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President Trump Rowing the Opposite Way; E.U. Ban Other Countries from Entering; China Acted Aggressively After New Virus Outbreak; Russia Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Victory; Coronavirus Pandemic; Inside One OF China's Biggest Testing Centers; Anxiety In The U.K. As Restrictions Ease; U.K. Medical Professionals Warn Of Second Wave; Prime Minister Netanyahu, National Hibernation Is Ending In England; IMF Expected To Slash Growth Forecasts; Investors Sink $20 Billion Into UAE Pipeline Assets; White Lives Matter Banner Rocks Premiere League; Djokovic Test Positive For Covid-19; U.K. Police, White Lives Matter Flyover Banner Was Legal; Burnley Club, Racist Fans Behind White Lives Matter Banner; Israel's Plans For West Bank Annexation; United Nations Security Council To Discuss Israeli Annexation Plan. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 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]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: During the danger of the pandemic as the coronavirus surges in parts of the country.
Hello, and welcome to CNN Newsroom. I'm Rosemary Church.
There's a lot to cover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- dying out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Twenty-five states trending in the wrong direction over the past week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We essentially are chasing after a forest fire.
TRUMP: If it did slow down, frankly, I think we are way ahead of ourselves. We've done too good a job.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It was a comment that he made in jest.
TRUMP: I don't kid. Let me just tell you.
ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: We've all done the best that we can do to tackle this virus. And the reality is it brought this nation to its knees.
TRUMP: Coronavirus, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kung fu.
TRUMP: Kung flu. Yes. Kung flu.
(CROWD CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: As thousands die, Donald Trump packs people into a political rally, he disagrees with the facts, with the experts, and with testing on the virus. It's all very different when the pandemic began.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Let me show you where they end up, it's almost like getting in rides at an amusement park. They're getting them lined there, if you will. I'll show you follow me over here. This is where the actual testing is done. It takes about 30 seconds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Right here on CNN, we take you inside a mass testing center in China. That as the world's best tennis player test positive, but as you can see, he wasn't exactly social distancing.
And we are just hours away from U.N. Security Council discussing possible Israeli moves to annex occupied territory. We take you live to Jerusalem.
Good to have you with us.
Well, it is a tale of two realities. On the one hand the reality of more than 121,000 people dead from the coronavirus here in the United States. And those numbers keep rising every single day, and then this.
U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona Tuesday. His second mass gathering in the last few days. No masks for the rally goers, no mask for the president either, and he even repeated the racist remark he made last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's got all different names. Wuhan. Now Wuhan was catching on. Coronavirus, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kung flu.
TRUMP: Kung flu, yes. Kung flu.
(CROWD CHEERING)
TRUMP: Kung flu. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: It's not the first time Mr. Trump has flouted these COVID-19 guidelines from his own task force.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAUCI: Plan a, don't go into crowd. Plan b, if you do, make sure you wear a mask.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: But, as the cases keep going up and despite attempts by his allies to characterize his remarks last weekend on slowing down testing as a joke, the president is defending his comments yet again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you just kidding or do you have a plan to slow down testing?
TRUMP: I don't kid. If we test, we are going to have more cases. By having more cases, it sounds bad. Here's what I say, testing is a double-edged sword.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: But that's not what his medical experts say about testing. In fact, they say if the coronavirus fire isn't put out now it's going to get much, much worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAUCI: To my knowledge, none of us have ever been told to slow down on testing. That just is a fact. In fact, we will be doing more testing so it's the opposite, we're going to be doing more testing, not less.
REDFIELD: We're continuing to try to enhance testing. It's critical underpinning of our response.
BRETT GIROIR, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: My purpose in leading is to increase the number of testing.
FAUCI: The first thing that we would need to do, is to try as best as possible to get the complete outbreak under control, so that everything is at such a low level that when all cases come up, you can contain them as opposed to mitigating. We are essentially chasing after a forest fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And yet, just days ago, the president seemed to suggest that fire was nearly extinguished.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If you look, the numbers are very miniscule compared to what it was. It's dying out.
CHURCH: Well, meantime, U.S. travelers may be barred from European Union countries when the block eases restrictions in July. The E.U. sources revealing the possible ban are familiar with the criteria, but have not seen a list of countries.
[03:05:04]
Going by the data, it's not hard to see why the E.U. would consider this move. This chart compares the E.U and U.S. since the pandemic began. The U.S. never had its first wave under control and is now backsliding toward 30,000 new cases a day.
And CNN is covering the story from both sides of the Atlantic. Cyril Vanier is in Paris with more on the E.U.'s calculations, and Kylie Atwood is in Washington, D.C. with U.S. reactions. So first, to Kylie.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: The E.U. is considering recommending that member states close their borders, keep out American visitors when they start opening their borders to international travel from other countries.
Now this is something I'm told the E.U. is looking at actively right now, and they are looking at the prevalence of coronavirus, how it has actively spreading in certain countries. Now obviously, the U.S. is a worldwide epicenter for the virus right now. Seeing the rate, the new cases increase just recently.
And so that is something that the E.U. is considering here. Now what could happen is that the U.S. would then be put into a bucket with other countries that had not gotten a control on the virus. Places like Russia, places like Brazil. While other international travels from other countries are allowed into the E.U.
Now, this is not a final decision yet. I'm told that we should expect a final decision from the E.U. on this early next week, ahead of their July 1st deadline. And we have not yet heard any response from the White House, from the Trump administration, or from the State Department as the E.U. is considering keeping out American visitors.
Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department.
CHURCH: Well, the E.U. still has many questions to answer about its travel ban. For one, how can it be enforced when individual member countries decide if and when to reopen their own borders?
Let's go to CNN Cyril Vanier who joins us now live from Paris. Good to see you, Cyril. So how will this work exactly, and how will member countries enforce this?
CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, good to talk to you. The European Union hasn't yet fully and formally addressed those
questions because the decision to ban U.S. travelers from entering the E.U. hasn't been made and hasn't been announced. This is still being considered at the highest level of European institutions.
As for how it would be enforced, really that's not the difficult part here. The E.U. is a collection of sovereign countries. They are allowed to accept, or refuse anybody who would want to enter borders. So, this is something that could be done at individual airports, for instance, the U.S. traveler entering Charles de Gaulle Airport here in Paris could be barred from entering.
It has happened since the beginning of the pandemic, not the U.S. nationals, but there have been cases where this has happened. And also, it is a fact that most travelers don't attend once the news is out there, that they're not allowed to enter the country. Very few travelers actually attempt to enter that country.
Now there have been some Americans who have come to France since the beginning of the pandemic, but it has been usually for what was termed essential travel. And there have been very few and far between, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes. And of course, if this does go ahead, how much concern is there that President Trump would retaliate in some way?
VANIER: Well, I'll tell you, I think European leaders are just past that point now. You know, Donald Trump, first of all, imposed a similar measure on European travelers back in March. And at that time European leaders have been blindsided, they had no idea, and they were reported to be angry about it.
But I think the world, both Europe and the U.S., is in a different space right now. There have been tens of thousands of deaths on both side of the Atlantic since then.
I want you to listen to what Emmanuel Macron said to the French when he addressed the nation some 10 days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): Starting July 1st, we will be able to travel to countries outside Europe where the epidemic is under control.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: This to show you, Rosemary, that from the moment European leaders and in this case, the French president started considering reopening European borders to the rest of the world, they always knew it wasn't going to be to all the countries.
That the criteria here being a health criteria, they only want travel between Europe and parts of the world where the epidemic is under control. And, Rosemary, I don't think the epidemic is under control in the U.S. with a number of cases surging there in many states by any objective metric.
CHURCH: All right. We'll watch to see what happens. Cyril Vanier joining us live from Paris, many thanks.
[03:10:02]
All right. Let's head back to the United States. And President Trump has returned to Washington after these students for Trump rally in Arizona. It was another evening of Mr. Trump defending his crowd size, or lack thereof, at his previous rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Touting his high ratings on Fox News, criticizing media coverage in the lead up to the Tulsa event that according to him, kept people away. And of course, reopening the country during the coronavirus outbreak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They are trying to do their best to keep the country shut down and closed because they love those numbers not to be good, but there's not a lot they are going to be able to do about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: But reopening the country safely during the pandemic has been important, and here's why. Take a look at this graphic. Cases in Arizona where the rally was being held, are spiking. There were more than 3,500 new cases on Tuesday, the numbers set a new record high for both new daily cases, and deaths since mid-March.
CNN's Ryan Nobles takes a look at how the city of Phoenix is handling the situation.
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The city a Phoenix chose not to enforce an ordinance recently passed by the city council, and the mayor requiring anyone inside of any like this, and within six feet or someone else, to be wearing a mask. This, despite the fact President Trump spoke to an audience of 3,000 people in side this packed mega church.
In fact, at this event there were few, if any, precautions put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Temperatures were not checked as people were coming in, as we mentioned, hardly any masks were worn, and there was little to no social distancing.
And the president talking about the reopening of the economy, saying it was necessary, and it was a step that needed to be taken. He also, once again, use that racist term to describe coronavirus, calling it the kung flu, which was this audience enthusiastically supported when the president made that comment yet again.
Ryan Nobles, CNN, Phoenix, Arizona.
CHURCH: Well, the head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the coronavirus has brought the nation to its knees. As we mentioned, just a few minutes ago, there are now more than
121,000 deaths from the virus in the United States with half the country reporting a growing number of cases.
CNN's Erica Hill reports on the alarming trend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: As more Americans leave strict shutdown measures behind, a stark warning that this freedom may be short-lived.
FAUCI: The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surgings that we are seeing in Florida, in Texas, in Arizona, and in other states.
HILL: A new daily hike in Texas, cases topping 5,000 for the first time.
GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): Because the spread is so rampant right now, there is never a reason for you to have to leave your home.
HILL: Hospitalizations also spiking, up 177 percent in the last three weeks in Harris County. More than a third of all cases in California have come in just the past two weeks.
Arizona announcing another daily high, nearly 3,600 new cases added on Tuesday. Florida not far behind.
ROCHELLE WALENSKY, INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN, MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL: We're really in a worst place now than we were before.
HILL: Twenty-five states trending in the wrong direction over the past week, nearly the entire western half of the country.
REDFIELD: We've all done the best that we can do to tackle this virus. And the reality is it brought this nation to its knees.
HILL: More cities now mandating face coverings, but enforcing those rules and keeping people apart is proving difficult in some areas especially among young people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't be the knucklehead that ruins it for everyone else.
HILL: Twenty-two percent of the cases in New Jersey are in 18 to 29- year-olds, that's up 10 percent since April.
MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICIES: The testing is increasing but the percentage of those people who are positive is actually going much higher. So, it clearly is being transmitted at a high-level in a number of places.
HILL: The University of Michigan scrapping plans to host a presidential debate this fall. Middlebury College will require students to quarantine at home for two weeks before arriving on campus. And the E.U. is considering a possible ban on travelers from the U.S. because we don't have the virus under control.
ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: If they are trying to prevent the infections coming into their countries America is going to be one of the top places that other countries are going to look to block in order to keep themselves safe.
HILL: Erica Hill, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: So, let's bring in world renowned medical expert, Dr. Larry Brilliant. A CNN medical analyst with decades of experience in the public sector, fighting viruses including with the WHO, and also working in the private sector with Google. It is a pleasure to have you with us.
[03:15:04]
LARRY BRILLIANT, CNN MEDICAL ANALSYT: Thank you for having me, Rosemary.
CHURCH: So, let's start by looking at the numbers, and the United States only represents 4 percent of the world's population, but makes up 25 percent of the world's COVID deaths, and 25 percent of its cases.
And as a result of this, the European Union is now considering blocking U.S. visitors from entering Europe for fear of spreading the virus when they eventually reopen. It is damning. How is it that the superpower can't figure this out, but Germany, Greece, New Zealand, and other countries can?
BRILLIANT: I think it is damning, and it's shameful. I think it's even a bit worse than that, when you think that South Korea and the United States most got the first case on the same day, and the deaths in South Korea are in the hundreds, and in United States we've just past 120,000 deaths.
It's shameful, and if the European Union is thinking of closing the borders of that continent to American travelers, that would be doubly shameful. But it would be, indeed, not without precedent.
CHURCH: Right. And it certainly puts the United States on the same list as Brazil and Russia, which clearly won't make President Trump very happy. But also, in his sworn testimony before Congress Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, another medical expert has contradicted President Trump and said the president had never ordered them to slow down testing.
And Dr. Fauci said they actually need more testing, not less, but the current system of testing is failing in this country. What does the U.S. need to do to turn this around?
BRILLIANT: You know, and of course I agree with Dr. Fauci that we need more testing. But it isn't the quantity of the testing. It's the placement of the testing. We need to test people who come into the hospital, we need to test places that are clusters that could explode like nursing homes, and we need to find every case of COVID in the United States or in the world that took harbors viruses that can infect other people.
We need to test them and then contact trace backwards to find out where they've got that disease, and forge to find out who might have had contact with them. All those people need to be tested, and then some need to be treated, others need to be isolated.
This is the secret sauce of epidemiology. This is the ingredient that made it possible for Germany, and South Korea, and Singapore, to defeat the disease for a while anyway. And we need to do that, that's the most important thing for us to do, and it's the -- it's epidemiology 101, as we say in college.
CHURCH: As we get closer to the flu season, we are going to have an even bigger problem because only 45 percent of American adults actually get the flu shot. What needs to be done to ensure everyone gets that vaccination so we can at least reduce the problem of flu infections when that second wave of coronavirus comes in the fall and winter?
BRILLIANT: I wonder if it will be a second wave or just continuation of this wave.
CHURCH: Yes.
BRILLIANT: But either way, it will run smackdown into flu season. And when we test then, we'll have to have a different kind of test, one that can tell you if you have COVID or not. But also, if your symptoms are that of the flu or not.
And this is the big challenge, the fear, the concern of epidemiologists that if we don't have control of the epidemic by the time of flu season begins in October, November, December, we're going to run into people coming into emergency rooms who have fever back, maybe they have a cough, they have the symptoms of flu, but the same symptoms early on as COVID, and it's going to get very difficult for our hospital system, our emergency rooms to handle, it could be a flood of confusing cases.
CHURCH: Yes. It is a terrifying thought. And just finally, we see anti-vaxxers pushing back on getting the flu shot, and a recent CNN poll found that one-third of Americans now say they won't even take the COVID-19 vaccination even if it's available, and free in the new year. What would be the consequences of a third of the population refusing to get vaccinated for the coronavirus?
BRILLIANT: Well, it would be terrible. We need to achieve an immunization rate that's close to 70 or 80 percent to achieve herd immunity. Herd immunity used to only refer really to the number or percentage of people that were vaccinated. If we cheat a little bit and we say it includes the number of people who got natural immunity from the disease, still a third of Americans not getting the vaccine wouldn't achieve it.
[03:20:07]
I don't know that they will feel that way, when there is a vaccine, and at the rate that COVID is growing, I have a feeling that opinions might change between now and then. I hope so.
CHURCH: I think you might be right. Dr. Larry Brilliant, it is an honor to chat with you. Thank you so much.
BRILLIANT: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: And Brazil is reporting a staggering jump in new cases. Nearly 40,000 in 24 hours. And now its president known as the Trump of the tropics who is repeatedly flouted safety measures is getting an earful from a judge.
Shasta Darlington has more now from Sao Paulo.
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A Brazilian judge has ordered President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a mask in public after the coronavirus skeptic appeared at many rallies without one. The judge said Bolsonaro would face a fine of up to $380 a day if he refused to use one while in public in the country's capital, Brasilia.
Bolsonaro has repeatedly downplayed the virus, insisting the economic fallout from social isolation measures would be worse than COVID-19. His supporters have staged multiple rallies calling for an end to quarantine, and he has frequently joined them, without a mask, shaking hands and embracing the crowds.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise. Brazil reported nearly 40,000 new infections on Tuesday, and more than 1,300 additional deaths.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo.
Well, Russia is celebrating a national holiday with a military parade despite the coronavirus threat. We will have details ahead.
Plus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CULVER: This is where the actual testing is done. It takes about 30 seconds. It got about 100 staff members that work on two-hour shifts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: We take you inside one of China's biggest coronavirus testing sites as the government grapples with a new cluster outbreak.
Back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.
Well, Russia is in the middle of a military parade for the country's 75th victory day commemorating the surrender of Nazi, Germany, in 1945. President Vladimir Putin is currently speaking to the crowds in Moscow, just a week before the nation votes on whether to amend its Constitution, allowing Mr. Putin to possibly extend his presidency to 2036.
And CNN's Matthew chance is following developments from London. He joins us now live. Good to see you, Matthew. So, talk to us about how the pandemic has impacted the staging of this parade, and of course, it's significance.
[03:25:04]
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's impacted it quite a lot in the sense that the parade is normally held and was scheduled to be held on May the 9th. And so, it's been delayed, you know, from that date. Because the number of the soldiers, in fact, 400 of the soldiers that were taking part in the practice for the parade back on May the 9th became infected with coronavirus, and it really underlined how serious the pandemic was in Russia.
Remember, it's the country with the third highest number of infections in the world after Brazil and the United States. And so, they delayed until now.
But of course, the pandemic is still very much underway despite the fact that the restrictions have been lifted in some cities like Moscow. The pandemic numbers, the number of new infections has remained stubbornly high. Still more than 1,000 every day. For instance, new infections recorded in the Russian capital alone and many more across the rest of the country.
But I think it's the political context that we have to look at this parade in. And that is, that in a week from now, there's an important national vote being held in Russia that could see Vladimir Putin have another two terms as Russian president and take his power ability to rule up until 2036. He's already been in power since -- since 2000.
And it's important for the Kremlin to lift the public mood. That's perhaps why they've been lifting the restrictions on the coronavirus pandemic, and to lift the sense of patriotism with the staging of this parade, so they can get a bigger turnout, and perhaps a bigger sense of support for Vladimir Putin, whose popular ratings have been at an all-time lows in the past couple of months.
And so, there's a political context to this. As you say, the health context is pretty poor, and it's a very concerning development that this parade with thousands of troops, marching past thousands of onlookers is being held at a time when the coronavirus is still raging throughout Russia. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yes. And still on the health aspect. What measures have been put in place to ensure that those participating in the parade are protected from infection. CHANCE: Well, some measures, quite a lot of them, actually. We're
told that all the people who have been invited have been tested before they go into Red Square, in the center of Moscow, so the test have been had. Soldiers have been held in quarantine for two weeks before the parade has taken place to make absolutely sure that none of them have -- have the virus. And so authorities are doing what they can in that regard.
Interestingly, the veterans as well, some of whom are in their 90s who fought in the Second World War, in the red army, and this is what this commemoration is all about, remember. Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of that conflict.
They've been in quarantine as well at a health resort outside of Moscow. The Kremlin says that they're all being socially distance as well inside Red Square to prevent anyone passing on infection to what are the most vulnerable section of Russian society, if any society have been of course in Russia in this context.
But I'm looking at these pictures now as we see them live coming from the center of Moscow. The social distancing doesn't look -- doesn't look that intense, does it? I mean, there's some -- there's some spacing out, but the soldiers, for instance, aren't wearing masks, nor are many people in the crowd either.
There's also the issue of the people that traditionally turn out in the streets outside, normal Muscovites to watch this parade as it marches past Red Square. They've been told by the Moscow men not to do that this year, but instead to watch this event on their televisions. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. Matthew Chance, joining us live from London. As we watch those pictures coming out of Russia. I appreciate that.
We go to the birthplace of the pandemic, now and China is dealing with its own surge in cases after a cluster outbreak. And the government there is ramping up testing to contain the spread.
CNN's David Culver goes inside one of the mass testing sites in Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CULVER: Here in China, you're looking at one of many mass testing sites that have been set up, particularly within Beijing. This is following the wholesale food cluster outbreak that happened more than a week ago.
They say it's now under control, but they are continuing testing in massive numbers.
And you've got here, 19 rows set up. This is for 19 different communities that fit into this one mass testing site. Once people have registered, they're taken across this little way here into these lines. And let me show you where they end up. It's almost like getting in rides at an amusement park. Getting them line there, if you will. I'll show you. Follow me over here. And this is where the actual
testing is done. It takes about 30 seconds. It got about 100 staff members that work on two-hour shifts. And there they do the throat swab. They then take that sample and they'll put it back in the refrigerator, and then move on to the next person.
Usually it takes just a few days' time to get the results back and most people are only notified if they have a positive result.
[03:30:00]
We can see over here, this is where the staff will take off all of their PPE, all of their protective equipment, and they'll throw it away. It's kept in a safe and separate area. And the other stuff that are ready to come on shift, they get changed, suited up, and go through a sanitation procedure in a separate facility.
To then keep this going really from 9:00 in the morning until 10 o'clock at night. In three days' time that this has been operating, they've done about 20,000 tests. This was built overnight. So, they pop up relatively quickly. They will keep it going for as long as they need to hear within Beijing, and they say as of now, they feel like they're on a good path, and keeping this most recent cluster outbreak under control. But they are saying complacency is what they are trying to avoid with all of this. David Culver, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And still to come --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I wouldn't want to sit next to people I'm not just sure about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Reopening anxiety will England return to (inaudible) stay way for fear of another round of the coronavirus? CNN takes you to the streets of London to find out. Back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: In the United Kingdom, top medical professionals are publicly urging the government to get ready for round two of the coronavirus fight. Just as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a further easing of restrictions, leaders in medicine, nursing and public health have signed an open letter, warning of a second wave. They want an urgent review of how ready the U.K. is to handle it.
So, when pubs, restaurants, and cinemas are allowed to open in England, there's no guarantee customers will be confident enough to visit. Anna Stewart gauges the mood in London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANNA STEWART, CNN PRODUCER: The national hibernation is coming to an
end. That was the announcement from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson as he laid out his plan for the next stage of lifting lockdown. Businesses in England, including pubs, hotels, hair salons and cinemas will be able to reopen on July 4th. The first time in over three months.
The social distancing rule has been relax from two meters to one. Businesses will have to implement new measures to keep their customers and staff safe according to new government guidelines. This pub has been open for the last few weeks, take away pints only. And as you could see with a very socially distance que, speaking to people here though, they may be happy to have a pint outside in the sunshine, will they feel happy going inside a pub or a restaurant? Will they want to go to the cinema? Will they feel safe?
[03:35:10]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being young, I don't feel like as much of a risk. And my company are actually making us go back to the office from next week. So, if I can go back to work, I feel like I could do other things that will be more fun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to sit next to people, I'm just not sure about. And I really miss the cinema. I really miss that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I'd be happy to go. Probably not the cinema but certainly to the pub and where we live, there's a pub nearby.
STEWART: And that is the big concern for the sector. Businesses may be able to reopen. Will they have enough customers? Over 9 million people salaries are now being supported by the U.K. government furlough scheme, as that tapers, there is a risk that some of those businesses will simply have to cut jobs. Further depressing consumer spending and prolonging the U.K.'s deepest ever economic slump on record. Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, in the coming hours, the International Monetary Fund will take the wraps off a report. The world has been waiting to see. The IMF will unveil its global economic outlook, illustrating just how much damage the coronavirus pandemic has done to the economy, and it won't be pretty. The IMF is expected to slash its growth forecast. So, let's bring in CNN John Defterios, he joins us live from Abu Dhabi. Always good to see you, John.
So much anticipation surrounds this updated outlook from the IMF, and of course it's not a simple forecast with covid-19 cases still surging in parts of the world. So, how big a challenge would this be to gauge the timing of a recovery?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Yes. It is the key question. It's very difficult to -- almost impossible to gauge the impact of covid-19 and the snap back on consumer behavior, which is the most important on how that influences companies around the world who have had already had severe layoffs. When dis they rehire depending on consumer spending, of course?
What we know is going to be lower. What suite up for me, Rosemary, in this time around is the guidance we are getting from the International Monetary Fund ahead of the report? The managing director, Christalina Georgieva and also the chief economist (Inaudible) were both say that we should expect the shock. Their benchmark at this stage is a negative 3 percent. That was a report in April and what they called the great lockdown.
But this is the first time since the great recession in the 1930s where we have the developed world and the emerging market economies collapsing at the same time, and that is the challenge. And those who are slow responders, if you will, to the pandemic, and I would put the U.S., the U.K., from the developed world and then you say India and Brazil in the emerging markets. They are going to have a very special focus because they are suffering the most here, and the health care spending had to go up to responds to that challenge here. And it will be the last to recover very likely.
And then you have economies like China and Germany who responded very quickly to that challenge, Germany is still expected to contract 6 percent this year. It's interesting to see the guidance, can they mend faster? China is hoping to grow at least 1 percent, but their expectations are going to put the medal down, the throttle down and see if they can get up to 3 percent by the end of 2020. That would be a heck of a recovery, although half of its normal growth rates of around 6 percent.
CHURCH: Yes. We'll see if that happens. And John, we saw oil prices collapse in April with a recovery to $40 a barrel. Is their interest in investing again there in the Middle East?
DEFTERIOS: Yes. As you suggest, and the roof just came down on the oil market in April. We have a chart here that kind of show the international benchmark in April, below $20 a barrel. And you recall, Rosemary, because we were talking about back then. That the U.S. prices went negative for a period of 24 hours, and were hovering around zero which was just extraordinary. It's the 7th oil shocks since the 1960s, and it was a doozy.
So, it's surprising, and the reason this deal stands out is with the Abu Dhabi national oil company and a concierge of international investors from Europe to Asia, better than $20 billion for a gas pipeline network which will take a stake of 49 percent in. Here's the CEO of the Abu Dhabi national oil company and why they're willing to invest at these state of the recovery.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULTAN AL JABER, GROUP CEO, ADNOC: As you know, when deliver, all 13 U.S. Dollars of FBI, so I have note and if it wasn't for the differentiated value composition, provide a divide to UEA by Ebola breach, and by Adoc to such strategic and important investors, they would not have taken much a bold position to move ahead, and to proceed with this very important transaction. And our view that is a big achievement given of course the current economic climate --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:40:05]
DEFTERIOS: You know, many of the IOC are cutting 15 to 25 percent of their workforce. It's the opposite with that right now. You're not retrenching, you are actually building by going to into oil, new facilities, and gas facilities at the same time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL JABER: We are very much focused on what we can control, and that is our cost. And regardless of the situation, this focus on cost would not change, regardless of the circumstance, or the environment. And our strategic aim is to always be one of the lowest cost with users in the world. And that hasn't, in any way, impacted our business plans as far as our strategic projects are concerned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: Not sure there's a lot of focus on Saudi Arabia as the number one producer in the region, but this is a major player here in Abu Dhabi with capacity of 4 million barrels a day, going to 5 million by 2030, and a the third largest producers and OPEC and able to pull in that investment that I was talking about, Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right. John Defterios, many thanks as always, joining us live from Abu Dhabi. I appreciate it.
White lives matter sign in the U.K. is drawing condemnation. Just ahead, how the police are handling this controversial flyover, rocking the English Premier League. And after organizing an event filled with hugging, dancing, and minimal social distancing, the world's top ranked tennis player tested positive for coronavirus. How the sports world is reacting. That's next.
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CHURCH: Well, the top ranked male tennis player in the world Novak Djokovic has tested positive for coronavirus along with his wife. This after he organized and played in the series of tennis matches where social distancing guidelines were pretty much ignored. He has also opposed taking a potential vaccine. Christina MacFarlane has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When you are the world tennis champion, you don't want to be in the news for limbo dancing in a crowded nightclub during a pandemic. That's when Novak Djokovic finds himself today, testing positive for coronavirus after organizing a tournament that was meant to ease tennis out of lockdown.
He said, profits were supposed to be for people in need, instead it has led to Djokovic, his wife and three other players testing positive for covid-19. In a statement, Djokovic said he organized the tournament because he thought he had met all health guidelines, and the virus was weakening. He said I can't express enough how sorry I am for this and every case of infection.
Everything the organizer have (inaudible) in the past month we did with a pure heart and sincere intentions. We were wrong and it was too soon. Around the tournament, the players high five and hugged, played basketball and football away from the court, and then the nightclub visit.
Thousands of fans packed the event to see live tennis, with limited social distancing in place. But this isn't the first time tennis as men's number one has faced criticism for his views on the virus.
[03:45:11]
In April, he said he was against the idea of being made to take a vaccine for covid-19 in order to travel and compete in the future. He said in a statement. I'm no expert, but I do want to have an opinion to choose what's best for my body. I'm keeping an open mind.
Now, a scandal that started in the (inaudible) could hugely impact plans for this year's U.S. Open which only announced it was going ahead last week. Players are already weighing up competing in New York under new limits of where they can stay and who they can see. Now, Djokovic is in self isolation for 14 days. Not the roaring return for tennis that he once sought. Christina MacFarlane, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And to give us reaction from the sporting world, and more, let's bring in CNN's world sport Alex Thomas. Good to see you. And Alex, reaction was swift. What are people saying about this?
ALEX THOMAS, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Well, Rosemary, I think it's mainly a collective face palm isn't it that Novak Djokovic could think he could flout so many rules in his exhibition tournaments. But when we've all been listening to the science and the medical expert opinions for months about how to deal with the coronavirus, and thinking he can get away with it. Clearly, he didn't.
Very upsetting to know that he and his wife Elena, both got the coronavirus. Now, thank goodness their kids don't have it as well. (Inaudible) the top player who was due to play in the final and got originally was the first to show that you can't get away with cutting down that social distancing, and hope to get away with not getting the coronavirus.
The sort of controversial Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios also gets criticized himself, calling boneheaded, while also having he hopes it will gets better soon. Andy Murray another legendary player on the comeback trail after hip surgery was slightly more diplomatic. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANDY MURRAY, THREE TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: I've seen some people
have said that, you know, maybe this will affect the U.S. Open, which it may well do, but the measures and the protocols they have in place so far in U.S. tennis is completely different than what is going on in Serbia, and Croatia. And obviously, it will be no fans for a start, and you know, I think all of the players now will be extremely aware that we can all be affected by this, and you know, coronavirus doesn't care who we are, or what we do. And we need to respect, we need to respect and respect the rules.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS: And the U.S. Tennis association that runs the U.S. Open, one of two grand slam tournaments, some of those four big tournaments that dominates the season, Rosemary. The U.S. Open and the French Open, both having to get underway again later this year, having been postponed from their normal slots.
The U.S. tennis association trying to say that if they did hold the tournament, the players would be in a protective bubble. You know, they control everything from the food they have, where they stay, and which hotels, how to get transported to the venues, the way that things like the PGA tour golf are trying to do, and the different football leagues here in Europe have tried to do.
You know, clearly we know both of those sports, you are getting positive tests, but the focus has been on Djokovic because he holds such power in the sport. He's the president of the player's council. He was instrumental in getting popular ATP tour chairman Chris Cuomo (ph) fired from his job last year. And as Christina mentioned in her report with those anti-vaccine views, many people are now questioning whether Djokovic is the man to be in such a position of authority. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Indeed. Alex Thomas, bringing us the very latest reaction on that from London. Many thanks.
Well, British authorities are weighing in on a racist incident rocking the English Premier League. Lancaster police say this white lives matter sign that flew over Etihad stadium ahead of a football match on Monday did not cause a criminal offense, despite the outrage it cause.
The Burnley club and others publicly condemned the stand. CNN's Phil Black joins me now, live from Burnley in England with more reaction. Good to see you, Phil. So, it wasn't a criminal offense, but it certainly was offensive. Who was behind this stunt, and what are the likely consequence of this?
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, police say they were going to investigate this because they thought the banner and its message could be considered widely offensive. They are on reflection and investigation. They have decided that no criminal charges are appropriate.
When you talk to people here in Burnley, they don't talk about offense so much, but they do talked about disappointment, frustration, genuine anger and what they see is a deliberate effort to undermine the anti- racism efforts in this town. An effort to deliberately mischaracterized black lives matter as anti-white.
[03:50:05]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLACK: It was a powerful moment of reflection, and protest. All the players from two English Premier League clubs kneeled against racism, demanding a wider understanding that black lives matter. Moments later, in the sky above, a deliberate well planned effort to belittle that cause. A small plane trailing the words, white lives matter, Burnley!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is offensive about white lives matter?
BLACK: In Burnley, the next day, outside the stadium, we found at least one other person proudly supporting that message. Whatever it means.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I write the message.
BLACK: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm just amazed that you need to ask that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was disgusted, and ashamed.
BLACK: Burnley CEO says he knows the true intent behind the words as they were dragged through the sky.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Insights racial hatred, full stop. And that's unacceptable.
BLACK: And he knows who is responsible for organizing it. Fans, he says, who are linked to a far-right group.
Have they caused trouble for you before?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These individuals are known to the club.
BLACK: Burnley's mayor knows this town has history merit with the far right. He's been fighting those groups throughout his career.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The people that did the banner, they had their way of thinking, but that way of thinking is being defeated, consistently, and persistently through people out there making a positive contribution.
BLACK: The people behind the banner don't speak for anyone in this park. The players in this passionate family football match are all refugees who escaped the Syrian war, and are now proud members of Burnley football club. There's a pretty consistent few here on those behind the banner. They're missing the point.
When people say what lives matter, does that offend you? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be honest with you, it doesn't offend me, no.
It disappoints me. And the reason for that is because I know how powerful the black lives matter movement is, and I know what they're trying to do. All they're trying to do is educate people.
BLACK: In Burnley, as around the world, people who believe in overcoming centuries of inequality, are not seeking to devalue white lives, the just hope for a future where racial identity really doesn't matter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLACK: So, now criminal charges, the Burnley football club says it's determined to act. And says, that anyone suspected being involved in this stunt will be banned by the club for life. They hope that in a community where the football club is a huge part of the social fabric, that will be enough to deter anyone from trying anything like this again. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. Many thanks to you, Phil Black, joining us there from Burnley in England. I appreciate it.
Well, you are watching CNN Newsroom. Still to come, Israel prepares to move ahead with plans to annex parts of the west bank. A move some say could have devastating consequences. We are live in Jerusalem.
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CHURCH: The United Nations security council is set to meet in the coming hours to discuss the ramifications of possible Israeli annexation of parts of the west bank. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he plans to introduce Israeli sovereignty over parts of the occupied territory. At some point, at the beginning of July.
[03:55:10]
And this week, U.S. officials will discuss whether to give Israel the green light for annexation moves, which are seen by Palestinians and many other countries as illegal. Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem with the latest. He joins us now live. Good to see you, Oren. So, what is the background to this, and of course, the likely outcome?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORESPONDENT: Well, the background to this is the Trump administration's plan for Middle East peace which under the plan allowed Israel to annex some 30 percent of the west bank, including the settlements in the Jordan valley. It is that plan that Israel wants to act on, with the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it an historic opportunity, as well as Israel's defense minister and Israel's Foreign Minister.
That plan is opposed by virtually the rest of the world and that's what we are seeing at the U.N. Security Council. A way to try to attempt Israel, or try to stop Israel from moving forward with unilateral annexation. But of the two meetings of the U.N. Security Council resolution or meeting rather and of the meeting in Washington, it's the meeting Washington that is more important to Israel.
Israel feels that as long as it has the backing of the U.S., as long as it gets a green light from annexation from the Trump administration, that's all the cover it needs. Knowing that any attempt to criticize Israel, the U.S., or unilateral annexation, and the Trump plan at the Security Council will be vetoed by the U.S.
So, it's Israel that's looking to move forward if and when it gets a green light from the Trump administration. What will be the reaction from the rest of the world, well, Palestinian officials have already were warned that unilateral annexation could force the Palestinian authority to dissolve, giving Israel security control of the entire west bank, including the Palestinian cities where it doesn't have that level of civil and security control right now. Basically, it hands over or the Palestinian authority has threaten to handover the keys to Israel.
Meanwhile, Jordan has more than it will take some sort of steps, as far as it could go on suspending the peace treaty, or perhaps withdrawing the ambassador from Israel. Egypt might then come under pressure to take some sort of steps. And we've also seen the United Arab Emirates, obviously a close ally of Washington, come out against unilateral annexation, as well as the European Union.
So, it could be that such annexation undermines the bedrock of stability and security we've seen in the region, especially at such a critical moment right now. Rosemary?
CHURCH: And Oren, what more are you learning about the fatal shooting of a Palestinian man at a west point -- west bank checkpoint?
LIEBERMANN: So, this of course, comes at an incredibly sensitive time, but what happened according to the Israelis is that the Palestinian man attempted to carry out a ramming attack at a West Bank checkpoint not all that far from Jerusalem. They say a female soldier was slightly injured.
But Palestinian officials and relatives of that men are disputing that account, saying he was speeding because he was on the way to his sister's wedding which was that day, and he was running errands for her in advance of the wedding. In fact, PLO secretary (inaudible) say he is a relative of 28-year-old (inaudible), says it was quote an execution in cold blood.
CHURCH: All right. Oren Liebermann, many thanks to you, bringing us up today on both those situations. I appreciate it. And thanks for joining, us. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back in a moment with more news.
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