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COVID Vaccine on its Phase Three Trial; Top White House Adviser Tested Positive; Australia With Impressive ICU Survival Rates; European Countries Seeing a Spike in Coronavirus; China Release New Data on COVID Cases; Thousands Signed Up for Coronavirus Vaccine Testing In Brazil; U.K. Decision to Reinstate Quarantine on Travelers from Spain; U.S. Lawmakers Divided on Stimulus Package; American Consulate In Western China Shut Down; Gary Bencheghib on Bali's Waste System; U.S. Honors Late Civil Rights Icon And Congressman John Lewis. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired July 28, 2020 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from all the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, the U.S. president pressured some state leaders to open up as we start to see an increase in COVID deaths across the country.
Vaccine trials begin in the U.S. and thousands of volunteers step up to get their shots. We will hear from one of them.
And COVID patients in Australia who end up in intensive care seem to have a much better chance of surviving compared to countries like the U.S. and the U.K. And we will speak to an ICU director in Melbourne about that.
Good to have you with us.
The top U.S. infectious diseases expert says it's now crunch time to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus pandemic. The first phase three clinical trial of a COVID vaccine in the U.S. began Monday. Dr. Anthony Fauci says he is cautiously optimistic and hailed the efforts of researchers to find a vaccine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: This is truly record time. The virus was first put on a public database to sequence early on in January. We did phase one trial. Very soon thereafter, and this is phase three right now, which will take several months to determine if in fact it does work.
So, to go from not even knowing what the virus was in early January to a phase three trial is really record time, and I might add, it was not done compromising safety, nor was it done compromising scientific integrity. It is just the technologies we have now, and the ability to move very quickly have brought us to where we are right now, doing a phase three trial.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And this vaccine in the phase three was developed by Moderna and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Pfizer and BioNTech also revealed Monday they have begun the next phase of their study.
The U.S. reported more than 1,000 deaths again on Monday. It's at least the fifth time in the past week that the daily death toll has surpassed a thousand. Data from John Hopkins University shows deaths from COVID-19 are rising throughout the U.S.
Twenty-nine states in shades of red you can see here reported more deaths in the past week than in the previous week. Dr. Fauci says there are steps we can take now to minimize risks before the vaccine is ready. But the U.S. will likely further deaths from the virus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAUCI: Unless we get our arms around this and get it suppressed, we will going to have further suffering and further deaths. And that's the reason why, as I've often said, many, many times, there are things that we can do right now in the absence of a vaccine that can turn us around, the fundamental things of avoiding crowds, physical separation, universal wearing of masks, closing the bars, hand hygiene. Those things matter and they can make a difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And there are at least 25 clinical trials going on around the world on Monday, the head of the World Health Organization said the coronavirus pandemic is easily the worst global health emergency the group has ever faced.
Well, with more than 650,000 coronavirus deaths worldwide and infections once again spiking in a number of countries, a vaccine can't come soon enough.
Nick Watt has more now on the trials and the surge in cases across the United States.
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The prick of a needle a round of applause. Phase three trials of Moderna's promising vaccine are underway. Is it safe? Does it work?
Thirty thousand human volunteers expected to take part in 89 places across this country.
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[03:04:56]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've been trying to find a cure for what's troubling our whole world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: Meanwhile, more than 5,000 souls now lost to COVID-19 in Texas alone, a state now dealing with the virus and a hurricane.
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JOSEPH VARON, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, UNITED MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER: All these people are going to have to go to shelters. And just think about it for a second. Shelters are going to be like giant petri dishes as far as coronavirus goes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: Google just told 200,000 employees nationwide, they can work from home nearly another year at least. And the Miami Marlins are not playing their home opener, postponed after 11 more players and two coaches tested positive according to ESPN. The Yankees Phillies games also off while MLB conducts more testing.
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DAVE MARTINEZ, MANAGER, WASHINGTON NATIONALS: I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Seeing those guys go down like that, you know, it's not good for them. It's not good for anybody. Because in my heart condition, what happens to me if I do get it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: Across Florida, nearly 8,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in just 8 days, but the governor is still pushing schools to reopen in August and won't mandate masks.
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REP. DONNA SHALALA (D-FL): He and the president have failed every child and teacher and educator in Florida. And put them at risk because of their reckless, reckless efforts to reopen schools.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: Some medical experts now calling for a nationwide lockdown.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are one big country and we're seeing the virus spread.
LARRY BRILLIANT, CNN MEDICAL ANALSYT: It's whack-a-mole. It's playing ping ponging back and forth between the states. That will continue for years if we don't have a singular, national strategy all in marching to the tune of the same drummer. And that drummer should be wearing a mask.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WATT: Here's the issue. South Carolina just reported a record high
death toll over the weekend, and now, vacationers returning from the likes of Myrtle Beach are being blamed in part for the spike in Kentucky. The governor just closed the bars again for two weeks after a visit yesterday from Dr. Deborah Birx.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): She actually looked at us and said, the conversation we're having right now, we had with Florida and Texas weeks before the worst of the worst happened. Now is the time for us to act.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATT: Here in California, the average daily death toll is higher than it's ever been. The governor is now sending strike teams and $52 million to counties and California's Central Valley to try and contain the virus there.
Here in Los Angeles, we are told that the only demographic in which case counts are rising, the 18 to 29-year-olds. And health officials here say some of those young people are dying.
Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
CHURCH: U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser has tested positive for COVID-19. Robert O'Brien is the highest-ranking member of the Trump administration known to have tested positive. It's unclear when he last met with the president. Their last public appearance together was more than two weeks ago on a trip to Miami.
The White House says O'Brien is experiencing mild symptoms and is self-isolating while working from a secure location off-site.
Now even as the coronavirus reaches Mr. Trump's inner circle, the president says governors need to look at reopening states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I really do believe a lot of the governors should be opening up states that are not opening. And we'll see what happens with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Well, some of Mr. Trump's own officials say the U.S. is not up to speed on testing and the turnaround times are too long. Mr. Trump insisted Monday everything is taken care of.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The United States has conducted over 52 million tests. That's more than all of Europe put together times two. Nobody is even close.
Through our relentless efforts, we've completely rebuilt our stockpile, which the previous administration replete id depleted and did not refill.
Anything they need we send immediately. We are totally full. We have everything we need. We get it to the states immediately. We deal with the governors. The relationship with governors has been very good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: In the last hour, I spoke with Dr. Murtaza Akhter, an emergency medicine physician in Phoenix, Arizona. And I asked him about President Trump's push to reopen states amid this pandemic. And this was his reaction.
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MURTAZA AKHTER, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, VALLEYWISE HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER: There are some places in the country that have few cases and are able to distance. But in places that are hotspots, which is the states he's targeting, ironically, places like Texas, Florida, Arizona where this high of a case load, I think opening up is a really bad idea.
Recall, Rosemary, that in April we were doing really well when we had stay-at-home orders. So well that we're wondering where all the patients went. And that people took that as a sign that they can now do whatever they want. And we got hit hard and became the worst state in the country.
[03:10:04]
Our positivity rates, the percentage of our test that are positive, are still the highest in the country. And so, for people to think, hey, listen we can open up. We've been through the worst of it. Even if you've been through the worst of it, if you open back up, bad things happen.
We know that from our state. We know that from other states in our country. We know what from other countries. And so, we really need to be vigilant about this. We need to distance as much as possible. We need to wear masks when we're around people.
It's crazy that we are still not doing it. And we need to perform great hand hygiene. Even when a vaccine comes and I hope someday it will, I think these metrics hand hygiene, distancing and masks will be critical, because a vaccine isn't going to be 100 percent effective.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And thanks again to Dr. Murtaza Akhter, an emergency medicine physician.
Well, two European countries who thought they had the virus under control are now seeing cases rise. Germany says it will require mandatory tests for travelers returning from high-risk areas. Angela Merkel's chief of staff says the recent rise in cases is a cause for concern.
Meanwhile, cases in France were up by a daily average of 850 over the last three days, a higher number than when the country eased its lockdown. That's according to Reuters.
So, CNN has reporters in both countries. Fred Pleitgen is in Berlin, and Cyril Vanier is in Paris. And they both join me now. Good to see you.
So, Fred, let's start with you. And after doing so well containing this virus, what is driving these new cases in Germany?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are two reasons, really, Rosemary, why the new cases are being driven in Germany. And one of the things that we always have to take a look at is that the Germans right now are sounding the alarm bells at about 800 cases per day.
They said that in the days running up to last week it was about 500 cases per day. So, there is a rise in infections, but it is still not something that is in the thousands like it is in some other countries.
But the German officials are clearly saying look, we need to get this under control right now so that Germany does not have a situation like for instance, the United States where you have thousands or even ten thousand of cases every day.
Now there's two groups essentially of people that they say are most responsible for these new rises in infection. They say there are simply some people who have become lax with the rules with physical distancing, with hygiene, and with wearing masks as well.
And the Germany's Center for Disease Control is calling on everybody here in Germany to continue to be very strict in enforcing all of these things to make sure that the virus stays under control.
And then the second group is really the one that you were just mentioning, and that is the travelers. Of course, one of the things that's happened here in Europe is that travel has become possible again in June but then even more in July. And there are people who are doing cross border traveling.
So Germany's minister for health came out late last night and he said that he was going to make it mandatory starting next week for people coming in from high-risk areas which is of course the U.S., for instance, is one of those countries that is a high-risk area, to get mandatory tests.
Now, the big thing with the German government though, is they're saying all the tests that are going to be conducted are going to be free of charge. They say they don't want to be dependent on a person's pocketbook whether or not they can afford a test when coming back from a high-risk area or anywhere else.
And the other thing they're going to do is they are going to make it widely available for people also from low-risk areas like for instance, coming from the European Union countries, coming from some other countries to get tests as well.
And those are also going to be free, just to make sure that people if they do have any sort of concerns or any sort of symptoms, really go and get that test to really try and get the situation out of -- under control before it spreads and gets any worse than it already is. Rosemary.
LEMON: Yes. Fred, I love the way Germany is looking to U.S. as the model for how not to do it. Fred Pleitgen joining us there from Berlin.
Cyril, let's go to you. And you're there in Paris of course with a -- and you are gauging the situation across France. What's driving the rising COVID-19 cases there?
CYRIL VANIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, I think there is really no miracle explanation here. It's just a very simple answer. It's as people have gone back to their normal lives. They have started mingling more. And they have started being more lax in their social distancing, and so the number of cases and the number of few cases has started to increase.
And this was predictable and predicted by the scientists who advised the French government. They did warn more than two months ago, they said, look, as we go back to normal and reopen the country, we are going to see this rise.
We had reached very low numbers of ICU patients and hospital admissions in France. So, they said it's going to go up. What's going to matter for the French government is whether we can contain it.
So, I would say, Rosemary, it's not an exaggeration to say that this is the beginning of the moment of truth for Europe. In France, but beyond France, Spain, Germany, other countries, this is the new normal. So, can these countries adapt? Can they locate the virus? And can they trace it and can they contain it?
[03:14:56]
Testing is going to be the key. Fred was talking about that in Germany. France is doing about half, just under half a million tests a week. It's a little less than what they had announced when they started deconfining, but that is going to be the key.
Nobody wants to re-confine the entire country. Now some country we've seen France, we've seen -- I beg your pardon, Germany and Spain do it. Have done it on a local level. Nobody wants to do it on a national level. And that is why it's going to be so important to know exactly where the virus is spreading.
And Rosemary, I'll add one more thing, and it's about Belgium. Cases have started spiking in neighboring Belgium. And they've to take drastic measures here. They were easing confinement restrictions, while they have had to reverse course. And they've had to restrict the size of the social bubble that people are allowed to be in.
So, they've not told people well, you can go grocery shopping but only one at a time. You can spend only 30 minutes doing your grocery shopping. And you can only interact with five people now beyond your household.
Just to show you, Rosemary, that these restriction measures are becoming more and more urgent everywhere across Europe.
CHURCH: And all being driven by science, which is very encouraging. Cyril Vanier in Paris. Fred Pleitgen in Berlin. Many thanks to both of you. I appreciate it.
Well, Australia may have one of the world's best survival rates for virus patients in intensive care. I will speak with an expert on the subject after the break. Stay with us.
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CHURCH: Well China, where the coronavirus is believed to have originated, said it had a handle on infections early in the crisis, but not anymore, apparently. Beijing is now reporting its highest number of cases transmitted locally since March. And authorities in Hong Kong are cracking down.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us now live. Good to see you, Kristie.
Of course, China initially took a victory lap for successfully containing this virus. It seems they have learned their lesson that you can't move to swiftly on that. So, what is going on with these numbers in China and across Hong Kong?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it depends on where you look. In Xinjiang the spike in cases is related to what's been described as a gathering activity in the district of the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi. If you look at Dalian, the port city in the northeast of the country in the Liaoning province, it all goes back to a seafood processing center.
Across China there is an alarming flare up of COVID-19 cases. Earlier today, the National Health Commission published new numbers. Let's bring up the data for you. And it shows that China is pushing its highest number of domestic cases since March the 6th. That's more than four months ago.
There were 68 new cases including 64 locally transmitted cases. Of the 64 locally transmitted cases 57 reported in Xinjiang, six in Liaoning, one in Beijing. And Rosemary, it's not just China. This alarming flare up in the coronavirus is taking place across the region in Vietnam, in Australia, and even here in Hong Kong.
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[03:20:08]
LU STOUT: Take away in Hong Kong, it's not just about grabbing a quick meal to go anymore, as of Wednesday, it's a city mandate. The new order is part of a government plan to try to stamp out a third wave of coronavirus in the city. Indoor dining will no longer be allowed. The restaurants can stay open for carry out. Some workers worry that
they won't make enough money to get through this latest round of restrictions.
"It has affected us quite a bit," one woman says. "Because our take away sales are not that great, and now by banning all dining, it's very hard for us to survive."
Authorities also issued tougher requirements for masks, which will now be mandatory even when outdoors with a fine of $645 for anyone who doesn't comply. But the coronavirus isn't just surging in Hong Kong.
In mainland China, local transmissions are the highest they've been in almost five months. Singapore surpassed 50, 000 cases. Vietnam, which has reported only a handful of cases since April, is evacuating 80,000 people from Da Nang after an outbreak in the popular resort town. The prime minister is urging citizens to social distance again.
"We need to remain calm," he says, "and take the matter seriously to find an effective way to stop the virus from spreading."
But many countries are struggling to do just that, especially in densely populated areas like India, where in just one day, nearly 50,000 new infections were reported.
Record numbers in Australia too, which recently had its deadliest day of the pandemic. The premier in the state of Victoria which is under a second lockdown says people are simply not following the rules.
DANIEL ANDREWS, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: It's a matter of fact. We have too many people who have symptoms and are going to work. And what that means, even with mask wearing, even with hand hygiene, even with distancing, that is an unacceptable risk in terms of transmitting this virus.
LU STOUT: A virus still striving across Asia, and is especially tenacious when people let their guard down.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LU STOUT: Now officials in China are certainly not letting their guard down especially in the northeastern city of Dalian, where at the weekend officials there announced a citywide testing blitz. Now keep in mind this is a major port city with population of six million all taking place in this mass testing scheme in order to root out the coronavirus.
And also, in Xinjiang where officials there have declared the city of Urumqi in wartime mode over the last week where transport systems are suspended, and residential compounds are under lockdown. Mass testing there also under way, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Kristie Lu Stout, many thanks. Joining us there from Hong Kong.
An Australian government study reveals coronavirus patients in that country's intensive care unit have an 85 percent survival rate, higher than the international average. And that compares to -- listen to these numbers -- only 30 percent of coronavirus ICU patients in the United States survive. Fifty-six percent in China and nearly 60 percent in the U.K. Startling numbers there.
And joining me now is Dr. Craig French, he is the director of the intensive care unit at Western Health in Melbourne, Australia. Thank you, doctor, for being with us.
CRAIG FRENCH, ICU DIRECTOR, WESTERN HEALTH: Thank you.
CHURCH: So, Australia is currently battling a new outbreak of COVID- 19, but dealing with numbers well below what other countries are tackling. And government data, as we just explained, shows that Australia's ICU survival rate is significantly higher than other nations.
Currently at 85 percent compared to just 30 percent in the United States. So, what is Australia doing that other nations are not doing? What do these other nations need to be doing?
FRENCH: In Australia, we've been very fortunate that we've had a close collaboration between our federal government, our state governments, senior scientists, and clinicians such that scientific data has informed our response. And it has been the basis for the government's response eventually under a state level since this pandemic began.
Accordingly, we've had relatively fewer numbers of patients becoming infected with COVID-19. And also, that meant we have had fewer patients that -- because if fewer patients are becoming infected, there are fewer patients becoming critically unwell. And as a result of that, we have had the ability to treat our patients in an intensive care unit where the system is not overstretched.
So, our intensive care units are running at what's called a business as usual capacity. We haven't yet had to go beyond the bounds of the intensive care unit. And the (Inaudible) patients in the intensive care unit are receiving exactly the same sort of treatment and attention that would otherwise have received outside of the pandemic.
[03:25:07]
CHURCH: Right, that is very refreshing, working together, governments and scientists. So, doctor, a clinical trial is underway at Melbourne's Footscray Hospital using a portable plastic ventilation hood. And when that's approved, the prototype will be used across the globe. So how does it work, and what's been the outcome of that so far?
FRENCH: So, this is a, as you said, a portable device, medical device that is designed to protect healthcare workers, and also designed to allow patients to receive therapies that they may not otherwise be able to receive due to infection control concerns.
It's being developed by researchers at Western Health at Footscray Hospital in conjunction with the University of Melbourne. And it's now been tried in over 20 patients. And the overwhelming feedback from patients, we've been able to provide feedback, their families, and the staff is exceedingly positive. The staff feels safe when they use this device. The staff feels that they can treat the patients in the manner they wish to be able to treat them when this device is used.
And accordingly, we have plans now to take this device beyond our health service but also to health services throughout Australia and beyond. And we are working with the university to develop partners to make that happen.
CHURCH: Let's hope that approval moves very quickly. And doctor, also, another Melbourne hospital has clinical trials currently underway to treat COVID-19 patients with liquid zinc chloride place in a drip to improve oxygenation levels for patients. So how is that trial going?
FRENCH: That trial in its early days, that's being conducted at the Austin Hospital and the director of research there is Professor Rinaldo Bellomo. And that trial aims to see whether intravenous zinc in these patients will improve oxygenation levels, with the hope that it will also improve intensive care outcomes.
It's in its early phases of early phases of the trial, and results at this point in time are not known.
CHURCH: And also, Saint Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, the blood thinning drug Heparin is being used as a gas for patients to inhale. And there is a hope that it will bind with the virus and hopefully deactivate it. So how is that clinical trial progressing? Are you hopeful with that?
FRENCH: We are hopeful with that as well. That's been coordinated by social Professor Barry Dickson at St. Vincent's Hospital which you mentioned. That trial is building on work that he has already done with inhaled Heparin in patients with severe lung disease.
And again, there is a lot of promise in that. But early days and we have to see how the results pan out over the next weeks to months.
CHURCH: Well, we're crossing our fingers because we are still a long way away from that vaccine. So, we do need some of these treatments, and certainly that prototype hood looks encouraging.
Dr. Craig French, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it.
FRENCH: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, vaccine trials are now underway in Brazil, a country with the world's second highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases, and we will have the details next.
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[03:30:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back everyone. Well, Brazil's
president appears to have recovered after coming down with COVID-19. Jair Bolsonaro was out riding a motorcycle over the weekend minus a mask. And on Monday, he was back on the job vowing to fix Brazil's unemployment, the problem he says others created. Brazil reported more than 23,000 new coronavirus cases Monday and has more cases than any other country outside of the U.S.
As one of the worst affected countries in the world, Brazil is an ideal place to test a potential vaccine. At least, two trials are underway. And as Nick Paton Walsh reports, thousands of people have signed up for the test, including medical staff on the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: There is an extra bit of bravery here you can't see. Denisee (ph) is a dentist doing for five months of coronavirus in Sau Paolo, the not too pretty job of cleaning infected mounts like everyone here, living away from her family, death around her daily.
But she is a first, the first Brazilian to be given a trial vaccine from Oxford University, carrying the hopes of pretty much all of us that this frontrunner vaccine works.
Being a volunteer is an act of love, she says. Donating a little bit of yourself.
All the staff here has been offered if they want to take part in the Oxford vaccine trial, putting them on another frontline, the world's urgent hunt for immunity from this disease.
Denisee, was subject one, and her boss, Flavia, was roughly subject 1,000. In their hearts, a memory of a fellow doctor.
FLAVIA MACHADO, UNIFESP, PROFESSOR OF INTERNAL CARE MEDICINE: He was my friend for 23 years. He works -- he worked here for 23 years.
PATON WALSH: I'm so sorry.
MACHADO: Yes, it was -- it was quite bad.
PATON WALSH: Their eyes betray exhaustion. Yet, here, they still give what they have left.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (TRANSLATED): The vaccine trial needs more people like us, at high risk of contamination. Being away from the people you love is very difficult.
PATON WALSH: Across Sau Paulo, there's a race between powers rating in one of the worst hit cities on earth over who can prove first that their vaccine works.
China last week sent its SinoVac vaccine for trial here among the cities frontline workers, but it's rolled out was met by an angry fringe, reeling of what they call quote, "the Chinese virus," and so also railing at the China vaccine.
Well that concerns amongst your staff here for the safety of people who participate in this because of that right wing rhetoric.
ESPER KALLAS, HEAD OF SINOVAC VACCINE TRIAL IN BRAZIL: That's the number one concern. Some people may react oddly in these days to a volunteer who participated in a vaccine that was conceptualize in a Chinese company.
PATON WALSH: Dr. Stefanie Teixeira Porto is the only Chinese trial subject to go public yet. And this is the easy bit of her painful pandemic.
STEFANIE TEIXEIRA PORTO, DOCTOR AND VACCINE TRIAL VOLUNTEER: Even this past month, I was really, really anxious and I would cry a lot.
PATON WALSH: While she's not had any threat since she had the job here, she said she's been warned about the trial to be careful.
PORTO: They told me to not expose it too much and to try not to tell everybody how this is going to be.
PATON WALSH: Isn't that strange?
PORTO: Yes, it's very strange. All of it. I don't understand why they hate China.
PATON WALSH: As if this wasn't enough, the Americans are coming. Pharma giant, Pfizer, looking to test its vaccine, which the U.S. has paid $1.9 billion for in Brazil's mega city hot spot too, all hoping to be first or finding Brazil wants access to their vaccine in return and all feeling the hate and anguish of the months ahead.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Sau Paulo, Brazil.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And it isn't just in Brazil, across the border in Bolivia, cases are also on the rise. There are now more than 70,000 cases overall. At least 15 government officials have tested positive. The country's interim President Jeanine Anez previously tested positive, but said Monday, she was discharged from the hospital after recovering.
[03:35:12]
The Spanish Prime Minister has criticize Britain's sudden decision to reinstate a 14-day quarantine on arrivals from Spain, calling it misfit. Atika Shubert spoke with some travelers who are unexpectedly about to go through that quarantine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Checking into the British Airways flight from Valencia to London and straight into a 14-day quarantine on arrival, some passengers are angry. What was your reaction when you first heard that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least stupid.
SHUBERT: Yes? Why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Simply because they don't give time to the people to know about it.
SHUBERT: Parents only weekend getaway has turned into a two-week family separation for Phil Bicknu (ph). He left the kids with the grandparents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we'll end up probably split in the family up for 14 nights and we don't live too far apart but it's still a strange scenario that we've never faced it before.
SHUBERT: And trip to see parents in Spain now means missing out on crucial work in the U.K. for Marian Cortez.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I asked my job, and they are not going to test us, so I will have to be at home for two weeks and I work in a hospital. So, even being a doctor, we are not tested to be able to go back to work.
SHUBERT: So, a lot of frustration and some resignation from the passengers here. Quite a few telling me they actually felt safer with the tougher measures here in Spain than in the U.K. The Spanish government, meanwhile, says the country is still safe for visitors.
There are more than 200 outbreaks at the moment in Spain, including one in the city of Barcelona, home to several million people and a major tourist destination. Despite pleas by the local government to stay at home to curve the spread of the virus, Barcelona's beaches were still busy this weekend. Spain's foreign minister said on Sunday that only certain regions were affected, similar to the rise in infections seen in other E.U. countries.
ARANCHA GONZALEZ LAYA, SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER: Spain is a safe country for tourists and for Spaniards. Like in any other European country, we are seeing outbreaks. The outbreaks in Spain are perfectly controlled.
SHUBERT: Nonetheless, the U.K. is not the only one to take precautions. Norway has also ordered a quarantine on travelers returning from Spain, and France has warned its citizens not to cross the border into Spain for travel to any high-risk areas.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Valencia, Spain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted to struggling with his weight. Admitting he's too fat and that could have been a problem when Johnson was in intensive care with coronavirus early this year. Studies have shown being overweight can significantly increase the risk of having a severe case of COVID-19.
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BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: I've always wanted to lose weight for ages, and ages. Like many people, I struggle with my weight going up and then down. But since I recovered from the coronavirus, I have been steadily building up my fitness.
I don't want to make any excessive claims, because I really, really just started concentrating on. But I've got -- I'm at least a stone down. I'm more than a stone down. But when I went into ICU, when I was rally -- I was very way, way further -- I'm really about 5-foot 10, you know, the outside (ph) and you know, I was too fat.
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CHURCH: And this comes as the U.K. is about to unveil a $2.6 billion plan to tackle the country's obesity problem. According to government figures, 63 percent of adults or above what would be considered a healthy weight. The campaign will encourage people to cycle and walk more. And for his part, Boris Johnson says he now starts the day with a run with his dog.
All right. Now to the Middle East and North Africa where several countries are re-imposing virus restrictions as the upcoming Eid holidays draws near. Iraq is ordering a 10-day curfew starting Thursday. Oman is under a nationwide lockdown until August 8th after a rise in cases. And Morocco is banning travel to and from several major cities like Casablanca and Marrakech.
Meanwhile, Lebanon has decided to re-impose some measures, bus, beaches, convention centers and many other gathering spots will be closed from Tuesday through August 10th. And people 65 and older are being told to stay home. Eid al-Adha starts on Thursday.
Well, millions of Americans impacted by the pandemic could soon get another stimulus check. But Republicans and Democrats are divided over just how much it should be. What each side is proposing, that is next.
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CHURCH: U.S. Senate Republicans have rolled out a trillion dollar relief package aimed at helping American workers and businesses impacted by the pandemic. But as CNN's Phil Mattingly reports, it underscores the divide over what lawmakers think the country needs.
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PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At long last, Senate Republicans have introduced their opening offer for the next coronavirus release legislation, $1 trillion dollar package, something that would provide another round of stimulus checks to Americans, another round of small business loans -- targeted small Business loans through the paycheck protection program, $105 billion to help schools through the fall process, including reopening. A series of issues that may clear Republican now actually have a proposals on the table after waiting for weeks to do just that.
However, they are still very far apart for where Democrats sit. House Democrats past their own $3 trillion proposal back in May. They want more than a trillion dollars for states, they want to extend unemployment benefits the Republicans right now are looking to cut. The bottom line is this. They are very far apart and there are real deadlines. Those unemployment benefits, the federal enhancement it runs out on Friday, July 31st.
So, what is the path forward? That remains an open question. Everybody knows there is an urgent issue that they need to address. Everybody knows people need help, they need help now, they need help fast. How they actually get there though? Well, they are still working through it. On the plus side, at least there are actual proposals on the table to negotiate. Where things end up, we have to wait and see.
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CHURCH: Many thanks to Phil Mattingly for that. And CNN's Hadas Gold joins us now from London. So, Hadas, let's talk about reactions so far to this new stimulus plan and particularly the proposal to cut the enhanced unemployment benefit from $600 to $200 a week.
HADAS GOLD, CNN POLITICS, MEDIA AND BUSINESS REPORTER: Well, that is a big cut. And one of the reasons behind it is Republicans fear that people wore making more money being on these benefits versus going back to work, and they want to encourage people to go back to work.
Of course that brings up a load of other issues about how a stimulus bill like this could get people to be making more money versus their salaries, or their hourly wages after a jobs. But that's an issue for another time.
But this stimulus bill that we have been waiting on for so long is just the first, very first, very early step in this negotiations. And it's a negotiations that need to happen incredibly quickly.
But what is showing is actually that not only deep divisions with the Democrats, which as you heard Phil say there, they have their own plan, a $3 trillion plan that they already passed back in May from the House, but also divisions with the White House because there are things in this stimulus bill that even Republicans within the Party are not happy with, including funding for a new FBI headquarters. That seemingly doesn't have much to deal with the coronavirus. When Mitch McConnell was asked about this, he pretty much said you need to ask the White House why that was in there.
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So, clearly there are still a lot of space to bridge here between not only the White House and the Republicans, but of course, between the Republicans and the Democrats. There were huddling last night in the Capital to try and discuss this. But the issue here is just time. A lot of these benefits have either already lapsed, like the eviction moratorium, and also this stimulus checks, the last ones are going out already.
And so a lot of Americans are waiting and they need this money, they need the support now because, as we see, we are still in the midst of the pandemic. The economy is not back. A lot of businesses are now back up and running. People need the support now. It is a question whether Washington can do it, and of course when, and if they can get this done.
CHURCH: Yes. Absolutely. And issue, Hadas, Google has extended its work from home policy for its employees to at least July 2021 in response to the pandemic. So, what might this mean for Google? And could it possibly encourage other companies to do the same?
GOLD: Yes, well, Google told its 200,000 employees and contractors that they will be working from home until next summer. Pretty much a year from now.
Initially, they had told their employees that they would be working from home just to the end of this year likely back at the beginning of 2021, but clearly that was no longer in the cards because we still do not have a vaccine, we still don't know exactly where this pandemic is going.
This is something we are seeing from a lot of tech companies. A lot of these companies said they can work from home more easily than others where it doesn't really make much of a difference for people. And I think that what we are going to see is other tech companies following suit. I will not be surprised if we soon hear from Facebook and from others. Some have already said that their employees are welcome to start applying to work from home, work remotely pretty much for the foreseeable future.
But this is something we are going to see a lot of companies do. And I think it's going to actually change, not only how these companies operate, but I'm really curious to see what it's going to cost people to move out of these big tech hub cities like San Francisco and New York City and whether we are going to see people moving into other parts of the country, other cities where it's cheaper to live, if they can still work from home. They might say why not.
CHURCH: Yes. Commercial real estate is going to suffer as a consequence of course. Hadas Gold joining us from London, many thanks.
Well, China is defending its self for forcing an American consulate to shut down on Monday. Beijing says it was a necessary response to a similar move by the U.S. when it ordered a Chinese consulate to cease all operations last week.
CNN's David Culver reports on the fallout from this latest dispute.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After some 35 years, the U.S. flags lowered for the last time Monday at a now shuddered U.S. consulate in Chengdu, China. Only state control media allowed to capture these images of Chinese officials taking control of the property. The U.S. mission in China tweeting this farewell video, adding, we will miss you forever.
Over the weekend, the U.S. insignia taken down, moving trucks seen entering a consulate compound, a bus pulling out, on board U.S. diplomatic staff. U.S. foreign service officers were flown in from other consulates in China to help with the rush to move out. They are now headed to Beijing, to the U.S. embassy.
Firecrackers ignited outside of the consulate on Friday when China announced its closure, a celebration of sorts for some locals in Chengdu, who have since have packed in to get a shot of history.
This is the portion where the crowd really build. You can see a lot of uniformed police officers, but you also see some plainclothes police officers making their way through the crowd too. And it gets to be a rather -- well, populatory (ph) site. But you notice, a lot of people are staring at us, because obviously, we are foreigners and they're taking pictures of us because we too are part of this tourist attraction, we are passing through.
In shutting it down, China's foreign ministry claimed U.S. personnel were engaging in activities that were harmful to China's national security interests. A near identical claim to what the U.S. allege of the Chinese consulate in Houston. U.S. officials saying it was involved in an illegal spying effort, a claimed China denied.
The closing of the Chengdu U.S. consulate has a major impact for many Chinese students looking to start or continue their studies in the U.S. They come here to apply for visas. Graduate student, Burson Yang, among them. He supports China's decision to retaliate but wishes it had not come to this.
BURSON YANG, GRADUATE STUDENT: Emotionally, that is not what I want to see. I want this few great nation to be in good relationships.
CULVER: Months of rising tensions have now pinned the world's two largest economies against one another on a variety of friends, leading some to label it a new cold war.
LONG XINGCHUN, CHENGDU INSTITUTE OF WORLD AFFAIRS: Most U.S. people are very nice. We have so many close friends from the U.S. So, we are saying why should we go to war?
CULVER: Professor Long Xingchun runs the Chengdu Institute of World Affairs, an international relations think tank. He says he does not fault the U.S. for being tough on China.
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XINGCHUN: But a way we worry about it is that irrational decision, crazy sometime, crazy decision to China.
CULVER: He points in particular to the Trump administration and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who says, this is about protecting the free world from a totalitarian regime.
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We must induce China to change to more creative an assertive ways because Beijing's actions threaten our people and our prosperity.
CULVER: Channels of communication closing up and moving out as China and the U.S. drift further apart.
David Culver, CNN, Chengdu, China.
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CHURCH: The U.S. is saying farewell to the late Congressman John Lewis. The civil rights icon is receiving one of the nation's highest honors and making history one last time.
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CHURCH: The idyllic Indonesian Island of Bali attracted about 16 million tourists in 2019. But more visitors mean more trash and Bali's waste system is struggling to keep up.
According to the Bali partnership, last year, about half of its waste was burned or dumped into waterways where it can then make its way to the ocean.
Cyril Vanier shows us how one young activist is raising awareness by focusing on the alleyways of trash, rivers, and streams.
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CYRIL VANIER, CNN SHOW HOST: From its black sand beaches to verdant rice fields, the natural beauty of Bali is vast but fragile. Last year, 33,000 tons of Bali's plastic waste leaked into its waterways according to the Bali Partnership as 25-year-old Gary Bencheghib has observed firsthand.
GARY BENCHEGHIB, FOUNDER MAKE A CHANGE WORLD: So growing up here on the island of Bali, you know, we saw the urgent need and attention of plastic pollution. Here it is something that you can no longer look away from. A lot of people here in Indonesia don't really realize that so much of the plastic that ends up on our very beaches actually comes from the islands that we live on.
VANIER: When he was 14, Bencheghib founded the student based clean up organization, Make a Change, with his sister Kelly and his brother Sam. In 2017, to raise awareness of the pollution in Indonesia's waterways, the brothers kayak down the Citarum River in Java, the island neighboring Bali in boats made of plastic bottles.
BENCHEGHIB: What we have experienced on the river was completely different than what we ever expected. We brought our cameras to document. And overnight, our videos went viral.
VANIER: Even the Indonesian President Joko Widodo responded, pledging government support to clean the river. While cleaning up trash tackles the surface of the problem, Indonesia is also working with the world economic forum to understand its source.
KRISTIN HUGHES, DIRECTOR, GLOBAL PLASTIC ACTION PARTNERSHIP, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: Six months ago now, we were able to work with the World Bank and a research institute on the ground in Indonesia. We were really pulling together as much data as we could and assessing exactly where that plastic waste was coming from.
VANIER: Bencheghib latest project, Sungai or river watch, also aims to collect data alongside plastic waste. He plans to install 100 trash barriers on Bali's water ways over the next year.
BENCHEGHIB: So, we set up 10 trash barriers now and we felt that you know, there was a need for a monitoring platform out there to track in real-time how our clean ups were going.
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VANIER: An interactive platform stores data on the trash they collect in order to hold brands accountable for the plastic they produce. Bencheghib is making the technology open source. He hopes Sungai Watch can become a global effort to keep rivers clean.
BENCHEGHIB: Other groups will be able to collaborate with other groups to share knowledge on how to build and for people to also share their experience with us.
VANIER: Ten down, 90 to go. Cyril Vanier, CNN.
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CHURCH: And finally, before we go, the U.S. is paying its respects to civil rights icon and beloved member of Congress, John Lewis. His body is now lying in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, making him the first black lawmaker to receive the high honor as the public says farewell to the Georgia Democrat.
On the way to the capital, the motorcade paused in places of significance for Lewis, including the Lincoln Memorial where Lewis was a speaker during a historic 1963 March on Washington, and at the memorial of his friend and mentor, the late reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Inside the halls of Congress, members of both parties honored Lewis as a colleague, a leader in the fight for equality, and a survivor of the brutal police attack on protesters known as Bloody Sunday.
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SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: John frowned Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said the arc of the moral universe is law, but it bends towards justice. But that is never automatic. History only bent towards what is right because people like John paid the price, they could help bent it. He paid that price in harassment and beatings from a bus station in South Carolina to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: He was the youngest
speaker at the March of Washington program. How fitting it is that in the final days of his life, he summoned the strength to acknowledge the young people peacefully protesting in the same spirit of that march, taking up the unfinished work of racial justice. Helping complete the journey begun more than 55 years ago. John was revered and beloved on both sides of the aisle. On both sides of the capital. We knew that he always worked on the side of the angels and now we know that he is with them.
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CHURCH: John Lewis was 80 years old. And thank you so much for your company, I am Rosemary Church. I will be back in just a moment with more news from around the world.
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