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Germany Eases Restrictions And Allows Some Shops To Reopen; U.K.'s Big Concern Is Potential Second Peak Of Coronavirus Cases; Former Inmates Share Lessons About Confinement. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired April 21, 2020 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers here in the U.S. and around the world. You're watching CNN.

I'm Robyn Curnow. It is 5:30 in the morning here on the east coast in Atlanta. Good to have you along.

I want to give you a check of our headlines this hour. So this is what we know.

South Korea's government says it is aware of reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in poor health. The presidential Blue House says, quote, "No unusual signs are being detected inside North Korea." The U.S. is monitoring intelligence that Kim is in grave danger after undergoing surgery.

And the U.S. president says he will fight the coronavirus by banning immigration. Donald Trump tweeted he will sign an executive order in part because of the need to protect the jobs of our great American citizens. Several issues remain unclear, including the length of this suspension.

And the number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. has surged past 42,000 people according to Johns Hopkins University. Even so, some states are preparing to ease the restrictions they set up to contain the outbreak.

The governor of Georgia says he'll allow some businesses to reopen this week despite warnings from health officials. Other states we know are doing the complete opposite and extending stay-at-home orders, but some Americans simply refuse to believe the virus poses a serious threat. Many are taking to the streets to demand the whole country follow Georgia's lead and reopen.

Well, Miguel Marquez was one of those -- was at a rally at one of those in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and this is his report -- Miguel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good morning, Robyn. It was a very busy day -- a very big day at the state capitol here in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where hundreds if not thousands of protesters lined the area around the capitol, across the street from it, and in cars that were going by honking and showing their support for the protesters.

This protest had many different voices and many different things that they were trying to accomplish. One is that they wanted to stop the stay-at-home orders that Pennsylvania is under because of the coronavirus.

It was also very much -- it felt like a reelection rally for the president. It was also a religious rally to some degree, with lots of religious groups here praying and one of the signs saying "Jesus is my vaccine." It was also a Second Amendment or gun rights rally. There were several heavily-armed individuals who made their presence known at the rally as well.

Many of the protesters who were here were wearing masks and trying to keep a respectful distance, but many, many others were not. There were a lot of people without masks on. There were a lot of people sort of standing shoulder-to-shoulder during this protest.

The ones that I spoke to said that they just did not believe that the coronavirus is as serious as the media portrays it. They said that the media is the virus. That the politicians -- in this case, Democratic politicians are the virus. And they say that they are trying to basically conduct a coup by pandemic.

What they want more than anything is for those stay-at-home orders to end. They're asking that they end on May first. That is something that President Trump floated himself in the last several days. But the governor of -- Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, during the rally here, extended that stay-at-home order until May eighth.

All of that likely to raise tensions both here and in other states where similar rallies are planned -- Robyn.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Miguel, thanks for that. Interesting stuff there.

So, some states in the U.S. are getting ready to reopen, including here in Georgia, as we've said. Some countries around the world are experimenting with similar measures except they have better testing in place.

Germany, on Monday, starting easing its restrictions, allowing businesses and shops to reopen as the country takes steps back towards normalcy. Germany's Center for Disease Control, the Robert Koch Institute, says the number of new infections remains low following Monday's declines.

Well, Fred Pleitgen joins me now from Berlin. Fred, hi, good to see you. Explain to us the differences between the U.S. and Germany. In many

ways, Germany's seen a decline and has also got plans for testing, and that's the difference why Germany's reopening.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's exactly what the Germans are saying, actually, Robyn. They're saying the big difference between them and, for instance, the United States and maybe also some of the European countries is that they started testing extremely early on and they did start testing in a massive way as well.

There was a press conference yesterday by the German Health Ministry where they said right now, they've ramped up their testing capacity to about 700,000 tests per week, and that's in a country of 80 million. So they are getting a lot of data and they say getting that data -- knowing who has the virus fairly early on is something that helps them isolate cases. And that's now helped them get back to the sort of -- I wouldn't say normalcy but at least gradually open things up again.

[05:35:00]

At the same time, you have Angela Merkel, who has had this very scientific approach to all this, who really warned Germans not to get complacent and to keep sticking to the social distancing measures that are in place.

Of course, nevertheless, there were a lot of people who went out yesterday and who did enjoy some of these new freedoms or these re-won freedoms if you will, going to places like shops, going to places like the zoo as well.

Here's what we saw.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN (voice-over): The fur seals finally have an audience again as Germany gradually emerges from lockdown, allowing some zoos to open up and giving both parents and children some reprieve.

"The children need a distraction," this woman says. "It's been so hard on the kids. All the playgrounds are closed. I'm a single mother. I still have to work and school remains closed."

And schools will remain closed until at least May fourth, just like bars, restaurants, and gyms. But believe it or not, this is what many German towns looked like today as shops smaller than 8,600 square feet were allowed to open for the first time in weeks.

The Germans say they are pushing the coronavirus outbreak back thanks to massive and early testing, now up to around 700,000 tests per week, the government says, and a drastic increase in ICU capacities.

"The outbreak has become controllable and manageable again," the health minister said. That's allowing Germany to even fly in patients from hard-hit countries like Italy, Spain, France, and The Netherlands. And, Germany is going even further. The country's Center for Disease

Control announced a series of mass antibody tests for studies to determine what part of the population has already come in contact with coronavirus. For one study in Munich, testers are even going door-to- door.

"We want to discover how many people get infected by the coronavirus without having symptoms or with only very light symptoms, so they're not even aware of having the virus," the head of testing says.

Still, many physical distancing measures remain in place in Germany and Angela Merkel warns the gains made are fragile. "It would be tragic if we knowingly relapsed and if we knowingly endangered these first successes," Merkel said today.

As Germans enjoy the lifting of some of the lockdown measures, their leaders are already warning stay vigilant or the lockdown might return.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PLEITGEN: And, Robyn, one of the other measures that the Germans are also taking to try and get even more data to basically play into the way they want to move forward to combat the coronavirus is contact tracing. Angela Merkel announcing yesterday that the Germans would drastically up their capacities to do that as well just to make sure they also know where some of these infections might have come from even better than they do right now.

And it really has been Angela Merkel's approach, so far, to really make this very science-based, very data-based. And then also, of course, she has worked together very well with people on the state and local levels as well to make sure that everybody is on board with these measures.

But even she says in the end, the main thing is the discipline of the population here -- for them to keep these social distancing measures in place and adhere to them. And that's something where she continues to warn the population that Germany, by no means, is out of the woods yet and that there could be a second wave of infections if people do not adhere to these measures going forward, Robyn.

CURNOW: Yes, she's certainly led from the front on this one.

Fred Pleitgen there, live in Berlin. Good to see you. Thanks, Fred.

So, the U.K. is not quite ready to ease its restrictions yet. The prime minister's spokesman says the government's big concern is a potential second peak of coronavirus cases. The spokesperson says the U.K. will be guided by science in terms of when to lift social distancing measures.

The prime minister is continuing his own recovery from the virus at his country residence.

So, let's go to London. Nic Robertson is standing by with the view from where you are. Hi, Nick. What can you tell us? What's the situation right now?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, the situation is the credibility of the government at the moment and particularly, that focuses around PPE.

So while the government has a message, it doesn't have a clear and concise message yet on how the lockdown will end. It's got its five points but it's not clear what, as we see in Germany, a phased approach. The people in the U.K. have no concept of what the government is considering in that regard, at least. There are various leaks but they're contradictory.

So you have that lack of credibility in the government because it isn't projecting a clear message yet on ending the lockdown. And the message is very clearly, at the moment, that staying at home saves lives and protects the National Health Service. But in the context of protecting the National Health Service, there's another confidence deficit that the government's experiencing and that is the deficit of the personal protection equipment.

[05:40:03]

A doctor's association here in the U.K. that polled 1,100 of its members got results that were shocking. There was a lack of masks and eye protection for more than a third of those doctors who responded and almost half of them said they didn't have protective gowns.

The government has admitted that supplies are critically low but they have said that there is enough to go round. The evidence from doctors seems to question that.

The government has promoted the notion that they were on the verge this weekend of taking delivery of 400,000 much-needed clinical gowns -- the water-repellant -- the fluid-repellant gowns. They didn't arrive from Turkey as the government said it would over the -- said they would over the weekend.

The government sent a plane there last night but it still appears, according to a government minister, that delivery -- the one that the government said would happen over the weekend -- is still, quote, "several days away."

So this credibility issue is a big issue for the government. Parliament starts to sit today again for the first time so those questions can be addressed, but its scaled hybrid version with only 50 MPs in the chamber and another 120 contributing by Zoom. Of course, the normal number would be 650 crammed in the chamber shouting questions.

CURNOW: I'm sure they can still do that over Zoom. That's not going to stop them. It is the British Parliament.

Nic Robertson, good to see you. Thanks so much for that update.

So, you're watching CNN. Still to come, a former inmate shares his insights on what all of us can learn about living in confinement as a fitness trainer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: It's 5:45 here in the morning in Atlanta. Thanks for joining us wherever you are in the world. I'm Robyn Curnow.

So, here's a story for you. Sweden's Princess Sofia is joining the fight to help doctors and nurses during the pandemic. She'll be caring for patients and cleaning the hospital so medical workers can help with emergency patients. That's her there in the middle.

[05:45:06]

The princess says being able to help in this difficult time is extremely rewarding. Well done to her.

You're watching CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HECTOR GUADALUPE, FOUNDER, A SECOND U FOUNDATION: "A Second U Foundation" is basically your second chance at life, you know. As for myself, I made plenty of mistakes. I spent 120 months in federal prison but came home extremely motivated and dedicated to this industry and with time, spiraled into me wanting to help those like myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: So that was Hector Guadalupe, the founder of "A Second U Foundation." After spending 10 years behind bars for drug-related charges he started his foundation to help other non-violent offenders train for jobs in the fitness industry. Well, he's now discovering his organization has many valuable lessons to share, both physically and mentally, about living in confinement amid the coronavirus pandemic.

[05:50:00]

So, personal trainer Hector Guadalupe joins me now live from New York. Hector, great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.

So, you know what it's like to be isolated in confinement. What are you telling your clients who are cooped up at home at the moment?

GUADALUPE (via Skype): Well, at the moment, Robyn -- thanks for having us -- but we're -- what I'm constantly trying to get people to understand is it's about building a routine while we're -- while we're pretty much isolated from each other and the rest of society -- building a routine. Not a schedule, a routine that works for you -- that fits for you, whether that's waking up and starting with meditation, moving your body, obviously, and finding time to just be more centered and focused on yourself.

CURNOW: And how do you do that? I mean, if you're in a small apartment, maybe -- you've got the kids running around you. I know in my home country of South Africa folks aren't actually allowed to go outside for a walk.

So what do you suggest? Based on your experience of being behind bars in a small place, what do you suggest people do? How do they -- how do they get to that place?

GUADALUPE: So, what I've been doing is helping clients kind of like build a regimen where they're working out X amount of time a day with spreading things out. A lot of meditation. A lot of us have been doing community yoga with each other.

We've been interacting. I've been telling them to interact with families as much as possible. Catch up with your families, catch up with your loved ones.

And I've been doing also -- I feel what works is a lot of journaling -- a lot of writing. These are some of the things that will -- that I used while locked up and in isolation to kill time and to help get me through.

CURNOW: I mean, your charity seems amazing. It's called "A Second U" and I think if I'm right, you've trained nearly 200 former inmates to work within the fitness industry.

I want to hear from one of your trainers who's teaching people to exercise at home. Just take a listen and I'll talk to you about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at this -- at home with two cans of vegetables getting a great workout. You have two more -- three -- two more now, four. That's right -- that's how we do this. Good job, Audrey -- excellent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: You're perfectly positioned, aren't you, to have these interactive classes over Zoom or Skype and you need just two tins of vegetables. You don't need fancy equipment or expensive Peloton. I mean, just tell us what you need and why this is also probably about going back to basics.

GUADALUPE: Well, working out myself and losing 90 pounds with no equipment is like the best proof there is, right?

Equipment is a luxury. We only need your body to get you in shape. So we use chairs, we can use cans. We can use just your body and a yoga mat.

So, yes, through calisthenics. There's tons of body-made exercises we have routines built around, which is what helped us get in shape while doing our time.

CURNOW: So tell us about that. What was it like doing time and getting shape -- losing 90 pounds? That's a lot of discipline.

GUADALUPE: Pretty much being disciplined with eating. A lot of -- a lot of -- mostly calisthenics and yoga, I would say. By a lot of Vinyasa in my cell. Tons of bodyweight exercises -- a lot of corrective stuff that we learned while inside. And mostly, being disciplined on nutrition.

While isolated, you have no access to real health care. You -- and this is how we feel really, at the moment, in New York as hospitals and medical care are scarce. So you want to take care of your -- care of yourself as best as possible through nutrition, staying hydrated, and definitely at least shedding those pounds through bodyweight exercises.

CURNOW: Yes, that's fantastic advice. Thanks so much -- great stuff. And I think hopefully, a lot of people link up with you guys because I think it's just exactly what many of us need right now. Appreciate it, Hector. Have a great day.

GUADALUPE: Thank you -- thank you, Robyn.

CURNOW: Cheers, bye.

So here's a lovely story. Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy is advocating handwashing as a way to protect yourself during the coronavirus crisis and it's pretty cute.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLUE IVY CARTER, DAUGHTER OF BEYONCE: You want to stick your finger inside of the mixture of soaps and make sure you get a lot on there. Then put your finger in it and the virus goes out. This is why it's very important to wash your hands.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:55:07]

CURNOW: Oh, bless her.

The bowl of water has pepper in it. That represents the coronavirus. Blue Ivy did the experiment to illustrate how washing with soap can help you stop getting sick and she ended the video by asking people to please stay at home.

Well, I think we're all saying that. Stay at home if you can.

And thanks for your company. Let's help everyone by staying safe, even if you're in Georgia, I suppose. I know a lot of people here will not be going and getting a haircut or a massage on the weekend despite what the governor said, but stay safe.

Thanks for joining me. "NEW DAY" is next with Alisyn and John. This is CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gyms, barbershops, hair and nail salons all cleared to reopen in Georgia on Friday.

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R) GEORGIA: We will get Georgians back to work safely without undermining the progress that we all have made in this battle against COVID-19.

REP. DONNA SHALALA (D-FL): I think that decision was reckless. It shows you how undisciplined the leadership of this country has been.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: We know that the virus is still out there. We know that it's a contagious virus.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: We are hearing leader Kim Jong Un could be in grave danger.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. has been monitoring intelligence that he had a surgery. The aftermath of that surgery, there were complications.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It's Tuesday, April 21st, 6:00 in New York.

A huge amount of news this morning from the American South to North Korea.

END