Return to Transcripts main page

New Day Saturday

Five-Year-Old Dies From COVID-19-Related Complications; At Least 47 States Will Be Partially Reopened By Tomorrow; Los Angeles Opens Trails, Parks, And Golf Courses; V.P. Pence Press Secretary Tests Positive For COVID-19; Roy Horn Of Magic Duo "Siegfried And Roy" Dies Of COVID-19; U.S. Hits Worst Unemployment Rate Since Great Depression; Emotional, Mental Toll On Health Care Workers Amid COVID- 19. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired May 09, 2020 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: We'll get as many as we can on air. So, thank you ahead of time to my mother and all the mothers and you to Christi, and to all the healthcare workers who are working overtime during this this period.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: No doubt.

BLACKWELL: All right, former President Barack Obama calls President Trump's handling of the coronavirus outbreak tribal, selfish, a chaotic disaster for life from the White House on the next hour of your NEW DAY. It starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The worst jobs report in American history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think at first, it's not going to last very long but then, you know, once you realize you're not going back to work for a while, it's pretty heartbreaking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The coronavirus now spreading through the White House.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I'm not worried. No, I'm not worried. We've taken very strong precautions that --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You follow up this morning over the Justice Department's sudden move to drop the case against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the kind of stuff where you, you begin to get worried that our basic understanding of rule of law is a risk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A crime cannot be established here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Good to have you this Saturday morning, whether you're watching from in the U.S. or somewhere else around the world, I'm Victor Blackwell.

PAUL: and I'm Christ Paul, we are always grateful to have you with us. In all of this morning's headlines, the numbers are telling a story this morning. First of all, more than 77,000 people have died in this country from the coronavirus and there are more than 1.2 million cases as of this morning.

BLACKWELL: Now, there are also more than 70 cases of children getting seriously sick from complications possibly linked to coronavirus. Those are under investigation in New York. Health officials there say that the condition caused the death of a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old. Governor Andrew Cuomo says this could open up an entirely different chapter.

PAUL: Yes, even as we learn more about this virus, there are 47 states. Yes, 47 who are partially opening or will be by tomorrow. Today, there are more restrictions that are easing in five states that includes Rhode Island where retail shops can open again and there are some restrictions though.

BLACKWELL: Yes, two positive cases of coronavirus at the White House prove no workplace is immune. The Press Secretary for Vice President Mike Pence tested positive yesterday. Let's go now to, first, the story of the former President Barack Obama and his damning criticism of the Trump administration.

PAUL: Yes. CNN's Kristen Holmes is at the White House for us this morning. Kristen talk to us about, about what he's saying and maybe why now?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christi and Victor. Well, that's right. This is the harshest criticism we have heard of the Trump administration by the former president to date. And it gives us a little bit of a window as to what exactly former President Obama's role might look like as that campaigning for Joe Biden really ramps up as we get closer and closer to the November election.

Now, these remarks were said on a private call, the audio obtained by Yahoo! News and confirmed by CNN. And the former president had quite a bit to say particularly when it came to Michael Flynn, not of course being President Trump's a former National Security Adviser who pled guilty to lying to the FBI earlier this week. The Department of Justice decided to drop those charges. Now, Obama slammed the Department of Justice for this decision, and he said that this meant the rule of law was at risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The degree to which the news over the last 24 hours, I think, has been somewhat downplayed about the Justice Department dropping charges against Michael Flynn. And the fact that there is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who's been charged with perjury getting off scot-free. That's the kind of stuff where you, you begin to get worried that

basic, not just institutional norms, but our basic understanding of rule of law is, is at risk. When you start moving in those directions, it can accelerate pretty quickly, as we've seen in other places.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So again, some very sharp criticism there. Now, I do want to note a couple of things. One, the former president misspoke Michael Flynn was not charged with perjury. He was charged with lying to the FBI. He wasn't under oath. But I also want to note one other thing, which is that Flynn worked for the Obama administration. He was the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. So, something critical there, we know that the former Prime President warned President Trump not to hire Flynn, one of the many things that President Trump did not listen to him on.

[07:05:07]

BLACKWELL: The President, former President I should say, also on this call, discussed the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic. What did President Obama say?

HOLMES: Well, just to just, to kind of couch this here, most of this was done in the light of this is why President Obama or former President Obama believes that Joe Biden needs to win in November, but he slammed the response to the pandemic saying that it was an absolute chaotic disaster. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: What we're going to be battling is not just a particular individual or a political party. But what we're fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being tribal, being divided and seeing others as an enemy that has become a stronger impulse in American life. And by the way, you know, we're seeing that internationally as well.

And it's part of the reason why the response to this global crisis has been so anemic and spotty. And it would have been bad even with the best of governments, it has been an absolute chaotic disaster, when that mindset of what's in it for me, and to heck with everybody else, when that mindset is operationalized in our government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So of course, we'll be watching to see if this is just the beginning of the former president really getting involved in campaigning for Joe Biden, but I want to note that these remarks come after a particularly chaotic week here at the White House as the Trump administration has been really encouraging these states to reopen. As you mentioned, two people close to the president and vice president testing positive for coronavirus, Victor and Christi.

PAUL: All right, Kristen Holmes, so appreciate it. We're going to have more on those positive cases at the White House for you in just a moment but also, we want to get to this rare new illness related to the virus that's showing up in New York. The health department there says at least two children died after experiencing symptoms consistent with an inflammatory condition.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro is with us with more on this. Evan, what do we know about this condition?

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. Look, the primary focus of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City remains with the elderly population, those vulnerable people that we've heard about this entire time, but yesterday, the governor mentioned that 73 children had been affected across the state by illnesses related to COVID-19. Then yesterday, we get this tragic news that two boys under the age of 10 have passed away in the New York City area from complications of COVID.

But the hospital, one of hospitals, the major hospitals here in the city, noting yesterday in a statement that it appears to be a very rare condition. So, while the governor saying listen to somebody, we have to keep an eye on, somebody obviously, that's very alarming if it becomes a bigger deal. For now, the hospital saying a very rare condition, something that they're that they are studying.

PAUL: All right, good to know. Mayor Bill de Blasio, we know, is expecting to limit the number of people at two parks in New York. However, according to data released yesterday, we know that more than 80 percent of people who were ticketed for social distancing violations in New York, they were people of color. What do we know about this?

SANTORO: Well, that's also correct. There's -- here in New York City right now, the New York Police Department is being asked to step in and enforce these social distancing rules trying to get, and in most part, that means trying to get people to just put their masks on and move away from each other and try to keep this dense area a little bit less dense to try to keep the disease down, to try to keep the, the transmission down.

But we got a report yesterday from the police department that released the statistics of some of that efforts that they've been doing, and they found that 80 percent of the 374 summons that have been issued between March 16th and May 5th related to coronavirus, were to black and brown men mostly and very few to white people.

When we see images of parks filled with white people that are picnicking, other things like that, there was an outcry here. And the mayor joined that outcry saying that he wants to see a different kind of enforcement moving forward.

BLACKWELL: All right, Evan McMorris-Santoro. Thanks so much. We'll see what happens moving forward. Today, five states are easing restrictions in several different ways.

[07:10:05]

PAUL: Yes, in Nevada, North Dakota and Rhode Island, their reopening means that you can go to salons and retail shops again. If you're in Maryland, the beach and the boardwalks in Ocean City are open for you and non-essential businesses that were still closed. And if you're in Los Angeles, that means that you can enjoy the state's trails and parks and golf courses.

BLACKWELL: Yes, let's stay in California because ahead of the weekend, some of the businesses there across the state were allowed to open. Governor Gavin Newsom says unemployment in the state is north of 20 percent. CNN Paul Vercammen has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christi and Victor, I'm here in Griffith Park in Los Angeles where hiking trails will open up on Saturday. But what opened up on Friday, well, they allowed for sidewalk commerce. The city allowing people to purchase by curbside pickup at florists and at toy stores and other shops. Restaurants still closed for dining inside, but you can take out.

And then here in Griffith Park, they have 218-hole courses in one nine-hole course. Here are the new rules for golf: you have to wear face coverings; you have to stay six feet apart. You are not to touch the flagstick and you cannot pay in cash. For the hiking trails, also you have to wear a face covering and the city advising that you bring hand sanitizer and some wipes and some water.

Now, Mayor Garcetti has said, if he sees a return of the total lack of social distancing, then he may stop easing restrictions, or if it's super awful, we may even retreat here in Los Angeles. But for now, trails golf courses and the rest opened. Back to you now, Christi, Victor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: All right, thank you so very much. We appreciate it, Paul. California, by the way, is the first state to give all registered voters this prepaid mail in ballot for the November election.

BLACKWELL: Governor Newsome sign the executive order and he sends out the ballots in response to the coronavirus pandemic, obviously. Now, Republicans have criticized this decision. They say, the election is now susceptible to voter fraud. And some have floated the idea of taking legal action to stop it. In person voting, though, will remain an option.

PAUL: And we hear a lot about how testing has a pivotal role, obviously to play in terms of keeping workplaces safe as everything's reopening. Well, that same reality is playing out at the White House right now because an age of the Vice President is the latest to test positive there.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Sarah Westwood is joining us from Washington. What do we know about this aide to the vice president?

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor and Christi, good morning. Yes, President Trump sharing yesterday that it was Vice President Pence's Press Secretary, Katie Miller, who was the White House aide, who tested positive for coronavirus.

And this is happening as the White House like other businesses are ramping up its testing of, of people who are in close proximity to the President and the Vice President. So, the day before she tested positive Katie Miller tested negative so it was that frequent testing that caught the coronavirus case early.

Now, the White House's implementing some new tactics to try to mitigate the spread of the virus among the staff that is including boosting testing, boosting temperature checks throughout the White House, more frequently cleaning the White House grounds. But this comes as earlier in the week, the President's Personal attendant valet tested positive for coronavirus and also Ivanka Trump's personal assistant. So, we are seeing three COVID cases among White House staff this week alone.

PAUL: Sarah, I want to ask you about something else because earlier we were talking about former President Obama criticizing President Trump's response to the pandemic. There is a similar message now from the HHS whistleblower who used to be in charge of vaccines in this administration. What are you hearing about that?

WESTWOOD: Oh, that's right, Christi. That's Dr. Rick Bright, the former Head Vaccine Development for the Administration. He has filed a whistleblower complaint with HHS alleging that he was retaliated against for raising concerns about the push for hydroxychloroquine. That's an unproven drug, unproven in terms of its efficacy for treating coronavirus that President Trump had repeatedly advocated for and in those coronavirus taskforce briefings that we saw.

Rick Bright says that internally, he raised concerns about that and he was essentially demoted, but bright yesterday saying that he was simply frustrated with the way that scientists their opinions were treated inside the administration. He was defending himself after President Trump suggested that he was simply a disgruntled employee. But I want you to take a listen to Bright's emotional recounting of the fact that the administration could have done more and more quickly to protect doctors and nurses. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. RICK BRIGHT, FORMER FEDERAL VACCINE CHIEF: We see too many doctors and nurses now dying. And I was thinking that we could have done more to get those masks and those supplies to them sooner. And if we had, would they still be alive today? It's a horrible thought to think about the time that passed when we could have done something, and we didn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:15:25]

WESTWOOD: Now responding to Brian's complaint, HHS says that this is a personnel matter, but that the agency strongly disagrees with Bright's allegations.

PAUL: All right, Sarah Westwood, we appreciate it so much. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Sarah.

PAUL: Listen, I know you may be sitting in front of a table full of bills this morning, and you're wondering how you're going to pay it. There are millions of people that feel that exact same way this morning, nearly 10 years of job growth wiped out in just one month. We're going to break down those numbers for you. Our financial expert is with us and he's going to talk about who's hiring as well during these times.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:07]

BLACKWELL: Overnight, we learned that Roy Horn of the popular Las Vegas Magic Team Siegfried and Roy has died of complications from coronavirus. His partner, Siegfried Fischbacher wrote: "The world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend."

They were known for their performances with white lions and white tigers. They started this show in Europe in the late 1950s before bringing it to Vegas for the next four decades. It ended, after horn was attacked on stage by a tiger that was 2003. Roy Horn was 75 years old.

PAUL: I know that you've been watching what the coronavirus has done to the American economy and it is still not pretty. The U.S. lost 20.5 million jobs just in April. Nearly 10 years of job growth wiped out in a month. Unemployment is at a record 14.7 percent now. That's a number we haven't seen since the Great Depression. What does this mean?

As you might be sitting at home trying to figure out what your next move is, Financial Expert Ted Jenkin is with us now to discuss. Ted, it's always good to see you. Good morning. Thank you for being here. Help us understand. I mean, how accurate a gauge do we have, as far as how this is affecting people and what their next choices will be?

TED JENKIN, FINANCIAL EXPERT: I mean, I think it's reasonably accurate, Christi. Look, in the last seven weeks there have been 33.5 million people have been unemployed. We saw from the data yesterday that women and minorities were hit hardest, specifically the African- American population 6.7 percent unemployment up to 16.7 percent. And the Latino American population, six percent up to 18.9 percent.

And what we know now is that Americans say, one out of two of them, Christi, that they simply are living paycheck to paycheck and 40 percent of Americans right now could not make a $400 bill right now with emergency fund. So, we're seeing the wage worker, that person making $8.00, $10.00, $12.00 an hour, they're getting hit the hardest right now.

PAUL: So, can we prognosticate what this means for the long term? Because I think, you know, short term we know it's going to be painful, but long term, is there hope there? JENKIN: I mean, there can be Christi. But the question is, what's the speed of recovery of how fast these 33.5 million Americans actually get back to work, and small businesses get back up and going? You know, two months ago, we were at a 50-year low in unemployment and now we're at an 80-year high and unemployment and there are long term things we just don't know yet.

Christi, you know, Nationwide announced this week that 98 percent of their employees will work at home permanently. So, the question is, will other Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies follow suit and say, you know what, we don't know if we need as much real estate as we own today. And if they don't renew those leases, we could have major vacancies in commercial office, real estate buildings across America.

We don't know how consumers will change their patterns right now in terms of behaviors. You know, people went to work Christi, and they got Starbucks and then they went to work. Now the question is, will they do that when they return to work?

PAUL: And if they return to work? Will they even be going to another building? Or will they be doing it from home, as you just mentioned? I mean, the whole concept of how it's going to look, once we even do get on some sort of track is in question. But help us understand what this looks like compared to the rest of the world as well. I mean, the U.S. is not alone here.

JENKIN: No, I mean, it's hard to say with unemployment numbers, but look, Britain said, they may be facing the steepest recession they've had in 300 years. In Spain, with unemployed people and people on medical leave and furloughed workers, about a third of the country is dependent on the state, and Canada lost four million jobs last month that puts them at 20 percent of their labor force.

And it's difficult to compare Christi, because in in Europe, what ends up happening they do something called wage subsidy. So, they keep people in the jobs but they subsidize their wages, whereas we're paying the $600 a week right now while people are unemployed. So, the unemployment numbers don't tell everything, but there isn't one country out there that hasn't felt the pinch from the coronavirus.

PAUL: Goodness! Ted Jenkin, we're so glad to have your perspective on this. Thank you for being here.

JENKIN: Thanks, Christi.

BLACKWELL: Now, if you're one of the millions of people either laid off or furloughed, or you know someone who's looking for some work, we want to make sure to highlight some of the companies that are hiring. So, to keep up with demand, let's go to FedEx first. They're looking to fill 850 positions across the country, management roles warehouse jobs, technical operations as well.

Also, Securitas, security services company, and they're looking for thousands of security guards for positions. This is nationwide too. They've already hired 10,000 people in March and April. The company says that they're hiring all of these people, in part, to prepare for the return to business as the increased security measures are in place for the reopening across the country. If you need more information about companies that are hiring, go to our Web site CNN.com.

[07:25:07]

PAUL: Hopefully, that helps. So, still to come, nurses across the country, they are being honored for what they do. It is Nurse Appreciation Week. One nurse is with us talking about some advice she has regarding the best practices as the country begins to reopen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: The Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Steven Hahn will self-quarantine for the next 14 days. He was exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. According to Hein's spokesman, he immediately took a diagnostic test and tested negative for the virus.

[07:29:50]

PAUL: Well, the FDA wouldn't name the person Hahn came into contact with. President Trump said, Vice President Mike Pence, his Press Secretary Katie Miller, did test positive for the virus. Right now, it's not clear whether any others on the White House task force will go into quarantine though.

BLACKWELL: So, this is Nurse Appreciation Week. Nurses across the country, they're being honored for the sacrifices every day, but especially during the pandemic.

And as we start to see the country re-open, the risk of increased cases and deaths, they weighing heavily on nurse practitioners.

PAUL: Yes, there's a nurse who said, when the lockdown ends, she'll never go outside without a mask again based on what she has seen during this outbreak. That nurse is the director of nursing education at Davita Kidney Care, Amy Duran, and she is with us now.

Amy, thank you so much for being with us.

AMY DURAN, DIRECTOR OF CLINICAL EDUCATION, DAVITA KIDNEY CARE: Thank you so much for having me.

PAUL: Absolutely. So, I read part of an article that you wrote that a month ago, you were working in New Orleans as a floor nurse. And you said, "I saw more people die in my first two days than I had in my prior 10 years of nursing altogether. I've witnessed some really desperate situations working in ICU that I'm still trying to emotionally work through."

You know, for people who are at home who do not see what you see, what is it that plays on repeat in your head, and how do you try to reconcile that?

DURAN: Yes, I thank you for the question. I think from the outside looking in, when -- you know, you see these tender stories on Facebook about, you know, nurses connecting families via Facebook and those last hours. You kind of have this tender closure, but I would say, more often than not that nurse, you know, is the -- they're the replacement for an entire family ecosystem during that time.

And sometimes that's not a really tender moment when you have to tell family who are seeing their loved ones potentially for the last time that they can't come in. And so, the burden -- the honor and the burden is on you to be there for that, that family member.

And so, and that's not just one time during your shift that's sometimes, you know, that's happening two, three, four, five times during a shift. And then, as a nurse, you go home and you can't necessarily hug your own family to work through that. And then you have to wake up and do it again the next day.

And so, I feel like that is sort of maybe what's missing for those who are outside looking in as far as the weight that, that carries for a nurse, day in and day out.

BLACKWELL: Yes, we've seen -- we've seen so many examples of nurses in their car just recording a cell phone video, talking about the weight of what they just saw, and now going home and trying to protect their families from the virus, and some of the emotional strain.

Let me ask you, you wrote about eight things that you will not do after the end of the quarantine. One of them is to go out in public without a mask. Christi mentioned it.

You know, we're seeing that wearing the mask and choosing not to wear it is now, for some, a political statement. There have been threats against workers from people who refused to wear, a reporter harassed.

But despite that, you say that you'll go out and wear it in public, why? And what do you think when you see this politicization of protection?

DURAN: Yes, I think for me, knowing my risk and how I'm interacting with COVID positive patients, if I look at any other reason that I wear a mask in the hospital, that is to make sure, for example, if I'm changing a catheter dressing, I put on a mask so that my germs don't pass onto the patient and get them sick.

This example is no difference. I'm wearing a mask because I potentially have been exposed and I want to keep my community members who've been, you know, supporting me so well safe.

And it's such an easy -- it's such an easy thing for me to do. It takes three seconds, it's you know, they're relatively comfortable, and it can potentially have a really high impact of protecting those around me. So, they're really -- it's a -- it's a positive.

And I think -- I think those who are politicizing something like this, I would love for them to spend the day so that they could see what we're saying. It might change their mind.

BLACKWELL: Well, Amy, it is Nurse Appreciation Week. We appreciate you, all the nurses you have trained as well. DURAN: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Thank you so much for what you do and thank you for being with us this morning.

DURAN: Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

[07:34:55]

PAUL: Thank you, Amy.

So, with States reopening and schools, most of them still closed, there are parents who are hoping summer camps are going to maybe give them a little support to return to the office, maybe get their kids with some other kids. With all the restrictions, what is camp going to look like? We're talking about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:39:53]

PAUL: So I know for a lot of you these strict stay-at-home orders have forced -- they forced us to be creative, right? To work from home to homeschool our kids, and listen, I'm a mom, I'm with you. I've had to hold meetings and sit with my kid to do literature or a composition as well.

This past couple of months, they've -- I know they haven't been easy for parents that are watching. I know you've had to learn to teach your child, you know, something while you're searching for a new job even as well, which makes it even harder on you.

Well, one of the saving graces I know could be summer, maybe. Because camps open up, right? There is a chance though the summer daycare you rely on may not be there.

Let's talk to some people who know what is coming. Paul McEntire, the chief operating officer of the YMCA. And Tom Rosenberg, the president and CEO of American Camp Association. Both with us now.

Gentlemen, we so appreciate you, we so are hoping to get good answers here. I know, I've got two kids, I've got three kids. One camp has already been canceled. The other is still in limbo, not sure if it's going to happen. Paul, YMCA camps -- I mean, they have day camps and sleepaway camps, I know.

Let -- let's break it down to the day camps, first of all. What is your plan at this point for those day camps? Are you cutting enrollment, are you canceling, are you doing virtual, are there alternate days? What is your plan?

PAUL MCENTIRE, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, YMCA: Thanks for having us, Christi. We know this is a stressful time for parents, and so, we operate about 10 000 day camps collectively. They are operated by about 800 different Ys around the country, and so, a lot of localized decisions. But most day camps are planning to operate. We currently are operating over 1,100 essential worker childcare sites. So, we've learned a lot about how to do that safely and how to adjust physical environments. So, we feel like we will be ready for summer.

PAUL: Tom, what's the benchmark for canceling, particularly, sleep away camps, because does that equate to refunds? Are you hoping for donations?

TOM ROSENBERG, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN CAMP ASSOCIATION: For camp this summer, I think there's really no particular individual benchmark that comes for all camps.

PAUL: OK, OK.

ROSENBERG: Really, it varies by camp across the states. Every state is unique in terms of COVID-19 and the way they regulate camps. So, there'll be a patchwork of camps opening and not opening across the country. And refunds really will be on an individual basis.

PAUL: All right, so, Paul, when we talk about sleep away, that presents a whole other set of issues because I've dropped my kid off at camp, and they're in these cabins, and I'm not sure how you social distance when you're in these cabins, especially, since that they're -- you know, for weeks at a time sometimes. How -- what is the plan to deal with that?

MCENTIRE: Yes. So, if you're used to that, you'll experience a difference from the moment you drive up to do check-in. That will be isolated in ways to limit the number of people, perhaps, only one parent at some camp able to come on-site the cabins at camps that are preparing to open.

Beds are being rearranged, the whole way food service is done, is being changed. Social distancing, while that will be an effort, you've been around children, so, you know that's not likely the strategy.

Most camps are using is cohort distancing, and so, the children will be in groups of 10 or less, and really limited to the number of adults that they interact with so that a couple of adults will do their cabin time, their program time, their eating time, and then, those cohorts will be distanced from each other.

PAUL: And universally, Tom, what are you doing to require, maybe some of the counselors there to keep these kids safe. Are you -- are there going to be temperature tests?

ROSENBERG: Oh, sure. At camp this summer, you're going to see things like frequent screening and monitoring, staggered arrivals and departures, constant cleaning, and disinfection of facilities and equipment.

You're going to see people wearing PPE in appropriate places, and hopefully, testing, especially, at overnight camps. At the same time, like Paul said, their kids will be in peer groups, you'll have adapted activities, adapted dining, and adapted living quarters, all to ensure physical distancing.

And you'll see more staff at camp this summer to ensure that the safety and emotional needs of everyone is -- are being met.

PAUL: OK. So, Paul, that's interesting. I know YMCA and ACA work together here. But I was going to ask you if there are counselors who obviously depend on these jobs. These are their summer jobs, a lot of them pay for college this way.

Are you getting any concerns from those counselors that maybe they're withdrawing from that position for the summer, because they have any concerns, even though, I mean, Tom, you just said that you may be adding staff which could be good news, but what are you experiencing, Paul in that regard?

MCENTIRE: Yes, Christi. We employ on a normal summer over 61,000, mostly, young adults. A lot of those typically are international -- virtually, none of our international councils for a variety of reasons will be coming. But we really don't anticipate problems, unfortunately. You've got a lot of people that are unemployed that would be glad to have these jobs.

[07:45:04]

MCENTIRE: You've also got a lot of college students that had planned to study abroad or do other things, those plans are now canceled. And so, the labor pool for us will give us all that we need to employ the people we need to care and be with our children to camp.

PAUL: There are a lot of people who are listening to this, this morning maybe have anxiety. A lot of others are hopefully keep -- they're keeping their fingers crossed, very hopeful that their kids going to be able to go to camp.

It's not just parents that depend on it, but these kids love it too. Paul McEntire at the YMCA and Tom Rosenberg with American Camp Association, we appreciate both of you taking time to be with us. Thank you so much.

ROSENBERG: Take care.

PAUL: Best of luck this summer as well.

MCENTIRE: Thank you. We appreciate that.

BLACKWELL: Oh, there is a good chance you're going to have to find a sweater or a nice thick jacket this weekend. More than 100 million people across the country are feeling record low temperatures this morning. We're talking the Midwest the Northeast. We'll tell you how long this will last.

ANNOUNCER: "FOOD AS FUEL" is brought to you by noom. Noom is based in psychology for lasting health and weight loss results.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PAUL: Now, you've got a lot of time at home these days. Staying in shape maybe it's easy for you, maybe not so much. In this, "FOOD AS FUEL", CNN health contributor Lisa Drayer, shares how front-loading calories can actually help impact your waistline.

LISA DRAYER, CNN HEALTH CONTRIBUTOR: Eating later in the day is often linked to mindless nibbling during unstructured time. Like snacking while watching a movie or chucking on the phone, the calories can quickly add up without you realizing it.

But by front-loading your calories instead of eating later in the day, you're giving your body a much better chance of shedding pounds. Here is why. Research suggests that the calories we burn from digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing the nutrients in the food we eat are influenced by our circadian rhythms, and is lower at 8:00 p.m. as compared to 8:00 a.m.

To set yourself up for success, don't skip breakfast. It's the optimal time to front-load your calories. Also try eating what you would typically have for dinner at lunchtime with a meal consisting of protein, veggies, and grains.

You can downsize your dinner by eating half of what you usually eat or by cutting the carbs. And lastly, if you're having trouble with nighttime nibbling, use your smartphone. You can schedule an event on your calendar or set an alarm when it's time to close the kitchen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:51:58]

BLACKWELL: So, it's Mother's Day weekend and it is going to be a cold one for a lot of people.

PAUL: Yes, more than 100 million of you across the Midwest and the Northeast. Have you stepped outside yet? Apparently, temperatures are 20 to 30 degrees below normal. CNN's Allison Chinchar is with us now.

All right, how do you make sense of this?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Just in case mom didn't get the sweater she wanted for Christmas, she can get it for Mother's Day. Yes, it's that -- it's not just the cold though, it's also snow.

Again, yes, this late season, we're seeing some areas picking up snow. Take a look at the radar. It is snowing right now in a lot of the western suburbs of Boston, Portland, Maine, Manchester, New Hampshire. All of those areas getting snow right now.

Now, other areas may also be adding in some snow, but keep in mind, it will be mixed in with rain as we go through the rest of the day. So, not a lot of it is expected to stick to the ground.

Also, gusty winds up around 50 miles per hour. So, that snow and rain mix is going to be blowing all over the place for much of the northeast, and especially in New England. The accumulations will be focused on the higher elevations of like the Green and the White mountains.

But here is the thing. Once that moves through, that really cold air really begins to set in. You've got over 70 potential cities that could break record low temperatures. That's why we have freeze warnings, freeze watches, and even frost advisories stretching down into states like South Carolina and even Georgia. So, this isn't just a northern issue.

But look at the feels like temperature right now, and it feels like it's 23 in Indianapolis, 25 in Chicago, it feels like 24 in New York City. But for a lot of these areas, it's not just one day. You're going to have several days of these temperatures that are well below average.

Cleveland, for example, is going to get another cold snap once we get Monday into Tuesday of the upcoming week. New York, again, still looking at those overnight lows in the 40s for the next couple of days.

Also, we said it wasn't just a northern problem. Look at some of these areas stretching down: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, even North Carolina, all looking at the potential for these extremely cold temperatures.

The good news is, Christi and Victor, is that it's going to warm back up. Give it a few more days, you'll get those temperatures back to normal.

BLACKWELL: Snow, really? Snow? I mean, I guess, you know --

(CROSSTALK)

CHINCHAR: You're welcome.

BLACKWELL: Thank you so much. I mean, I imagine Mother's Day is going to be great anyway. But snow in May is too much. Allison Chinchar, thanks so much.

[07:54:26]

PAUL: Thanks, Allison.

So, America is just starting to get a taste of sports again, right? For the most part, games are way off, but one country on the other side of the world has two pro sports leagues that are playing already.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:59:21]

PAUL: So, listen, baseball, and soccer are back in South Korea.

BLACKWELL: Yes, part of the reason they can play is because the coronavirus case count there is so low. There had fewer cases in this country of 51 million than the state of Iowa. The country's professional soccer league began its season yesterday -- empty stadiums, though.

Players, referees were not wearing masks although other staff members, they did have them all.

PAUL: Yes, the Korean baseball organization had its opening day, Tuesday. Just like soccer, no fans. But get this, sports fans here in the U.S. are so starved for content that ESPN has started airing Korean games in the mornings, six days a week. So you have something to watch there.

BLACKWELL: Yes, you've got something there. Next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.