, CLINICAL PROFESSOR IN PATHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: Thank you.

VAUSE: I want to start off with this reporting right now. There is a lot of reporting out there about ibuprofen and whether or not it should be used to relieve some of these symptoms of COVID-19.

This comes after a warning from the French health minister over the weekend who tweeted taking anti-inflammatory drugs, ibuprofen, cortisone, could be an aggravating factor of the infection.

[03:05:01]

If you have a fever, take paracetamol. If you are already on anti- inflammatory drugs or en doute (Ph), ask your doctor for advice. A patient who is treated daily about what he was going through go quite (Inaudible). The Motrin, which is just another version of ibuprofen made me feel worse. The inhaler makes my lungs hurt worse. Lung hurt worse. With the inhaler think of yourself cut and applied alcohol to the wound. It's kind of like that.

I'm just wondering, is this the case of, you know, there is a significant amount of anecdotal evidence right now. Not a lot of empirical study to back it up.

NICHOLLS: That's right.

VAUSE: So where are we at with the facts?

NICHOLLS: Yes. This is one of these stories that has spread faster than the virus. And it is, as you say, it's based on anecdotal, things spreading by WhatsApp mainly. And also, it's referring to a recent paper which is (Inaudible) correspondence in the medical journals which seemed to imply that ibuprofen was similar to other medications might increase the thing with ACE2 which is the receptor of the new coronavirus.

But the problem is that, you know, that study was just, it wasn't actually a scientific study. It was just a hypothetical. And it was a, as in the correspondent it wasn't identical or reviewed all that carefully. And so, it's full of conjectures, so this is basically a story (Inaudible) which that has done more harm than benefit. Because you are going to get patients who are going to be getting off what is actually a very valuable medication.

So, unfortunately, this is one of these times where you are getting sort of, you know, scientific news which is actually spreading faster, and it will not be able to see what really is true and what's really is not true.

VAUSE: OK. The patient who we mentioned in the tweets about his experiences he noted this just two days ago as he went through it. Today it hurts to breath so much. Walking to the bathroom is like running a marathon. The headache doesn't go away.

He talks constantly about respiratory pain and just how this is unlike anything else he has ever experienced, nothing like a flu. Is this how this virus develops when it becomes very serious? Is his experience typical or is it unique?

NICHOLLS: Well, I think, you know, what he is describing is something which is quite generic and saying not same which can be specific could be attributed to the virus. When you consider the large numbers of people who have been infected, then one or two can have the symptoms and then they report it and then it gets amplified.

So, I think this is, as I mentioned, one of the problems is that there is so much information going out there and some of it is scientific, some is non-scientific. And to actually get really good fact checking is actually now a very big challenge especially with some of the medical journals being pushed to publish some stuff but without the long scientific review process which we have had in the past.

It's very challenging about how to deal with information in this rapidly evolving period.

VAUSE: Yes. Because there is this a thirst for this knowledge if you want to know exactly what's happening. It just doesn't work that quickly; it doesn't work that way. You know, what we've also heard this virus is unique and it's really survived on surfaces for up to nine days.

NICHOLLS: Yes.

VAUSE: That also may seem to vary depending on temperature, that kind of stuff. But the other thing too, which is also out there, is that the numbers seem to be stabilizing across Asia or coming down. Is there a concern that there could be a second wave on its way that we've just seen around one and round two is, you know, on its way? NICHOLLS: Yes, we'll see. In most of us Asian countries what we are

now seeing is that the second wave or more like a ripple is actually of the infected patients who are coming back because of the restrictive travel bans and restrictions. And so large wave coming back in.

So that's why there is more attention paid on how these people should be quarantined or investigated when they come in. So, but what we are actually not seeing is sustained community transmission in the Asian countries, which is a good thing.

So, the social distancing which works very well for China, for Hong Kong, for Singapore, they seem to be working. So, what we are seeing now is what we -- or the imported cases. And that's why I think most of the country now would be putting these travel restrictions to try and keep the slow --

VAUSE: OK. I think we just lost him right there. A little bit with the audio there. But I think we got it. So, thank you for being with us. I appreciate it. Thanks for the advice.

Well, the impact of this virus is continuing being felt around the world. The European Union closing its external borders to all nonessential travel for the next 30 days. Only goods and medical equipment will be allowed to cross, along with people deemed necessary to manage the virus.

Spain has announced the largest aid package in the nation's history to try and keep the economy going. The government approved $220 billion dollars in aid to protect jobs, companies and families affected by the virus. The package amounts to roughly 20 percent of the GDP.

[03:10:00]

Italy reporting over 300 new deaths from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to over 2,500 in the country that is currently the epicenter of the outbreak in the Europe.

The government is now requiring anyone entering the country for more than three days to self-isolate for two weeks.

And we have correspondents covering developments across Europe. Journalist Al Goodman is standing by in Madrid. We have senior international correspondent Jim Bittermann in Paris. But first, Delia Gallagher in Rome.

And Delia, you know, this is the situation. Everyone is looking towards Italy and how the virus is playing out there as to maybe a preview of what can happen here in the United States. So, what's the latest from there?

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, John. And that's why this period in particular is so important. The experts are saying we still probably have not reached the peak. We have a total of 31,000 total cases as of yesterday. Now when we say total cases, that includes, John, also those who have

died and those who have recovered. But from yesterday, a jump in 3,000 new positive cases. So, the experts are saying that probably we are still going to see those numbers rise, but that in the next 10 days or so, they hope to see the trend start to go down.

This is of course crucial, as you mentioned, because Italy is a test case for the rest of the world. We're now into 10 days for the country wide shut down, but of course in the northern regions and in those red zones in particular, they started two and three weeks -- three and four weeks ago.

So, the numbers that are coming out of there will be very important to see, already in some small towns like Codogno which had patient one for the coronavirus. They've seen that the self-isolation that the testing has brought a lower trend, has helped to stop new positive cases.

So, clearly, there is a lot of attention right now on what's happening with the numbers but the experts are saying probably we're not going to see that yet for at least another 10 days.

Of course, there is an ongoing crisis, particularly in the northern regions, in the Lombardi region to try and get beds, particularly ICU beds. They had 500. They have doubled that capacity, but they still have to move some patients out to other regions.

They moved a total of 50 patients out to other regions and they are quickly trying to build temporary hospitals. They are building one now which they say will have 600 beds with some ICU units.

There is an American NGO called Samaritan's Purse which has come over to build another temporary hospital. They are receiving respirators from China and obviously trying to continue to confront the medical emergency there. John?

VAUSE: Yes. It sounds like a war footing in many ways. Delia, thank you. Delia Gallagher there in Rome. Apart from Italy, Spain has the second highest number of cases in Europe. And journalist Al Goodman joins me now from Madrid. So, Al, you know, clearly, Spain is bracing for the worst.

AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, John. And the figures that we have are 20 hours old already. The government until a couple of days ago was releasing the figures at midday Spain time and the evening Spain time. Now we've got figures from 20 hours ago 11,000 cases and nearly 500 deaths.

The significant figure there is the death rate, shot up pretty significantly from the day earlier about 300. I'm in the Puerto Azul and I'll give you a sense of how this order for the people to stay in is now being enforced.

We've had the police, the city police and the national police telling people to get out of the square if you don't have authorization to be here. This day this bus is brought in a unit of army soldiers from the bay zone, the outskirts of Madrid.

They are patrolling around here. And their idea is to reinforce the police because the idea is to keep people separated and make sure that everybody understands that you can't go out unless you've got an authorized activity.

Now the economic -- the economic worry is growing as people have had time to sit at home. So, the government announcing late yesterday package of economic measures trying to calm the people and the stock market, as well. So, there will be measures such as allowing you to not make your mortgage payments if you can show that you are directly affected by the coronavirus.

If you get fired from a job, and there are so many temporary jobs here in Spain, you'll be able to collect unemployment even if you didn't work or working long enough. So, the government is juggling now not just the health crisis but the economic crisis. And they've really got their hands full. John?

VAUSE: Absolutely. Thank you, Al Goodman live for us in Madrid. Let's head to Paris now. Senior international correspondent Jim Bittermann is there. And this is -- this is where we get serious right now, right? The French government is bringing some very tough measures to keep people indoors and off the streets.

[03:14:56]

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. So, after sort of lackluster first few days of this the beginning of the weekend, yesterday at noon the lockdown really began, and today they are enforcing with fines and everything else.

There are about 100,000 police being mobilized. There are roadblocks up all over the place. There are sort of, checkpoints where the police are checking to see if you have this paper that you're supposed to bring along to explain why you are moving about.

And so, it's really, the really are really starting to bite now in terms of the enforcement of this.

A lot of things have happened here overnight, John. The foreign minister here has urged all the French outside of the country to try to get back. The problem is that a large majority of the airlines aren't flying anymore.

So, you've got the situation, for example, in Morocco where apparently there is something like 7,000 French who would like to get home, but in fact can't because there aren't just any flights. So, they're working on that. The government is kind of trying to address that but there is a number of other things on their plate this morning.

There is a real problem in eastern France where the hospitals are saturated. The army was called in yesterday to start evacuating people to other parts of France where there are hospital beds. There are still some vacancies for the reanimation beds, the ICU beds that they need so desperately when they come down with the disease. An interesting poll this morning, John, from BFM, which is our associated network, and they found in this poll that about 81 percent of the French now believe this is definitely a serious problem. And 93 percent approve of the government steps that have been taken to lockdown the population.

So, the French seem to be buying into the fact that they had better do something sooner rather than later. John?

VAUSE: Those are incredible numbers, when you think about, 93 percent. OK, Jim, thank you. Jim Bittermann live for us there in Paris.

Well, we've seen a very different Donald Trump this week. Serious in tone and demeanor, a big difference from the past few months when he's been saying this virus was all under control, it was a hoax. Coming up, why the sudden change?

Also, ahead, the shelves are empty at supermarkets across the United States. Why panic buying is unnecessary and bad for your health.

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VAUSE: In the U.S., fear of the pandemic has sent thousands to the grocery stores or supermarkets in a panic. Scenes are reminiscent of the looming natural disaster with shoppers loading up on everything from antiseptics to toilet paper and tuna fish.

As Brian Todd reports this panic buying is neither necessary nor is it healthy.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the predawn hours, senior citizens lined up to get into a Houston area grocery store. The managers opened an hour early for people over 65. At his Morton Williams supermarkets in New York, Avi Kaner is also giving seniors priority in the mornings. But the run on some items, he says, is still relentless.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVI KANER, CO-OWNER, MORTON WILLIAMS SUPERMARKETS: Whenever we do get new rations in of hand sanitizer and wipes, we actually put them out by the registers and they go within minutes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Across the U.S., stockpiling seems to be everywhere.

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TODD: Were you trying to buy anything in there that you couldn't get? MAUREEN MILMOE, RESIDENT: Yes. Actually, all of the toilet paper is

gone. A lot of the frozen foods. A lot of the breads.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Sera Tansever wears a mask and gloves when hitting her local grocery store in Washington, because she doesn't want to transfer germs to her mother who has an autoimmune condition.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Are you nervous about this whole thing?

SERA TANSEVER, RESIDENT: Yes, I am. I am. I have been following it pretty closely now. It's just I don't want us to be in a situation like Italy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: The panic buying binge is exhausting people on the other side of the grocery industry. Distributors are racing to re-stock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX RIDINGS, CEO, RAINFOREST DISTRIBUTION: Right now, we are seeing spikes in demand of a lot of staples. So, frozen entrees, tomato sauce, paper products, dairy items, eggs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: But some public health experts say, let's slow down a bit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IRWIN REDLENER, PROFESSOR, HEALTH POLICY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: They don't need a year's worth of toilet tissue. They don't need cartons of paper napkins. They -- they don't need to buy food for six weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Experts say it's important for customers to realize this situation is temporary. Focus on simple, non- perishables that can sustain us inside our homes for a couple of weeks like tuna or peanut butter and jelly. Prioritize what you'll really need.

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DAVID MARCOZZI, COVID-19 INCIDENT COMMANDER, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL SYSTEM: Maybe getting a three-month supply of medication or thinking about if they need to potentially schedule some things out in the community, how they can risk mitigate so that they don't actually go out and actually conduct, have close contact with folks and be potentially exposed.

(END VIDEO CLIP) TODD: Experts on trauma say during this pandemic people have to fight

off some strong psychological pulse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRISCILLA DASS-BRAILSFORD, TRAUMA PSYCHOLOGIST, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: People need to gain a sense of control. Right? So panic buying is an attempt to gain control over something that they feel uncontrollable around. Right? That there is a sense of helplessness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: But health experts point out going out and crowding into your local grocery store just by itself isn't the healthiest move. That standing in those long lines within a few inches of people is not the kind of social distancing that's recommended. And they say however, whenever you shop, do it calmly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REDLENER: There is no reason to panic. There is no reason to rush out and buy everything on the shelves. First of all, what that does is just increases people's sense of doom and gloom here, which will not be necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: Public health and consumer experts have a couple of other tips for people who want to stock up during the outbreak. They say if your favorite stores open 24/7, try going after midnight after they've restocked. Or, if it's available in your area, try a food delivery service to maybe reduce some of the overall stress.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

VAUSE: So, remember how the U.S. president was the first to warn all of us this pandemic was on its way? Now neither do we, but he says he did. More on how the president is rewriting history.

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VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. Coming up to 3.28 here on the East Coast. You are watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause.

The coronavirus outbreak is causing more wild swings on Wall Street. The day after posting record losses, U.S. stocks rebounded on Tuesday. The Dow is up 5 percent. The NASDAQ and the S&P up 6 percent. But right now, futures are lower. All indices have dropped sharply, all down between three and four and a half percent.

Tuesday's rally came after the White House proposed a massive stimulus package to boost the economy. The Trump administration is asking for a trillion dollars to help Americans during the outbreak. According to a congressional source the treasury secretary has warned

the unemployment rate, without government intervention, could rise to 20 percent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVEN MNUCHIN, U.S. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: We are looking at sending checks to Americans immediately. Americans need cash now, and the president wants to get cash now. And I mean now in the next two weeks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And the U.S. president is drastically shifting his tone about the coronavirus. He is now acknowledging the gravity of the pandemic, while insisting he is always taken it seriously.

But as we've seen, the president has been downplaying this crisis for months.

CNN's Boris Sanchez reports.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump today denying an obvious shift in tone from previous statements, saying he has always seen the coronavirus outbreak as a grave problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was there a shift in tone?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I didn't think -- I mean, I have seen that where people actually liked it, but I didn't feel different. I've always known this is -- this is a real -- this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. All you have to do is look at other countries.

[03:30:01]

I think now it's in almost 120 countries all over the world. No, I have always viewed it as very serious. There was no different yesterday from days before. I feel the tone is similiar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Though Trump only admitting the situation was out of control yesterday. For weeks he downplayed the threat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are the words about a pandemic at this point?

TRUMP: No, not at all. We have it totally under control. It's one person coming in from China and we have it under control. It's going to be just fine.

SANCHEZ: Sources telling CNN the change in tone spurred by new projections indicating that without drastic action the United States could face a catastrophic loss of life from coronavirus, a death toll topping one million.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: We have been working on models on day and night around the globe.

SANCHEZ: Behind the scenes Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci prodding Trump for more aggressive action in recent days as other officials warn imposing major restrictions on Americans could further hinder the economy. Sources say, Trump was initially worried about volatility in markets, but the rising number of coronavirus cases ultimately pushed him into a stronger response. Trump today admitting a recession is possible but adding he is not worried.

TRUMP: I don't think in terms of recession, I think in terms of getting it out because when we're finished with the virus we will win. We will win. And when that victory takes place, our economy is going to go through the roof. It is so pent up. It is so built up. It is so ready to go in an upward direction but we have to knock out this enemy.

SANCHEZ: President Trump also mentioned that he was looking to economically boost the airline and hotel industries. The president yet again defending his administration's response to this crisis saying that they have done a fantastic job though he did acknowledge there's one area where he wishes that he had done better, relationships with the press. Boris Sanchez, CNN at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Catherine Rampell, is a CNN political commentator and an opinion writer for the Washington Post. And she is with us this hour from New York. So, Catherine, thank you for coming in. I appreciate it.

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Good to be here.

VAUSE: OK. If there is a positive here, it seems that the leadership of this country, the senior leadership all now saying the right things. They agree of this urgent need to help families and businesses. And to that end, the leader in the Senate Republican Mitch McConnell says the Senate will pass a Democrat stimulus bill from the House and they'll do it at warp speed. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: A number of my members think there are considerable shortcomings in the House bill. My counsel to them is to gag and vote for it anyway, even if they think it has some shortcomings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And in that bill there are provisions for free coronavirus testing, paid emergency leave, it approves unemployment insurance, increases Medicaid funding to the states. But Rand Paul, Senator Rand Paul, apparently is not prepared to hold his nose and vote just for it. Warp speed has come to a screeching halt. He is taking to some of the details and you know, the bigger picture here is, it raises the question is there ever a moment when all of these lawmakers from either party can actually rise above all of this partisanship, even in a crisis like this?

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: That is an excellent question. And I think these lawmakers need to, you know, behave like adults and do their damn jobs on behalf of the American people at this point. Look, the House passed a bill, I guess in the wee hours of Saturday morning this past weekend and it was not a perfect bill. There were certainly shortcomings in this legislation, but I think lawmakers in the Senate at this point need not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

For better or worse they will have multiple bites at this apple. It is almost a certain outcome that they will have multiple rounds of stimulus that they will need to pass. They'll do this one. The White House has already called for additional stimulus and both McConnell and his counterpart in the Democrats, Chuck Schumer who's the minority leader, have advocated additional stimulus measures.

And remember, we saw this multiple rounds of stimulus in the 2008, 2009 crisis as well. So this should not be a surprise. I think at this point, lawmakers should, you know, bite the bullet, pass the imperfect thing and then take another crack at it and fill in the gaps later.

VAUSE: You know, just for example they're talking about getting thousands of dollars, you know, in checks out to families within two weeks. I mean, that's not easy to do, so if they can't agree on this first, you know, stimulus bill, how are they going to get together on something like the money to families?

RAMPELL: The real issue with getting money to families may not be a political one. I think there is a fair amount of bipartisan support at this point for getting checks out to individual households. The exact amount is being haggled over of course. But otherwise, there's a fair amount of consensus.

The issue is more the plumbing of the U.S. Government. You may recall that in 2008 there was a similar direct payment that was given out to American households. It varied a little bit depending on what your income was. But everybody was eligible for this.

[03:35:07]

And it took, I think, several months at that point. Now, I don't know how much the system has been updated in the decade plus since then, but the issue is that if the -- if the Senate can't even come together to pass this bill and then you have additional delays in getting the money out, you know, you're just losing precious time as we deal with this very urgent, immediate, now economic crisis in addition to a public health crisis.

VAUSE: Well, for the past few months there was the coronavirus according to the experts and the coronavirus according to the U.S. President. Here's how it looks from Donald Trump's viewpoint. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We pretty much shut it down coming in from China.

You know, in April supposedly it dies with the hotter weather.

Looks like by April, you know, in theory when it gets a little warmer it miraculously goes away.

In fact, we're very close to a vaccine.

We're going down not up. We are going very substantially down.

We have done an incredible job. We are going to continue. It's going to disappear. One day it's like a miracle, it will disappear.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Yes. None of that was true and on Monday Trump's tone in demeanor was notably much more serious. So, too, on Tuesday. But then he was asked why he -- there was this marked change in just how he was talking and how he was, you know, basically addressing this issue. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: This is a real -- this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. All you had to do was look at other countries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Well then why didn't he say so? I mean, that's some lightning fast revisionist history going on.

RAMPELL: Yes, I think the issue with Donald Trump is the most important lesson that he learned both in his private career as a business person and in his political career is that you only care about today. There are never any consequences. Tomorrow is tomorrow's problem. And he's been governing during this pandemic in the same way, it sort of assuming that if he can juice stock markets today, even if that leads Americans to, for example, take fewer precautionary measures because they're not so worried about the pandemic, they think it's a hoax, et cetera.

If Trump just says don't worry about it, it's not an issue, it's a hoax, it's fake news, go about your business. That might help stock markets today even it hurts him -- hurts Americans, hurts him politically tomorrow. And I think it's finally catching up with him that tomorrow has come and in fact Americans are getting sick. Some of them are dying and in fact they may be holding the president accountable for those terrible outcomes and for the fact that he played down this crisis for so long.

VAUSE: Then there's the reason behind this sudden change. What some have actually suggested could be a New York Times story which has the worst case scenario would see two million Americans dead by the end of all of this. Others have suggested that, you know, the president can now see this response as a real threat to his re-election. So, there's two -- which one would you see is more likely for this change in tone?

RAMPELL: I would like to hope it's the potential human cost. You know, experience suggests that it's really -- that he's looking out for number one, as he always has. Maybe it's a combination. Maybe he's genuinely concerned about the American people but he's also concerned about his electoral chances. You know, they're not mutually exclusive.

VAUSE: Maybe, yes. Catherin thanks so much for being with us. I appreciate it.

RAMPELL: Thank you.

VAUSE: With decisive wins in three states, Joe Biden now looks set to be the Democratic presidential nominee. So what's next for Bernie? More on that when we come back.

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[03:40:00]

VAUSE: Well, the Vice President Joe Biden much closer now to locking up the Party's nomination for president after decisive victories on three Democratic primaries on Tuesday. The biggest delegate haul was in Florida where Biden beat Bernie Sanders by nearly 40 points. In Illinois, he won by more than 20 points. A win to Arizona, it was a small amount in 12 points, nonetheless it was a healthy win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2020 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our campaign has had a very good night. We move closer to securing the Democratic Party's nomination for president, and we're doing it by building a broad coalition and we need to win in November.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Jennifer Granholm, is a CNN senior political commentator and the former Democratic governor of Michigan. She's with us now from Oakland in California and I should note, a Biden supporter. Good to see you.

JENNIFER GRANHOLM, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Great to be on. Thank you.

VAUSE: OK, so, as a Biden supporter, nights like these don't really get much better. After Bernie Sanders, is there anything in these results which could be seen as a silver lining or did Democratic voters send him a very clear message?

GRANHOLM: Well, I think Democratic voters clearly see Joe Biden as the one they want to lead the ticket. You know, this is not to say anything bad about Bernie Sanders. Clearly Joe Biden's got work that he's going to continue to do to reach out to the Bernie Sanders supporters, but clearly given the volume of people who showed up even when there is a coronavirus and the amount, the percentage that went to Joe Biden, I think -- I mean, it is clear. And it is an almost impossible task for Bernie Sanders to be able to gain the requisite number of delegates to turn this around.

VAUSE: (Inaudible) Larry Sabato which is a political commentator and a regular on this program, he made that point. He tweeted out, its official, Joe Biden has defeated Bernie Sanders, but the coronavirus has buried Bernie Sanders. The nomination battle has become a footnote in the media and in the public's mind. That's just reality.

In some ways it seems the coronavirus, you know, maybe it should have helped Sanders. Here's part of a web address which he delivered a few hours ago. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I-VT), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What I believe we must do is empower Medicare to cover all medical bills. Our armed forces must be immediately activated to build mobile hospitals and testing facilities, small and medium sized businesses especially those in severely impacted industries such as restaurants, bars, and local retail need immediate relief.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: I'm just going to -- did it end up helping Joe Biden more when that contrast was made with President Trump?

GRANHOLM: You know, it's so hard to know exactly how the coronavirus plays politically. I think it gives both candidates an opportunity to demonstrate that they are an enormously favorable contrast to how Donald Trump has behave up to this point. I just think people feel a sense of comfort and sanity with Joe Biden.

I mean, often says, people want results and not a revolution. I think people feel so unsettled right now, that more great turmoil which supposes a revolution is not really what most people are looking for. They want to be protected. They do want to have health care. They want to get rid of all of the student debt. They want to see access to college, but Joe Biden has moved in that direction.

[03:45:07]

The Party has moved in that direction and so I think Bernie Sanders can claim a good deal of credit for how what -- we call the overton window in policy means that you have enlarged the ability of the Democrats to move in his direction, and I think he should feel very good about that.

VAUSE: Well, there are a number of reasons for Sanders to drop out, that's including he has virtually no chance of being the delegate. One of the reasons to say is to get more of his platform, adopted by the party. As you notice, it already has been. And if you listen to Biden at Sunday's debate, he seems more than ready to embrace a lot of the ideas coming from Sanders campaign. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: And I agree with Bernie. We are in a situation where we have to now be providing for the hospitals that are going to be needed. I don't disagree with that. Let's -- you're asking about the crisis. What are we going to do about the crisis now? I agree with Bernie, someone should have gone to jail. That was the big disagreement I had in terms of bailing out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A lot of agreeing with Bernie. So, it seems like there are really at this point, when it comes to policy, is there any reason for, you know, Bernie Sanders to stay in? Is it just coming down to ego? How do you see it?

GRANHOLM: Well, I think the main issue for Bernie Sanders is really the fight he's fought for Medicare for all. And whether you have a government takeover of the entire health care system or whether you are for a public option, Joe Biden said after the last Super Tuesday that health care is a right.

And so the question is they've just got a different way of getting to that point but they both agree that health care is a right. Joe Biden has moved towards Bernie Sanders in terms of free college at public colleges and University. He's moved in terms of bankruptcy, he adopted Elizabeth Warren's position on the bankruptcy bill. They both want to see a $15 minimum wage. They both want to see comprehensive immigration reform. They both want to see criminal justice reform. There really isn't a huge amount of daylight in between them other than Medicare for all.

VAUSE: The result in Illinois seemed especially telling. Biden won it. He won a convincing, he buried Sanders there and that's the point here. Sanders did not win there. He did not win by a mile. And you know, that's a Midwest state. It seems three Midwest state, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, all narrowly went to Trump back in 2016.

The Illinois result, you know, if it's repeated in these three states, you're looking at that and you're thinking of the Electoral College. And if you're the Biden campaign, things are looking pretty good right now. Obviously it can change but that's a good omen.

GRANHOLM: It absolutely is. I mean, he won Michigan by a very large margin last week, Illinois. If Ohio had gone tonight, which it was supposed to have gone, but the governor there canceled, that too would at least according to the polls going in would have gone significantly for Biden.

I think, you know, Pennsylvania is still to come as is Wisconsin, but the polls in those two states also significantly favor Biden. You know, this is why it's a -- for the general election tonight and the past Super Tuesdays have been a real source of hope for Democrats. That in fact, those voters who voted for Obama once and then voted for Trump can be persuaded to come back into the Democratic fold and that's very encouraging. It's not a given, but it's very encouraging.

VAUSE: Governor, we're out of time. But thank you so much. I hope to see you again. Thank you.

GRANHOLM: Yes, thank you.

VAUSE: Well, for eight weeks the message from the British Prime Minister was no need for social distancing, keep calm, carry on, now some (inaudible) socialize -- you have to stay home, When we come back, we will explain what's behind the sudden whiplash in advice.

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[03:50:00]

VAUSE: Just on 3:52 on a Wednesday morning here in Atlanta. And we have this just in to CNN. A spokesman for Friedrich Merz, the German politician has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Merz is a member of the conservative Christian Democratic union, and a candidate to replace Angela Merkel as a chancellor.

Well, after a lot of criticism that he wasn't taking this pandemic seriously, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is now urging the public to avoid unnecessary contacts, stay home if possible, don't go out, avoid large public gatherings. CNN's Phil Black explains what's behind the sudden and dramatic change in message.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every Londoner knows the city's underground, the tube, is a filthy breeding ground for disease even on a good day, but the growing coronavirus threat didn't stop this crowd. No social distancing down here. It's hot, crowded and far too intimate. These people were riding the tube as Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally advised everyone to stop sharing each other's personal space.

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: It's now clear that the peak of the epidemic is coming faster in some parts of the country than others.

BLACK: Only days after insisting the signs showed it was too soon to push for widespread social distancing, Johnson did just that. The new advice, don't socialize anywhere, work from home. Quarantine in your household for two weeks. If anyone shows symptoms such as a high temperature and persistent cough, the elderly and vulnerable should isolate for 12 weeks. It's a dramatic utter for government recently determined to go its own mild away while other countries had already committed to tough social distancing policies.

JOHNSON: Well, now, earlier or later why bringing this very draconian measure, the answer is that we are asking people to do something that is difficult and disruptive of their lives and the right moment, as we've always said, is to do it when it is most effective.

BLACK: The government's initial response resembles what the scientists doing the modeling is called mitigation. Well, you don't try to stop the virus from spreading, just slow it down. Keep the levels manageable. Something that health service can work with. Then immunity grows in the population over time and eventually transmissions drop and you achieve it without shutting the country down.

[03:55:05]

That's the theory the Prime Minister has now abandoned, because the latest modeling estimates it would result in the deaths of 250,000 people in this country. Unlike other countries, the British government is not forcing people to stay away from pubs, bars and restaurants. The Prime Minister thinks a polite request will be enough.

And while scientist think closing schools will help reduce transmission, the government is keeping them open for now, because it fears the sudden burden of childcare might stop doctors and nurses from getting to work. The Prime Minister's early efforts and grave warnings were widely mocked online.

JOHNSON: Many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.

BLACK: For sounding a little too much like Shrek's Lord Farquaad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some of you may die, when into sacrifice. I'm willing to make.

BLACK: His lectures on hand washing (inaudible). Now Boris Johnson's finally made some big, difficult decisions and will ultimately be judged on whether he made them early enough to save lives. Phil Black, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And join Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a third CNN global town hall. Coronavirus facts and fears, that's Thursday at 10:00 p.m. Eastern here in United States. And 6:00 a.m. in Abu Dhabi and 10:00 a.m. in Hong Kong. The program will be played a few hours later 8:00 a.m. in Hong Kong and 4:00 p.m. also 8:00 a.m. in London rather and 4:00 p.m. in Hong Kong.

Thank you for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause. The news continues right after this.

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