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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
White House Scrambles To Contain Coronavirus Outbreak; South Dakota Governor Says Sioux Tribe Checkpoints Are Illegal; Shanghai Disney Reopens At 30 Percent Capacity. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired May 11, 2020 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:06]
LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Coronavirus is inside the White House. The president still pushing states to reopen as his own building steps up safety measures.
Good morning, this is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: So nice to see you, Laura. I'm Christine Romans. It is 30 minutes past the hour this Monday morning.
As states across the U.S. begin to reopen, the White House is racing to protect itself from coronavirus after positive tests within the White House. Several people working on coronavirus response will self- quarantine. Several others you see here, including the vice president, Mike Pence, will not.
Now, two key White House staffers testing positive in recent days -- one of President Trump's personal valets and the vice president's press secretary, Katie Miller.
JARRETT: A White House official tells CNN there is extreme sensitivity in the West Wing. Officials recognize the contradiction between pushing states to reopen, on the one hand, and the White House tightening its own protocols on the other.
"The New York Times" reports some senior officials believe the virus is already spreading quickly through the cramped West Wing, a fact not lost on one top economic adviser.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN HASSETT, SENIOR ECONOMIC ADVISER TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: I knew when I was going back in that I would be taking risks -- that, you know, I'd be safer sitting at home at my house than going into a West Wing that even with all the testing in the world and the best medical team on earth is a relatively cramped place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A source tells CNN the president has expressed new concern that having his aides contract the virus would undercut his message that the outbreak is waning. And he has asked why his valets weren't wearing masks before last week. White House Secret Service agents -- as you can see way on the left of your screen there, they are now wearing masks.
We will hear from the president today. He's sure to be asked about the health of the tight circle around him and the vice president.
JARRETT: Meanwhile, the CEO of a biotech firm in New York is optimistic about a new lab-made antibody treatment for coronavirus. Dr. Leonard Schleifer, of Regeneron, tells CNN it is too soon to know whether it will prevent or successfully treat the virus. The idea is for lab-made antibodies to be infused directly into the blood, providing temporary immunity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. LEONARD SCHLEIFER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS: Our approach is to generate these human antibodies artificially, so to speak, and give people those antibodies to either prevent them from getting infected if they're at high risk or treat them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: On Friday, the FDA granted the first emergency use authorization to an antigen diagnostic test for the coronavirus. Antigen tests detect the earliest toxic traces of the virus rather than genetic code of the virus itself. The FDA says antigen tests are cheaper, they are simpler and easier to implement than current tests. But antigen tests aren't as sensitive as the standard nasal swab and could yield more false negatives.
JARRETT: We're witnessing a frantic global race to find a coronavirus vaccine but developing one that works is not the only challenge. How to distribute it and who gets it first will have to be all worked out.
Here's our Anna Stewart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): At least 100 Covid-19 vaccines are in development around the world, from small biotech firms and university research groups to the big pharmaceutical companies.
Eight groups have broken through to the next phase, human trials. If one succeeds and gets regulatory approval from individual countries, the next challenge begins, producing enough vaccine for the world.
THOMAS CUENI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL FEDERAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURERS: When you look at the biggest vaccine manufacturers, it may be five in the industrialized world able and with a skill set know-how to manufacture a large case. And even if you combine their capacity and they don't have excess capacity, it's a problem (ph) to come up with the volumes you need (ph).
STEWART (voice-over): Pharmaceutical companies are forming partnerships. Even united, they could face major manufacturing challenges. CUENI: At the end of the day, you may have a vaccine, but then you find out you don't have enough buyers (ph). The bottleneck might be at the end of the supply chain.
STEWART (voice-over): The entire world needs this vaccine but who gets it first?
DR. KATHERINE O'BRIEN, DIRECTOR, WHO DEPARTMENT OF IMMUNIZATION, VACCINES, AND BIOLOGICALS: In any product that is -- has inadequate supply to meet all of the demand, there will always be interest at heart to serve the primary interests of those who are in control of the product.
STEWART (voice-over): There are concerns countries could put national interests first.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: Everybody wants to get a vaccine for their country -- for the safety of their country -- and if possible, make it available to the world.
STEWART (voice-over): How a vaccine is shared is a question for politicians and it needs to be answered soon.
[05:35:00]
O'BRIEN: If everything went perfectly well, we might be able to see early licensure of those products near the end of 2020. I've never seen a product where everything goes as planned but maybe we'll get lucky.
STEWART (voice-over): And if we do, there are further challenges ahead to vaccinate the world.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Historic job losses shine a bright light on inequality in the workforce.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: The coronavirus has wiped out jobs at lightning speed and the April jobs report revealed how unequal the stay-at-home situation has been -- 20.5 million jobs lost in April, the worst single month in history.
The pain focused on jobs in restaurants, retail, travel, and hospitality. It's a low-wage unemployment crisis taking Hispanic unemployment to a record-high 18.9 percent. Black unemployment spiked from a record low to nearly 17 percent.
[05:40:10]
Now, there's a big disparity with education. The unemployment rate for people with a college degree rose to 8.4 percent, but it's 21 percent for someone who didn't finish high school.
Now, the jobs market on ice on purpose as the country fights the coronavirus. Eighteen million of the layoffs were considered temporary. It's impossible to know how many of these jobs come back and how quickly.
JARRETT: An interesting twist in the effort to stop the spread of Covid-19 in South Dakota. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe refusing to end checkpoints declared illegal. So why is Gov. Kristi Noem demanding they be removed?
CNN's Sara Sidner is in Timber Lake, South Dakota for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Christine and Laura, we are standing at one of the checkpoints that is being disputed. There are nine checkpoints here. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is standing here and this is their checkpoint.
What they are basically saying is the reason they are doing this is for preventative measures. They cannot handle it if there is a major outbreak on the reservation. They simply don't have the hospital beds. Only about eight hospital beds for 12,000 residents.
So their solution is to try to hit this on the front end. Basically, when people come up -- they drive up. They are asked a series of questions, including whether or not they have fever, whether they've been in a Covid-19 area -- an area that has an explosion, for example, of Covid-19 -- where they live, what their phone number is.
And they're doing this -- and you'll see it happening here. They're doing this for contact tracing -- basically, to make sure that they can track those who may be bringing Covid-19 into the reservation. If they find out that they have been ill -- that they have it -- they can isolate them, give them the help they need, and make sure the community is safe.
The governor, however, is saying that she believes these are illegal and that they must be taken down. She sent them a letter on Friday saying that they had 48 hours in order to remove these or that she was going to take legal action. It has been 48 hours and the tribes are saying we are not changing this. This is what we need to do to keep our people safe.
So clearly, this battle is nowhere near over -- Christine, Laura.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, Sara Sidner for us. Thank you, Sara.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announcing new regulations to protect nursing homes. Coronavirus has killed more than 5,300 residents and employees in New York alone.
And now, New York nursing homes must transfer patients if they are unable to fully care for them. Staff must be tested twice a week and hospitals can no longer discharge a patient to a nursing home unless they've tested negative.
JARRETT: Georgia's attorney general asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the handling of the Ahmaud Arbery case. The fatal shooting of the 25-year-old on February 23rd has sparked widespread outrage after a video surfaced appearing to show that confrontation. It took two months for the suspects, who are white, to be arrested.
The Georgia A.G.'s request includes a probe into communications and discussions between the first two district attorneys assigned to the case, both of whom have recused themselves.
ROMANS: The suspects were arrested May seventh and face murder and aggravated assault charges.
Now, new surveillance video from a construction site appears to show Arbery shortly before he was shot and killed. An attorney for the Arbery family says he stopped by the property only briefly and never did anything illegal.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:47:55]
ROMANS: Breaking overnight, at least 19 Iranian sailors are dead in a friendly fire incident in the Gulf of Oman. An Iranian support ship was hit by a missile during naval exercises.
It's another troubling incident for the Iranian military. In January, it shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet by mistake after it took off from Tehran. All 176 people aboard were killed.
JARRETT: In Germany, coronavirus infections rising just days after restrictions were eased there.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen is live in Germany along the Baltic Coast for us. Fred, this is always the concern -- you lift the restrictions and you see a spike in cases. What can you tell us?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we know. And it certainly is, Laura, a concern for the German authorities.
The German Center for Disease Control is saying the reproduction number for the coronavirus has been above one for the past two days. That means on average, every infected in this country is giving the virus to more than one other person and the virus could be expanding.
Now, the Centers for Disease Control here in Germany says right now, the total number of COVID-19 people with infections is so low that they're not sure how accurate their numbers actually are -- and they say do keep that in mind -- but they certainly are keeping a close eye on it.
But you're absolutely right, it comes as Germany loosens the restrictions more. And starting up here in the Baltic Coast, for instance, restaurants are opening again, cafes are opening again, and bars are opening again as well, and that's certainly something that the Germans are keeping a lookout for.
They have a snapback provision, however, in place where if there are more than 50 new infections per 100 people in any municipality, the lockdown goes back in place, Laura.
JARRETT: All right, Fred. Good to see you -- thanks.
ROMANS: In France, the pandemic has become a tale of two regions. Restrictions easing in the south and the west of the country while Paris remains under tight lockdown.
CNN's Melissa Bell is live for us in Paris. Hi, Melissa.
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
They're keeping a very close eye on those figures, particularly in those hotspots or red zones, as you say, the restrictions remain tighter. And the simple reason for that is that what hospitals, particularly here in the Paris region, are saying that they simply don't have the capacity to deal with a second wave. So, French authorities have been very clear that they're keeping an eye on those figures.
[05:50:08]
Here in Paris, you're right -- restrictions are more important than they are in other parts of France. For instance, if you want to get on the Metro at rush hour, you've got to have an authorization from your employer explaining why you couldn't work from home.
And the fact is that this Monday morning with this return to something like normal, you feel the streets of Paris much, much quieter than they normally are on a Monday morning. So people pretty much staying at home. Things for the time being running efficiently.
But, of course, what the government said is that should those Covid-19 figures rise again -- and they were looking really good until yesterday. We saw the slowest rise yesterday in the number of deaths that we've seen in the last 55 days -- that is, since the French lockdown began. The measures there were working.
How will those numbers fare now that the company is reopening? The government said it will not -- it will not hesitate to bring in another stay-at-home order if it needs to.
ROMANS: All right, Melissa Bell for us in Paris. Thank you.
JARRETT: Well, after 3 1/2 months, Shanghai Disneyland has reopened now, but good luck getting kids to follow the new rules there. CNN's David Culver is live in Shanghai with more for us. David, I've got to imagine the park looks a little bit different than it did before coronavirus.
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, far fewer people, Laura, that's for sure.
And there's a different regimen in getting in. I mean, they have strict screening to get here. You have to have a green Q.R. code to pass through. You have to have your temperature checked.
You've got to wear a mask in the park. We're elevated so we don't have to wear one.
And a few other things are looking different. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CULVER (on camera): I'm noticing that parade go by -- obviously, at a distance but you can still see the characters.
ANDREW BOLSTEIN, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, SHANGHAI DISNEY: Yes.
CULVER (on camera): And not the big hug and high fives, right?
BOLSTEIN: Exactly. More of a selfie moment and take the photos.
CULVER (on camera): Yes.
BOLSTEIN: But again, it gives the guests that ability to have an emotional moment and that connection.
Every other table or so has a table card on it, which asks for the guests' understanding that for your health and safety the table is unavailable. So, basically, we're asking the guests not to sit here -- sit there. And again, it creates kind of that separation between all the different parties.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CULVER: The theme normally here is magic, Laura. But I think that you add to that now social distancing -- everybody keeping their space. And if you forget to maybe keep that distance, you'll have cast members coming up to remind you many times. It's all about coaching into this new way of doing things here, Laura.
JARRETT: It's sort of nice to hear the music there in the background. A little bit of a return to normalcy.
CULVER: Yes.
JARRETT: David, thanks so much.
CULVER: I know.
ROMANS: All right, let's get a check on CNN Business this morning. Taking a look at markets around the world after it was a pretty decent Friday on Wall Street, you can see a mixed performance here. It looks like European shares have all opened slightly lower here.
Stocks rallied Friday in the U.S. despite that devastating jobs report. The Dow closed up 455 points, though leaning down a little bit right now. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also higher on Friday. You know, investors are focused on the economy starting to bounce back as states begin to reopen.
Now, airline workers have mostly been spared from layoffs but soon, they will be the most at-risk for losing their jobs. The airline industry says massive job cuts are coming in October. That's when funding from the federal government dries up. Economists estimate up to one-third of the sector's jobs could disappear.
Now, several airlines have asked workers to take voluntary, unpaid or low-paid leaves. About 100,000 at the four largest carriers have done so.
Even with voluntary leaves and money from the government bailout, airlines are losing millions of dollars every single day. The industry lost $2 billion in the first quarter. The second quarter is expected to be even worse, Laura.
JARRETT: Well, families across the country rising to the occasion to make Mother's Day special despite the circumstances.
A Missouri mom on a mission of kindness after losing eight family members in Georgia, all to coronavirus. She set up tables outside her house with canned goods, bagged lunches, and cleaning products. Grab and go -- free to all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANA JONES, ORGANIZED GOODIE GIVEAWAY AFTER FAMILY MEMBERS' DEATH: I cannot go Georgia. I cannot go down there to see my family. So this right here is taking my mind and helping me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: In Pasco County, Florida, mothers locked down in a nursing home treated to a parade organized by family members. They may not be able to hug but they can at least see each other and enjoy their special day together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, Grandma.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Mother's Day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Mother's Day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, she can't. It's emotional. All right, bye. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Oh.
I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day -- a new mother, too.
JARRETT: I did -- it was my first Mother's Day. I hope the boys gave you a little bit of a break.
ROMANS: They did, they did. It was really a wonderful day. But it's really important just to hug your family at times like this, right, and just enjoy some of those routine --
JARRETT: Absolutely.
ROMANS: -- mile-markers.
JARRETT: Even from a distance.
ROMANS: Exactly.
All right, thanks for joining us, everybody. I'm Christine Romans.
JARRETT: And I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:59:05]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSETT: We've all been exposing ourselves to risks but we're willing to take that chance because we love our country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two people in the West Wing tested positive for the virus.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The vice president, Mike Pence, will not go into self-quarantine. Three of the doctors on the Coronavirus Task Force entering some form of self-quarantine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they can't contain it at the White House, how are they going to contain it a restaurant or a bar?
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: Toddlers and elementary school children are presenting symptoms similar to toxic shock-like syndrome.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the body is fighting, it fights in such a manner that actually starts to cause other problems.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It's Monday, May 11th, 6:00 here in New York.
Welcome back to Alisyn Camerota and a belated Happy Mother's Day to you.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much, John. I really appreciate that. It was a wonderful day.
BERMAN: In your absence, I made a lot of bad decisions and lifestyle choices, so I'm glad you're back here with us this morning.
END
