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Fears of Coronavirus Freezes Global Transport; Threat of Virus Spread Escalates; House Managers Laying Out Their Case Against President Trump; Coronavirus Outbreak; Virus Puts 20 Million People Under Travel Lockdown At Lunar New Year; Response To Virus Takes Huge Economic Toll On China; Rohingyas Ruling; Controversial Cleric Call For A Million Man March In Iraq; U.S. Rejects United Kingdom Extradition Request Over Teen's Death; Australia's Creepy, Crawly Quandary. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired January 24, 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)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Their cities.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also, containing the outbreak. The impact the virus is having on global travel.

HOWELL: And making the case, what a former federal prosecutor says about how Democrats are handling the impeachment of the U.S. President Donald Trump.

We are live from studio seven here at CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. And we welcome our viewers here all around the world.

ALLEN: I'm Natalie Allen.

Three o'clock here in Atlanta, Georgia. And CNN Newsroom starts right now.

HOWELL: The lunar New Year officially starts on Saturday but the coronavirus outbreak has ruined travel plans for some 20 million people. In China, public transportation has been shut down in several major cities, in central China, putting that region on a virtual lockdown.

ALLEN: That is because the coronavirus is spreading at an alarming rate. Twenty-six deaths have been reported in China since the virus was detected six weeks ago. And 830 people are infected in the nation plus another 16 cases worldwide.

HOWELL: And here is the thing, we might not know the full scope of this health crisis. British scientists estimate that it could be 4,000 effective people in Wuhan alone, a huge city of 11 million people.

China announced that it had earmarked $144 million to combat the outbreak but still the World Health Organization said it is not yet ready to declare a global emergency.

ALLEN: CNN correspondents are fanned out across the world to cover all angles of the story. David Culver and Steven Jiang are in Beijing for us, and Blake Essig and Sherisse Pham are in Hong Kong.

HOWELL: Plus, our Paula Hancocks live in South Korea, at very unimportant airport there along with Scott McLean in Edinburgh, Scotland.

ALLEN: Well, let's begin with the Chinese capital, David Culver and Steven Jiang are there for us. Hell, David.

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Natalie. That's right. It is growing concern really from the city of Wuhan as we have been in touch with our contacts there. We left a little more than 24 hours ago now but as we've been in touch with them, they are painting what is an increasingly desperate portrayal of what is happening there. Particularly with the health care system.

I'm going to show some images here and some videos coming from Chinese social media. I should tell you that CNN has not independently verified them but our producers have gone through them and they've also analyzed the dialect and they believe them to be genuine.

I'll start with these makeshift tents that are being put up outside of a hospital. This is because of the overflow and really just the surge of people that they are trying to deal with at these hospitals in Wuhan. This appears to show that they are having essentially a separate center set up to accommodate with some of the testing for coronavirus.

Then another video shows some of the dramatic scenes of really just discomfort for some of the folks who have to wait in these long lines. This is a woman who, a health care woman who is shouting to try to explain the procedures for folks who are in line to be tested. She also says, don't be nervous.

It's hard not to be nervous when you are in those kinds of situations especially if you are shoulder to shoulder like they are in that image right there with people who are potentially a risk.

And then lastly, imagine this waking up from your hospital bed and seeing this image. This is Hazmat suits that are being worn by several medical staffs at one hospital. That's what it appears to show. And one patient giving us that view from his hospital bed.

All of this comes as these hospitals are dealing with this influx and so what is the government doing? Well, the Chinese national government has said that they are going to put about $144 million U.S. dollars into assisting with this virus. What does that mean? They haven't got into specifics but perhaps it will include the construction of a new hospital and that's one thing that state media is reporting.

In fact, we have this video from state media and it's been shared on social media that shows bulldozers and loaders, and construction vehicles at a lot clearing that lot, rather, rapidly in anticipation for something to be built there. And it's likely that that will be the hospital. People's Daily reports the hospital will be done by February 3rd. That's less than a week, Natalie and George.

ALLEN: That's an indicator of how serious this is. All right. David Culver for us there, David, we thank you.

Let's check in now with CNN's Steven Jiang, he has more on how China is handling the outbreak. And you were telling us earlier that a lot of people on social media don't think they are handling it that well.

[03:04:54]

STEVEN JIANG, CNN PRODUCER: That's right. I think the consensus among many on social media is all these over the top measures David were -- David and you were talking about may have come a little too late because of the perceived in action by authorities in Wuhan for not doing anything at least in public for a month.

They -- remember, they kept the seafood market that this virus was originated opened for weeks teaming with people. Then of course, they led hundreds and thousands if not more people leave Wuhan with little protection or knowledge about this virus.

Why is this relevant? Because we are still in the middle of the lunar New Year travel season as you guys mentioned. This is the busiest travel time in China.

And let's look at some numbers. Three billion trips of all kinds expected to be made this year and 25 million people are expected to travel through Wuhan by train. If you look at the map, Wuhan sits in the middle of China. It's really a very important railway hub for the whole country.

If you take a train from Wuhan you can literally travel in every direction and reach almost all major cities in this country.

So it is this contacts that makes Wuhan authorities initial lack of action are more disturbing in the minds of many people, that's why they say -- they think even now they are shutting down transportation networks, they are locking cities down and may already -- they may have already missed the golden opportunity to contain this virus.

But of course, authorities here are still putting on a brave face saying they are confident of their ability to contain this virus. Natalie.

ALLEN: All right. Steven Jiang for us and David Culver as well, we thank you both.

HOWELL: To try to contain the spread of this virus, authorities are preventing millions of Chinese residents from traveling and they are screening travelers arriving at airports around the world as far as the United Kingdom. Health officials are testing more than a dozen people.

Our Scott McLean has more on that from Edinburgh, Scotland. But first, let's go to Blake Essig. Blake is live in Hong Kong where a lot of people there are canceling their holiday travel plans, Blake.

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, George. So right now, as you kind of look around this is the busiest day of travel of the year here in Asia. And if you kind of take a look around there is actually not as many people as we have been told that we would expect to see on a day like today.

The majority of people that we have seen are actually standing in these long lines. There is one of the lines over here just within the couple of hours, this line is full of people going to cancel their trips into the mainland who have stressed about 200 meters just wrapped around the station.

They are actually waiting to get over to this counter where people have said they are winning for more than two hours to try to get refunds and cancel their trips. But of course, some people are moving forward with their travels anyway.

This is the departure gate, as you can see not a very long line where we were here yesterday. This line stretched, you know, for about 30 to 40 meters. Today, pretty empty and so we talked to some travelers to figure out what's going on in their minds. Are they concerned, are they not? We met people on both sides of the spectrum. Some canceling their trip while others are moving forward. Here's what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ESSIG: Are you concerned about the spread of this coronavirus?

JACKSON LEUNG, HONG KONG RESIDENT: Yes and no. I mean, neither of us are wearing masks. I should be but it's hard to get a hold of a mask sometime.

ESSIG: No fear whatsoever given the spread of this virus?

ALEX DUTTON, HONG KONG RESIDENT: Not really. I mean, the fatality rate is 25 people out of a thousand recorded. It's not particularly high. I'm quite young. It's old people who generally died. I mean, I feel bad for them but I'm not concerned for myself.

EVA KWANG, HONG KONG RESIDENT: I'm so worried about this. The new type of the diseases because I have two little kids.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ESSIG: And, George, again this is that queue that all of those people that are wrapped around West Kowloon train station are waiting to get into to try to get to the front of this line to try to get a refund. Again, this was Kowloon train station as the only high-speed railway station connecting Hong Kong to mainland China.

And so, anybody trying to head in for the lunar New Year this is where they've to come. Again, not a lot of people, the majority of those right here trying to cancel their tickets because of the fear of this coronavirus continuing to spread here into Hong Kong. HOWELL: This is having a major impact on so many millions of people.

Blake Essig live for us in Hong Kong. Not let's cross to Scotland. Scott McLean in Edinburgh there. Scott, tell us more about how this is impacting people really on the other side there where you are.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, George. So, there have been zero confirmed cases of this coronavirus in the U.K. But we have gotten confirmation just this morning from public health officials that 14 people have been tested across the U.K.

[03:10:06]

Thankfully five of those cases have already come back as negative. Now the first reports of testing came from here in Scotland. We know at least two people, according to officials, had come from Wuhan. They were diagnosed with the flu. It is flu season after all, that is not uncommon but they tested for this coronavirus as a precaution. We know that three others were in very similar circumstances.

Now there are no direct flight from Wuhan to Scotland, and so virtually anyone coming from that part of the world would have to go through London Heathrow airport.

Public health officials are meeting flights there to screen passengers and to talk to anyone who may feel ill and give them advice on hygiene and let them know that they'll need to really see someone if they have any of these symptoms within 14 days of being in China.

Now this test involves taking samples of the nose, throat and the lungs and then sending it off to a specialized lab in London. The expectation there is that the tests will continue and that there will be more than 14 people tested over the next couple of days.

In Scotland they've set up a special task force special incident management group to try to manage these cases and manage these testing. They are saying very little though about the specific locations of any of these.

We know that some of the cases were in -- or some of the testing, I should say, took place in Edinburgh but they wouldn't even say which specific hospital. This is the royal infirmary but we don't know for certain that those tests took place here.

The risk in the U.K. was raised from very low to low but even still take that for what it's worth. Public health officials here say regardless of whether or not the virus ends up being here or not, they are well-placed or they are in a good position to try to handle it. George.

HOWELL: Scott McLean live for us in Edinburgh, Scotland. Scott, thank you.

Despite several Chinese cities being on lockdown the World Health Organization has yet to declare the coronavirus a global health emergency. Just a short time ago, my colleague John Vause spoke with the regional

director for the WHO to better understand what is going into making that call. Here is that conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAKESHI KASAI, REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR THE WESTERN PACIFIC, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: The decision of the infectious disease is a very complex and a difficult decision. On one hand we have to really make sure that we do a public health measures to control the diseases. On the other hand, it causes a restriction of the people of freedom and liberty.

So, obviously, this is a very serious decision that China made. They made this decision to make sure this virus will slowing down in coming out and to make sure that this virus will not go out from China.

This is a new disease, and we still don't know many things and China is really trying their best to collect more and more information so that we can fill the gap.

We know that there is already human to human transmissions but we need more information for us to fully understand the extent of this human to human transmissions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: All right. Now we are joined by John Nicholls, a clinical professor who was part of the team investigating the coronavirus in Hong Kong. He was also part of the team who research the SARS virus in Hong Kong back in 2003. Mr. Nicholls, thanks so much for joining us.

JOHN NICHOLLS, CLINICAL PROFESSOR IN PATHOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: Good afternoon.

ALLEN: I want to ask you first about how dangerous this virus is and like we just heard from the World Health Organization there, they still don't know how really, it's manifesting or what makes this virus. What do we know about it and how dangerous is it as far as we know?

NICHOLLS: Well, as you know, based on just the number of cases which we, and this virtually which is coming from China. But what we have been doing here is that following up the size and also the influence of the outbreaks is that at the university.

We've actually set up a risk assessment model which allows us to be able to, when we get an emerging virus to actually say just how bad is it, will it replicate in the upper respiratory tract, the lower respiratory tract, and if it does, is it going to be one which we always say as a high side of the (Inaudible) or low side of (Inaudible)?

So now that we have the virus and over the Chinese New Year, we will be growing it up. We'll be in a better position to also assess and to see whether or not this is going to be like the SARS virus in terms of severity or is it going to be more of a milder virus.

The other thing which also -- which from our bitter experience with SARS is that to realize is that this is probably just not just a respiratory virus. It's that those of us who remember Amoy Gardens will remember that we found out that this virus could also be spread through the gastrointestinal tract.

[03:14:56]

And so, this is an aspect which we're actually will be looking at in the next few weeks to see whether or not this virus can actually be through the fecal-oral route. Because that has important implications for the way the management, the way the people should be reacting.

ALLEN: It sounds like there is more questions than answers right now. So, in the meantime, how do you figure out how to contain this to keep it from spreading globally?

NICHOLLS: I think it has already been spread.

ALLEN: Right.

NICHOLLS: But what we have found with SARS was that, as people have been saying it was the personal hygiene, the public hygiene which was quite effective in controlling the spread.

And so, the washing of the hands, you know, the wearing of the mask, that was -- those public health measures were the big effect of mitigating the severity with which it had within the population.

ALLEN: And I want to ask you, China has closed school indefinitely, restricted travel for millions. Are these steps enough that are being taken?

NICHOLLS: Look, I'm not a public health expert so I can't comment on that. But the -- But I think history has shown is that, all these public health things will only have a limited amount of effect.

You know, what we have found with the 2009 pandemic is that no matter how hard people try to close schools is that the virus still spread quite rapidly around the world. Because you got so much public transport, air transport, which goes all of the -- within eight hours you can be in quite a few countries.

So, I think it is going to be very, very difficult to try and contain.

ALLEN: Mr. Nicholls, I want to also ask you about how this was started? It has been traced back to that seafood market in Wuhan. There were all kinds of wild animals brought in and kept in cages to be bought and eaten.

Reports have the virus may have come from snakes or may have been traced back to bats. Talk about that and what are your thoughts on how this started?

NICHOLLS: Well, lots of work has been done both in our university and other universities. They have shown that the bats are quite a big reservoir for the coronaviruses and they can remain in asymptomatic.

And also, after SARS, there is quite a bit of surveillance of the wild animal market, so finding that the mass farm civets and other animals could be harboring this and could be -- could have the virus and not show any symptoms.

So, as the evidence as shown is that, you know, this came most likely from some of the wild food markets. Snakes, you know, I've seen that recent report in the journal -- one of the biology journals and some people saying well that's not likely.

It's -- that's not going to really -- the genie is out of the bottle. So, I think right now finding out where it came from is not a major impact right now. Right now, what we must be more concerned about is how the sort of measures we can take.

And so that's why also what we can do in the laboratory, we can look at the existing antiviral and the sort of treatments which we can use to help the patients who develop the severe disease.

ALLEN: What are the first signs that they have the disease?

NICHOLLS: Well, that's one of the big problems is that, you know, there's nothing quite unique about it. So, even though they use the (Inaudible) syndrome there is actually no unique specific signs or symptoms of that which can distinguish this from a pneumonia.

And so, that's one of the big problem and also some of the patients will present with signs of ordinary influenza. And this is also an aspect in which we found when looking at the MERS coronavirus is that right now there is not much information about whether or not this is just what we are seeing is the tip of the iceberg. The symptomatic patient.

There might be quite a few people who have been through the market who basically might seroconverted and they were asymptomatic and maybe all that we are seeing is that this virus is might have existed well before December and some of the workers who got infected but it was just very, very mild and we never knew about it.

So, I think there also need to be far more APD pathological study about whether or not we are just seeing the more severe part of a widespread virus.

ALLEN: Well, we appreciate your time and of course your efforts to investigate this with your team, and we wish you well in that of course. John Nicholls, thank you so much for joining us.

NICHOLLS: Kung Hei Fat Choi.

HOWELL: Well, no doubt a travel nightmare has millions of people are on locked down in mainland China. What does that mean for business there? We'll hear from the boss of China's largest travel agency just a little later in this newscast.

[03:19:55] ALLEN: Also, later, Democrats laying out their case for abuse of

power in Donald Trump's impeachment trial, but are they trying to convince Republican senators or American voters? We'll talk about that coming up here on CNN Newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: U.S. House Democrats will get their final day of opening arguments in Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial. On Thursday they focus on article one, that's abuse of power. Impeachment managers contend the president was only trying to help his reelection chances when he withheld that military aid from Ukraine in exchange for an investigation of his rival, Joe Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JERROLD NADLER (D-NY): This presidential snowballing of Congress is unprecedented in the 238-year history of our constitutional republic. It puts to even President Nixon to shame.

Taken together, the articles and the evidence conclusively establish that President Trump has placed his own personal political interests first. He has placed them above our national security, above our free and fair elections and above our system of checks and balances. This conduct is not America first, it is Donald Trump first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Well, some Republican Senators are complaining Democrats are just rehashing the same points and sources tell CNN they are being encouraged to speak with the news media during breaks in the trial to defend the president. Here is James Lankford of Oklahoma.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): They made a good case to be able to walk through all of the issues. There was an old proverb that says the first one always seems right until they are cross-examined. And so, I'm waiting to be able to hear that White House response in the coming days and they'll have the opportunity to tell their side of the story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: To talk more about this we have now Joseph Moreno. Joseph a former prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice and former national security prosecutor joining this hour us from Washington D.C. It's good to have you with us.

JOSEPH MORENO, FORMER U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PROSECUTOR: Hey, George. Great to be with you tonight.

HOWELL: Look, the House managers are laying out their case of abuse of power, another long night, long several days stretch. Are they doing a good job presenting their case in your opinion?

MORENO: George, they're doing a solid job. They have a lot to work with. They have a captive audience who is literally stuck to their seats and cannot leave, cannot talk, cannot get too distracted and they are laying out a very thorough case.

I do think they are going a long time, and ultimately you get some diminish return when you have a jury that is just sitting there for hour after hour, and at some point, you do get a little repetitive.

Clearly, the House manager strategy is look, this is our window, this is our best opportunity to lay out both to the Senate and to the American people what they believe is a righteous well-supported case. And they are using every minute of every hour they have to prove that case.

[03:24:59]

HOWELL: All right. They are making the case to Senate Republicans hoping to sway their opinions. They are also making the case to the American people who have been watching this live here on CNN.

Look, first to Republicans, many Republicans saying that they are bored, you know, they are looking ahead at their turn, you know, to make their case. Are Democrats making a mistake with these long presentations?

MORENO: George, that's always a question with any trial whether it's a local county trial or the greatest trial in the history of modern politics, which is a trial of the sitting president.

Ultimately, do you have diminishing returns? Right? Are you effectively going in circles at some point? Are you losing the attention of your audience? That's always a strategy you have to figure out as a prosecutor or as a defense counsel.

I think Democrats are taking the position that look, we only have a certain amount of time to do this. We are going to make the most of that time, the most of the evidence. We are going to lay out everything and leave nothing to chance and basically say you know what, this is our shot, we are taking the best at it right now.

HOWELL: You've touched on this but to be more precise in my question about it as far as the general public watching this on television. Are the optics working in favor of Democrats from your perspective?

MORENO: I got to think the Democrats have to say look, we have a thorough and comprehensive case. And whether people are watching for the full eight-hour day or tuning in for a few minutes at a time, we want to make it really clear we know our case, we know our facts, we know the law and we are here to lay that out.

And so, it's a calculated risk, but they feel clearly it's one that's worth taking because whether people tune in for the whole thing or just small snippets or just catch a little bit on CNN, they want to make sure the American people realize it's a serious matter and should be taken seriously.

HOWELL: I pointed this out a minute ago, Republicans they are waiting for their turn to turn the spotlight on to Joe Biden and his son Hunter for the work that Hunter did with Burisma holdings. Again, we know that there has been no evidence of any wrongdoing. But can Republicans make their case defending the president?

MORENO: Well, Republicans clearly feel in the matter of Hunter Biden it's going to be embarrassing. Right? It might not be relevant, it's certainly not illegal what he did. But it doesn't look great and it doesn't reflect great on his farther, Joe Biden.

So, Republicans clearly feel maybe they have some leverage there and if Democrats keep pushing the case for witnesses perhaps Republicans fall back as you know what, you want witnesses, we want witnesses and we are going to call Hunter Biden.

If that happens, you will see a brutal fight over the relevance of Mr. Biden whether he should appear as a witness, whether it is a complete red herring and a distraction to the Democrat's case. But ultimately, Republicans probably feel even if it's not relevant, even if it's not necessarily part of a formal defense, it's embarrassing. And perhaps, they think the Democrats will back down on their demand for witnesses if they know the threat to call Hunter Biden as a witness is there.

HOWELL: All of this playing out with an election before the end of this year. What would you say are the political implications of what we're seeing again playing out here on television?

MORENO: I think Democrats probably know the reality that at the end of the day it's going to be extremely difficult to get 20 Republicans to jump ship and to vote in favor of removing this president. But I think Democrats must think the calculus is twofold.

One, again, we are going to use every minute of every hour we have to lay out this case because we believe it's a principled and righteous case. Two, they must think that over the next two months not only can they use this evidence against President Trump in the campaign but against the Republicans and say, look not only did they not hold this president accountable, they didn't even want to hear the evidence, they didn't even want to hear from witnesses.

It was basically a one-sided partisan mockery of a trial and I think the Democrats feel that they can get some traction from that on the political realm as well as the legal one.

HOWELL: Many more days to go of course. Joseph Moreno, we appreciate your time and perspective. Thank you.

MORENO: Thanks, George. Always great to join you.

ALLEN: Twenty million --

(CROSSTALK)

HOWELL: Twenty million --

ALLEN: Sorry. It was my turn to go. I'm sorry, George. Twenty million people under travel locked down in China as a major virus hits in the busy holiday season.

HOWELL: We will tell you the impact of what's happening there with the boss of China's largest travel agency.

ALLEN: Also, for the first time the International Court of Justice weighs in on the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. But will its orders be enough to stop a genocide? A look at the ruling ahead here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers all around the world you are watching CNN Newsroom, I'm Natalie Allen.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm George Howell. With that headlines we are following for you at this hour. On the eve of the lunar new year, one of the biggest travel events in Asia, some 20 million people in China are being forced to stay put because of the coronavirus outbreak.

ALLEN: Transportation has been stopped in several major cities in central China in an effort to contain this virus putting the region in virtual lockdown. Right now in China, 26 people have died from the disease, 830 others are infected, another 16 cases had been confirmed worldwide. China's government says it has set aside $140 million to help fight the outbreak.

HOWELL: Let's go now live to the Seoul airport. CNN's Paula Hancock is following the story there. and Paula what is the impact there and what precautions are being taken?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, George, that worldwide number that you just quoted has just gone up some 18 cases now have been confirmed worldwide. Two more have just been confirmed in Singapore. And earlier this Friday an extra one was confirmed here in South Korea also in Japan. So, you can see the numbers are taking up slowly but surely.

So, the fact is that there are a number of countries outside of mainland China that have been affected. Here in South Korea just last month, there was more than half a million people that have been arrived from China. So clearly that will be a similar figure. You might imagine, this month the officials tells us they are on high alert. There is extra screening for flights coming in from the affected areas. And we know that officials will be going through the gates of those individuals that they have been alluded to that have come from the affected area.

But there are other countries involved, the United States has an infected person. We know Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, there is also Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan a number of countries are taking this very seriously. We know in the U.S. that one particular individual that has been infected. There are 43 people beyond that that had been monitored at this point because they are coming in contact with the individual. We know that JFK in New York at the L.A., San Francisco international

airports, they are increasing the screening for flights for the coming from the affected areas. And the CDC in the U.S. has actually raised their travel level alert to the highest possible point saying that anyone going to travel in that particular area in China should not do so unless it is essential.

You look at the United Kingdom, there is a separate screening area and an arrival area for those coming into London Heathrow. There is extra security in Moscow, we understand some officials are actually going on to the planes that may have passengers that could be affected and taking the temperature on the plane before they even get off those airplanes.

[03:35:10]

So, they are sort of trying to limit the amount of mingling and the potential infected passengers would have with the general population. Australia as well is increasing their level of screening. So, we really are seeing this very -- being taken very seriously across the world. Even though the World Health Organization says at this point it is not a global emergency. It is an emergency for China, it is not a global and international concern.

They also admit that those who made this decision were split and that they believe it was too early to call this a global emergency, but they said that it could at some point become that. George.

HOWELL: Those are the important details around. But Paula, I'm curious to ask you as well, what is the mood there? People -- the passengers and travelers behind you, is there a great deal of concern?

HANCOCKS: Well, South Korea is a place where you don't often see people wearing masks. It is not like many other places in Asia. We did see for example back in 2015 with MERS, the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome that was something that really concerned Korea and (inaudible) three dozen patients died from that outbreak.

So you saw a lot more masks being worn. But you are seeing a majority of people wearing masks. They are taking this extremely seriously and of course because they know that they are going to be an awful lot of Chinese tourists that will be traveling to Korea. This is just one airport and this airport alone last month, there was more than half a million passengers that came here. And of course that does not even consider the other airports in the other point of entry. George.

HOWELL: facts on the story, live for us, thank you very much for the reporting. We will stay in touch.

ALLEN: And as we mentioned, 20 million people are under a travel lockdown and mainland China and it is all unfolding during China's busiest travel period.

HOWELL: That is true. CNN's Richard Quest is at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and spoke with the CEO of China's largest travel agency to find out how the outbreak is impacting travelers. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE SUN, CEO,CTRIP: People are concerned. So they are in a city of Wuhan, the government already put a closure on it. So, and then also for aviation China, we have a policy for Chinese airlines to give 100 percent refund to the customers.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN EDITOR AT LARGE: Now, is that refund only if they are ill or if they are worried and don't want to travel?

SUN: I think most of the people were still like to travel when everything comes down. So, what we do is, not right now, if our partners do not have a policy, we will cover all the costs for the customers.

QUEST: There is never a good time to have a health crisis.

SUN: Correct.

QUEST: But this is the worst time because of the Chinese new year.

SUN: Correct.

QUEST: Your business spikes at this time of the year.

SUN: Normally. That is right.

QUEST: What's happening now?

SUN: Yes. This time in a short term, it will take a hit but base on our experience from the previous SARS, after SARS (inaudible) it should be up.

QUEST: Are you saying people are not booking or they have already booked and then now cancelling? What do you say?

SUN: It is already booked and canceling.

QUEST: Really?

SUN: Because people are concerned, particularly for the people who were planning to go through the Wuhan area. That's mostly impacted.

QUEST: And also, where Wuhan is it is a very -- I mean, it's a sort of -- it's major crossing place, isn't it?

SUN: Correct.

QUEST: Shanghai, Beijing --

SUN: Correct.

QUEST: All areas are. So, it's a very central place.

SUN: Yea. It is quite central and it is a traffic hub so that is why governments take a very precautious matter to control it. QUEST: Compared to SARS, SARS came fast. We weren't really ready for

it and suddenly things seem to be out of control quite quickly. Does this seem to be more prepared?

SUN: I think so. Compared to SARS, I think Chinese government have invested tremendous amount of money in the system. So now they can show the world and health organizations about the disease, about the impacted scope.

QUEST: But so far of the 500 or 600 cases, you do not have any traveler so far?

SUN: So far, no.

QUEST: But you are monitoring it?

SUN: Yes. Exactly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: That was Richard Quest there listening in Davos, Switzerland speaking with the CEO of Ctrip travel agency.

ALLEN: Financial markets in China are closed for the lunar new year but the Shanghai composite posted its worst day in more than eight months on Thursday as the deadly coronavirus spread. CNN's Julia Chatterley spoke with the CEO of the Hong Kong stock exchange at the World Economic Forum about how the markets are reacting.

[03:40:09]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLES LI, CEO, HONG KONG STOCK EXCHANGE: I think they are reacting very quickly naturally to something that is unknown. Something like this, how fast this can go. How serious is this going to be? How broadly affecting the population is going to be?

So, while those questions are still lingering, the market is going to pass. But we have been here, right, 2003. SARS and everything else. So, hopefully this time not only will we have learned but hopefully we will do better this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: We hope so. Let us go to Sherisse Pham in Hong Kong. Sherisse, what kind of economic impact is this outbreak having?

SHERISSE PHAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is already starting to have an impact on consumer spending. You see Jane Sun and Charles Li there talking about people canceling trips and investors being a little bit rattled by this Wuhan virus and this outbreak. And we are already seeing over the day of Shanghai, Disneyland announcing that it is going to be closing its resort over the lunar new year. All seven major blockbuster films. Chinese films, the Tenth Pole (ph) franchise movie that were supposed to release over the Chinese new year, they have also been pulled from movie theaters.

People are now pretty much hunkering down. Right? As one economist put it to me, once you're scared, you are scared. You stay home, you don't go out. You don't board planes, you don't go on trains. You don't go to movie theaters, you don't go anywhere where there might be a crowd. And I think officials can do whatever they want to do. They can do their best to calm fears and to tell people that things are OK and it is OK to go out and shop and it's OK to go out and consume.

But fear is a little bit irrational, right? So we have a little bit of a precedent for this for the economy. Economists right now saying it's too early to put a number on what kind of dent this could cause to China's economy. But in 2003 with the SARS outbreak that took a couple points off of China's GDP. The businesses that were affected will be the same businesses that were affected this time around. Tourism, travel, restaurants and retail.

And the global economic hit from SARS in 2003 was some $40 billion. Everything about China's economy between 2003 and 2020 is bigger. The Chinese people spend more. China's share of the global economic pies is bigger. So, if this virus and this outbreak continues to grow and fear continues to grow among the general population, the hits of global economy could be much bigger this time around.

ALLEN: That certainly makes a lot of sense, we will wait and see. Thank you so much, Sherisse.

HOWELL: Still ahead, after years of persecution, a ruling on a landmark case has been breathing new life into Rohingya Muslims, but is it enough to stop the genocide? One advocate weighs in on this as the Newsroom continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:00]

HOWELL: This is a scene in the capital of Iraq, Baghdad there. From earlier it's been being called the million man march. Anti-U.S. rally was called by the controversial cleric (inaudible) to protest the American military presence in Iraq. (Inaudible) move comes after Iraq's parliament passed a resolution earlier this month calling for the expulsion of all foreign troops from that country. That was spark by the U.S. strike that killed the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani near the Baghdad international airport.

ALLEN: Almost three years after a military crackdown force them to flee their homes in Myanmar, Rohingya refugees have won a landmark legal victory. On Thursday, the U.S. International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar to protect the Rohingya from genocide. Our Michael Holmes has more about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is the first ruling by a world court on the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, and it was unanimous. On Thursday, the International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar to enact emergency measures to protect the Rohingya people from persecution and violence, and gave it a tight timetable to get it done.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The court considers that Myanmar must submit a report to the court on all measures taken to give effect to this order within four months.

HOLMES: The ruling is one of the first steps in a landmark case brought to the Hague by Gambia, which accuses Myanmar of genocide. The preliminary judgment is the equivalent of an injunction against Myanmar. While the courts main genocide case gets underway, that decision could still be years off. Still, Gambia's minister of justice hailed the outcome.

ABUBACCAR TAMBADOU, GAMBIAN JUSTICE MINITSER: This is a historic today, not just for international law and the international community, but especially for the Rohingya.

HOLMES: More than 740,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar after a military crackdown by the government in 2016 and 2017. Most now live in crowded refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh. Survivors accuse Myanmar's troops of murder, rape, torture, and widespread property destruction. A U.N. fact finding commission on the violence called for a genocide tribunal.

Myanmar civilian leader and former human rights activist, Aung San Suu Kyi defended the military at the Haig and asked for the case to be dropped. Suu Kyi also published an opinion piece in the financial times before the ruling, saying that war crimes may have been committed, but some Rohingya had exaggerated the abuses against them. The proceedings were closely watched back in Bangladesh, with most people encouraged by the findings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We would like to thank the international community. We hope we will be able to return home soon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The genocide is finally proved. I hope this court will further serve our people justice.

HOLMES: Justice that may only be partially fulfilled right now, as the courts full decision on the question of genocide is yet to be decided. Michael Holmes, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: To talk more about this we now have Simon Adams. Simon, the Executive Director of the Global Center For Responsibility To Protect, joining us at this hour via Skype from New York. It is good to have you with us.

SIMON ADAMS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GLOBAL CENTER FOR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT: Thank you, it is good to be here.

HOWELL: Simon, look, given this directive from the International Court of Justice, how do you see this impacting the overall situation? ADAMS: Yes, look, the decision was a historic one. This is only the

third time in history that a state has been taken to the International Court of Justice for breaching the genocide convention and of course the government of Myanmar has denied a genocide has taken place. It has done everything it can to deflect and try to ignore the crimes that have taken place, the crimes that it is responsible for. But today's order really puts a lie to all of that and exposes the crimes and says that something has to fundamentally change at Myanmar.

HOWELL: Myanmar has essentially been told to prevent acts of genocide and to stop destroying evidence. This decision final and binding but at the same time, Simon, the court does not have the power to enforce its ruling.

ADAMS: That is right, but you know does is the U.N. security council. And the way the U.N. charter is constructed is that those provisional measures are now relate to the security council. So, the security council has an enormous pressure on it now. As a moral pressure, as political pressure, and it also has a legal obligation to make sure that those provisional measures are upheld, that they are fully implemented. If they are not, it should absolutely hold Myanmar responsible.

HOWELL: This is an important punctuation and of course we will see where it goes but an important point and moment for the Rohingya at the same time, let us not forget about the Rohingya. Can you give us a sense of how the situation is for them? How are they being treated presently?

[03:50:10]

ADAMS: Yes, I mean, it is often said that the Rohingya are the most persecuted people on the face of this planet. Let's keep in mind that they have been stateless for generations. They have been stripped of every kind of civil right and legal protection that you and I would take for granted. And the genocide that took place in 2017 with mass killings, with the destruction of an entire Rohingya villages in that huge exodus which we you know, we all remember, seeing those strings of people flooding into Bangladesh and fleeing the atrocities that were taken place.

That happened in 2017, but the situation has not ended. The persecution has not ended and now we have a situation where about 1 million Rohingya (inaudible) in the biggest refugee camp in the world in the other side of the Bangladesh border. Meanwhile, those who remain inside the Rakhine state are largely confined to what really amounts to concentration camps and segregated from the rest of the population. And that is again why today's order was so important because it says this has to change.

HOWELL: And you know, just a couple months ago the world as you saw as the former democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi defended Myanmar at the ICJ, this back in December say the allegations against the army, that it acted with genocidal intent, that that was incomplete and misleading. Looking ahead at the case which again could play out many years from now, how do you see this playing out, what do you see happening here?

ADAMS: Well, first Aung San Suu Kyi, I mean, I think we have to just, you know, it has to be remarked upon that her fall from grace is absolutely remarkable. She's gone from being a Nobel Peace Prize winner to being somebody who has become a genocide denialist and then literally turning up in a courtroom to defend Myanmar's general against the charge of genocide.

I mean, she should hand back her prize and we should probably melt it down and then use the money to maybe send some support to refugees in Bangladesh. But the case will continue, this is not the final judgment, this is essentially the equivalent of emergency measures or an injunction or a restraining order that if you can relate it to a kind of a domestic context. So now the case will continue to play out, but I think the evidence is overwhelming that genocide has been perpetrated and that those who are responsible for it must now be held accountable.

HOWELL: Simon Adams, joining us via skype in New York at this hour. Simon we appreciate your time and we of course will continue to follow the story.

ADAMS: Thank you very much.

ALLEN: Britain's business minister is expected to meet Friday with the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. They are going to discuss the U.S. refusal to extradite American and Sacoolas charge in the U.K. with the dangerous driving death of a young man you just saw there, British teenager Harry Dunn. He was killed last summer when her car crashed into his motorbike. She was apparently driving on the wrong side of the road. Sacoolas left the U.K. under diplomatic immunity.

HOWELL: Still ahead here on Newsroom, after bushfires flooding and mudslides, Australia now has a creepy crawlies quandary. That story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:55:00]

HOWELL: Usually called the lucky country, Australia has not felt that way lately. Widespread bushfires flooding in mudslides had made life miserable for so many people there.

ALLEN: And now people face a threat that crawls on eight legs. Lynda Kinkade has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A triple threat, the longest bushfire season on record. Then flashfloods hail and dust storms. And now Australians are facing another threat the hot and wet conditions have created a perfect environment for some spiders to thrive. One in particular is causing major concern.

DAN RUMSEY, ZOOKEEPER, AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PARK: The Australian (inaudible) is issuing warning about funnel-web spiders. Because recent rain we have experience and now the warm days that we were having at the moment, funnel-web spiders in particular will start to move around.

KINKADE: The male funnel-web spider, one of Australia's most dangerous. It's bite fatal within 15 minutes if left untreated.

RUMSEY: We are also encouraging people to please be across the appropriate first aid and treatment with funnel-web spider bites. It is very, very easy to remember, because it is the same as our (inaudible) fang venomous snake bites here in Australia.

KINKADE: the Australian Reptile park is asking members of the public who come across funnel-web spider to try and catch them, so they can be used to create life saving the anti-venom.

RUMSEY: The funnel-web spiders are ground welling spider. They are very, very easy to catch and all you need is two items. A large plastic jar or a glass jar or a coffee jar and also something like a plastic ruler or a stainless steel spoon. You simply placed the spider inside of the jar, put the lid back on of course.

KINKADE: (Inaudible) control experts says funnel-web spiders are typically active during the summer months. But the normal spider season has been disrupted by this year's unusual weather. Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: I'm going to have nightmares. All right.

HOWELL: All right.

ALLEN: Good luck with that Australia. I'm Natalie Allen, thanks for watching.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell, I will be looking for spiders under my bed. CNN Newsroom continues with Christina MacFarlane, next. Stay with us.

ALLEN: See you around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Coronavirus lockdown more than 20 million people in China restricted from traveling outside their city.

Plus, containing the outbreak. The impact the virus is having on global travel. And making their case for the former federal prosecutor says about how Democrats are handling the impeachment of the U.S. President.

Hello and welcome live from London. I'm Christina MacFarlane. CNN Newsroom starts right now.

END