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Two New Lockdowns Ordered for Parts of Northern Spain; California Sets Record with More Than 11,700 New Cases; Cuba Sending Medical Teams Abroad to Help Fight COVID-19; Supreme Court Could Force Release of Trump's Financial Records; Weekend Shooting Kill Several People in Atlanta; Oscar-Winning Composer Ennio Morricone Dead at 91; Epstein's Alleged Accomplice Pictured on British Throne. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 06, 2020 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Amid a new COVID-19 outbreak, lockdowns have been ordered for some 270,000 people in northern Spain. The two new lockdowns affect parts of Galicia and Catalonia. The Spain's first confinement measures since the state of emergency was lifted back in June. So let's get the details now from Al Goodman who joins us live from Madrid. So, Al, what caused these new lockdowns? And what's the government doing about it?

AL GOODMAN JOURNALIST: Hi, Rosemary. The largest of these two is in the northeastern region of Catalonia in a province called Lerida. That's about a two-hour drive from Barcelona. It's centered around seasonal farm workers who live in close quarters. Many of them are African migrants. Close quarters for working and living. And they are picking peaches and pears and other fruit at this time of the year.

And the authorities in Catalonia, not the national government but the Catalan regional authorities have ordered this confinement for 200,000 people. The police putting checkpoints around this entire County to restrict movement in and out. Saying people need to basically stay home unless they have to go to work. They're trying -- they're rolling things back if you will.

Then clear across the country on northwest side along Galicia's Atlantic coast, a series of small villages, authorities there, the Galician, the Galego regional government saying that it was in bars where the outbreak happened. And so that's affecting about 70,000 people. That coming as well. The authorities are concerned here in the different regions about these outbreaks because Spain has lost more than 28,000 people, had more than 250,000 cases. One of the hardest hit countries in Europe had a three-month national confinement that was just lifted, as you said, two weeks ago.

So we see scenes like this at outdoor cafes in Madrid which just this day two weeks after the national confinement ended are finally able to have full capacity. They're not there yet. It's the middle of the morning. But people will be out later. And the international tourism is now starting to come back into Spain. This being a major tourist destination.

So there's concern around the country about more potential outbreaks which health authorities had predicted. So they beefed up the contact tracing so that health officials if somebody comes in and gets positive, they immediately try to contact who they've been in touch with. They are doing what they call surgical isolations. In some parts of Spain there are dozens of these other outbreaks smaller. In some parts of Spain even building buildings, single buildings have been isolated. All of this because the country and certainly the government does not want to go back to a national lockdown --Rosemary.

CHURCH: Totally understand that. Yet contract tracing, it is critical. And in some parts of the world it's not being done properly. Al Goodman, many thanks for joining us live from Madrid. Appreciate it.

Well on Sunday, the U.S. state of California set a new all-time record for most coronavirus cases in a single day. That's according to Johns Hopkins University. It recorded almost 12,000 new cases and 39 deaths. CNN's Paul Vercammen filed this report earlier from Santa Monica.

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PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They took the extraordinary step of closing down all beaches in L.A. county, Santa Barbara County, Ventura County, almost all of Orange County, all of it to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Many people feeling, including state officials, that the state reopened too soon in populous counties.

And they also sort of pointed to bars saying a lot of young people had gone out to the bars, they were letting down their guard, not wearing their masks, not staying away from each other by six feet. And that when they talked loudly, they were projecting and that could send the virus out airborne. So we spoke to some people here about what they think possibly could have happened.

[04:35:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think too quickly perhaps. I'm going to say young people and perhaps the marches and protests and so forth I think increased the number of COVID cases. People probably were not wearing masks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's going to be many more Fourth of Julys coming up so I think, you know, as long as we can protect those that are the elderly and those with underlying conditions, that's what we're doing it for. And so, if we keep that in mind, we'll enjoy the 2021 Fourth of July.

VERCAMMEN: We need to also point out there are very many other people who think California needs to get its economy back in full gear. The tourism business, for example, needs to get going again here in Santa Monica. And they're not that concerned about the mask wearing. They really want to see the economy hum again. Reporting from Santa Monica, Paul Vercammen, now back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Thanks for that, Paul.

Well unlike many neighbors in Latin America, Cuba has been keeping its coronavirus outbreak under control. For the first time in months it opened some bars and restaurants over the weekend and in keeping with a long tradition, the tiny communist island is sending doctors and nurses abroad to help other countries out. Yet our CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports, not everyone supports the move.

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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cuban health care workers make ready to go fight on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak. These doctors and nurses won't be treating patients in Cuba though. Here the number of new daily cases of the virus has dropped down to the single digits. They're traveling to countries where the pandemic still rages out of control or lack healthcare sources.

Dr. Viviano Covas Mesa (ph) is headed to Martinique, his second international mission.

We fought Ebola in West Africa, too," he tells me. That was a high- risk situation. You never get used to it, but you become experienced. I feel I'm prepared.

Cuba has now sent doctors and nurses to fight coronavirus in 30 countries. In all likelihood, Cuban doctors have battled the outbreak in more countries than anyone else.

The first Cuban medical brigade to leave the island to confront the coronavirus received a standing ovation in the Havana airport when they left Cuba for Italy. And more than two months later received a heroes' welcome when they came home.

(on camera): And they're being cheered on as they drive through the streets of Havana. And they're heading to an isolation center where they will spend the next two weeks in quarantine to make sure they did not bring the virus back home with them.

(voice-over): Fidel Castro first started sending medical assistance to show solidarity to other developing nations and earn some positive headlines for his upstart revolution. He named the International Medical Brigades for Henry Reeve, an American general on the Cuban side in the war for independence from Spain. But it's the U.S. government, Cuba's old Cold War foe, which is now urging other countries to refuse Cuba's help.

According to the Trump administration, these doctors aren't heroes. They are victims.

MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Up to 50,000 Cuban doctors have been forced by the Castro regime into human trafficking situations in more than 60 countries around the globe. They are the regime's No. 1 source of income.

OPPMANN: The U.S. says the Cuban health professionals are not given their full salaries, that the host countries pay the Cuban government for their services, and that they are forced to work in hazardous conditions. Accusations of mistreatment angrily rejected by the doctors and nurses we spoke to.

The majority of Cuban medical professionals choose to step forward, Dr. Covas Mesa (ph) says. We're not forced or obligated to do our work. Not inside the country or outside the country. It's part of our preparation.

Cuba says these brigades are an example of medical solidarity. U.S. claims they are a business to keep Cuba's communist leaders in power.

Cold War-era grievances will have to wait for another day. As this Cuban doctor heads to the airport to combat an outbreak that does not recognize borders or ideologies or political differences.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well the holiday weekend in the United States turned deadly with shootings in several cities around the country. Some of the victims just children. We will take a look at America's gun violence crisis.

[04:40:00]

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, Goldman Sachs is lowering its growth forecast for the U.S. economy this quarter citing a dramatic resurgence of coronavirus cases. The bank originally estimated GDP growth to rebound by 33 percent by the end of September. Now it thinks the economy will only grow by 25 percent. Goldman Sachs says its revision reflects what it thinks will be a halt in consumer services over the next two months.

Well, the U.S. Supreme Court is nearing the end of its term with decisions expected as soon as Monday in eight cases, including some that could impact the upcoming election. President Donald Trump could be forced to turn over financial records to Congressional Democrats in one case or to New York state prosecutors in the other. CNN's Supreme Court reporter, Ariane de Vogue, has that and some other details about other rulings we could expect.

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ARIANE DE VOGUE, CNN SUPREME COURT REPORTER: Democrats in the House, they're looking into Trump's financial statements, his relationship with foreign actors, maybe some of its lending practices. So they sent these subpoenas out and President Trump's personal lawyers are fighting back. They say that this is too broad. This is an illegal phishing expedition. But the other case is brought by this New York prosecutor and he's actually seeking the actual tax returns. He's looking into alleged hush money. And there in that case there's also a big case concerning the electoral college. And of course, that's going to come down in the middle of the election campaign. And on top of that there's a case concerning the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate that has a lot of religious liberty undertones. And we should get that sometime this week.

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CHURCH: And the court has already issued several major decisions including opinions on LGBTQ rights, abortion and immigration.

[04:45:29]

Well now to a wave of gun violence across America. Four cities are mourning victims today. Here in Atlanta the holiday weekend turned deadly. The "Atlanta Journal Constitution" reports multiple shootings killed four people and wounded at least 20 others. Two of the shootings happened in the same area where Rayshard Brooks was shot and killed by police three weeks ago which sparked mass protests.

One of the victims was this 8-year-old girl, Secoriea Turner. She was riding in a vehicle with her mother and another person when someone opened fire on their vehicle. Atlanta's mayor is pleading for people to have the same passion towards ending community gun violence that they have for police reform.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, ATLANTA MAYOR: We talked a lot about what we are demanding from our officers and our communities. We protested. We've demonstrated. We've been angry. We've cried. We've demanded action. Well, now we're demanding action for Secoriea Turner. And for all of the other people who were shot in Atlanta last night and over the past few weeks. Because reality is this, these aren't police officers shooting people on the streets of Atlanta, these are members of the community shooting each other, and in this case, it is the worst possible outcome. There were two other people who were actually shot and killed last night and several others. Enough is enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And in Washington, D.C., gun violence has also claimed the life of this child. 11-year-old Davon McNeil was killed Saturday night just moments after he and his mother stopped in a neighborhood. His grandfather says the boy wanted to get a phone charger from his aunt's house when a group of young men began shooting. McNeil was shot in the head and later pronounced dead at the hospital. Officials say they don't yet have any suspects or know the reason for the shooting. They are offering a $25,000 reward for information.

And human remains found in a shallow grave in Texas have been positively identified as U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen. The 20- year-old had been missing since April and was last seen in the parking lot of her barracks at Fort Hood. Her remains were found on June 30th and her family's lawyer spoke to CNN about why it took so long for her body to be identified.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NATALIE KHAWAM, FAMILY ATTORNEY FOR VANESSA GUILLEN: I understand when they did the identity they couldn't identify with her dental examination. They couldn't confirm her -- whether it was her with the dental because her -- Vanessa's face was bashed in so badly there was no teeth for them to identify. So that's why they had to send her body to Dover Air Force Base to get examined in that fashion and confirm that it was her. That's why it took a lot longer than they expected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: It is a tragedy, and police say the main suspect in the disappearance shot and killed himself Wednesday after being confronted by investigators.

Well, still ahead, the socialite on the throne. We will show you the picture of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged accomplice that's causing a Royal controversy. A live report from Buckingham Palace next.

[04:50:00]

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CHURCH: The composer of that iconic theme and many others has died. Two-time Oscar winning film composer Ennio Morricone was famous for scoring spaghetti Westerns. Particularly his collaborations with director Sergio Leone, including "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly." In later years he won an academy award for his score on Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful 8." Morricone's lawyer says the composer died following complications from a fall. Ennio Morricone was 91.

Well, it is a scandal the British Royal family just can't seem to shake off. Prince Andrew's link to the late accused sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. Now a photograph of Epstein's alleged accomplice is raising even more questions. And you can see Ghislaine Maxwell here sitting on a throne next to actor Kevin Spacey. The photo was reportedly taken on a tour of Buckingham Palace back in 2002. Maxwell is facing charges for her alleged role in grooming underage girls on Epstein's behalf.

So let's get straight to CNN's royal correspondent Max Foster. He joins us live from outside Buckingham Palace. Good morning, Max. So how is the palace likely to respond to this?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: They're not responding to it, and neither is the working group that Prince Andrew has set up an office effectively outside Buckingham Palace since all of these allegations emerged. No one's saying anything about it. So we're having to rely on what we're seeing in the "Daily Telegraph," which got this image.

Now the Sunday "Times" a couple of years ago did report that this incident happened but Prince Andrew's team said he had no recollection of it. And now we see the photo. And I think what's important about this image is it does speak to a couple of things. The "Telegraph" saying that Spacey and Maxwell were invited into the throne room by Prince Andrew, which does reinforce the closeness of the relationship between Maxwell and Prince Andrew. But also for many people speaks to the entitlement that both have been accused of as well.

[04:55:03]

So when you consider a throne is a symbol of a monarch's authority, no one else has the right to sit in that throne because no one else is head of state. There is no more senior power. So if you sit in the throne, it's seen as a pretty big sign of disrespect, not just for the monarch, but also for the country that she represents. Which is why people, members of the public, no one is allowed to sit on thrones. And I think that's a big issue, particularly when you read in the "Telegraph" the optics of this being that Prince Andrew invited them in and actually allowed this event to happen.

So to some extent it could be a lot of fuss about nothing sitting in a couple of chairs, but certainly amongst the British establishment it's seen as pretty disrespectful and does speak to a lot of things that Prince Andrew and Maxwell have been accused of over the years.

CHURCH: Yes, we shall look to see any ramifications. Max Foster joining us live from outside Buckingham Palace, many thanks.

Well after a nearly four-month shutdown due to the coronavirus, the Louvre in Paris has just reopened its doors to visitors. Masks are required and social distancing measures have been put in place. Which means nearly a third of the museum's galleries will remain shut. Still, some of the most popular stops like the Mona Lisa will be accessible. The Louvre lost more than $45 million in ticket sales during the lockdown.

And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. "EARLY START" is coming up next. You're watching CNN. Have yourselves a great day.

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