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California Governor Orders 40 Million Residents to Stay Home; Coronavirus is Spreading Across the World; Olympic Flame Lands in Japan Amid Calls for Postponement. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired March 20, 2020 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Live from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, hello, everyone, I'm Natalie Allen, and this is "CNN Newsroom." Coming next here, people living in the U.S. state of California asked to stay home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. That is nearly 40 million people ordered to self-regulate and do the right thing.
The number of cases is rising so fast in Italy. It has surpassed China for the most deaths, making it the world's deadliest center of the outbreak. We will go there live for you.
Also, most people who contract the coronavirus will survive, that we know, but for those who become critically ill, their fate could lie in whether there is a ventilator available to save their lives.
It is 2 a.m. here in Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you so much for being with us. Our top story, of course, with a number of coronavirus cases rising by the hour in the U.S., California is taking drastic action. The governor of the most populous U.S. state is ordering all 40 million residents to stay at home indefinitely. CNN's Dan Simon has more about it from San Francisco.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Governor Gavin Newsom must have received a very bleak assessment that he would issue this order for the entire state, telling all 40 million Californians that they need to stay at home. The projections are rather frightening. He said that more than half of all state residents will come down with the coronavirus in the next eight weeks. This is what he said Thursday evening.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): A state as large as ours, a nation-state, is many parts, but at the end of the day, we're one body. There's mutuality, there's recognition of our interdependence that requires of this moment that we direct a statewide order for people to stay at home.
That directive goes into force in effect this evening and we are confident that the people of the state of California will abide by it. They'll do the right thing, they'll meet this moment, they'll step up as they have over the course of the last number of weeks to protect themselves, to protect their families, and to protect the broader community in this great state in the world that we reside in.
SIMON: From what we understand, the state order will simply mirror what people have been living with and San Francisco over the last few days. And so we should put it in perspective for you. What they are saying is that unless you have some type of essential activity that you need to attend to, you should stay indoors.
But we should point out that you can leave the home to go to the supermarket, pick up a few things. You can go get medicine. Of course, the hospitals are open. You have your police department, your firefighters. They are still working around the clock.
But, you can come outside. For instance, you can get some exercise, you can take an evening stroll, and you can ride your bike. All of those are OK under this order.
Dan Simon, CNN, San Francisco.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Getting outside is a good thing right now for so many people. My colleague Paula Newton spoke earlier with the mayor of San Jose, California, and she asked him what prompted the lockdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR SAM LICCARDO, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA (via telephone): Bluntly, the projections that I am aware of tell me that we are going to exceed the capacity of our medical infrastructure to respond. It is a nice way of saying that frankly, treatment is going to be allocated in ways that are going to leave very sick people without adequate care. And so the best we can do is try to mitigate that and shorten that period of time where very sick people are not getting the care they need.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just so I understand you, Mayor Liccardo, you pretty much laid it on the line there, there will be difficult decisions to be taken, and you are saying even with this lockdown, you're saying those decisions will still have to be made. It is inevitable that the health care system will be overwhelmed.
LICCARDO (via telephone): Based on where we are today, that is what I have learned certainly from multiple sources. But I am not an epidemiologist, and I certainly hope I am wrong. But in either case, I think the decision is warranted. We have to do everything we can to mitigate the extent of the harm. And hopefully, the decision today will be able to really flatten the curve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALLEN: Joining me now to talk about it is Dr. Carlos Del Rio. He is a professor of medicine and global health at Emory University and is also the director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research. Doctor, thanks so much for coming in. CARLOS DEL RIO, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AND GLOBAL HEALTH AT EMORY UNIVERSITY, DIRECTOR OF THE EMORY CENTER FOR AID RESEARCH: Happy to be with you.
[02:04:56]
ALLEN: First, I want to get your reaction to the news we've learned just recently, that the California governor has ordered all 40 million residents in the state to stay home except for, what he says, are essential activities. What do you think about that decision?
DEL RIO: I think it is the right decision. I think that really in order to really stop the spread of this virus, in order to stop transmission, we have got to really enforce literally what I think is a quasi-shutdown of the country.
It is very unfortunate that because we have -- you know, we have federal government, we have state governors and public health that is around at the state level. So really, each state has to make decision and that makes it so much harder than in many other places where a central government can say do this.
But the reality is, I bet you over the next several weeks, we are going to see more and more states do this because that is the only way really to stop this transmission.
ALLEN: Right. It certainly speaks to how dire the predicament looks for California and for everyone else. We have been disheartened to see a lot of young people not taking this seriously, that are still partying for spring break. What do you say to people about following this edict and how important it is?
DEL RIO: I would say that, you know, it's not only about your health, it's about the health of others, and quite frankly, it is about keeping people safe and keeping people alive and not overwhelming our health care system. We are in a dire situation already and it is going to be a lot worse over the next several weeks.
We are going to be looking a lot like Italy. I would remind people that if they have any doubts, just read the reports from Italy. They will break your heart. They will make you want to cry. If we do not want to be like Italy, we better do something right now. The reality is I think, unfortunately, we may be too late.
We should have done something like Italy a week ago, and we haven't done it. We are going to see a rapid increase in hospitalizations and ICU admissions and deaths as a result of this virus because we simply have not taken it seriously. It is really very unfortunate and frankly irresponsible.
ALLEN: Right. Italy now has more cases than China did, and they shut down the country. It did not seem to work. Why do you think there hasn't been a turnaround in Italy?
DEL RIO: Because I think it is going to take some time. You know, once you shut down the country, you stop transmissions then, but all the transmissions that happened before are still progressing, right? It is just an issue of waiting. Those have to evolve. They have to.
Those patients have to either get better or die, and then you will start seeing -- you're going to stop new infections, but the infections that happened already, you're not going to stop them. There is nothing you can do to stop them. The part of the problem is that the number of infections you currently have, you're not going to rid of. You want to stop new infections.
ALLEN: Right because there are -- in the United States, apparently, reported cases have soared by 40 percent in the past 24 hours. That might be in part because testing is finally underway. People haven't known that --
DEL RIO: It is actually not where we wanted to be. Still -- if you try to get a test today, it is still pretty hard. So in fact, testing, I would say, is beginning to get underway, but it's nowhere close to where it needs to be.
ALLEN: That is terribly unfortunate when we see what we are up against. In the meantime, you got the health care workers, too, Dr. Del Rio. They're' so short on supplies. There are reports that -- they are being told to tie bandanas around your face, whatever you need to do. That shows that -- what we are up against when we even start to see these cases skyrocket.
DEL RIO: Yes. I am really disheartened also by that because, you know, our health care workers are really doing -- if you think about fighting this virus like a war, the president talks about it like a war, well, troops on the ground, the ones -- the frontline soldiers are actually are health care workers. We are simply sending them into battle without the necessary protection to protect them from dying. And that is very unfortunate.
And, you know, you would the country will be doing something different. I have an offer -- there are plenty of personal protection equipment materials in China and many other places. If I was the president, I would be on the phone calling other people and other governments and saying, please send us what you have, because the reality is, what we need right now, we just don't have it.
ALLEN: And we have a governor in the largest state, which is the size of a country, telling people that they got to stay home. I want to read the exact quote from Gavin Newsom. Home isolation, he said, is not my preferred choice, but it is a necessary one. This is not a permanent state. It is a moment in time. But he said there is no expiration date. This is just the beginning for people in California, a new normal for them.
DEL RIO: Yes. But he is right. It is also not forever, right?
[02:10:00]
ALLEN: Right.
DEL RIO: The sooner we do this, the sooner it will end. I think that has to be the lesson for anybody. This is not a new way of life. This is just a strategy to stop transmission of this virus. That has to be understood by people.
You know, my life will be different for four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks, but after that, we are going to be victorious. We are going to emerge victorious. It is going to be fine. So, I want to remind people that this is not a forever. This is a short period of time, relatively short. We live long lives and this is just a small part of our lives. Let's do the right thing and control this epidemic.
ALLEN: We will end on that very positive note. We appreciate your time and your expertise. Dr. Carlos Del Rio, thank you so much.
DEL RIO: Thank you, Natalie.
ALLEN: We really appreciate his insights for us. Now, we are going to look at other countries and how the situation is there. We will touch on Italy. We will get to that in a moment. But we have very grim news on the coronavirus from Iran. Health officials there say that one person is dying from the virus -- listen to this -- every 10 minutes. They are also reporting a new infection at the rate of 50 people an hour.
Italy's death toll, as we just mentioned, has now surpassed China with more than 3,400 fatalities, and that figure is prompting tougher actions across Europe.
CNN's Delia Gallagher is standing by in Rome for us. Journalist Al Goodman is live in Madrid, Spain. But we want to start with CNN international security editor Nick Paton Walsh. He's in London for us. Nick, we've seen a different tone now coming out of the U.K. as it looks at how this could affect them. What is behind that?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Interesting to note that the measures the U.K. government have been putting in are ones they weren't really anticipating about a week ago, and certainly got some criticism for possibly a lax approach, but don't mirror those across the channel in mainland continental Europe, where we have seen France and Italy shut down daily life almost entirely.
Schools as of today will be shut in the United Kingdom. There have been rumors just in the capital here in London where the prime minister said that there are three weeks ahead of the rest of the country in terms of the spread of the virus. We may see enhanced measures here, although very clear to point out that there is zero prospect of restricting travel in and out of the capital here.
Here is what Prime Minister Boris Johnson had to say yesterday to try and inject some hope into a population confused by mixed messages on the government and also despaired in not knowing how long this may last.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We can turn the tide within the next 12 weeks. I am absolutely confident that we can send a coronavirus packing in this country, but only if we take the steps. We all need to take the steps that we have outlined. (END VIDEO CLIP)
PATON WALSH: This is the extraordinary paradox really of the British position here because they are saying stay at home, put the elderly and vulnerable inside and away from harm for 12 weeks, but these are not legally mandated measures.
In fact, we have seen legislation emerging, stretching that police could be used and powers could be given then to quarantine people in the event that they are seeing not to be observing measures recommended by the government. This is already a government, I think, that seems to change its position day by day to some degree.
A lot of that is down to changing data from Italy, for example, where we are seeing way more people needed serious hospitalization. That changed some of the modelling to suggest that the U.K. government's approach of trying to let the virus spread so the population (INAUDIBLE) heard immunity, can't really kind of keep it amongst them because people have already had it.
They now need to move to something called suppression, which is simply halting in its tracks, or they could see a quarter of a million people potentially dying over the course of the pandemic.
These are numbers that constantly change, but the feeling here amongst Britain, certainly in the capital of London here, is that life is kind of continuing as normal with a sense that either the epidemic is already upon us, I should say the pandemic here, or it is just around the corner and could cause startling scenes like those we've seen in Italy at any point here.
Will the measures catch up, made even harsher? We simply don't know. But it does appear every time Boris Johnson takes to that podium, he delivers a slight tweaking and timing of what people are expecting, focused though yesterday on the possibility of a test to see whether people are already immune, the bid there being to see if they can get people back to work if they've already had the coronavirus. Natalie?
ALLEN: So many complexities with Italy right around the corner to send out a signal. All right, Nick Paton Walsh for us. Thank you so much, Nick, from London. Now, we want to take you to Italy.
[02:14:59]
ALLEN: CNN's Delia Gallagher is in Rome for us. You've been covering the outbreak there in Italy for some time now, Delia, and it is just heartbreaking to see that it just seems to be getting worse, that Italy can't come out from under this yet.
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is right, Natalie. Of course, the news that they have surpassed China in the number of deaths has given an even more sort of urgent sense to all of this if that's possible.
Now, it is interesting that the vice president of the Chinese Red Cross was here in Italy yesterday and warned Italians that he felt the lockdown measures were not strict enough. He said he saw public transport still moving and people out and about in the north.
The question now has become, how can Italy enforce the stricter measures? There's been a request from the regional governors to the central government here to put stricter lockdown measures on public transport, on public offices. There has been no announcement on that yet, but something like that of course is expected.
The other thing that the vice president of the Chinese Red Cross said was that Wuhan experienced their decline in numbers after about a month of their lockdown. Now, the 14 regions in the north have been on lockdown since March 8th, so Italy has not quite reach that one month peak just yet in these numbers.
In fact, experts are saying that they are still watching and expecting that those numbers might continue to rise before they start, hopefully, to decline.
Another measure which the government is taking to try and help the hospital system and the hospital workers, as they have said, that the 10,000 medical students who are in their final year, they're going to waive their final exams for them to send them out straight away into the field to help relieve some of those doctors and nurses.
There has also been a call for doctors and nurses who are in retirement to come out of retirement and try to help those who are very exhausted, as you can imagine, Natalie, especially in the northern regions trying to battle this virus and help patients. Natalie?
ALLEN: Yes. We know that doctors have died. It is unbelievable, what this country has gone through. But through it all, on a high note there, Delia, we have also seen Italians, you know, coming together, serenading themselves, reaching out to each other as they can from afar from their apartments.
GALLAGHER: Absolutely. Every day here at about 6 o'clock, they come out, they sing the national anthem or some song that has been organized by these flash mobs. What they also do, Natalie, is they come out and clap for the health care workers --
ALLEN: Mm-hmm.
GALLAGHER: -- because we see every day stories on social media, on the television. I talked to doctors myself. We try not to bother them too much, but, you know, they are really on the frontlines risking their own lives. Many of them have their own families at home as well to be worried about.
So, you know, you are speaking to a doctor earlier in your show. It is really significant, what these medical workers are doing, to try and help the situation. But, of course, the infrastructure has to help them as well. There are temporary hospitals in tents being built out in the north to try and have enough room for these patients with all of the problems, of course, of medical equipment.
There is an American NGO that has donated a temporary hospital and it's building that out right now here in Italy. There is a lot of effort on all sides to try and help these doctors and nurses who are helping patients. Natalie?
ALLEN: Gosh, do they need it. I mean to think they go into work and do this day in and day out. They are risking their lives for other people. It is just tremendous. Delia Gallagher there in Rome, Delia, thank you, we will see you again.
All right, let us turn to Spain now. It has the most confirmed coronavirus cases in Europe behind Italy. The World Health Organization says it reported more than 13,000 infections. Madrid's regional president warns that 80 percent of the city's residents will eventually get the virus. Journalist Al Goodman has a look at how hotels are pitching in to help medical staff there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is one of the major hospitals in the Spanish capital, and Madrid has about half of all the coronavirus cases in Spain. This hospital and others here in the capital are worried that they may not have enough beds to handle these patients.
(On camera): Just down the street is a hotel that is closed because there are no clients. Today, it is reopening as a hospital, an auxiliary hospital to this one. It will take early in late stage coronavirus patients who don't need intensive care but can't be at their home.
[02:20:06]
GOODMAN (on camera): Like so many other hotels in Spain, this one has been closed. But now, it is reopening for a new and very different kind of news. The coronavirus patients here will be taken care of by young doctors, recently graduated from medical school, working with nurses and other medical personnel.
Just in Madrid, 40 hotels have offered to participate in this program. If authorities take them up on it, that would mean an additional 9,000 beds for coronavirus patients.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Everyone has to be innovative and it is nice to see that hotels are doing this act there. Al Goodman joins me now live from Madrid. Elsewhere there, what would you say about the people out and about in Milan? What's your sense of people taking this extremely very seriously, Al?
GOODMAN: Well, the ridership on the roads is down 90 percent, according to the government and figures late last night. Airport use is down 50 percent. Here in Madrid, ridership on the metro is way down. And in terms of respecting what's going on, the government calls to stay home. Spaniards seem to be doing that.
However, the government in one of the latest moves has announced that the remaining hotels that are open will have to close. They're referring especially to the hotels in the Spanish tourist areas along the South Coast, the Mediterranean Coast, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, Spain's Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa, where there are still tens of thousands of tourists from northern Europe, and they want all of those hotels closed.
A senior government official saying on television late last night that they are concerned about bunches crowds of people at some of the key tourist airports, Malaga, and the airports on the Canary Islands. They want to keep people practice social distancing, and when they're trying to move them out of a country, everybody is cramming in and trying to get on a plane. So, they're concerned about all of these things in terms of spreading the virus.
But the mood of the Spanish people is sort of resignation. There's a bit of humor. One of the leading radio networks this morning said, what are you going to do for the weekend? It's Friday, of course everyone has to stay home. In terms of -- there is something here in Spain, at 8 o'clock nightly, Spaniards all across the country go on their balconies and come out and clap and cheer for the medical workers, similar to what we are seeing in Italy. Natalie?
ALLEN: Yes, that is so wonderful. All right, Al Goodman in Madrid, Spain, thank you so much. Well, the 2020 Tokyo games, believe it or not, they are just 126 days away. And, look at this. The Olympic flame just arrived in Japan. But of course, the big question, will the games go on as planned? We will have a live report from Tokyo just ahead. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" live from Atlanta.
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[02:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: Usually, this is such an exciting time, right there. That is the Olympic flame making its way to Japan just a few hours ago. It arrived at an airbase north of Sendai and now begins the 121-day trek across the country. This comes amid calls to cancel or postpone the Olympics. But Japan insists the games will go ahead as scheduled.
Let us bring in journalist Kaori Enjoji. She is live from Tokyo. One can understand why the government there in Tokyo, Kaori, is saying they must go on. But everyone is saying, probably their heads, going, really?
KAORI ENJOJI, CNBC TOKYO BUREAU CHIEF: Natalie, this is exactly what the Japanese public even is saying. But this is a flame arrival in Japan that was supposed to be orchestrated much, much differently than what we actually saw this morning, landing in the northern part of Japan, which was devastated by the earthquake in 2011.
I think this is really symbolic and part of the reason why the officials here have continued to pledge that they will go ahead to try and schedule and open the Olympics according to plan. They chose this area because they want the Olympics to symbolize that Japan is back and this tour that they had scheduled for the relay of the torch was supposed to go through Japan.
It has reinforced that view but this is going to change dramatically over the next couple of weeks as the government tells people to not congregate even along the relay as the relay is passed from city to city. I think it shows just how much it is riding on the successful hosting of the Olympics for the prime minister and the government.
He has spent a lot of political capital in the years leading up to this. He wants to make this the hallmark of his premiership in the last seven years that he has been in office. He wants to show the world that Japan is back not only from this earthquake but after decades of stagnation in economy, when it saw Japan's position in the world shift to number three and being taken over by China. This was supposed to be the event that put Japan back on the map.
I think that is partially the reason why officials are saying that they are going to go ahead as scheduled. I think at the same time, you have to remember, Japanese society is extremely consensus-driven. There are no points for a leader coming out and saying off the cuff that he is going to change course. They have to build consensus among all parties that are involved, the IOC of course, but the sponsors, businesses that have backed the Olympics over the last couple of years.
But I can tell you that the Japanese public is too questioning whether or not these games should go ahead. Two recent polls suggested that more than half of the Japanese polled were saying that they should not go ahead as scheduled. Sure, there is hope that there will be, but more and more athletes are coming on board, saying that they're not trained well, what's going to happen.
You also have to remember that this is a spectator event. You have recent numbers showing that tourism in February was down 60 percent overall. That was just in February, before these lockdowns around the world from Western Europe to the United States came in place. Those are the two areas that usually spend -- send, excuse me, the most spectators to this event.
So a lot is riding not only the economic fallout, should they be cancelled, but I can tell, Natalie, that the public here too even is questioning whether or not these games should go ahead as scheduled as they had envisioned when they won this bit a few years back.
ALLEN: Yeah. Quickly, Kaori, let's just say it doesn't happen, what is plan B? Is that it, there is no Olympic games, could they be postponed?
ENJOJI: Well, this is a million-dollar question, Natalie. They could be postponed. There are people out there saying that they could be postponed by a couple of months or so, cancellations, no one is willing to talk about it yet, but they have been cancelled before, but only in wartime.
But there are logistical issues as well because there are so many athletes and organizations involved, not to mention the fact that preparations and even the choosing of the athletes who are actually going to participate in the games have been delayed because of the coronavirus and events being cancelled.
[02:30:00]
There are a couple of options I think that -- I think that the IOC is discussing. But right now, the Japanese government is insisting and they pledge that they will continue to go ahead and soldier on as scheduled so that this -- that they can hold these games in a safe and secure manner, and in the words of the Prime Minister, in a complete form.
NATALIE ALLEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: All right, well, looks like a beautiful day there in Tokyo. And one says, envisioning the Olympics and how wonderful that would be but who knows, we'll wait and see. Kaori Enjoji, I appreciate it much. Thank you.
Well, Friday could be another wild ride on Wall Street as the extent of the coronavirus pandemic becomes more apparent. Here's what's happening right now in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Seoul. Tokyo Stock Exchange is closed until Monday, but you can see that numbers up there.
Well, in New York, the Dow on Thursday finished up 188 points after some big moves up and down. It was only last month before the pandemic really hit the U.S. The Dow posted its all-time high of nearly 30,000. Well, across the United States logistical nightmares and dwindling supplies. The latest is government's and residents try to prepare for whatever COVID-19 will bring.
Also, lifesaving ventilators, you've heard it already, they are getting harder to find. We'll tell you have one company is working nonstop to try and meet the demand.
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ALLEN: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM live from Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen. Let's take a look at our top stories. U.S. state of California is ordering all 40 million residents to stay at home to stop the spread of Coronavirus. Essential activities are still allowed. Grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks will remain open. The governor says Californians are expected to self-regulate. That's how fast the cases are growing there. Much precaution he's taking.
Italy is turning to its army to collect dead bodies and move coffins to crematoriums. Within 3,400 people have died there surpassing even China. Patients are being treated in field hospitals and a growing number of doctors and nurses are being infected.
The United Kingdom reports more than 3,000 confirmed cases of COVID- 19, and public health authorities say there have been 144 deaths. In London, many metro stations are closed and residents are trying to stock up amid talk of the possible upcoming lockdown.
Well, here in the United States, many local and state leaders are grappling with the logistical nightmare as they try to prepare for COVID-19. The mayor of the country's largest city, New York, says they don't have enough medical supplies. Our Erica Hill is in New York. [02:35:30]
ERICA HILL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Major developments late Thursday night in California, where the governor Gavin Newsom has ordered all 40 million Californians to stay inside. Now, this comes on the heels of a safer at home order that was issued by L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti just a short time before that.
In terms of that order, what can you do, what are you not supposed to do? It's OK to go to the grocery store, the pharmacy, to check on a loved one. But what they are encouraging is that you stay at home, again, maintain that social distancing and don't go out if you don't have a reason to.
Meantime here in New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, with a stark warning today saying that there are two to three weeks' worth of medical supplies in the city, and after that he is not sure where they will come from. Stressing there is an urgent need for these supplies. Among them, he says, he needs some 3,000,000 N-95 masks, 50 million surgical mask, and 15,000 ventilators. All that as we learned that the number of confirmed cases in New York City is 3,615. And three new cases to report in the NBA. One, Boston Celtics player, and two for the Lakers who are now under quarantine. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: The supply of life-saving ventilators is not meeting the demand for those fighting the pandemic. CNN's Sara Sidner takes us inside one company working 24/7 to get the equipment to those who so desperately needed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Washington State is still home to the highest number of deaths related to Coronavirus. And what we're learning is that there is a deepening fear here that if the situation in Italy is mirrored here in the United States, that people could die here because there simply aren't enough ventilators.
The vast majority of us will survive Novel Coronavirus. But for many of those who become critically ill, their lives will depend on whether there are enough ventilator systems to save them.
MIKE LEAVITT, FORMER SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: We simply are not going to have enough ventilators. We're not going to have enough capacity if we allow this virus to take the natural course that it will. We're at war.
SIDNER: The virus has now hit every state. And if the U.S. outbreak tracks similarly to what happened in Italy, experts say hospitals will be overwhelmed.
IRWIN REDLENER, PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: We are so incredibly underprepared for a major onslaught of hospitals which is basically now inevitable.
SIDNER: The desperation for ventilators made clear by governors around the country.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): We have about 5,000 or 6000 secured. We need 30,000. I mean, this is a bad situation.
GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): We do not want to be in a position that the poor people that really are where, you know, they're deciding who's going to live and who's going to die because they don't have enough respirators, they don't have enough equipment.
SIDNER: And yet, that's exactly where we could find ourselves, experts warn. There are only about 12 large scale global companies that produce ventilators. But there are also startups trying to help fill the gaps. One of them is smack in the middle of where the deadliest outbreak of coronavirus has happened yet in the entire United States.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of our different sub-assembly lines here.
SIDNER: Ventec life systems is located just outside Seattle, Washington. It's racing to produce ventilator systems called VOCSN, trying to go from making hundreds of units a month to thousands.
It's not just a matter of having enough ventilators. There are many other things that work in conjunction with the ventilator to keep patients alive. We're talking about oxygen, cough assist, also a suction unit, and a nebulizer. All of these things have to work properly to keep someone breathing. And this company has been able to put all of these things into one device that can work in the hospital, but it can also work at home.
Who is reaching out to you asking about your product?
CHRIS KIPLE, CEO, VENTEC LIFE SYSTEMS: We are literally having conversations with state, federal, and local authorities on a regular basis. We're trying to do as much as we can to increase our production capacity to meet the demand and help save lives.
SIDNER: He says, government officials from 65 other countries are in talks with them as well as hospitals. The Society of critical medicine says according to a 2009 study, there are about 60,000 functional machines in the U.S. Nearly 100,000 that were obsolete but could be used. And even with all those, it would not meet America's needs if the Italy scenario happens here.
KIPLE: The only way you save lives right now, without a vaccine, is having access to a ventilator.
SIDNER: Those in America's stockpile are only supposed to bridge the gap until industry can ramp up. That's why this operation is now going 24/7. His employees can't work from home, so there's a serious effort to ensure they don't contract the virus. They are greeted as we were with a thermometer, hand sanitizer, and gloves for those who can maneuver testing and assembling parts with them on. The product is tested here and shipped here.
Show me how the machine works.
[02:40:26]
KIPLE: Everything can be accessed literally at the touch of a button. So let's say I want to activate a patient's cough, I just go to the cough icon here, I can preset any amount of cough, a small cough, a big cough, and all I have to do is hit start.
SIDNER: The questions still unanswered. How many units will be needed to ensure no one dies simply because there weren't enough ventilator systems to breathe life into them?
And that is the big question, just how many of these ventilators may be needed once the Novel Coronavirus hits its peak here in the United States. Sara Sidner, CNN, Seattle.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: On Thursday night, CNN hosted a global townhall on the facts and fears of the Coronavirus. Here are a few of the questions some of you asked our assembled medical experts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Since we now have people who have recovered from the Coronavirus, is it possible to develop some sort of treatment using the antibodies that they developed as a response to the disease?
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: As a matter of fact, that's exactly what we're doing. We're gearing up for a study of both convalescence serum, which is a big word to say taking the serum from someone who's completely recovered, getting it in a way that you can really infuse it in somebody else, or getting out the proteins, the gamma globulin, the antibodies from that serum and use it as a way of both treatment and possibly prophylaxis, but mostly treatment. Very good question. That's one of our top priorities.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At what point would they ramp up testing to those who do not have symptoms so they can find out how the virus is spreading? I know right now, they do not have enough tests. But wouldn't it be prudent to get enough tests to include young people without symptoms?
FAUCI: The critical issue is to get the testing first to those areas where you have somebody who is in fact, having symptoms, and you want to see if they're, in fact, infected. The idea of doing a broad screening, including asymptomatic people is not a bad idea. I've been talking about that for a while. But when you prioritize what you need to do, we really need to get the testing to the people who are in a situation where you really need to know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, here it is.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Inside in the restaurant who is either ill with the virus or is not aware that they have the virus comes in contact with the food or the packaging. Is it then possible that I can contract the virus through that food or the packaging? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about that?
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So it's interesting. So first of all, you're not going to, you know, get it from the food that you're eating. This isn't one of those types of viruses. It is a respiratory of virus.
CELINE GOUNDER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: I think the highest risk moment in getting food delivered to you is actually the face to face interaction if you have one with the delivery person. So ideally, you would be able to pay them online, tip them online, or whatever platform you're using for ordering food, and then have them leave it outside your door. Wait till they leave and then get the food.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Well, if you missed our program earlier, it will be shown again. The program will replay at 8:00 a.m. in London, that is 4:00 p.m. in Hong Kong. Health officials warned a second wave of the coronavirus may be heading to Asia. Next here, how China is using smartphone technology in an attempt to prevent a resurgence of the virus.
[02:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: Well, for the second day in a row, China is reporting no new locally transmitted Coronavirus cases. While it may be a major milestone in containing the virus, health experts warn China needs to prepare for a potential second wave of infections. CNN's David Culver has more for us from Shanghai.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As medical personnel prepare to move out, Chinese state media say doctors and nurses in Hubei Province are now beginning to scale back their life-saving efforts at the epicenter of the Novel Coronavirus outbreak.
Now we are returning home so I'm really excited as we won the victory over the epidemic, this medical worker said.
With the epidemic spreading in the U.S., health experts here warned even with an increase in the number of patients recovered and a drop in daily reported cases, this is not a mission accomplished. Wuhan, health officials will only consider lifting lockdown restrictions after 14 consecutive days without any new cases reported.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The single biggest danger is complacency, and this was something we talked about in China a fair bit that people drop their guard against this disease.
In the past two weeks, officials reported nearly half of the new cases in mainland China came from abroad. In Hong Kong, more than 90 percent of new cases are imported. Chinese officials are now heavily focused on external threats. At Beijing Capital International Airport, China CDC conducting strict screenings for international arrivals.
Passengers bussed to this exhibition hall turned transit center. Health evaluations conducted at individual booths set up to represent each province. Most every traveler entering Beijing from overseas is now required to be coordinated at designated government facilities for at least 14 days.
For those of us traveling within Mainland China, big data is helping the government track us and trace potential exposures. We each have a QR code assigned to our smartphone numbers. It allows us to access into some hotels, malls, grocery stores, even restaurant chains.
Green means you're clear and OK to enter, yellow indicates you've potentially been in contact with a confirmed case and should self- isolate at home, red means forced quarantine. On the streets of Shangdu, images reminiscent of Robocop. Police using infrared helmets to scan body temperatures as people stroll by.
Across the country, officials at various command centers have been set up to monitor the health information of more than 300 million people. Here, privacy HE it seems once again taking a backseat to national health security. But even as Chinese media proudly shows China's medical personnel helping other countries sending supplies and teams like this one to Italy, uncertainty remains on the home front.
In Shanghai, two months into this outbreak, people slowly venturing out of self-isolation and into the spring-like weather. Some public parks reopened, life cautiously resuming. The waters are calm for now, but as lockdown restrictions ease, concerns grow for a potential second wave of infections. David Culver, CNN, Shanghai.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: And now, we want to take you live to Beijing where our Steven Jiang is joining us. That's incredible news about these past two days with no new cases. Steven, the big question is as David was pointing out there, will it be one giant step forward, but another setback but just don't know?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: That's right, Natalie. And this is quite a dramatic turnaround at enormous economic but also human costs. Remember, the death toll here is over 3,200 including numerous doctors and one of whom of course was Dr. Li Wenliang. The young ophthalmologist in Wuhan who is trying to sound an early alarm about the virus but was silenced by local authorities.
[02:50:15]
Now I mentioned him because after his death sparked a nationwide outrage on February 7th. The national government sent in a team of investigators to Wuhan to investigate issues related to his death. And their highly anticipated report came out on Thursday night. But it was quite a -- quite a letdown for many people around the country.
They were deeply disappointed because the investigators did not really address some of the burning questions on the minds of millions, including who really ordered the silence -- silencing of Dr. Li and other whistleblowers and why. And also they did not address deeper issues surrounding the initial mishandling of this crisis by the authorities there or even the alleged cover-up.
So really, you know, this is an issue that's not going to go away, especially right now given the war of words between the two governments in the U.S. and China. Remember, President Trump has been insisting on calling this virus, the Chinese virus and saying the Chinese authorities did not give their U.S. counterparts early warning to allow the U.S. to prepare for this pandemic.
And the Chinese, of course, are really working hard to push back such criticisms and pushing out their own narrative and propaganda to cast doubt on the origin of the virus. So that's why the investigation into the death of Dr. Li is still very much relevant but the answers, the authorities here have given to the people obviously not satisfying in the minds of many people. Natalie?
ALLEN: Yes, exactly. Is there still a question about how this started?
JIANG: That's very much a question the Chinese government is trying to really sow doubt on as I mentioned. There are different conspiracy theories going on, including some promoted by officials here. But I think of right now they're growing concern, of course, as you mentioned is important cases as the number keeps rising. That's why they have adopted a new measure including diverting Beijing bound international flights, some of these flies to nearby cities to have screening procedures done outside of Beijing.
Now, only people deemed healthy at these locations can be allowed to board these aircraft to come into Beijing. And the latest revelation we have heard from a few authorities here is these three athletes from their national fencing team were tested positive when they came back from Hungary after they were competing and training there.
That's obviously very much also reinforcing the notion of many people's growing concern and fear about the upcoming 2020 Olympics if they are indeed going ahead. Natalie?
ALLEN: All right, Steven Jiang for us with the latest in Beijing. Steven, thanks so much. In the United States, college students on Spring Break are still on the Florida beaches partying it up despite warnings from officials not to. Now, the Florida Governor has a stern message for them. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALLEN: It is spring break time here in the United States. And despite a pandemic, students are still flocking to beaches all around the country. Florida's governor wants towns to follow CDC guidelines and some local government are shutting down beaches now. But as CNN's Leyla Santiago reports from Clearwater Beach, Florida, not everyone is taking the advice of experts so seriously.
[02:55:11]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Despite what health officials are warning, some beaches in Florida are still the go-to spot especially for tourists.
Are you making any changes because of the coronavirus?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not on Spring Break.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not really. I'm just trying to have fun.
SANTIAGO: Ques and Savannah are like the thousands of Spring Breakers in the sunshine state right now. They've heard the warnings to keep social distance. But for now, they say it's not a priority despite what health experts and the White House are asking.
DEBORAH BIRX, CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE: It may have been that the millennial generation, our largest generation, our future generation that will carry us through for the next multiple decades -- we cannot have these large gatherings that continue to occur throughout the country.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Relief, as much relief as we can get.
SANTIAGO: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who has the power to close all the state beaches has not done so. His office tells us it's not off the table. Instead, for now, the governor has ordered Floridians to follow CDC guidelines at the beaches by "limiting their gatherings to no more than 10 persons," distance themselves from other parties by six feet. DeSantis' predecessor Senator Rick Scott calling for more to be done.
SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FL): I think they ought to do everything they can to stop people from being on the beach. They ought to make sure that the only way you can go on the beach is if you're going to be on there by yourself.
SANTIAGO: But that's not happening at all. This was Coco Beach just a couple of days ago. Brevard County has since closed public parking near beach access points. A similar seen within the last 24 hours in Clearwater Beach. The sheriff says local businesses need to be taken into consideration before beaches are closed.
BOB GUALTIERI, SHERIFF, PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA: There's also to those business owners, to the hotel owners, and those that operate all these properties who asked us not to shut down the beaches.
SANTIAGO: And that's not stopping the mayor of the state's largest county, in quarantine himself, from deciding today to close the beaches.
CARLOS GIMENEZ, MAYOR, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA: To protect Miami- Dade County residents from the spread of the coronavirus, first I have ordered the closing of all parks and beaches in Miami-Dade County and all of our cities as of 9:00 a.m. today.
SANTIAGO: But for many, from tourists and those living in Florida, the need to get out right now is too strong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sticking our toes in the sand. What better way to spend a day? Where would you rather be?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEN: Well, we would all like to be on the beach, but the crowds, that's not going to happen. All right, we'll have the latest numbers on the coronavirus worldwide, many live reports around the world coming up in our next hour. I'll be right back with that. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
