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New Day Sunday

Coronavirus Death In The U.S. Passes 2,000; CDC Issues Travel Advisory For New York, New Jersey, Connecticut; Six People Injured After Tornado Rips Through Arkansas; Nike, New Balance Manufacturing PPEs For First Responders. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired March 29, 2020 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:01]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: And now this is gong to be there all day.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, my goodness.

Listen, if you're looking for ways to impact your community, help out with the coronavirus. I know you're thinking about that as well. Visit our website at CNN.com/impact.

(MUSIC)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: CNN now confirms more than 2,000 deaths here in the United States from coronavirus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More than 200 million Americans in 25 states are ordered to stay at home. Governors are pleading for help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Out of desperation, doctors in New York city and Italy are now using ventilators meant for one person to keep two patients alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm optimistic that we'll be able to save some lives. We have nothing to lose.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are perhaps at the outer bands of a category 5 hurricane. And this may get worse before it gets better.

(MUSIC)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: We're so grateful to have you with us today. And as you're waking up this morning, we have to tell you, there are more than 121,000 Americans now who tested positive for the coronavirus and 2,000 people have died because of it.

Now, just to give you some context here, that's an increase of more than 20,000 cases in 24 hours.

BLACKWELL: Now, the U.S. is the global hot spot for the virus. It's important to remember that more than 669,000 people around the world have tested positive. And it's killed more than 30,000 people.

PAUL: Back here at home, residents of three states, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, they're waking up to a two-week travel advisory. The CDC telling you to refrain from non-essential domestic travel. More than half of the cases here in the U.S. are in those states.

CNN's Jason Carroll is outside New York's Elmhurst Hospital.

Jason, what are you learning there this morning? And good morning.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Christi.

You know, this all started with the president initially saying that he was considering that quarantine for New York state, for Connecticut, as well as New Jersey, as you say, he said that this would possibly be for two weeks. Well, Governor Andrew Cuomo quickly got ahead of that, saying several things, first of all saying that he didn't think it was legal and, second, he was saying he believed it was a federal declaration of war against the states and that it would create all sorts of confusion.

The president then changing course and then asking the CDC then for this -- for this travel advisory. Let me read to it you in part.

It says: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut residents are urged to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. Of course, does not apply to emergency personnel. This essentially is what I think federal officials -- some state officials and city officials are saying, this is essentially what residents in New York and New Jersey and Connecticut have been doing anyway.

The critical essential focus here in New York City and in New York state has been the need for medical supplies, increased number of hospital beds. We already heard from medical professionals here at Elmhurst hospital and other hospitals across the city who've been talking about the need for more medical masks, having to reuse masks, using masks that don't fit, possibly exposing them to the coronavirus.

New York is going to be opening several emergency medical facilities in all five boroughs. In fact, they're going to be opening one at the Javits Convention tomorrow. That's when it's scheduled to open. Just to give you a sense of why this issue was so critical in New York state, more than 52,000 cases of coronavirus in New York state, that's only followed by New Jersey, with 11,000 cases. And just to give a sense what sort of impact this has had on first responders, some 12 percent of NYPD at this point has now called out sick -- Victor, Christi.

BLACKWELL: Jason Carroll for us there in New York -- Jason, thank you.

More about the travel advisory. We know that the CDC issued that travel advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut after the president spoke with the governors of those states.

PAUL: Yes, it all came together after the president backed off his initial idea to issue a short-term quarantine in the region. Last night he said on Twitter, a quarantine quote, would not be necessary.

CNN's Kristen Holmes has the latest from the White House.

And, Kristen, we know that came, that tweet came after Andrew Cuomo, Governor Cuomo, had said it would be, as Jason talked about, a federal declaration of war.

Do we know how the White House received that comment initially?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's interesting. They haven't commented directly on that. But as you said, after those comments, that is when they came out and said a quarantine would not be necessary.

And this is really just the latest in this power push-pull that we have seen between states and the federal government, between governors and President Trump throughout the coronavirus response.

[07:05:03]

Now, despite the fact we know New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo has been in near contact with President Trump since the spread of the virus, particularly over the last week and a half, Cuomo seemed blind- sided when President Trump first announced to reporters the idea of this quarantine and then later doubled down, repeating it in a tweet.

Now, of course , Como does not bite his tongue and I want to play that sound that you just mentioned, about the federal war there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: This would be a federal declaration of war on states, a federal declaration of war. And it wouldn't be just New York, New Jersey, Connecticut. Next week, it would be Louisiana with New Orleans and the week after that, it would be Detroit and Michigan, and it would run all across the nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So, no word if it was blowback from the governors or if the questions of whether or not a federal government could actually enforce this kind of quarantine. But last night, we did see a tweet that completely walked this back. We'll pull it up for you.

President Trump saying: On the recommendation of the White House coronavirus task force and upon consultations with governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I asked the CDC to issue a strong travel advisory to be administered by the governors in consultation with a federal government. A quarantine will not be necessary, full details will be released by CDC tonight.

And, of course, we heard some of those details from Jason just a minute ago.

But in another display of the back and forth power dynamic, the New Jersey governor, last night after this travel advisory was issued came out with a statement, saying, this is a non-binding, I just want to remind everyone, this is non-binding travel advisory and the rules that I set in place as the governor last week still stand.

BLACKWELL: Kristen Holmes for us there outside the White House, thank you, Kristen.

PAUL: As you know, this pandemic has put healthcare providers across the country under extreme strain. Our next guest represents thousands of hospitals and healthcare networks across the country, Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, with us now.

Mr. Pollack, we appreciate your time. Thank you for being here.

What are you hearing from your members this morning?

RICK POLLACK, CEO, AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION: We need supplies. We need personal protective equipment. That is the highest priority now.

You know, the president took action on Friday and we appreciate the action in employing the Defense Production Act to deal with the ventilator problem. We've got a gap there. But we also have a tremendous problem in getting the personal protective equipment we need to protect front line heroes, our doctors, our nurses, our first responders, all the other healthcare workers.

If they go down, the system collapses. And it's important for your viewers to understand why this personal protective equipment problem has originated. It all goes back to the testing failures, testing failures that are acknowledged by the highly respected Dr. Fauci.

And, you know, we have to take care of symptomic patients in the hospital as if they have the disease. Until we get the tests to rule it out and get them back quickly, we are burning through gear at an astronomical rate. And that's why we have the problem, it goes to that, that created a cascade. So, personal protective equipment, we're pleading for it.

PAUL: We know you mentioned Dr. Fauci there. He is going to be on "STATE OF THE UNION" a little bit later this morning. But I want to ask you about the Florida governor's orders of hydroxychloroquine for Florida hospitals.

What do you know about a potential remedy where that's concerned?

POLLACK: You know, I can't really speak to that. That's something the physicians and scientists are better able to speak to. What we're focused right now on is making sure that our workers are protected and they're intensely preparing for the surge and that we're doing everything we can to protect our patients and communities.

PAUL: So, outside of getting the PPE that you need, what else are you doing? Because I know on an emotional standpoint, this has to be weighing on these healthcare professionals. And that is important to keep them healthy in that regard as well.

POLLACK: Yes. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the nurses and doctors and we and the AMA and ANA have been really working hard on this PPE thing. One of the things we started was this 100 million mask campaign. It originated with the Providence system out in Seattle, Washington. One of the things we're trying to do is connect people willing to produce the masks, the goggles, the gowns, and the other equipment, idle factories that are willing to step up to the plate.

We, through this campaign are trying to connect those folks with people willing to put it into the market. But what we really also need is for the Defense Production Act to be employed on the PPE side, in addition to the ventilator side.

[07:10:07]

We need really aggressive action and push all the levers possible to get this kind of equipment to our front line workers.

PAUL: We've seen so many people, people in neighborhoods, fashion designers, who are saying, we'll make masks for you, how do you manage some of these very thoughtful efforts by people who want to donate these masks, how do you message that and reconcile that with perhaps some of this equipment that they're making that may not necessarily be up to the grade that you need? Is it still usable?

POLLACK: Actually, Providence health that originated this site, came locally from Seattle originally and we have taken it to scale nationally, we have this digital platform that we have created. You can go to aha.org million masks, and we've put out through Providence the specifications that people can use to manufacture this type of equipment.

And what we have is the ability to connect those willing to manufacture the product with those that are willing to put it into the supply lines, so that we can get to it our healthcare workers.

PAUL: We know there were mayors writing to President Trump for help to secure this needed equipment. What do you think the responsibility is specifically from the federal government in this regard?

POLLACK: Well, you know, the federal government obviously has the ability to be an organizing force here. And there are parts of the federal government that have been acting in a very responsive way. I have to give a lot of credit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, they cut a lot of red tape that allowed us to take decisive action in regard to responding to this crisis.

But we have been having problems getting these types of equipment from the national strategic stockpile. Frankly, it's been uneven, and it's been trickling out. Those spigots need to be opened and need to be re- supplied.

PAUL: So, you had written, I want to pull this up on our screen for our viewers. While this legislation is an important first step forward, more will

need to be done to deal with the unprecedented challenge of this virus. What is the more that you refer to, beyond the PPE?

POLLACK: You know, beyond the PPE, we are going to have to do more to support our healthcare workers on the front lines, in terms of more childcare, more help for them in terms of a whole variety of things to make sure that they have all the tools and resources that are necessary to do the job. They're our heroes in all of this. The other thing we have to be mindful of is that even before this all started, one-third of the hospitals in this country were in the red and another third were on the edge of being in the red.

Now, as we've shut down services, regular services, we have no revenue coming in, our expenses to prepare for the surge, let alone to deal with all of the other expenses associated with taking care of our patients and communities are going up at a rapid rate. If we don't get additional help in terms of cash flow, in terms of other types of assistance, we're going to see hospitals close. So, that's another important part.

I've got to give a lot of credit to the congressional leadership, particularly Senator McConnell and Schumer, where the last piece of legislation emerged. People call it a Marshall Plan, but it's really immediate relief infused. Not only do we need immediate relief, we're going to need a Marshall Plan. You know, a Marshall Plan is really a recovery plan to rebuild the healthcare structure once we get through all of this.

PAUL: And I think what's unnerving to people is nobody really knows how long that's going to take and will be needed.

Rick Pollack, we appreciate it so much, president and CEO of American Hospital Association. Best of luck to you and you are absolutely right. All of us --

POLLACK: Can I say something?

(CROSSTALK)

PAUL: -- right now. Yes?

POLLACK: The message from the folks on the front lines is they're there for you. You stay home, the public stay home for them.

PAUL: I love that. Yes. We will stay home for them because we appreciate so much what they're doing and we know it's really hard. Thank you.

POLLACK: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Six people hurt overnight as a tornado tore through Jonesboro, Arkansas. We've got the latest and more video.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:18:37]

BLACKWELL: Italy now has the highest number of those killed by COVID- 19, more than 10,000. And there was an increase of 3,600 confirmed cases there in Italy in just the past day.

PAUL: There are more than 60 million people there living under an increasingly unbearable lockdown as some describe it. And it's growing tighter by the day. Police are patrolling the streets, making sure no one is outside without a valid reason.

BLACKWELL: And now to Spain where more than 5,000 have died from the virus over the last two days, flights have arrived carrying loads of protective equipment for their healthcare workers and Spanish health ministry official say the country is reaching the peak of the curve.

PAUL: A hospital is Brussels is converting scuba masks into emergency ventilators to meet their demand. There are over 9,000 confirmed cases in Belgium, and there are still thousands of Americans that are stranded overseas.

BLACKWELL: The State Department has been struggling to bring them home as air travel shuts down because of the pandemic. People are worried about border closures and healthcare systems becoming overwhelmed.

CNN's Kylie Atwood has their stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPNDENT: The State Department has helped more than 15,000 Americans get back to the United States. These are folks who are stranded internationally because of the coronavirus pandemic, and they were in countries where they closed their borders or closed down their international airspaces.

As of Friday, the State Department had provided more than 150 flights to get these Americans home. But there are still more Americans looking for assistance getting back to the United States. The State Department says they are tracking about 33,000 Americans and they are hoping to provide more than 60 flights in the coming week for those folks trying to get back to the U.S.

But there are still some Americans in some of these countries even those where the U.S. government is providing flights who simply cannot get to those flights. Those are people like Matthew King, who as of Friday one of more than a dozen Americans who is stuck at a hospital in Peru. He's quarantined there and prevented from leaving because the Peruvian military is blocking the streets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW KING, STUCK IN PERU: We are currently under a 100 percent lockdown quarantine as two people at the hospital tested positive for the coronavirus. The health department came in yesterday and told us we'd be under lockdown for one to three months. Our biggest concerns right now is, one, getting back to the U.S.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: Now, in terms of international cooperation, President Trump says the U.S. should never be reliant on other countries for its own survival. But that is a stark contrast to some of the more private discussions President Trump has had.

So, for example, this week, we know he spoke with President Moon of South Korea and asked if South Korea had any medical supplies they could provide to the United States. And the State Department has reached out to diplomats around the world and asked them to ask their host countries if they had any medical supplies that they could give to the United States, who is facing a shortage right now.

There was a specific list provided of 25 supplies, including ventilators and face masks that the United States is looking for right now. A state department spokesperson said the hope would be they could connect those additional supplies with states and entities in the United States that desperately need them.

Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Kylie, thank you.

This next story is admittedly a little jarring but it's honest. This is a look inside a New York hospital that's overwhelmed with the coronavirus patients.

PAUL: A doctor at Elmhurst released footage showing a crowded emergency room and people outside and large truck to store the bodies of dead patients.

Here's CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. COLLEEN SMITH, EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR: All the feet that you see, they all have COVID.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Colleen Smith says she doesn't care if she gets in trouble for taking this footage and sharing it with the media. Smith is an E.R. doctor at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, one of the hardest-hit facilities treating coronavirus patients in New York City.

The video she took, which she sent to "The New York Times", shows an overloaded emergency room, patients lining up outside, and a refrigerator truck which she says the hospital had to get to store the bodies of patients who died.

SMITH: I don't have the support that I need and even just the materials that I need physically to take care of my patients. And it's America and we're supposed to be a first-world country.

TODD: Smith told the "Times" on a regular day prior to the outbreak, her E.R. would see about 200 people. Now it's about twice that.

She filmed a new shipment of ventilators Elmhurst had just received from another hospital.

SMITH: Five -- five ventilators. Oh my God.

TODD: Staffers at Elmhurst describe the scenes at that hospital to the "Times" as apocalyptic and said calls over a loudspeaker of, quote, "Team 700", the code for when a patient is in danger of dying, come several times on each shift.

CNN has reached out to Elmhurst Hospital for a response to Dr. Smith's video and comments. The hospital has not replied. But in a previous statement, they said they are working hard to meet demand.

But caregivers at other New York area hospitals are also worried and are talking about it.

Dr. Meredith Case, an internal medicine resident at Columbia's Presbyterian Medical Center, tweeted: Today was the worst day anyone has ever seen, but tomorrow will be worse. We are on the precipice of rationing.

Dr. Susannah Hills, a head and neck surgeon at the same hospital, tells CNN she believes it's inevitable she's going to be exposed to coronavirus.

DR. SUSANNAH HILLS, HEAD AND NECK SURGEON, COLUMBIA PRESBYTERIAN MEDICAL CENTER: In my department, the procedures that we do are procedures that tends to aerosolize the virus or emit particles into the air, and that's particularly high risk for exposure.

TODD: Some hospital staffers seem on the verge of breaking. A nurse at a Long Island hospital who treated coronavirus patients posted on social media: I cried in the bathroom on my break. I cried the entire ride home.

SMITH: We don't have the tools that we need in the emergency department and in the hospital to take care of them and it's really hard.

[07:25:06]

TODD (on camera): Another doctor, a pulmonary specialist at a prominent Boston hospital, says she is scared right now to share the same air in a room with a coronavirus patient. She says she comes in, does only what she needs to do, and then leaves the room. She says she can't even spend a few moments reassuring those patients, which leads to the overwhelming numbers of people feeling isolated -- patients and doctors alike.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Brian, thank you. Athletic companies, Nike and New Balance are stepping up to make

protective gear for first responders and the impact on businesses. That's when we come back.

Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: So, six people are injured this morning after a tornado ripped through Jonesboro, Arkansas.

[07:30:01]

This is storm damage at the Mall at Turtle Creek. It flattened commercial building, it scattered debris across parking lots.

BLACKWELL: The airport there saw at least one airplane overturned, hangars damaged as well. I want you to see you, and this is not time- lapsed video, how quickly this tornado intensified. You can imagine, as the sun comes up, people are getting a better look at the damage.

PAUL: Yes, that is extraordinary, to see how fast that went through. And you're going to see a little bit more of it here come across that road as that tornado passes by. You saw the spark there. Just -- there are people injured and no deaths in this. Search and rescue teams are outside looking to make sure everybody is OK.

BLACKWELL: So, there's a lot of uncertainty for all of us, individuals, businesses as well, during the pandemic. But some businesses are finding ways to help, athletic specifically, Nike and New Balance are searching for ways to help with the shortage of equipment.

PAUL: So, what they're doing is they're having their U.S. factories develop, manufacture and developer PPE for doctors and nurses and other first responders who are on the frontlines of the pandemic.

CNN business correspondent Alison Kosik with us.

Alison, good to have you here.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPNDENT: Good morning.

PAUL: What else are you learning about these businesses and what they're doing?

KOSIK: Yes, I think -- good morning to you, Victor and Christi.

You know, I think this is a situation where a companies that we know, just by their brands, like you said, Nike, for instance, they're recognizing this desperate need and they're stepping to help.

Now, Nike is saying that it's creating personal protective equipment, PPE, for doctors and nurses during this outbreak. We learned this on Nike's shareholder conference call last week when John Donahue said the company is also developing face shields to help these healthcare workers who are on the front line and it's doing this under guidance of workers who work at Oregon Health and Science University.

Nike, not only the one as you mentioned. New Balance also stepping in, announcing in a tweet that it's manufacturing and delivering face masks to the hospital community, saying it's producing prototypes for face masks at its Lawrence, Massachusetts manufacturing facility.

This is an interesting one. Sports equipment company Bower, which usually makes hockey equipment, hockey shields, hockey gear, announcing it's going to shift away from that and make these helmet visors, instead to mass-produce these for the healthcare community.

You know, one thing I noticed looking into this further, is that there seems to be a breakdown in the supply chain. Obviously, the United States was not prepared for this. As you're seeing, companies are seeing, even nonprofits stepped in and see this need and come to, you know, come -- sort of come to the rescue. One nonprofit that I noticed, Project N95, is actually acting as a clearing house, providing healthcare workers sort of as a mediator, providing healthcare with the PPE that they need.

And you can go on their website and actually see in real-time the numbers. Thousands of healthcare providers who need this essential PPE, and already it shows there are hundreds of millions of pieces of equipment that are needed. This nonprofit, Christi and Victor, saying that this has turned into a Wild, Wild West, and talking about the supply chain, which has broken down -- Christi and Victor.

BLACKWELL: Alison Kosik, thank you so much.

For good deeds and everyone helping everyone else around them, how the pandemic is encouraging some acts of kindness.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:38:11]

BLACKWELL: Well, the coronavirus outbreak is testing all of us in a lot of ways.

PAUL: Uh-huh. People are rising to the occasion, though, in some pretty important ways, too.

CNN's Tom Foreman shows us more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Somewhere over the rainbow --

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the spring concert was canceled for this California high school chorus, the members sang anyway, each person recording his or her part, stringing them together online and the results are magical.

They are not alone. Coast to coast, people are finding ways to be brave, optimistic.

CHIEF TOM VAUGHN, SOUTHPORT POLICE: We're just kind of all getting together and figuring out how we can help in the best way.

FOREMAN: In Indiana, police have been delivering groceries and medicine to older and disabled forks.

In Florida, volunteers are offering drive up service for long lines in need of similar help.

And in Tennessee, country star Brad Paisley.

BRAD PAISLEY, COUNTRY STAR: We are mobilizing a group of volunteers to deliver groceries, one week's groceries, to elderly people that should not be out shopping on their own in these times.

FOREMAN: In Maryland, volunteers have been working almost around the clock, making, so far, more than 35,000 face shields for hospital workers.

A half hour away --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I pledge allegiance to the flag --

FOREMAN: The Lawrence (ph) family started saying the pledge of allegiance in their driveway each morning. Now the whole neighborhood has joined them, saying hello, checking in on each other.

A call for help went out from NBA star Frank Kaminsky and many others, hearing that a lot of animal shelters are closing. Now record adoptions are reported, including at this shelter, which was set to shutter with 50 dogs. Now all have homes.

[07:40:01]

And on it goes, from Texas where a couple learned that a local restaurant was going dark and left the staff a $9,400 dollar tip, to Wisconsin, where an artist rendered a fast mural for all who might pass.

FRED KARENS, MILWAUKEE ARTIST: I'm just glad that I was able to do something that is bringing a little happiness to people.

FOREMAN: So, sure, the future is uncertain, the economy is in turmoil but the businesses of kindness, gratitude and hope is booming.

(on camera): And remember, all these generous folks are facing the same dangers, the same questions we all are. But they are doing good anyway.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Our thanks to Tom for that.

Let me say just before we comment on the good deeds --

PAUL: Yes. BLACKWELL: -- it is remarkable that a cappella group could coordinate all those voices together. As tough as it is sometimes to meet or converse with family on the technology, they're making music. Let's point that out.

PAUL: There's another one you should know about, of Nashville singers. Look it up online. They did it as well. I was in tears, to which I told my daughter and she said, of course you were.

I highly recommend it. It's very similar to that and it just transforms you to a new place for a while, which is nice.

BLACKWELL: I will look at that.

So, this was an interesting experiment. CNN's photojournalist, Andrew Christman, he went out to the streets of D.C. and set up a mic and asked people how they're feeling about what we're all going through together. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREW CHRISTMAN, CNN PHOTOJOURNALIST: COVID-19, how are you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All things considered, feeling pretty good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feeling pretty anxious.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel great! No illness, no sickness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hasn't been that tough, not really.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At first I wasn't too worried, and then I got laid off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm feeling worried about a lot of my fellow people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Basically, they just like couldn't afford me anymore. It's OK. Life is still working out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm feeling like a sad extravert. I need to see more people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seems a bit surreal. I keep thinking it will end soon but it's not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stress and confusion, it is not clear where this is going on a long term trajectory.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the one hand it feels really normal but you also know it's abnormal. There are small little signs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been working from home since March 13th.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you feel like you've been cooped up in the house too long?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you miss schooling?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Working from home, watching Netflix.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Staying active as long as I can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hanging out in the house and playing the banjo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at the weather change through our window.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like the hardest part is not being able to see our son who lives on the other side of town.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not normal as usual, but we're surviving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a challenge to get three kids and care for them and do distance learning and work fulltime.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the most frustrating part is people not taking it seriously.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay positive, hang in there, use a lot of this stuff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breathe in, breathe out and most of all, pray.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: I love what that -- it struck me what the one man said, he said, I'm just worried about my fellow people --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: Not my colleagues, not my -- you know, not putting anybody in any particular characterization or group, just my fellow people.

BLACKWELL: So, Christi, you walk up to the mic, what do you say? Who are you feeling?

PAUL: I'm stressed, but I'm trying to recognize what I can control, and what I cannot and not get too stressed about what I can't control, because I don't want to put that on my kids as well. They've got enough learning and school at home.

What about you?

BLACKWELL: Yes, I don't have the concern of kids, so I understand and appreciate that specific concern. I -- what's jarring for me is how many people I miss. What you can't see at home is how many people are typically here in our studio and who are not here now. The makeup room, the newsroom, there are people missing. A few times of the day, you feel, this is unusual for us.

PAUL: Look how bare this is.

BLACKWELL: And how much space is between the two of us. There are a few times in the day where there is a flutter, there's a quickening you feel. But for the most part, we're all making it through, trying to adjust to what's new. It's the start of week three.

As the man said in that package put together by Andrew Christman, thank you for that. We don't know how long this will go but we are making it through.

PAUL: Yes, we are and you're right. We miss our team, but we're grateful that everybody, not just on our team, otherwise, we're all just trying to do this together. And we're in this together, and that's our fellow people.

[07:45:00]

We have to remember our fellow people.

And I know you said, because you don't have kids, it's a different aspect for some people. No school does mean no gym class as well. If you're parents out there and your kids are bouncing off the walls trying to figure out what to do, there's a fitness guru who wants to hold P.E. classes online.

And let me tell you, millions of people are tuning in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE WICKS, BODY COACH: What an unbelievable five days we just head. I'm so blown away by the support, people taking part in these workouts, the people that are sharing, I want to say thank you to the moms and dads that gotten their kids involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: The body coach, Joe Wicks, he's there and he's with us, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: So, around the world, of course, kids are out of school. Lots of them are stuck inside. Social distancing, watching videos online. No gym class.

[07:50:03]

BLACKWELL: Yes, but our next guest wants to get them going. He's hosting a virtual P.E. class every day.

So, here's one of the moves. It's the kangaroo hop.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

PAUL: That is Joe Wicks, the body coach, now, P.E. teacher to the world. He's with us live from London.

Joe, it's so good to see you this morning. The gym class you held Monday had, what, 3 million views on YouTube.

JOE WICKS, "THE BODY COACH", FITNESS INSTRUCTOR: Good morning, everybody.

PAUL: Yes, how do you deal with that kind of reaction? I know you didn't expect it.

WICKS: It's been absolutely phenomenal. I've been overwhelmed by it. It's been quite emotional because I've been trying to do this for about four years. I've been doing a lot of visits to schools, I've been trying to do workouts and inspire kids to exercise.

So, when I did this, I announced it on Wednesday night, I said, look, every day, Monday to Friday, at 9:00 a.m., I'm going to do a 30-minute workout designed for children.

And it was mainly in my head a U.K. thing, but it's gone completely global. Sixteen million people have viewed it in the past five days.

BLACKWELL: So, we know that you like to reference sports that kids like. Actually we have, I think, an example of that, right? Let's watch it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WICKS: Little kicks, Lionel Messi, Cristiana Ronaldo. You see a lot of footballers do this when they're warming up. So, you can see them picking up their legs like this.

Now, I want to pick a basketball, now, this and shoot. So, pick it up, shoot. Pick it up, shoot the hoop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: You know, what is the secret sauce here? My mom told me how excited she was when she was kind when her named was called out on "Romper Room". I know you call it kids' names. What is the element that gets so many millions of people to watch?

WICKS: Well, it's all about making it fun. It's very interactive, because with YouTube, you can comment live and say, I'm Susan in Sidney, trying on three kids, can you us a shout-out. So, my brother is calling me on the phone, and he's doing the shout-out.

So, I'm making it fun. What I've seen more than anything is I'm bringing children and teenagers and parents together. And probably for the first time ever, they're exercising. And for that 30 minutes, they feel calm, they feel safe and it elevates their mood. And they're just so happy, and I want people to feel optimistic during this time.

We need emotion -- exercise is a powerful thing to do that. It helps so much. PAUL: And when we talk about this being for kids, you're kind of

breathless at the end of some of these. Do you have any knowledge as to whether there are parents that are joining their kids doing this as well? Because I didn't know if you were targeting a particular age group and it just kind of exploded.

WICKS: Well, there's been millions of people. And I've had so many funny messages and tweets from people saying that, you know, they did their workout with their kid on Monday, now they can't walk downstairs because their bum is so sore and their legs are on fire.

But, you know, it's all fun. It's people just trying to get into it, and I said to people, look, there's loads of workouts, because if they can't do the live ones, they save on my channel. There's beginner ones or low-impact ones, people who overweight and want more sensitive stuff, and there's also more advanced stuff. So, my "Body Coach TV YouTube really is -- it's been like seven years in the making just for this moment, to be there at people at home who want to exercise and need the motivation.

So, if you're someone who struggles with anxiety or depression or low mood, all you got to do is go and pick a workout and I'll motivate you and I'll make you feel good at the end of it, you'll have a massive smile on your face and that's where your motivation is going to come from.

BLACKWELL: Tell us how this is helping health care workers because you're donating the money. Explain that.

WICKS: Well, I've been blown away. The views have been unprecedented. Now, I don't -- I didn't know that was going to happen, I wasn't aware of it, and so, when I looked on the YouTube, it can show you the revenue you make so I've said I'm going to donate 100 percent of all the revenue to the National Health Service in the U.K. because they are struggling right now and they are the real heroes.

So, it's wonderful to know that every viewer every time someone comes to that channel and lifts that number, it's going to a great place to really help the government and the NHS that need it right now.

PAUL: We should point out you have two kids of your own. We only have a few seconds left, but I'm assuming you got a P.E. class ready for tomorrow morning.

WICKS: Yes, I'm all planned, 9:00 a.m. U.K. time. But as I said, it's going to be not just this week, it's next week, it's every week, while the schools -- I'm going to be the world's PE teacher for as long as you need me and I'm so proud and inspired and grateful for everyone that's tuned in.

PAUL: All righty.

Joe Wicks, I love your energy. Me and my kids will be there. Victor, you in?

BLACKWELL: I'll come, but I don't have any kids. PAUL: You don't need kids.

BLACKWELL: I mean --

WICKS: Get your kangaroo hops.

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: Can't you see me doing the kangaroo hop. All right.

PAUL: Joe, best of luck to you. Thank you for what you're doing.

WICKS: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Joe.

WICKS: Good luck. Take care

PAUL: You as well.

That is some good stuff there.

All right. Take a look at this. To kill coronavirus, we know to vigorously wash our hands, don't we, with soap and water for a certain number of times, but doing that is a challenge, obviously, for people who are homeless. That's why this nonprofit stepped in.

[07:55:02]

Love Beyond Walls sent volunteers to set up portable outdoor sinks. Those are the type used in RVs for camping. Now, they are placing them under overpasses, bridges, other places in Atlanta where the homeless may congregate, and the idea came from the head of Love Beyond Walls who knows the challenges of living on the streets. He knows it well because he was homeless as a teenage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERENCE LESTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LOVE BEYOND WALLS: We said, man, I'm going to catch this virus because I don't have anywhere to wash my hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Each station holds five gallons of water. It has a soap dispenser and a drain and at the end of the day, volunteers pick up the sinks to clean and refill them. The nonprofit is hoping to raise enough money to have portable sinks installed in other states as well.

So, listen, if you would like to help, Love Beyond Walls, that's the name, with their mission, go to CNN.com/impact. You're going to find many ways to help people that are impacted by the coronavirus.

And thank you so much for checking that out.

Thank you, too, for spending time with us this morning. We appreciate you, and we hope you make good memories.

BLACKWELL: Do your part to stay healthy.

"INSIDE POLITICS WITH JOHN KING" is up next.