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President Trump Dismisses Health Experts View on Hydroxychloroquine; South Korea Open its Schools; France Shut Down its Schools After Scarce; India and Bangladesh Anticipates Super Cyclone Amphan; WHO to Launch an Inquiry into COVID Response; Coronavirus Pandemic, China Endorses Resolution To Review Pandemic Response; U.S. Treasury Secretary Warns Of Long-Term Economic Damage; CDC Released Detailed Guidelines On How To Reopen United States; Airline Trade Association Sets Out Plan To Revamp Flights; Etihad Airways Announces Layoffs After Drop In Demand; UAE To Become First Regional Producer Of N95 Masks; Rolls-Royce To Cut At Least 9,000 Jobs As Pandemic Slams Aviation; President Trump Sending Ventilators To Russia; Putin Perceived Vulnerable Amid Virus Outbreak; Abbas, Palestinians Absolved Of Deals With Israel, U.S.; Contact Tracing Apps; Word War II Veteran To Receive Knighthood After Raising Millions; New Zealand Roll Out Contact Tracing Apps. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 20, 2020 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, defying science seems to be a recurring theme for the U.S. president. Donald Trump continues to back his usage of an unproven drug despite clear potential dangers.

Plus, some schools are slowly beginning to reopen while others don't anticipate students back in classrooms until 2021.

And he has been promoted to honorary colonel. Now, Tom Moore is adding another title to his list of accolades. We look at what's next for the British World War II veteran raising money for healthcare workers.

Good to have you with us. Well, today, we'll mark a new phase for the United States and its push to reopen the economy. In the coming hours, every state will have partially lifted measures and acted weeks ago to curve the spread of the coronavirus. And while infection rates are slowing across most of the U.S., cases still continue to rise in at least 17 states. But President Donald Trump says that's not necessarily a bad thing. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: When we have a lot of cases, I don't look at that as a bad thing, I look at that as in a certain respect as being a good thing, because it means our testing is much better.

So, if we were testing a1 million people, instead of 14 million people, we would have far fewer cases. Right? So, I view it as a badge of honor. Really, it's a badge of honor.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Despite what Mr. Trump says, the U.S. is nowhere near the world's leader in testing per capita. Data shows many other countries are ranked higher than the U.S. in per capita testing. But the U.S. does have the world's highest death toll. So, far more than 91,000 Americans have died from COVID-19.

Well, the president now says he is protecting himself from the virus by taking the anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine. That is despite recent studies suggesting it has no benefit for coronavirus patients.

Our Jeremy Diamond reports from Washington.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump on Tuesday doubling down on his decision to start taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure. The president doing so in the face of an FDA warning, in the face of multiple clinical studies that have shown that hydroxychloroquine is not effective against coronavirus, both treating it and also no evidence so far to show that it is effective at preventing someone from getting the infection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think it is worth it as a line of defense, and I will stay on it for a little while longer. I'm just very curious myself. But it seems to be very safe. But that study was a phony study, put out by the V.A.

A lot of people are taking it. A lot of doctors are taking it. A lot of people swear by it. It has gotten a bad reputation, only because I'm promoting it.

What has been determined is it doesn't harm you. It's a very powerful drug I guess, but it doesn't harm you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: The president making a false claim there at the end because multiple studies have shown that hydroxychloroquine can cause heart problems. But the president nonetheless as you can see there, attacking one study in particular.

He claimed at one point that it was a study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It was not but, it was conducted in the Veterans Affairs hospitals. And it was also partially funded by the government's own National Institutes of Health.

Now while the president is diving headfirst into this hydroxychloroquine pool, he is resisting doing the one thing that public health experts all agree is a sound preventive measure, and that is wearing a mask.

The president on Tuesday was noncommittal about whether or not he will wear a mask when he visits this Ford manufacturing facility in Michigan on Thursday. Ford, though, has said that it has informed the White House that its policies is that everyone who goes into that facility needs to wear a mask. We'll see what the president decides to do.

CHURCH: So, let's bring in Dr. Dennis Carroll who joins us now live from Washington. He served as an infectious disease expert for the American government for decades, heading up USA AIDS emerging threats division, overseeing the response to Ebola, malaria, and Avian flu in dozens of countries around the world. Thank you, doctor, for joining us.

[03:05:06]

DENNIS CARROLL, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EXPERT: It's a pleasure.

CHURCH: President Trump is now doubling down, defending his decision to take hydroxychloroquine despite there being no evidence to suggest in any way that it prevents COVID-19. The president also claims this anti-malarial drug is used by frontline workers and does no harm. What's your reaction to all of this?

CARROLL: Well, it's obviously at this point not a surprise to hear him doubled down on something that has no basis in reality. You know, there is very strong evidence now that one, hydroxychloroquine does not really bring the miracle cure that he was touting a month ago.

And we've seen from studies that there is also a risk to patients with certain conditions. That in fact could exacerbate the infection and caused death.

So, at one point, he said what do you have to lose. Well, clearly, there can be a loss of life through inappropriate use of this drug. So, it's a remarkable display of irresponsible -- irresponsibility by a president who we look to for get advice. And right now, he continues to tout fiction.

CHURCH: Yes. And of course, that is the concern that others might follow his lead and do this and, as you say, the risk is very high.

I did want to get your reaction to this new research out of South Korea offering new hope perhaps of immunity for COVID-19 survivors. Preliminary findings show patients who re-tested positive for COVID-19 after being discharged are not contagious. What should we take from that study?

CARROLL: Well, again, it's still remains a remarkable mystery as to what extent being pre-exposed to COVID-19 virus provides immunity or not. We should take each of these early reports with a cautionary tale. We need to be careful to understand.

You know, the immunity that we're looking for can be short lived in many different kinds of infections, and they can be long term. Obviously, what we need for to get the kind of protective effect we're looking for is an immunity that would last for at least years.

And at this point, we have no indication about just how protective or not an infection might be. So, the story is still out. It's going to be key to controlling this virus, if in fact we do find that there is substantial immunity acquired through infection.

It really elevates two things. One, those people who have been infected sort of decrease the pool of potential populations for the virus to spread too. But it also lays down a really good metric for thinking about how effective a vaccine might be.

CHURCH: The Washington University model often cited by the White House projects there will be 147,000 deaths in the United State by early August due to this increase mobility we are seeing across the country as the states open up.

But Dr. Christopher Murray who heads that up thinks wearing masks could make all the difference. Of course, President Trump hasn't been wearing a mask. And he isn't committing to wearing one in the future. Why does so many Americans push back on this? What's the science behind the wearing of a face mask?

CARROLL: Well, remember, this is a respiratory disease. Which means the virus, a large percentage of the virus that's in our body, is in our respiratory tract, our lungs. And when we cough and sneeze, that is how we spread the virus.

So, obviously, the smart thing to do is, by wearing a mask, we limit, if we are infected, if I'm infected, I have a mask on, when I cough and sneeze, I really trap that virus inside the mask and protect the people around me.

And from the other side, if I am not infected, but a person close to me is, and they cough and sneeze, I lower the risk of my, sort of, inhaling that virus. So, it's really a protective barrier. It's nothing more than that.

And again, as we know, the virus travels by air by way of our coughing and sneezing. It's a smart common-sense thing to do. Very low tech. Very simple, and very inexpensive but extraordinarily effective.

[03:10:05]

That -- that's why when you go into hospitals, you are always seeing nurses and doctors and health workers wearing protective masks, because there are so many diseases that are spread by this route. And it is a proven, clinical, effectiveness.

CHURCH: Dr. Dennis Carroll, thank you so much. It is an honor to speak with you. I appreciate it.

CARROLL: It was a pleasure being with you this evening, as well.

CHURCH: Well, the U.K. announced more than 500 additional deaths from the coronavirus on Tuesday as the British government's strategy is under new scrutiny. Johns Hopkins University counts more than 35,000 deaths from COVID-19 in the U.K. and more than 250,000 cases, making it the worst hit country in Europe.

And that's adding pressure to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. His plan to reopen schools is raising concern. A new survey from a leading British teachers union says 85 percent of teachers think it's unsafe to return to school on June 1st.

Well, CNN's Nic Robertson joins me now from London. Good to see you, Nic. So, the U.K. COVID-19 death toll has risen to more than 35,000. And that, as we just said, raising questions about the handling of this health crisis by the prime minister. What's the latest on this?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, one of the areas of focus are the care homes. And it continues to get a lot of scrutiny about when specifically, the government decided to sort of give greater protection to care homes.

The focus was put on hospitals, and indeed, a testing system, testing people who are thought to have COVID-19 was then scaled back from a national level to specifically people in hospitals. It wasn't extended to care homes until later in March.

That is one of the areas under scrutiny. And one of the reasons for that that the care homes come up for so much scrutiny is because it's estimated that about a quarter of all those people in the U.K. who have died of COVID-19 were residents of care homes, or working in care homes.

Indeed, the Office of National Statistics, all statistics within the U.K. puts the death toll from COVID-19 at higher than the figure the government currently has of about 35,000. The figure it has is in excess of 41,000, perhaps as many as 42,000.

And there is a figure that's even higher than that, perhaps 55,000 if you look at the sort of average and average death toll across the same period in previous years. There is about 55,000 additional deaths that would normally be expected.

So, the government is taking a lot of heat on this. And one of the times the prime minister takes the most heat is during prime minister's question time which is in a few hours today. And he is taking a lot more heat in those sessions because there is a much more effective leader at the opposition, Keir Starmer took over from Jeremy Corbyn, and he is widely judged so far as to be giving the prime minister a very difficult time.

He is a lawyer. So, Keir Starmer is a lawyer and his forensic approach to breaking down the government's alleged failings here, a lot of people would allege that, is very systematic and very forensic. This is why Boris Johnson has been having a tough time in these recent prime minister question time, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Interesting. And Nic, as the death toll across the U.K. increases to shocking levels, how is the government's new effort to expand testing and contact tracing progressing?

ROBERTSON: Not smoothly, I think is a very short answer. The government said that it would recruit 18,000 people who could be involved in the phoning and the tracking electronically of people who'd been in contact with somebody who was proven to have COVID-19. They subsequently recruited over 20,000 people. The training for those people is ongoing.

But one of the key, key parts for the test, track, and trace approach to controlling, containing, understanding in dealing with COVID-19 is an app, and that app is being trial on the Isle of White in the U.K. Sort of it's an island so it's relatively easy to have a contained population. About a third of the people there have taken up this app, but there seems to be problems with the way that the app is operating.

So, this is part of the solution, the government says. The people to do the tracking and tracing. But there are -- there is growing concern that this isn't going to be ready for when the prime minister wants schools to begin reopening the first of June.

[03:15:07]

And so, that's creating considerable pushback not just from teachers, not just from teaching unions, but also from some of the government's own scientific advisers who are saying test, track and trace won't be ready in time. But what the government wants to see is sort of a real beginning to get back to some stages of normality, particularly schools.

CHURCH: Yes, it is a valid concern. And no doubt, parents are worried as well. Nic Robertson bringing us the latest there from London. Many thanks.

Well, President Trump says he is considering a travel ban on Latin America, particularly Brazil. That country reported its biggest daily jump in new coronavirus cases and deaths on Tuesday. And currently, it has the third highest number of cases globally.

CNN's Shasta Darlington has the latest now from Sau Paulo.

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Brazil, record high deaths in COVID-19 infections setting it on the path to become the world's next hot spot. On Tuesday night, the health ministry reported 1,179 new deaths, a record. The number of new confirmed cases also a record, at 17,000.

U.S. President Donald Trump says he is considering a ban on travel from Brazil, while in Sao Paulo, officials have declared a five-day holiday to try and get people to stay home.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is focusing his attention on expanding the use of malaria drugs to treat coronavirus and has yet to name a new health minister, even though his second one resigned last week.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo.

CHURCH: Well, students in South Korea are back in class today. But in France, a few schools had to close after a virus scare. Reports from Seoul and Paris, that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: So, when will it be safe for children to go back to school? That is the question on the minds of parents and educators around the world. And we are learning there's not a one-size-fits-all solution.

In South Korea, it's a big day for some students. School is back in session for those in third year through high school as part of a phased reopening. But it's one step back in France. Some schools had to close after suspected cases were detected just one week after reopening when the lockdown ended.

And Melissa Bell joins us now live from Paris. Good to see you, Melissa. So, some schools in France have been forced to close due to COVID-19 infections in the community. What's the latest on this?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: that's right, Rosemary. I think it's important to note that it's a small number of schools, 70 throughout France. And the ministry of education has explained that it doesn't mean that there are 70 cases involved.

[03:20:03]

Simply that there have been scares around those schools that led them to close. So, the numbers remain really small. Remember, that it is 40,000 schools that have open so far in France.

Essentially what they did is they began with the youngest and then worked their way up to sort of middle schoolers, some of them in the green zones of France have gone back to school.

Because remember, that the country is essentially cutting to here in Paris who are part of the red zone. The restrictions remain tighter than they are in the green zone. And some of those schools, those 70 schools that have closed their schools are in those green zones.

So, that will be a worry and authorities are beginning to keep a close eye on that. But again, more broadly, the figures remain really good. Once again last night, the number of people in intensive care continued to drop, dropped under 2,000 this week for the first time in many weeks. And that really is the figure that matters.

The difference between the number of people entering ICU and the number of people coming out. And that's what the authorities are looking at, Rosemary, to see if they continue this march towards the gradual reopening of the country.

CHURCH: All right. Many thanks to Melissa Bell joining us live from Paris. I appreciate that.

And CNN's Paula Hancocks has more on how South Korea is reopening its schools.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: High school seniors are back in school this Wednesday here in South Korea. And it really feels like a milestone in the country's fight against coronavirus.

There have been temperature checks at the gate of this particular school in central Seoul. The students then had their hands sanitize. They had to social distance on the way into the school building itself where there was a second temperature check and with a thermal camera.

Now within the classrooms themselves, all of the desks are at least a meter apart. All students and teachers and faculty staff have to keep masks on all day. And then when it comes to lunchtime, in the cafeteria itself, this is the one place where students are able to take their masks off.

So, every other seat is vacant, and there are plastic partitions in between each person eating.

Now there is a hope that this will be enough to stop any kind of contamination within the school, but there have already been some first day hurdles. We know that dozens of schools in a city, Incheon City just west of Seoul have already had to close again because two students were confirmed with the virus.

Officials saying, they want to contact trace and make sure that they can maintain that particular outbreak. They believe that it could have been connected to the Seoul nightclub district outbreak as well.

So, if this goes well for most schools though, this Wednesday, then the plan is to have a phased introduction of the lower grades over the next few weeks.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

CHURCH: And in the United Kingdom, some university students will have to wait a while before heading back to campus. Britain's Cambridge University says it's lectures will be moved on during the entire next academic year, ending in the summer of 2021. Some smaller teaching groups may be held in person as long as social distancing is observed.

Well, millions of people in India and Bangladesh are evacuating their homes amid coronavirus lockdowns with super cyclone Amphan due to make landfall in the next 24 hours. These satellite pictures show the strongest storm the Bay of Bengal has ever seen.

Both countries are trying to maintain social distancing at evacuation centers, but this will be a disastrous event for two countries already overwhelmed by the coronavirus.

And Vedika Sud is standing by in New Delhi. She joins us now. So, Vedika, this is a huge challenge of course, for both India and Bangladesh right in the middle of this pandemic. How are they going to ensure people are safe as they evacuate?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN PRODUCER: I'm just going to start by quoting the national response task force here in India. We spoke to the chief of that team and he said this is a dual challenge for us. It certainly is. On one hand, you have to keep them safe, keep them away from each other. On the other hand, you have to ensure that last person who left in any coastal village is a part of the shelter homes.

This remains a huge task for the next 48 hours for India as well as Bangladesh. The numbers are staggering when you talk about evacuation in Bangladesh. Over 2.2 million people have been moved inwards from the coastal areas. Whereas in India, the two states that will face this big challenge they are Odisha and west Bengal. About 450,000 people have already been evacuated.

What the good news is this, that while it might come short of these sheltered areas in India, they have endured (Inaudible). The Indian Red Cross society itself has about 40 plus shelter homes. Also, water is going to be one of the big reasons that people are going to really wonder where the water is going to come in. Drinkable water for these people.

[03:24:56]

So, what the Indian Red Cross society has is water coming from rainwater harvesting. They have a system in place and all the shelters are taken care of. They have community kitchens as well. As for government shelters, food has been arranged. Or like you said, social distancing is key at a time when they don't face just one but two huge challenges that will be hitting them this --

CHURCH: I think -- I think we've lost Vedika Sud. She was joining us there from New Delhi. Many thanks for that report.

Well, masks, temperature checks, and contact tracing. A new proposal could make airline travel a very different experience the next time you get on a plane. We'll have the details for you just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The World Health Organization says it will launch an inquiry into the global response to the pandemic. Member states adopted the proposal with no objections Tuesday at the World Health Assembly. The resolution did not single out one country, but a number of nations accuse China of withholding information about the virus when it was first detected in Wuhan late last year.

China is defending its actions and slammed a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened to permanently cut off Americas funding for the WHO.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZHAO LIJIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN (through translator): The U.S. letter is full of vagueness. It tries to mislead the public to smear China and shift lamb away from its own incompetent response.

Currently, COVID-19 is spreading in the U.S. The most pressing task is solidarity and cooperation to save lives. We urge a few U.S. politicians to stop the blame game, and together, defeat the virus. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And it's important to remember who contributes most to the WHO. The U.S. is by far the biggest contributor, putting up nearly a billion dollars a year. China isn't listed on this graph because it comes down much lower. It puts in around a 10th of what the U.S. does, and around $86 million.

And CNN's senior producer Steven Jiang joins me now from Beijing. Good to see you, Steven. So, the WHO has adopted a resolution to review the pandemic response. But what more do we know beyond that?

STEVEN JIANG, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Well, Rosemary, we know that in the end the Chinese government got almost everything they wanted in terms of this international inquiry. Because as many analysts have pointed out, the language in the final version has been weakened quite a bit and that's because of the Chinese participation in the drafting process.

[03:30:00]

JIANG: Chinese officials having highlighting that this international inquiry is not the same as advocated or proposed by some of its critics. Instead they say this is not going to be launch immediately, but rather it's going to be conducted only after the pandemic has been brought under control. That could be some time away.

And also, this not going to be done through a new mechanism. It's going to be led by the WHO. And most importantly, they say this is a review of experiences and deficiencies of government responses from around the world. Not, in there, words a presumption of Chinese guilt.

So, all these factors are likely working in their favor, because especially with the potential withdrawal of the U.S. from the WHO and Beijing's new pledge of $2 billion donation over the next two years. Beijing's voice inside the organization is only going to be strengthened. So, they are playing the long game here because this investigation is probably going to be lengthy and complex.

And in a few years' time, the Chinese economic and political position around the world could be strengthened again. And the global attention on this issue may have shifted or moved away. Not to mention, Rosemary, the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, he doesn't have a term limits, so he can afford to wait it out unlike many other world leaders, including President Trump. Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. True and Steven, a number of member states nations want to see an investigation into the origin of covid- 19. Would China ever allow that to happen?

JIANG: Well, officially, Chinese officials have been saying they are receptive. They are open to this idea, as long as such investigations are based on science and professionalism. Not the political hatchet job as proposed by the U.S. government or some of its allies. So, they are really saying this is something we are open to, as long as it is not a politicized process. But they've also been in a way muddying the waters by appointing to

some other recent news reports about the first coronavirus cases in the U.S. and Europe, may have occurred earlier than previously thought. So, it's their way in a way sowing doubts or even confusion on the origin of the virus. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, indeed. Steven Jiang bringing us the very latest there from Beijing. Many thanks.

And you can tune in for a CNN special report. China's deadly secret. That is hosted by Fareed Zakaria, coming up this Sunday. It's on at 9:00 p.m. in New York and 5:00 in the morning on Monday if you are in Abu Dhabi.

The U.S. Treasury secretary says the American economy could improve later this year. But he also warns of long term damage, the longest states remain closed. Steve Mnuchin's warning came as he updated lawmakers on the implementation of a massive stimulus package.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Are you going to require companies that receive money from this half a trillion dollar slush fund to have to keep people on payroll? It is a simple question. Yes or no? Are you going to require that?

STEVEN MNUCHIN, U.S. SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: First, let me say that our number one objective is keeping people employed. I want to be very clear on that.

WARREN: Good. So, what will you require that of people who are (inaudible) taxpayer money? That's my question.

MNUCHIN: Again, we negotiated very significant restrictions on employee compensation, on dividends, on buybacks, and in the main street facility, we have put in a provision that we expect people to use their best efforts to support jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And to that effect, the CDC has finally posted guidelines on how to safely reopen the U.S. The 60 page document provides a detailed roadmap for schools, restaurants, transit, and child care facilities to consider before reopening. It's a little shorter than the initial version, but says the key to reopening is testing and contact tracing. It outlines a three-phased approach. The guidance was posted without fanfare amid reported tensions between the CDC and the White House.

Well, air travel will most likely look and feel a lot different in the near future. The International Air Transport Association is laying out a road map to revamp aimed at making the process safer. Some of its recommendations will impact passengers before they even arrive at the airport. And CNN's Anna Stewart is with me now, joining us from London. Good to see you, Anna, to talk more about this. So, how -- how is this all going to work for air travelers? ANNA STEWART, CNN PRODUCER: It's a question I've been asking myself

every day as I dream of getting off somewhere for some sun. Well, it' going to look very different. So, this is a roadmap put forth by the IATA, the board of governors of IATA, are all the CEOs of airlines around the world. So, these are recommendations and they will impact passengers at every level.

So, whether it is the advice to the government, which suggests governments should have lots of contact information on passengers before they travel effectively.

[03:35:06]

So, if that passenger get sick when they are away or in their returned, you can contact trace who they have been with. There is also some advice for airports. How will travelers pass through airports? How can we keep sort of social distance as best as you can, through check and processes, lots more self-service? And then it comes to planes. And what passengers themselves will also be asked to do throughout the transit.

And a lot of the recommendation is of course, focused on the wearing of face masks. Face mask, which is something that IATA says they recommends. But also think like, Rosemary, when you are on that plane, you're unlikely -- so you have ask for the key to the washroom that you normally would. You probably have to have some sort of flat hand and be on some sort of lists.

They will try and keep a little bit of social distance. But what is so interesting about the roadmap that IATA has put is what's not on it, which is something as we were told might happen a few weeks ago. For instance removing that middle seat on place aisles to allow for social distance. IATA says that is not necessary. Face masks should be enough. They also object any kind of quarantine for passengers arriving at any destination or returning to their countries. They say this whole contact tracing system, they think the government should adapts, should be enough. Rosemary?

CHURCH: And you know, you mentioned the wearing of face masks. How will they enforce the wearing of masks once airborne? We have already seen major pushback on this in the United States. And there is way certainly on U.S. airlines for them to enforce it. So, what is going to be with that?

STEWART: That is such a tricky question. I think it is really early stages. That we are not really seeing it being enforced yet. Now, IATA itself is an association. They cannot enforce any of these rules. They are really just recommendations.

However, airlines and governments can enforce those rules. So, we are seeing some airlines making face masks wearing compulsory. United, for instance in the U.S. We also have in Europe, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM. But so far, we are not seeing those rules necessarily being enforced. Which could involve passengers being refused onto a plane. It could see hefty fines for passengers as well. It will be strengthened if governments back that advice as well. Now,

it is early stages. I think as more airlines adopt these mandatory face mask wearing procedures and as IATA, an association come out on board. I think, you could see a much stricter enforcing of the rules.

But so far, it does feel a little bit confusing and of course, lots of people say that it's up to them whether or not they wear a face mask and they sort of -- quite their civil liberty. So, it is an ongoing question. I think it's one that certainly heated in the United States. As a question that we will all be looking into, I think in the weeks to come. I think we will all be having plenty of face masks to hand for our travels in the future. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. Certainly most of us understand how important it is to wear a mask. Anna Stewart joining us live from London. Many thanks.

Well, Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is laying off employees as it deals with a significant drop in demand for air travel. A company spokesperson says the coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to businesses around the world, including Etihad and the spokesperson did not specify to CNN the number of job losses, but industry sources say it is in the hundreds.

With the need for medical masks growing around the world, the UAE is hoping to become the first producer of masks in the gulf region. John Defterios reports on the partnership between an Aerospace firm and Honeywell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: In the covid-19 world, N-95 mask production viewed as essential protection against the viral enemy. That's exactly what is happening in Abu Dhabi. The initial scramble for personal protective equipment prompted a rethink in the United Arab Emirates. Ismail Ali Abdulla, chief executive of aircraft parts maker Strata. In normal times he says, he delivers orders of over $7 billion for the likes of Airbus and Boeing, who are now facing their own economic turbulence.

ISMAIL ALI ABDULLA, CEO, STRATA MANUFACTURING: Everyone is seeing that we are at war, in order to win that war against coronavirus, you need to ensure that the supplies are available in a timely fashion.

DEFTERIOS: Now, he is in partnership with U.S. giant Honeywell to become the first producer of in N-95 masks in the Gulf. With the continued coronavirus threat, the two partners say, they went from a handshake to production in just 30 days.

Aside from oil, this region traditionally has been import dependent especially for critical supplies, but this entire facility is a signal that approach is rapidly changing.

(Inaudible) Strata's parent company launch a, we are dedicated plan to buffer the country citizens and economy from coronavirus risks, sending a topic $230 billion strategic investment fund. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of the countries have introduced

restrictions when it comes to the materials, when it comes to the machines, even when it comes to the actual finished good mask. This is what enables the region to be self-independent.

[03:40:10]

DEFTERIOS: The plan is to roll out enough masks to meet domestic demand and export to regional neighbors. From Saudi Arabia to Egypt, for health securities in areas like construction site, to hospitals, and a lot more.

This is just a test run to fine tune the process, but by this time next week, this machine can pump out 45,000 masks a day over three shifts.

Maryam Alnati (ph) joined the first of two production lines as supervisor, after nine years of working on aircraft wings and stabilizers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are looking to the small details. We are applying the same measures of aircraft parts, the same we are doing with the masks.

ALI ABDULLA: The world would change post covid-19 and there will be more importance in investing in Medical supplies, especially PPE. This is where we are deploying our expertise to manufacture these products.

DEFTERIOS: Strata's CEO says there is more to come soon, but just on this N-95 production, they expect nearly a billion orders over the next five years. John Defterios, CNN, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And this just into CNN. Rolls-Royce says it will cut at least 9,000 jobs because of the brutal impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the aviation industry. In addition to making luxury cars, Rolls-Royce makes aircraft engines. And it is expected that this cut from a global workforce of 52,000 people will fall largely in its aerospace division. The company says it believes it will take several years for the aerospace market to return to its pre-pandemic levels.

Well, a dramatic announcement from the Palestinian authority president. He is levying a new accusations against Israel that raised questions about the stability of the region. We are live in Jerusalem, next.

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CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. Well, the U.S. is now gearing up to send a shipment of ventilators to Russia to aid the countries coronavirus battle. A U.S. spokesperson said 50 ventilators will be ready to go in the day ahead. President Trump has promised to send a total of 200. Russia has become one of the epicenters of the virus and as Matthew Chance reports, President Vladimir Putin's response has led to increasingly vocal opposition. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Things are getting bad in Russia, desperate. This is a country where protests rarely happen. But now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, they seem widespread. These fruit and vegetable sellers in Moscow, hit by rising rents, and falling business.

[03:45:06]

This is how the ambulance workers of Arma VA (ph) in southern Russia register their grievance, socially distant, and in unison. We will promised extra payments they chant, but haven't received a single rbie.

And it is their president, many like these doctors in the Russian Republic of Dagestan hit hard by the pandemic are turning to action. There are very few of us left, she says. Few of us have got paid. Help us, Vladimir Putin, she begs. But these days, Vladimir Putin seems strangely aloof.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (TRANSLATOR): The situation is difficult and demands urgent measures.

CHANCE: He appears only on a video conferences, looking disengaged and bored, sometimes just fiddling with his pen. Encouraged by Putin's lowest ever approval ratings, Russian opposition figures sense weakness. To them, the strongman at the kremlin suddenly looks vulnerable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Putin is not just delegating the responsibility. He is hiding from it. In this sense, he is not the supreme commander, just a scared old granddad hiding in his bunker.

CHANCE: And Russians outside that presidential bunker are under pressure. Here, the police in Turkestan man-handled a commuter, his crime? Having no face mask during lockdown. Why are you treating him like he killed someone, a passenger shouts. He is just a boy going to work. Police say he was giving a warning and a fine. But as the kremlin grapples with Russia's growing pandemic and its fallout, it risks fueling resentment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, the Palestinian authority president has announced an end to all agreements signed with Israel and the United States. Mahmoud Abbas delivered a speech Tuesday accusing the new Israeli government of annulling the Oslo Agreement by seeking to annex parts of the West Bank. Because of that, Mr. Abbas said, Palestinians are quote absolved of all agreements including security ones. CNN's Oren Liebermann joins me now from Jerusalem. So, Oren, what is the latest on this and what could be the ramifications?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, at this point, this is a threat we have heard from the Palestinian authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, countless times in the past. The threat to cancel security coordination or cancel other agreements between Israelis and Palestinians. But it seems Abbas went a bit further this time. Even going as far as to give a date upon which all these agreements would be dissolved.

Yet, a former western diplomat and others who have spoken with have said this should be viewed with a healthy amount of skepticism because it is a threat we have seen so often. It doesn't seem like at least. A day later, that there has been any concrete change. And so far, at least, there has been no official Israeli reaction, perhaps as they to wait to see in which direction this goes.

Now, it's unlikely there will be any major action in the next week or so because it is still the month of Ramadan and the holiday of (inaudible) is coming up next week. In that case, why did Abbas give this speech? Well, perhaps this was an attempt to reach out to the international community, specifically the European Union and the Arab League to bring more attention to Palestinians, end to the promise or threat, depending on your perspective of Israel's promised to annex parts of the West Bank in right about six weeks.

In that sense, Abbas is trying to bring attention to his major issue and putting a threat on the table, even if it is at this stage, a bluff or a faint. The rhetoric here is serious and there are some Israeli officials, or former Israeli officials I should say, who had spoken and said this should be taken seriously and the consequences, if you were to do this should also be taken seriously.

Who else might be in this audience? Well, Israel just swore in a new government. The new Defense Minister and Foreign Minister promised they would not support unilateral annexations. So they too are part of this wide audience that Abbas appears to be trying to reach as he puts out a strong message, but one we are waiting to see if it is followed by strong action at this point, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. We will continue to watch this very closely. Oren Liebermann bringing us the latest live from Jerusalem. Many thanks.

Well, countries all over the world are using smartphones to track the virus. We will look at apps that can identify covid 19 hotspots, and where they are being used. Back in just a moment.

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[03:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN TOM MOORE, RAISED MILLIONS FOR U.K.'S NHS: Never ever for a minute did I anticipates the source of money now that is coming in. I mean, and maybe I was a trigger of it to begin with (inaudible). The National Health Service who are doing such a magnificent job for us all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Isn't he just marvelous? A month ago, we knew him as Captain Tom Moore, the British World War II veteran raising money for health care workers. Then he became an honorary colonel for his 100th birthday. And now, the national hero is receiving one more title. CNN's Bianca Nobilo has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN PRODUCER: Second World War veteran, Colonel Tom Moore is to be knighted for his extraordinary fund-raising efforts. Colonel Moore has raised over 33 million pounds for the British National Health Service. And he did so by taking 100 laps of his garden at home in Bedfordshire, breaking a Guinness world records. Colonel Moore celebrated his 100th birthday last month. And he said that his status as a national hero and a symbol of hope amidst this global coronavirus pandemic have come as a big surprise to him.

He said he didn't understand how it had happened but it had always been a hopeful person. And even when fighting in World War II. He never despaired. The Prime Minister called Colonel Moore a true national hero and said that the government would soon be releasing details about how other unsung and frontline heroes will be honored in Britain. Bianca Nobilo, CNN, outside London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, New Zealand is the latest country to launch its version of a contact tracing app which tracks of person's movements to see if they are being around anyone infected with the virus. In Singapore, Trace Together was released in April and has been downloaded about 1.5 million times.

India's app which translates to health (inaudible) has faced scrutiny because of privacy concerns. The covid safe app is being used by over a quarter of Australians. And health officials in the U.K. say their app is not ready yet. It needs to be tested before wider public use.

And Hadas Gold joins me now from London. Hadas, New Zealand particularly has certainly shown the rest of the world how to contain this virus and eliminate it. And now, they will be using a contact tracing app along with these other countries we mentioned. How is this all going to work and tied in with other technology as well?

HADAS GOLD, CNN POLITICS, MEDIA AND BUSINESS REPORTER: Rosemary, New Zealand's app is definitely much different from much of the other contact tracing apps that we have discussed in recent weeks. One of the main issues with it that makes it different from these other apps is the sense that it requires a lot more action from the human being using the phone.

Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand announced this app and she said it is more of a digital diary of sorts for people to help them keep track of where they are. So, how it will work, is that will download this app, if you are in New Zealand and then a different public places you go in and out of, you might have what are called this Q.R. codes.

You scan that Q.R. code and that will mark down in your digital diary that you have been in that place. Then, if somebody is infected with coronavirus and they marked that within the app, then it can go through and see who else has been in those public places, alongside that infected person, and notify those people.

This is distinctly different from much of the other apps we are talking about in Europe, in Asia, and in New Zealand's neighbor Australia. Those apps use Bluetooth technology. They essentially take the work out of the hands of the human being.

Your phone is always running in the background on Bluetooth and will mark if it's been in contact with other phones if that phone then marks that it has been tested positive for coronavirus or has the symptoms for coronavirus. It alerts any of the phones that you have been around.

[03:55:22]

Now, one of the biggest questions with all of these apps is will people use them voluntarily? Because experts say it is so important to get at least 60 percent of the population to use them properly in order for them to have effectively really stemmed these exponential infection rates. Now, as you noted, New Zealand has done a wonderful job in tamping down on the virus. So, there is some hope that the kiwis will use this app.

But of course, because of the extra element of a human involvement, needing to take out your phone and scan every single time you come in and out, there is a question of how it works. Of course, there are a lot of other questions surrounding this apps. As you know, in India there is privacy questions. There's questions about where is the data stored, how will it be used? How long will it be stored?

There is also a really big question about inter-operability. Because as we all know, travelers are often can be the biggest vectors of this types of viruses. So, of you are especially in the places like Europe or they don't really have a strict borders across countries, will be the app that you downloaded in a certain country work in the next country you travel over to?

If you travel to New Zealand, when travel opens up, will you be required to download this tracking app? There's a lot more questions about privacy, about how all of these apps work that will need to be worked out. But one thing is clear. These apps can be a great help in trying to trace the virus.

But it's not the only tool that can be used to do this. A lot of the work also relies on these human contact tracers, the (inaudible) places, including the United Kingdom are now trying to hire into thousands to help keep track of this virus. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yes. I am not sure how it will work in the United States. A lot of people here don't want to wear masks, so I'm not sure they will use the app, though we shall see. Hadas Gold, joining us from London. Many thanks.

And you can follow the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. and around the globe. Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta host a CNN Global town hall, coronavirus facts and fears. That is 8:00 p.m. Thursday in New York, 8:00 a.m. Friday in Hong Kong, only here on CNN.

And thanks so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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