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Florida Reports More Than 10,000 New Infections; Three Vaccine Candidates Show Promising Early Results; Republicans Split with White House Over Stimulus Plan; EU Agrees on $2 Trillion COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan; Trump Faces Off with City Mayors Over Federal Forces; Florida Hospitals Overwhelmed with New Cases. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired July 21, 2020 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:19]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM, and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, a U-turn on masks from the U.S. president, as Donald Trump now says wearing one is patriotic after months of pushing back against them.

Also ahead, as federal agents patrol the streets of Portland, Donald Trump threatens to send more federal law enforcements to other major American cities. More details coming up.

And the U.S. secretary of State is in London for talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. We will have a live report from the British capital.

Good to have you with us. Well, after months of politicizing the issue, U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be finally endorsing masks. Mr. Trump tweeted a photo of himself wearing a mask and described it as a patriotic act. He also plans to restart the coronavirus briefings today.

It may be an effort to revive his approval ratings after a failed response to the pandemic. But coronavirus cases are still spiking in at least 31 U.S. states and the total death toll has topped 140,000 people. That's according to Johns Hopkins University.

But despite nearly 52,000 new cases on Monday, there have been massive testing delays. A top U.S. lab says COVID-19 test results are lagging by up to two weeks in some cases. But there's promising news from three vaccine trials. There is evidence they can produce immune responses to protect people against COVID-19 infections. But a World Health Organization official says more research is needed to ensure they are safe.

Although President Trump now says wearing masks is a patriotic act, many U.S. states are still refusing to make them mandatory in public.

CNN's Nick Watt has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Florida the governor was heckled today. Florida's average death toll doubled these past two weeks.

Monete Hicks lost two of her children to COVID-19, Brian Francis and Michaela, in the space of 11 days.

MONETE HICKS, LOST SON AND DAUGHTER TO CORONAVIRUS: I honestly can't say where they got this virus from because they basically was home bound. And the only thing, we went to Orlando for a vacation and all of a sudden they came home sick. Wear your masks. If you don't have to come out, stay home.

WATT: But the governor still won't mandate masks so in Miami the city will fine those with uncovered faces.

DR. FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: It's bizarre that we have turned mask wearing into something political. Imagine you were an alien coming to the planet earth, you would be totally astounded, puzzled, amazed. You'd wonder what is going on here.

WATT: Nationally we're now seeing three times the number of new cases every day compared to mid-June and nearly 60,000 Americans are right now hospitalized with COVID-19 getting close to the grim record set back in April.

ADM. BRETT GIROIR, U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF HEALTH: There is no question that we're having a surge right now. It really is all hands on deck. This is serious but we know how to stop this.

WATT: And in this graph there might be some optimism. Average new case counts are flattening just a little in our hot spots, California, Arizona, Florida, and Texas. Let's hope that holds. The possible reason?

DR. ALISON HADDOCK, DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Since the mask order went into place I have seen more people in my community who are wearing masks, who are doing more social distancing. I think some of these individual behavioral changes are driving some of the improvement that we're seeing.

WATT: As New York City moves into phase four opening today, Governor Andrew Cuomo has a message aimed at young partygoers.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: I'm telling you in plain New York speak as a born and bred New Yorker, it's stupid what you're doing. It is stupid. Don't be stupid. What they're doing is stupid and reckless for themselves and for other people. And it has to stop.

WATT: And he has a message for police departments. Make people wear masks.

CUOMO: They have to enforce the law. That is the only line between anarchy and civilization. WATT (on camera): Here in Los Angeles County, four days in the past

week we set new records for the number of people in the hospital with COVID. The mayor here is saying we're on the brink of going back to a stay-at-home order and the governor of California says that across the whole state the next few weeks are going to be critical.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Meantime, in the United Kingdom there is some good news in the search for a vaccine. The preliminary results of a trial developed by the University of Oxford suggests that it's safe and induces an immune response. That trial was one of three we heard about on Monday. Human trials from two other vaccine makers have produced similar outcomes, but a leading researcher from Oxford says even if a vaccine is developed by year's end, there's still a long way to go until the pandemic is contained.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADRIAN HILL, JENNER INSTITUTE DIRECTOR, OXFORD UNIVERSITY: I think getting a grip on coronavirus will be next year. Having a vaccine distributed hopefully will be before the end of this year. But remember, distributed is anything from producing a million doses to two billion doses. And the sooner we get an efficacy result that is positive, the faster we can scale up. So I think it's really quite likely that we will know by the end of this year or maybe even a few months before that that some vaccine works.

Having hundreds of millions of doses immediately afterwards is unlikely. Millions, certainly tens of millions possibly, but it's going to be a graded response so we're going to have to prioritize certain populations. Maybe the older population, maybe people who are first responders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And joining me now is Dr. Peter Drobac. He is an infectious disease and global health expert at the University of Oxford but he's not affiliated with its vaccine trial.

Thank you so much for being with us.

DR. PETER DROBAC, INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND GLOBAL HEALTH EXPERT, OXFORD UNIVERSITY: Thanks, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So this new study reveals the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine is safe and induces immune responses, provoking an antibody response within 28 days and a T-cell response within 14 days. How encouraged are you by this progress?

DROBAC: Well, these are extremely promising results and everything we would want to see out of a study like this, we did see. One of the things that's important about the immune response, we've been talking a lot during this pandemic about antibodies. But antibodies are just sort of one-half of the immune system. The other half are what you had mentioned, T-cells. And so the fact that this vaccine stimulated a response in both parts of the immune system is really encouraging.

It's a sign that it should give the immune system more of a memory. And one of the things we hope is that an effective vaccine will be durable, meaning that the effect will last for a long time.

CHURCH: Right. And Oxford University's partner AstraZeneca says it might be able to produce a vaccine as early as September for emergency use. Do you think that's a realistic timeline? And what about the general public in the U.K. and elsewhere around the world? How long might it take to produce and distribute dosages for all those willing and able to take it?

DROBAC: Well, I'm always cautious of making predictions about the future. And you know, it does happen that even at late stages of trials that promising treatments and vaccines do fail. So this is not a guarantee of success. A major phase three trial is already underway where tens of thousands of participants in several countries, including Brazil and South Africa, are already being enrolled.

And that's going to be the next step to demonstrate whether this vaccine is actually effective in preventing or mitigating disease. We hope those results are going to come towards the end of this year. And it is important that this partnership with AstraZeneca to premanufacture doses at scale so we could get them out as quickly as possible.

You know, the reality is that we need to have a strategy to make sure that when we find an effective vaccine, it's going to get to the people who need it most first. So that's going to be health workers and other key workers, and then medically vulnerable folks, not just in the U.K. and America but around the world.

CHURCH: Understood. And of course one big concern here in the United States is public trust in any potential vaccine and polls suggest that about half of the U.S. population won't take a COVID-19 vaccine. So how do you convince those people it's safe? Because building herd immunity is dependent on most of that population taking the vaccine.

DROBAC: Well, that's exactly right. And this is also something that we should be working towards and planning for now. We are working with unprecedented speed, the scientific community, on this vaccine effort but without trying to cut corners around safety. But that kind of safety monitoring is going to be important.

[04:10:03]

I think good, clear scientific communication about the benefits and the risks of vaccines as these things progress is going to be very important, and then political leadership. We've already seen some very dangerous examples about politicizing important public goods like mask wearing. We have to do everything we can with this vaccine effort to avoid getting caught in that same trap.

CHURCH: Yes. It seems masks are really what we need to be using until these vaccines are made available. But as you point out, there is some reluctance as a result of that politization of mask wearing. But I did want to move to the testing front because again here in the United States people are waiting four to eight days for test results to come back, and in some instances up to three weeks. So some of them have actually gotten over COVID-19 by the time they get the results.

So where else in the world are there delays like that and how surprised are you that the world's superpower is unable to provide its population with faster test results?

DROBAC: Well, it's really a staggering failure. And of course this is coming after months and months of this. And you'd think we would have had having had all the time to prepare, all of the sacrifices the American people had made sheltering in place over months, that we would be in a better place.

The reality is that the systems are really being overwhelmed because I think a lot of places weren't preparing for the surge in cases that we've seen in recent weeks. And so we're doing more tests in the U.S. than ever before. But it's coming nowhere close to meeting the demand.

You're absolutely right that a test that you have to wait four, five, eight, 12 days for the results is effectively useless because the goal of testing of course is to let folks know that they're positive so they can be isolated, removed from circulation, including protecting their own family and household members. When you can't do that you risk continuing this spread.

CHURCH: Dr. Peter Drobac, many thanks.

Well, Republicans are now pushing back on a White House proposal to deny additional money for testing and tracing in the next stimulus package.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump sat down with the top two congressional Republicans today in hopes of getting on the same page when it comes to the next coronavirus relief bill.

STEVE MNUCHIN, TREASURY SECRETARY: We're focused on starting with another trillion dollars. We think that will make a big impact, and the focus is, as I said, really about kids and jobs and vaccines.

COLLINS: The White House infuriated Senate Republicans this weekend after moving to block billions of dollars that GOP lawmakers wanted in the bill including $25 billion in grants to states for testing and tracing, and another $10 billion for the CDC. One GOP aide called the administration's effort tone deaf as hell. But today they're trying to put on a united front when it comes to priorities.

MNUCHIN: We're going to make sure that we don't pay people more money to stay home than go to work. We want to make sure that frivolous lawsuits don't prevent schools, universities, and businesses from reopening.

COLLINS: Talks with Democrats are expected to be contentious given time is running short and the two parties are nowhere near an agreement on extending enhanced unemployment benefits or providing liability protections for businesses.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Obviously you can't pass the bill in the Senate without the Democrats and we're going to talk to them as well.

COLLINS: After a long hiatus, Trump announced he's resuming his daily coronavirus briefings.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll do it at 5:00 like we were doing. We had a good slot. And a lot of people were watching and that's a good thing. When I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out --

COLLINS: The task force briefings all but came to a halt after the president suggested in April that people could use disinfectants like bleach to treat COVID-19.

TRUMP: Deborah, have you ever heard of that?

COLLINS: Trump didn't say whether the health experts will join this time. In a confrontational interview with Chris Wallace of FOX News, he criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci.

TRUMP: He's a little bit of an alarmist, that's OK.

COLLINS: Without citing evidence, the president also claimed that wearing a mask can cause problems, a statement that stands in stark contrast to what the surgeon general said today.

DR. JEROME ADAMS, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: I'm begging you. Please understand that we are not trying to take away your freedoms when we say wear a face covering.

COLLINS (on camera): And the president also tweeted out a photo of him wearing a mask saying he believes it's patriotic to wear them. It took until July 20th for aides to get the president to actually embrace the idea and encourage people to wear a mask after the CDC announced on April 3rd that they believed people should be wearing a mask in the United States as they were leaving their homes.

What's behind this change of heart for the president is not these concerns you're hearing from health experts, but concerns about his sagging poll numbers, we're told. That is what drove the president to now advocate for people wearing a mask because even his own campaign aides were saying that they had numbers at a pretty bleak outlook of what Americans thought of his response so far.

[04:15:05]

Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: And still ahead, President Trump faces off with major city mayors. He argues federal forces are needed to calm protests and cut crime, but local officials say those agents are only fueling the fire.

And E.U. leaders agree on a plan to pull their countries out of a recession brought on by the virus. We are live from Paris. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, we are following major developments in the E.U. where leaders have agreed on a massive aid package to stimulate their economies hit hard by the pandemic. After five days of talks leaders agreed on a budget of more than $2 trillion, which includes nearly $860 billion in grants and loans.

And CNN's Melissa Bell is here to discuss all of this. She joins us now live from Paris.

So, Melissa, how significant is this deal and how is it going to work?

[04:20:03]

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's an important deal. It is a big deal. It is the first time, Rosemary, that the European Union has agreed on the idea of mutualized debt. It has been resisted for so long. And it took five days. They've become the longest running talks in the bloc's history, bitterly divided over that question of the mutualization of debt. In the end, there were disagreements over the size of the recovery fund that was needed, of whether -- of what proportion of that should be given to countries and what proportion should be loaned.

And of course, all of the attachments that come with Brussels having much more power than ever it's had before because in a sense that's the crucial part of this, Rosemary, is that the only question that had so divided the so-called frugal states from France and Germany on this, the question of countries now being responsible for money that is spent elsewhere. There is the new power that that gives Brussels the ability to raise capital on the markets, to become responsible for debt.

That is something new. And it really makes Brussels for the first time in its history, the European institutions that is, Rosemary, something like much more a sovereign state.

CHURCH: All right. Melissa Bell joining us there live from Paris. Many thanks.

Well, in cities across the United States, mayors are facing off with the president. Donald Trump has sent federal forces to deal with demonstrators in Portland, Oregon. He is now planning deployments in other cities, but local officials object saying the administration is only making things worse.

Josh Campbell has the details. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: As protests continue here in the city of Portland for well over 50 days, a war of words is shaping up in Washington, D.C., from officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In a string of tweets on Monday, acting Homeland Security deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli retweeted videos and images of Portland, dubbing, the unfolding situation here is terrorism, attempting to project a message of instability.

Cuccinelli telling the "Washington Examiner" that violent anarchists are engaging in both violence to the point of terrorism on occasion and have assaulted federal property and officers. His boss, acting Homeland Security chief Chad Wolf, told FOX News that the department will continue to intervene as it sees fit.

Now it's worth pointing out that as DHS officials attempted to describe what's taking place here in Portland as widespread chaos, the epicenter of these protests is largely relegated to one city block outside of a federal courthouse, where we've seen protests night after night, most of them peaceful. There have been instances of rioters clashing with federal officers who will come out of that building, launch projectiles into the crowd, tear gas and the like to try to push them back. But again, the main focus of protesters is one that a small area downtown, not widely throughout the city.

Now finally DHS officials are not alone in their harsh rhetoric for what's taking place here in Portland. President Donald Trump also weighing saying that his administration is now looking at not only sending additional federal resources here to the city of Portland but also to other cities, primarily those that are run by Democrats. Trump saying that he was looking into sending resources to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore, as well as Oakland, California, although it's worth noting that none of those cities have seen any indication of widespread destruction.

Josh Campbell, CNN, Portland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And it's not just talk from President Trump. Law enforcement officials tell CNN the administration plans to send federal agents to Chicago this week, but Chicago's mayor is pushing back and pushing back hard.

Lori Lightfoot tweeted, "Mr. President or not, I don't care one bit what your name is, I will not allow troops in Chicago." Lightfoot isn't alone. The mayors of all five cities shown here have signed a letter to Attorney General William Barr and the acting head of Homeland Security. They want to halt plans to send federal forces to U.S. cities and for those already present to be withdrawn.

In St. Louis, Missouri, a couple who went viral for brandishing guns at protesters are now facing felony charges. Patricia and Mark McCloskey were recorded outside their mansion in late June as civil rights demonstrators walked by. A Circuit attorney says waving weapons in a threatening manner during a non-violent protest is indeed a felony. But the state's attorney general calls the charges outrageous and is trying to get the case dismissed.

Well, the state of Florida is requiring all school districts to reopen for the new academic year. Now educators are speaking out against the plan and filing a lawsuit to stop it.

Plus, California was supposed to be ahead of the game, locking down early and hard, but now the virus is back in a big way.

[04:25:01]

So what went wrong? A full report when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Educators in Florida have filed a lawsuit against the state and its leaders. It's because they are requiring school districts to reopen next month despite a surging number of coronavirus cases. Teachers protested in the streets Monday denouncing the governor's orders. A major teacher's union says no one wants to be back in the classroom more than educators, but forcing schools to open so soon for in-person learning will put lives at risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FEDRICK INGRAM, FLORIDA EDUCATION ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT: We believe that that is reckless. We believe that it is unconscionable and we also believe that the executive order is unconstitutional.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And it's not just Florida's teachers that are under pressure. Doctors, nurses, and other health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic saying Florida's hospitals are overwhelmed with new patients.

CNN's Randi Kaye has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Another 10,347 coronavirus cases here in the state of Florida and another 90 dead. We've now topped 5,000 dead here in the state and also 9500 people are still hospitalized. 53 hospitals here in the state of Florida now don't have any ICU beds left at all. They're at zero percent capacity. And in Miami-Dade in terms of ICU beds, the hardest hit county here in South Florida, they are at 130 percent capacity in terms of ICU beds. They are now converting regular hospital rooms to ICU beds. They have nothing left.

At Miami-Dade they are looking at a positivity rate of 28.1 percent, the county says, although the state has also tabulated that and they --

(END)