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Europe Locks Down For COVID Christmas; McConnell Acknowledges Biden's Election Win; Biden To Georgia: Vote As If Your Life Depended On It; COVID Mass Casualty Event Expected This Winter In U.S.; Navalny Talks To CNN; Seoul: Only One ICU COVID Bed Left in the City; London Nearby Areas on Tier-Three Restrictions; U.S. COVID-19 Stimulus Deal; Terror Group Claims Responsibility for Kidnappings; Delta Unveils Travel Corridor Between U.S. and Europe; China's Change Lunar Probe Returning to Earth. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired December 16, 2020 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
Hello, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from CNN's world headquarters here in Atlanta.
Coming up this hour. A very COVID Christmas for much of Europe. New lockdowns, nighttime curfews, other tough restrictions to try and slow an accelerating spread of the coronavirus.
A second COVID vaccine poised for authorization in the U.S. But concerns are growing for poor nations left behind in the vaccination race.
And after finally admitting Joe Biden won the election, is the Republican senate leader and long-time Trump enabler Mitch McConnell now on the president's naughty list?
Now our top story this hour. Much of Europe is waking to new emergency measures to try and bring a surging rate of infection under control.
With Christmas little more than a week away, London has moved to the highest level of restrictions, tier three.
Pubs, cafes and restaurants will be closed except for take out and delivery. Residents asked to limit travel to try and stay within their neighborhoods.
Retailers in the Netherlands closed Tuesday for five weeks -- what should be the busiest and most profitable time of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT REUTER, JEWELER, OWNER OF CITY DIAMONDS: We say it is a big loss. The situation, the time of the year is extremely important to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICAELA POMA, HAIRDRESSER: Definitely in the budget of the shop, definitely is going to be way lesser. Because it's very important for us, the Christmas time.
So yes, there's going to be a big missing (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Germany is now under a hard national lockdown. All non- essential shops, services and schools will close until January 10th. The head of Germany's national public health institute says this crisis is as serious as it has ever been.
Denmark expanding a lockdown to the entire country on Wednesday as well. Students in the fifth grade and higher will move to online classes. Bars, restaurants, theatres, museums, gyms; all closing.
And all of this is putting pressure on the E.U. to move quickly and approve a vaccine.
The U.S. is also facing a bleak reality this holiday season. A record number of patients are now being treated for COVID-19, as of Tuesday, more than 112,000. And many will not leave hospital alive.
Some states are now considering tighter restrictions and, even with a glimmer of hope with a second highly effective vaccine likely be given the go ahead within days, there are expectations that the coming winter will be a mass casualty event.
Here's CNN Sarah Murray.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARAH MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On the largest coronavirus vaccine distribution day so far, healthcare workers are eagerly lining up at 425 new sites nationwide.
THERA WITTE, VACCINE RECIPIENT: I'm feeling really hopeful that this is the beginning of the end, there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
MARITZA BENIQUEZ, VACCINE RECIPIENT: I didn't feel it, there's no pain. I feel great, I'm excited. I'm happy that in another two months, month and-a-half, I won't have to be afraid to go into a room anymore.
MURRAY: As distribution ramps up for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine --
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, N.Y.: Today we're expecting almost 41,000 doses to be available at 42 hospitals across New York City. So this is going to move very fast.
MURRAY: The Food & Drug Administration is offering a positive assessment of a second vaccine candidate, Moderna's.
DR. MONCEF SLAOUI, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISER, OPERATION WARP SPEED: I'm seeing a very effective vaccine.
MURRAY: According to the FDA scientists, the Moderna vaccine is 94.5 percent effective and has a favorable safety profile. It can be stored at warmer temperatures than Pfizer's ultra-frozen vaccine which could lend itself to easier distribution.
The FDA's independent advisory committee is considering Moderna's vaccine this week. And it could be authorized for emergency use and shipped out soon after.
SLAOUI: We're ramping up to distribute more vaccines both from the Pfizer and the Moderna stable (ph).
MURRAY: The shots can't come soon enough, as the virus rages across the U.S. and the death toll surpasses 300,000.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Well, it's bittersweet. We know we're going to be able to put this behind us but in the meantime we still have a struggle ahead of us.
MURRAY: With health care workers lining up first and nursing home residents shortly behind them, it will still be months for most Americans receive the vaccine.
[01:05:00]
But today, top health officials are calling for President Trump and President Elect Biden to get the vaccine sooner.
FAUCI: I would recommend that he do that as well as Vice President Pence. For security reasons, I really feel strongly that we should get them vaccinated as soon as we possibly can.
You want him fully protected as he enters into the presidency in January.
MURRAY: Sending the two men to the front of the line important not just for continuity of government but also to inspire vaccine confidence across the country.
SLAOUI: I think they should be vaccinated. There's also a message there to the population that they trust the vaccine and that's an example for the population to follow.
MURRAY (On Camera): Now it's going to be months before we see this vaccine available to the general public. After we get through these healthcare workers, we're expecting essential workers could be next on the list. Of course, it's going to be hard to decide who those essential workers actually are.
And we're already starting to see early signs of lobbying campaigns. Today an airline industry wrote the CDC saying that these frontline aviation workers should be considered in this tranche of essential workers.
You can bet there are going to be a lot more pleas like that in the coming weeks and months.
Sarah Murray. CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: To Boston now and Dr. Michael Minna with Harvard University's immunology and infectious disease department. Dr. Mina, thanks for being with us.
DR. MICHAEL MINA, HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Thanks a lot.
VAUSE: OK. There's a lot of excitement at the moment. We've got the Pfizer vaccine rollout, there's good news about the efficacy of the Moderna candidate. But then there is just the reality check from John Hopkins University.
Quote -- "Even if all 13 vaccine manufacturers were to succeed in reaching their maximum production capacity, at least a fifth of the world's population would not have access to vaccines until 2022." That's the end of next year -- the year after, actually.
Could that timeline be shortened in any way and is that a best-case scenario, is it a worse-case scenario? How would you put it?
MINA: Yes. Well, for much of the world, we have an extraordinarily difficult time getting our normal routine vaccines childhood vaccines out to many places in the world.
So I would say that that's a very reasonable estimate, if not actually even ambitious.
There's a serious cold chain that needs to be accompanying many of these vaccines. And so the thought of getting minus 80-degree freezers into sub-Saharan Africa and the middle of India is going to be a difficult task.
There are ways to accelerate the process and they will require immediate trials should be underway given the successes of these vaccines so far in terms of the efficacy that we've seen.
We should certainly begin thinking about doing single-dose vaccine trials. Can we actually get twice as many people vaccinated than we are currently intending by actually just using one instead of two doses. We need to study this immediately.
VAUSE: Yes. And given all of that, the FDA did make an announcement on total effective sentence with regard to home testing kits for the coronavirus.
Here's part of that announcement.
"Today's authorization is a major milestone in diagnostic testing for COVID-19. By authorizing a test for over-the-counter use, the FDA allows it to be sold in places like drugstores where a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out the results in a little as 20 minutes."
So again, looking at that timeline for vaccines and how long that's going to be before it has any kind of result on the pandemic, will these testing kits, home testing kits, potentially have a much bigger or beneficial impact on controlling this pandemic, at least initially?
MINA: Absolutely. Testing in general can be an extraordinarily important component of getting this virus under control.
Not in the way that we've used testing so far but making sure that tests are performed frequently, making sure that the test results are fast and making sure that the tests are accessible to everyone. And we can do that by getting tests into the homes.
Now the test that was given approval today or authorization today which is this test here, this is an Ellume test, it's going to be a more expensive test that less people will actually be able to get their hands on.
But it will be a huge benefit to those people who are sick and need a test at home.
On the other hand, a test that looks like this, a very simple paper strip tests in a piece of plastic can actually get scaled to many tens of millions per day. And that is the type of test that can actually stop this virus in its tracks.
VAUSE: So when would you expect to see that other test, the cheaper, more easier to use test available?
MINA: Well, we should expect to see -- they're actually available already in a limited number. But they're scaling up to many millions per day.
Now we just need to get them through the FDA hurdles so that they can be used for asymptomatic people and sold over the counter.
Or ideally, and much more importantly, provided by the government as a public health service. To let people know in the privacy of their own home, are they infected, are they transmissible, should they go to work? Allow people, empower the American public and others, to be able to make informed decisions.
This should be a government activity that they give these tests to Americans. Our taxes have already paid for many of them.
[01:10:00]
VAUSE: Good point. Soon there will be not one but two vaccines available for the coronavirus, both of them incredibly effective.
Listen to the chief advisor to Operation Warp Speed. Here he is.
SLAOUI: I find that, scientifically, extremely convincing that 2 products using similar technology but totally independently developed, independently tested, provide us with data that are so similar.
The one difference between the two products relates really to the cold chain requirement.
VAUSE: What are the odds that two vaccines with efficacy over 95 percent could be developed in less than a year? If you went back to the bookies and wanted to place a bet, what odds would they give you back in March?
MINA: Well, I'd say most people would be somewhere around 50 percent, maybe I would've given a little more. I was already familiar with mRNA vaccine technology, I think it has a lot of promise.
But this is an incredible feat, to get these two vaccines out. It is one of the few things in this pandemic to celebrate.
VAUSE: OK. Dr. Mina, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate you time.
MINA: Absolutely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH MCCONNELL, U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER: The electoral college has spoken. So today I want to congratulate President Elect Joe Biden. The president elect is no stranger to the senate, he's devoted himself to public service for many years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Six weeks after election day and days after the electoral college made Joe Biden's win official, the second most powerful Republican in Washington, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, finally recognized Biden. He said those words, "president elect."
Well, many senate Republicans though remain silent or in denial refusing to recognize Biden's victory.
Regardless, Biden is moving forward announcing his cabinet and campaigning in Georgia. The two senate runoff races which will determine control of the U.S. senate and the fate of his agenda.
Here's CNN's Jeff Zelensky.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Elect Joe Biden is back on the campaign trail, a day after the electoral college affirmed his victory.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you for standing strong to make sure your voices were heard, your votes were counted, and counted and counted again.
I'm starting to feel like I won Georgia three times. ZELENY: He's headed to the White House in just 36 days. But first
he's in Georgia trying to help Democrats win control of the U.S. Senate. And remind voters many Republicans worked to undermine the election.
BIDEN: The lives of every Georgian still depend on what you do. And yes, you still need to vote as if your life depends on it. Because it does.
ZELENY: It all comes down to the state's two run off races on January 5th, the outcome of which will shape the ambitions of Biden's agenda and help determine the early success of his presidency.
With early voting already underway across the state, Biden took part in a drive-in rally in Atlanta with Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
JON OSSOFF, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: It's Georgia voters who have the power to write the next chapter in American history.
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, US. SENATE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: I'm ready. I'm ready --
(Car horns sound)
-- to be one of your next two United States senators from the great state of Georgia.
ZELENY: They are trying to defeat Republican senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who fell short of the 50 percent mark in November. Which under Georgia law, sent the contests into overtime.
The outcome of the Georgia races will answer one of the biggest remaining questions in Washington, whether Mitch McConnell will remain the senate majority leader.
After six weeks of silence, McConnell finally acknowledged Biden's victory today and the two men spoke in a conversation initiated by the president elect.
BIDEN: I called him to thank him for the congratulations, told him although we disagree on a lot of things, there are things we can work together on. We've always been straight with one another. And we agreed we'd get together sooner than later.
ZELENY: Beyond Georgia, Biden is vowing to unite the country as it faces monumental challenges from the pandemic and recession.
BIDEN: It really is time to leave the anger and bitter politics of division behind us. It's time for us to come together as a country and start delivering on what we have to get done.
ZELENY: Tonight, as the historic COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues across the country, Biden said he will get his first shot soon.
BIDEN: Dr. Fauci recommends I get the vaccine sooner than later, I want to just make sure we do it by the numbers. When we do it -- but when I do it you'll have notice, and we'll do it publicly.
ZELENY (Voice Over): Jeff Zeleny, CNN. Wilmington, Delaware.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Democratic strategist, professor of critical theory and social justice, Caroline HELDMAN, is with us now from Los Angeles. It has been a long time and it's good to see you. Welcome to the show.
CAROLINE HELDMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thanks John, great to see you.
VAUSE: OK. Even though Mitch McConnell waited longer than Vladimir Putin of Russia to acknowledge Joe Biden as present elect, it is progress.
[01:15:00]
But it seems many Republicans still have a long journey back to reality. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN (Captioned): "Now that Joe Biden won the election and he's president elect --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN (Captioned): Would you say he's president elect --
SEN. RICK SCOTT (R-FLA): All right, thanks. Thank you.
RAJU: Just as a quick question.
SCOTT: Thank you.
RAJU: Yes or no, could you say he's president elect?
SCOTT: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Still can't say it. Now add to that new reporting that the outgoing education secretary, Betsy DeVos, has encouraged career employees at the education department on Tuesday to "be the resistance" when the Biden Administration comes into power next month. According to a recording of her remarks obtained by Politico.
At this point, Caroline, why would Biden repeat the mistake Obama made in his first few years of office and assume Republicans actually have any desire to work with Democrats on stuff like pandemic relief?
HELDMAN: Well, it's interesting. I think Biden won't do that. I think that he learned the hard lesson under Barack Obama that, while there was a good game being talked about bipartisanship, at the end of day Mitch McConnell had literally changed the rules of Washington.
And any victory for the Obama Administration was seen through a partisan lens.
And I think we're in that very place right now. I think we're going to see the first 100 days of the Biden presidency, called the honeymoon period, we're going to see a real push to stop any major legislation that goes through.
And hopefully the stimulus will go through and this won't affect the vaccine distribution. But at the end of day party politics are still far more important than either side would like to acknowledge.
VAUSE: Yes. I want you to listen to a little bit more from Joe Biden's campaign stop for that senate runoff election here in Georgia. This was on Tuesday. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: They fully embraced nullifying nearly 5 million Georgia votes. You might want to remember that come January 5th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: "They," of course, being the two Republican senators in the race. Now here's the thing. The coalition of voters including those 5 million voters in Georgia who put Biden in office, they voted for change which seems to be one reason for those very long lines for early voting in Georgia.
Control of the senate will determine Biden's agenda and, in many ways, the future of this country. That's why this election is so crucial. And they want change, they don't want compromise.
HELDMAN: Well, it's a state though that has been Republican for so long, they haven't had a democratic senator there since 1996. A Democrat hasn't won a runoff since 1988.
But, John, I think you're right. That when we see states shift like Virginia or Colorado, we see them shift quite dramatically. And that's what we saw in the 2020 election, the presidential election.
I wasn't anticipating -- most folks were not anticipating that the state would go so solidly for Biden. So it's really anyone's game. Although I would say that winning both seats which is what the Democrats would need to do in order to have power in congress is a long shot for Democrats.
But who knows, right, given the fact that the state actually elected Joe Biden in this past election.
VAUSE: Yes. I'm talking to Democrats who believe they have -- they're in with a good shot, they're very optimistic about the outcome.
After Biden's though confirmed by the electoral college on Monday, the White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnaney was asked on Tuesday if Donald Trump now actually plans to do the right thing and actually meet with the present elect.
Here's her answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAYLEIGH MCENANEY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Yesterday's vote was one step in the constitutional process. So I will leave that to him and refer you to the campaign for more on that litigation.
MCENANEY: The president, again, is pursuing ongoing litigation. I would refer you to the campaign for further.
MCENANEY: He's still pursuing ongoing litigation at the moment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes. I don't know if that's delusional or asinine but it seems the Republicans are not done yet because January 6th, there's this joint session of congress.
A number of Republican lawmakers have said they will make their objections known. Now Democrats have done similar in previous years. Why will be different this time?
HELDMAN: Well, it won't change anything. It certainly -- I think what we will see is a lot of political theatrics.
The process is that each state reports their votes. The members of congress can't say anything during that process but at the end of it they can lodge complaints but you need someone from the house and the senate to lodge a complaint.
They then go back to their respective houses, they discuss it for two hours, they come back and they vote as to whether or not that state's count should stand.
But the problem is for Republicans they don't have the votes to overturn the election. And so all of this, again, will just be political theatrics.
I think it will drag out, I think there will be some loyalists who want to make sure that they don't disaffect Trump and his supporters. But at the end of the day, there's no legal path that he can win, there's no electoral path, there's no congressional path. And as the supreme court made it very clear, there's no path through them.
This was a free and fair election and folks want it to stand.
VAUSE: So at the end of day, very quickly, it's just theatrics to support the president and his supporters?
[01:20:00]
HELDMAN: It is indeed. Sixty-one percent of the American public thinks it was a legitimate election, that means 39 percent have some questions.
He has profoundly altered and eroded democracy by challenging the legitimacy of a free and fair election. We will see the repercussions of this for years.
VAUSE: Caroline, thank you. It's good to see you, it's been too long. Thanks for being with us.
HELDMAN: Thanks, John.
VAUSE: Three world leaders have finally congratulated Joe Biden on his election win. As I mentioned, Russian President Vladimir Putin, he sent congratulations via telegram. The Kremlin had said President Putin was waiting for the official results before acknowledging Biden's victory.
The Russian leader wrote he's ready for cooperation with a White House.
Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro, known as the "Trump of the Tropics," and the Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador also congratulated Biden on Tuesday.
Up next. Alexey Navalny speaks to CNN. We have his reaction to our exclusive investigation into the attempt to kill him with poison.
And why he says he must return to Russian despite everything that's happened.
Also, the latest on the search for hundreds of kidnapped schoolboys in Nigeria. With the terror group, Boko Haram, now claiming responsibility.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: So far only silence from Russia on a joint CNN Bellingcat investigation into the poisoning of opposition leader Alexey Navalny.
The Kremlin canceled press briefings scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Russian state media have not reported on our investigation which found evidence a team of elite Russian operatives trained in using toxins and nerve agents had followed Navalny for years.
The Kremlin's loudest critic was poisoned in August, he almost died. CNN, though, has not confirmed Russia was actually behind it.
We brought you CNN's Clarissa Ward's exclusive reporting on yesterday's show. Here's part of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Back in Moscow, we went in search of the FSB's toxins team.
So we're here now at the home of one of the FSB team and we're going to go see if he has anything to say to us. We enter a rundown apartment building on the outskirts of Moscow where operative Oleg Tayakin lives.
WARD: (Speaking in Foreign Language) My name's Clarissa Ward, I work for CNN. Can I ask you a couple of questions? (Speaking in Foreign Language).
Was it your team that poisoned Navalny, please? Do you have any comment?
He doesn't seem to want to talk to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, Alexey Navalny also spoke with CNN's Christiane Amanpour about how he's feeling now months after the poisoning.
Here's part of their conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[01:25:00]
ALEXEY NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Actually, I really, really want to start with saying thank you very much to CNN for this amazing job of this investigation.
This moment yesterday when Clarissa tried to barge through the door and confront Oleg Tayakin who was the coordinator of this killing team was amazing -- but actually hilarious. But we should remember this guy was a cold blooded murderer, he's a dangerous guy.
I feel much better right now. And I feel better because yesterday it was this -- revealing investigation.
And despite we all actually understand how sausage was made, still when you look at the whole system, the whole Kremlin and FSB infrastructure of killing, it is terrifying.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Gosh. When I hear you say how the sausage is made, there's a real air of unreality and I want to get into that.
You're absolutely right. It was an incredible report, the investigation, the results -- trying to get through that door.
And so I just want to ask you. You want to go back to Russia, you know that this situation hasn't been -- there's no criminal investigation, there's no acceptance that -- obviously they deny, certainly, Putin denies, that any such thing happened.
Why do you want to go back? And I guess do you think you'll be safe when you go back?
NAVALNY: Well, I don't think I can have such a privilege being safe in Russia. But I have to go back because I don't want these groups of killer exist in Russia.
I don't want Putin be ruling of Russia. I don't him being president, I don't want him being czar of Russia.
Because well, he's killing people. He's reason why the whole country's degradating (ph), he's the reason why people are so poor. We have 25 million people living below the poverty line.
And the whole degradation of system -- fortunately for me, including system of assassination of people, he's the reason of that. And I want to go back and try to change it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You can watch the rest of Christiane's interview with Navalny and read more about Clarissa Ward's investigation online at CNN.com.
Well, you can still go shopping in London today but you can't go to the pub for a pint. Details on new lockdown measures when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:29:58]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause and we have breaking news out of Berlin.
Germany now reporting a huge spike in daily COVID deaths. 952 on Tuesday -- well above the previous high of 598 last Friday. New infections are also rising fast with the state of Saxony hit hardest.
The country is now in a hard national lockdown with all nonessential shops, services, and schools closed until January 10th.
In Seoul, officials are warning there is now only one ICU bed dedicated to COVID-19 in the entire city.
CNN's Paula Hancocks in the capital with details. She joins us now live.
This is a pretty grim situation right now.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. Yes.
We have been hearing that hospital beds dedicated to coronavirus patients have been running thin. They says about 85 percent of dedicated beds are taken so far.
But then today, they did announce that 77 out of the 78 ICU beds they have for COVID patients are now occupied already with patients.
So certainly that is of concern for health officials. Seoul acting city mayor talking about this today saying that they do believe that they can secure 18 more beds by year end, which is effectively two weeks away. So they do hope that they will have enough and certainly nationwide as well, they are trying to secure many more beds, saying that almost 900 additional residential treatment beds will be secured. Another 200 plus hospital beds will be secured.
So certainly it has come to crunch time here in South Korea, but at this point, it appears as though the health officials are able to find beds elsewhere.
But once again, today this Wednesday, we have a record number of daily coronavirus cases being reported for Tuesday, 1,078. So the highest since the pandemic began.
And clearly, these numbers are going in the wrong direction here in South Korea. But at this point, officials are still saying that they are not yet going to raise that distancing measure level to the highest level it could be, John.
VAUSE: What happens if there are 2 patients who need the ICU? Or 3 or 4?
Well, you just have to hope that that's not going to happen. They do believe that within a few days they could get two more. This 18 figure that they're saying with in the next two weeks. That will be progressively going along throughout the next two weeks. And they're not all suddenly going to happen at year end.
So I suspect if that happens, there will be some serious juggling to be done. And that's not a decision that any doctor wants to or should have to make. But at this point, health officials do believe that they will have enough beds, and they are just urging residents around the city of Seoul and the greater Seoul area, which is where most of these cases are happening at this point, to social distance, to follow the rules, and to make sure they are being as careful as possible because as I say, these numbers are certainly worrying.
VAUSE: Paula thank you. Paula Hancocks, live for us in Seoul.
Well, London is once again under very high tier 3 restrictions along with some nearby areas. The British health secretary says infection rates are rising among all age groups and case numbers doubling about every seven days.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has details on the latest lockdown measures.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: London is dealing with a worrying spike in coronavirus cases, and a surge in hospitalizations. That's why the government has announced that this city will fall under England's toughest coronavirus restrictions starting Wednesday morning.
London will face tier 3 rules. That means there will be new rules to curve social life. Pubs and restaurants will be shut down. All night life will be closed. Households will be virtually banned from mixing together.
But even under the country's toughest restrictions all nonessential shops can remain open. That means Christmas shopping can continue, and quite crucially, schools can remain open.
And this is worrying, because the fastest rising infection rates are among people between the ages of 11 to 18.
So what's the government's plan? To test students who are outside of a school here in London. Where a mobile testing unit has been set up. We can give you a look right behind me here. There is a white van. That van has all the equipment that some of these health care workers need to begin testing start testing students, parents, and staff.
Take a listen to what the principal had to say about this program.
JANIS DAVIES, SYDNEY RUSSELL SCHOOL PRINCIPAL: We were part of the rollout program. It just happened in the borough yesterday. The mobile units arrive, we tested over mobile students starting with the 11, 12 and 13 then going down to some of the younger students, ten or nine.
Today, we're hosting another school coming to the testing center. I think caring for study's of students are pleased to get pleased to get tested and try (INAUDIBLE) in trying for Christmas.
[01:34:51]
SUD: Now there is a critical point being made there. The testing program is not just about breaking the chain of transmission on school grounds. It's about making sure that these children when they go home during the holidays and they might see elderly parents, relatives, grandparents, that they're safe in the knowledge that they're negative for coronavirus and can't pass it on.
So this mass testing program is about getting control of the virus citywide.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN -- London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: British health officials just don't know yet if a new variant of COVID-19 in southern England is contributing to a surge in the pandemic. New variants are not unusual, and there is no evidence this one is more deadly or lethal or that vaccines won't work. In other words, for now, there is no reason to panic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIAN TANG, HONORARY ASSOC. PROFESSOR, CLINICAL VIROLOGIST UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER: I think the average member of public on the street shouldn't worry too much about this. Ok. I don't think it's a major issue.
I think it's interesting from a biological point of view, looking at how the mutation changes over time. But it doesn't really affect clinical severity. It almost certainly do not affect the vaccine response and protection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: E.U. leaders will be meeting in the next few hours to discuss contingency plans for a no deal Brexit. Time is running out to reach, much less implement an agreement before January. But there are those who are still hoping for a last-minute deal, that including Germany's ambassador to the E.U.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL CLAUSS, GERMAN AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN UNION: There is some unfinished business obviously starting with Brexit, but it's not over yet. We still have a couple of days to go.
So we will see. And (INAUDIBLE) hasn't come yet. And I think there's still clearly the possibility of having a deal maybe by end of this week, there is at least a chance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade is in the balance here. There's just two weeks to work something out.
Well, after months of delay, U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says there has been significant progress in the push for new stimulus package. It's desperately needed by millions of Americans suffering from economic hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
CNN's Eleni Giokos is live this hour for us with more details on this. Ok so when they talk progress, what are they actually talking about? Are we talking about real progress or he's moving closer to a deal. Or is this just kind of smoke and mirrors.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean look, we have been talking about this for months. And we have seen bickering. we've seen a complete logjam in the current negotiations.
But right now, there is a bipartisan deal on the table led by leaders that decided to look at priority areas and then also the most divisive issues that are facing lawmakers.
And they split this bill into two. Here is where we stand right now. $748 billion is on the table for priority areas such as unemployment benefits.
Compared to the $300 a week enhanced unemployment benefit. That's back on the table under the overall bill.
And then, of course, we looking at assistance for small businesses and importantly billions of dollars set aside for vaccine rollout.
The second part of the bull is worth $160 billion. And they basically split this into two. So essentially this includes the issues that have been plaguing the negotiations for sometime now.
That liability protection for businesses, as well as aide for the like so local and the whole government and state.
If they cannot come to a conclusion and compromise, only $160 billion portion part of that bull will be executed or even all of it will be excluded but at least, the priority, John here, are going to be put into motion before the big shot down on government. Remember we're running out and we need to slay today to spending and of course, the big research for the Christmas holiday.
In the meantime what's at stake here is that 12 million Americans will be running out of benefits, unemployment benefits, by Christmas day. And between 2.5 million and 5 million Americans could face a eviction by January.
This is why getting it paused and there is a small window to get this done. We've seen House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and of Pelosi CNN's majority leader Mitch McConnell saying that they want to find a compromise. They were in discussions until a few hours ago, and we know that they say they are committed to ensuring that there is a compromise.
What's interesting here is the axis of power is moving to a bipartisan space where lawmakers are coming together to find a solution to something that has been plaguing the country for months now.
Interestingly, the markets really rallied yesterday after the new this news that we're moving closer into a decision.
But today, the Federal Reserve is going to make its last announcement of the year. It's going to be interesting to see the economic fallout of the pandemic, the increase and the rise in coronavirus cases that has been hurting vulnerable Americans -- and will continue to do so.
That is why these relief bill, the stimulus package is going to be vital, not only for people on the ground but also the economic outlook in the United States.
[01:40:03]
VAUSE: Yes. And Pelosi, the House Speaker and McConnell said no one is going home until they get something done.
GIOKOS: Yes.
VAUSE: So that could be a good sign.
Eleni, good to see you. Thank you. Eleni Giokos there in Johannesburg.
We're taking a short break. When we come back, the terror group Boko Haram claiming responsibility for raiding a Nigerian school kidnapping hundreds of boys. More on the latest on the search for the students. That's next.
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VAUSE: The leader of the terror group Boko Haram has apparently claimed responsibility for kidnapping hundreds of students from a boys' boarding school in Nigeria's northwest.
In a predawn audio message, Abubakar Shekau reportedly said the attack was to discourage western education.
CNN has now independently verified the authenticity of the message. CNN's David McKenzie has new details on the attack.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The 300 students were studying when they gunmen arrived. As the gunshots grew later, boys jumped barefoot through windows to escape from the terror, others fled into a nearby forest.
But when but amen who tried to get away you abductors were already among them.
USAMA AMINU, RESCUED STUDENT: When I decided to run, they brought a knife to slaughter me. But I ran away quickly. I ran into the crowed. They couldn't get me and I put my clothes upside down because they could not seem me. From there they said they would kill whoever is trying to escape.
And I began to run. Climbing one rock to another through a forest.
MCKENZIE: CNN has learned from a government official that the kidnappers have been in tough with the teacher at the school, raising the prospect of a ransom demand.
But just how many boys, the attackers took (INAUDIBLE) is still unclear. Government officials tell CNN, more than 300 students from Kankara (ph) secondary school in the North West are still unaccounted for.
Boys like Lao Mohammed, who's not as (INAUDIBLE) at one actions to find a son she's desperate, he's been missing for days.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): If this government instructs (ph) as they say they are we want them to rescue our children because they have the capacity to do so. But their actions are slow because it is not their children that are involved in the incident.
They put us in this situation. We're both -- we the parents and grandparents on are in absolutely confusion.
They've stopped us from having peace of mind. We are totally sad.
MCKENZIE: Sadness turned to fear Tuesday. An audio message purported from this man --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This work that was done in Katsina (ph) was done by us.
MCKENZIE: Abubakar Shekau, a leader of extremist terror group Boko Haram, claiming responsibility for the kidnapping. CNN could independently verify the message. If the claims are true, it's deeply disturbing. Indicating that Boko Haram has widened its influence, far beyond its stronghold in Nigeria's northeast.
[01:44:57]
MCKENZIE: We are foreclosed to a decade, they've been terrorizing Nigerians, calling for an end to western education, stealing their children.
In 2014, capturing the world's attention by kidnapping 276 school girls in Chibok. Years later, more than 100 are still missing.
In 2018, a different faction took more than 100 girls from the school in (INAUDIBLE) all but one returned home safely. She refused to convert to Islam.
President Muhammadu Buhari, an ex general vowed to stamp out Boko Haram's threat, but he has failed. Now he has committed to bringing the boys from Kankara, back home safely.
OBIAGELI EZEKWESILI: co-founder, Bring Back The Girls Movement. I'm listening to a mother say exactly the same thing, that some of the mothers of Chibok girls said to us in those years.
MCKENZIE: But the woman, who spearheaded the bring back our girls movement said it's unforgivable.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: if governance is not effective the governance is made up of a ruling class that is indifferent to the sufferings of the people.
You would have repetitive patterns of failure
MCKENZIE: A failure, that has shattered so many lives.
David McKenzie, CNN -- Johannesburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Isha Sesay joins me now from Los Angeles. She's covered the abduction of the Chibok girls extensively. She's also author of "Beneath the Tamarind Tree: a story of the lost schoolgirls of Boko Haram" and we should note, also a recently appointed U.N. goodwill ambassador.
Keeping busy these days I see, which is good. Nice to see you.
ISHA SESAY, U.N. GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: Good to see you, Friend.
VAUSE: Ok. Right now, it's still unclear how many of these voice actually managed to escape. I want you to listen to one who did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I decided to run, they brought a knife to slaughter me. But I ran away quickly. I ran into the crowd they couldn't get me. Then I put my clothes upside down so that they could not see me. From there they said they would kill whoever is trying to escape. Then I began to run, climbing one rock to another through a forest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: It is horrendous to hear all of this but it sounds so familiar with what happened six years ago in Chibok.
Not just what the children went through or how they were taken. But what seems to be yet again another appalling, inept government response.
SESAY: John, it's eerily similar. And when I saw the news the weekend that children had being taken in the school attack in Nigeria's north, really my heart sank because as more and more details came out, it all came flooding back, all the work (INAUDIBLE) speaking to survivors of the Chibok mass abduction in 2013.
And they all talk about similarly here in Katsina, of men, heavily armed, in military heavily coming in on those bikes and forcing them to walk out of the schools and walk for hours on end into the forest.
And what has played out since is that same confusion that we saw in the aftermath of Chibok. How many boys have been taken and the numbers fluctuating wildly kind that, you know, all but 10 of the boys should be reunited with their parents only to hear the governor say that 333 are still missing.
And just question about who took them. As you said, right off the top, Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the now splintered Boko Haram, it must be pointed out, claims responsibility.
But it is also important to stress that we have always known Boko Haram as operating in the northeast, which is where Borno state is, which is where the Chibok girls were taken. And this attack on the boys school happened in the northwest, an area rife with instability and violence at the hands of bandits.
So this question of Shekau claiming responsibility without any evidence to support it is one that everyone is watching very, very closely. Because if it is true, it's a terrifying new twist in Boko Haram's expansion of operations.
VAUSE: And that's the point. So let's look at the map here because that is one of the big major differences here in the six years between these kidnappings.
You know, you've got Chibok in the northeast. You've got this latest kidnapping in the northwest. And there is this concern, that if this is in fact Boko Haram, that they are expanding across the country because they're (INAUDIBLE) brand of Islamic.
So what is in store for these kids, these boys if their release is not negotiated? SESAY: Yes. I mean again, to be clear we know that abductors,
according to local authorities have made some contact, they didn't say it was Boko Haram specifically.
[01:49:51]
SESAY: I do want to make the point that there has been some local reporting around Boko Haram's intention of expanding their operations as far back as July, actually. A Nigerian online platform fronted by a journalist with deep connections with Boko Haram -- deep reporting connections I should say.
Back in July, we're saying that Boko Haram is expressing an interest in kind of expanding and building out a franchise if you will, that extended to the northwest.
If indeed these boys have been taken by Boko Haram, the expectation because this is what we have seen in the past is that they will been taken and if not returned or reunited with their loved ones will be radicalized, and will become foot soldiers in Boko Haram's long- running conflict onslaught if you will, with civilians and the government.
VAUSE: And you know, just like six years ago once again, hundreds of moms and dads out there just wondering and living a nightmare, no idea what happened to their kids.
SESAY: And this is the thing. This is the thing that troubles me the most about the Nigerian government's response. The difficulties of negotiating a release -- granted one would never assume that those are easy things to achieve -- but what is easy?
And I have no qualms at saying it explicitly, what is easy is reaching out to the families of those affected? And expressing concern. And you know, the same thing that happened in Chibok where we did not see, you know, the president at the time of the attack (INAUDIBLE) to make a visit to Chibok or Borno state, in the same sense and in exactly the same way we have not seen the current President Muhammadu Buhari who is from Katsina State, let's be clear where this happened passage and what's actually in his estate on a home visit when this attack happened, hasn't as far as we know and according to reporting, has not directly connected with families that are distraught, especially given that they know how things played out in Chibok and 112 girls to this day, are still unaccounted for.
VAUSE: Isha, it's a horrible story. We thank you for your insight. And it's good to see you regardless. Take care.
SESAY: You too.
VAUSE: Could be just like the good all days, quarantine-free travel. One airline unveiling a new plan to bring back international flights, even while this pandemic reaches new heights.
Coming up, what passengers have to do and what they can expect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Those few travelers still flying internationally, are often forced into days or weeks of quarantine once they reached their destination. But in a few hours a Delta flight will touchdown in the Netherlands and it will be just like the good old days, with no passengers forced into self isolation.
Delta is opening travel corridors for flights from the U.S. to Amsterdam and Rome.
But the quarantine free passengers face rigorous multiple and COVID tests, as CNN's Richard Quest reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Passengers headed to answer down on Delta flight 76, actually began their journey after 5 days earlier. When they took the first of several COVID tests, that enables them to avoid quarantining when they arrived in Amsterdam.
This is Delta and KLM's COVID free corridor, between Atlanta and the Dutch capital. That first PCR test is followed by a rapid test at Atlanta Airport before boarding.
[01:54:47]
QUEST: Of course if both are negative, you can fly.
There's a third PCR test upon arrival in Amsterdam. Only if that negative, can you avoid quarantine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So it's really the idea of stacking tests or sequential testing to try and capture any of those individuals that either falsely tested negative initially and or maybe have converted in that three-day period since they have their initial test performed. It's just another layer of protection.
QUEST: Building COVID corridors is part of the airline industry's effort to restore confidence and revive air travel, eliminating the need for time consuming quarantine.
PERRY CANTARUTTI, SVP ALLIANCES, DELTA: We're hoping that in the first quarter next, we'll also be able to add more cities.
QUEST: There are similar quarters from Rome to New York and soon Atlanta to Rome.
Currently the number of passengers on these flights is limited, because of both E.U. and U.S. travel restrictions that ban each other's citizens from non essential travel.
Delta Airlines isn't alone. All the major transatlantic carriers are experimenting with corridors of one sort or another. But their success depends on government giving permission.
All in all, these individual flights are a glimmer of hope, that a new normal for safer air travel in the COVID era is well on the way.
Richard Quest, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: China's lunar probe could soon be back on earth with the first moon sample in nearly half a century.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports from Hong Kong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After blasting off from the moon on Sunday, China's probe now returns to earth after a 23-day mission, bringing with it the first lunar samples collected in nearly half a century.
Landing in inner Mongolia, the Chang'e 5 will become a piece of China's history. It is only the 3rd country to bring home such precious cargo.
Scientists will soon be analyzing the structure, physical properties and material composition of the soil and rock samples. Hoping to answer long held questions about our nearest celestial body. Named after the mythical Chinese goddess of the moon, Chang'e 5 mission could help explain the moon's origins, how long it was mechanically active and when it's magnetic field which protects life from the sun's radiation disappeared.
But its objective was twofold, one part discovery, the other to advance China's ambitions in space exploration, one of the most complicated and challenging missions in the country's aerospace history.
The four part Chang'e 5 probe blasted off from an island off of China's seven coast on November 24th, a touchdown seven days later on the part of a moon that has never been visited before. A massive lava plain, known as Ocean of Storms.
There, a lander began collecting samples with a drill and robotic arm. Before loading it onto an ascent vehicle.
Now sealed in a reentering capsule about two kilograms of the moon return to earth for the first time since the 1970s. Possibly holding clues to ancient mysteries of the moon.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN -- Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. I will be back at the top of the hour.
Stay with us please. The news continues. Very short break, be back.
[01:58:21] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
