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Trump Demands Schools Open While Dismissing The Science; Teacher Decides To Retire Rather Than Return To Classroom; Update On Coronavirus Responses Around The Country; Massive Explosion Rocks Beirut; San Francisco: From Early COVID Success To Hotspot. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired August 04, 2020 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:30:42]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The president is telling Americans to send their kids to school, a risky venture, but one that many parents are open to if they're confident that federal and locals officials are mitigating the risk.

It's like telling American families, we need you to jump out of a plane and then refusing to pack our parachutes or teach us to use them correctly, taking us to jump altitude and saying jump anyway. No one would do that. No one should do that.

That's where trust in federal and state governments or lack of trust comes in. Have they packed the parachutes they want us to take the jump with the children? Are they saying that schools structure the reopening based on the number of infections in the communities? Move ahead if things are going well? Wave off if they're not?

Are they, as they must do, according to a news study in the medical journal, "The Lancet," testing and tracing? No. They're not.

Americans are waiting days, sometimes weeks, for their results, which, by that point, make them irrelevant in containing the spread.

More studies show that older children can transmit the virus just as easily as adults. Another shows that children younger than 5 had a significant amount of viruses in their nose compared to older children.

But since some Americans don't believe studies or science, let's just look at the real-life examples that are showing the risks and consequences.

In Indiana, the family of a student awaiting a test result sent him to class anyway and, later that day, his test result came back positive.

And then, in Georgia, the state's largest school district reported 260 employees have either tested positive or have been exposed. Keep in mind, students there haven't returned yet. Also in Georgia, a CDC study shows the virus spread wildly through an

overnight camp. Despite this, a reminder that this was the CDC after President Trump pushed back on their guidelines for schools.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROBERT REDFIELD, CDC DIRECTOR (voice-over): They're all put out with the intent to help facilitate, as was mentioned earlier, the fully reopening of schools for face to face learning.

They're not really put out there to be a rational for somehow to keep schools closed. But again, we are prepared to work with each jurisdiction as they try to adopt those guidelines.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: But listen to the president's task force doctors as they outline the risk of reopening schools.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: If you have high case load and active community spread, just like we're asking people not to go to bars, not to have household parties, not to create large spreading events, we're asking people to distance learn at the moment to get the epidemic under control.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The primary consideration should always be the safety, the health and the welfare of the children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: On top of all of this, you have teachers, administrators, staff members all wrestling with this potential life-and-death decision of going back to school.

And now some jobs are threatened. In Arizona, a superintendent said the state is threatening to cut funding if he doesn't reopen the schools.

Keep in mind, the president said he canceled a Florida convention because it's too dangerous. And the White House is now requiring expanded tests, even though the president publicly calls them overrated.

And his own son's school, it isn't going back to in-person learning and that is a hybrid version as well until October.

If the government won't trust in science, how do you trust the government? How the hell do you trust them with your kids? Millions of parents across the country are making clear they're not because they don't trust the pilot.

My next guest had to make that potentially life-and-death decision and she is deciding to stay home. Mary Schlieder is with us now, a special -- was a special education

teacher in Nebraska for 20 years and is now retiring early.

Mary, thank you so much for joining us.

I'm sorry that you have had to retire early. You are an example of someone who has so much expertise and institutional knowledge and experience to give to kids.

Tell us what made you come to this decision.

[13:35:04]

MARY SCHLIEDER, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER WHO DECIDED TO RETIRE AMID PANDEMIC: Hi. Well, first, thanks for providing a space for teacher voices. We don't often get a seat at the table and it is much appreciated.

What led to my decision -- I have taught for 28 years, 22 in my current district for a district I love.

And what it really came down to was I could not foresee a circumstance under which I would feel safe in the building at my age. I'm 62. I'll turn 63 this fall.

And I was looking through CDC guidelines, our local health official guidelines, and there were things that didn't match up. For example, they recommend six feet social distancing and then three feet in the schools.

And I don't understand because I don't think the virus really makes a distinction between three feet and six feet. It is what it is. I didn't see how they could meet that guideline.

I was concerned about aerosols. You know, we are hearing evidence of aerosols lingering in classrooms and they recommend good ventilation. Open a window.

In my school, many of the rooms don't have windows. My room doesn't. I teach in an older building and so our ventilation system, it is an older system. I know we had a bond issue a couple years ago to upgrade that that did not pass.

And our custodians do the best they can to keep us safe but schools have to work with the resources they have.

Masks, the school district is mandating masks. I'm in favor. A shout out to the administration. They have worked tirelessly over this summer to keep everyone safe.

But they've been given a really difficult task. But I'm thrilled that they are saying that masks will be mandated.

But, however, I taught for a long time and they tend to be in the rebellious stage of life. And, you know, for example, our dress code is not hoodies because we don't want kids to have the ear buds in. We want them to be listening to us.

I know the pushback we get from adolescents on that rule. And I can see what will happen with masks. Below the chin, below the nose.

And I think part of the blame is because we have such conflicting messages coming from every level, from the national level to the state level, about, it's a hoax, it is just like the flu, or it is not. I think that the discourse in our society trickles down into the classrooms.

And for all of those reasons, I didn't see how the building was going to be able to be kept safe for someone in my demographic. But it does affect other demographics, too. I'm not the only one worried about this.

KEILAR: Yes. Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHLIEDER: I mean, I can tell you about -- go ahead. I've sorry.

KEILAR: No, I was -- I was going to say, I think that this is such -- unfortunately, we will have to leave it there, Mary.

I think there's so many people in your position. We're hearing from so many teachers saying they need to step away now. And maybe they didn't want to for a few more years yet. That will be tremendous a loss. And you are an example of that.

And we appreciate you describing the process to us. It is very important that we understand what's going on.

Mary, thank you so much.

SCHLIEDER: Thank you.

KEILAR: The St. Louis Cardinals are saying that there's no proof some players went to a casino as an outbreak is hitting the team.

Plus, a prosperity gospel preacher, who has advised the president, is holding a large event with thousands of people.

And we are just getting the first images of a massive explosion in Beirut as the Lebanese president has ordered military patrols.

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[13:43:16]

KEILAR: In the battle to keep the coronavirus at bay, the Denver Broncos have installed a misting booth to spray disinfectant on players as they pass to and from practice.

The Broncos tweeted this video. The tweet included the caption, "Time for work but, first, we sanitize." One Bronco player got sick with COVID-19 last spring and another tested positive in the offseason. Let's check in with the CNN reporters to see how other parts of the

country are handling the pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I'm Andy Sholes, in Milton, Georgia, where the St. Louis Cardinals are the latest Major League Baseball team to suffer an outbreak among the team. Seven players and six staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past week.

As a result, the team's four-game series against the Tigers in Detroit scheduled to start today has been postponed. The Cardinals have been in quarantine in Milwaukee since Thursday. They're going to stay there and the personnel continues to be tested daily.

And for now, the plan is for the team to resume play on Friday against the Cubs in St. Louis.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Lavandera. The Ft. Worth Convention Center is hosting its first event since it reopened at the end of June. The Southwest Believers Convention expecting nearly 3,000 people this week. It's hosted by the televangelist, Kenneth Copeland. We reached out to his organization for comment but have not heard back.

But Ft. Worth Convention Center officials said they're urging all the attendees to practice social distancing, to wear masks.

We have looked on the Southwest Believers Convention Facebook page. We see some people socially distancing but very few people wearing masks.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dianne Gallagher, in Atlanta. The Georgia World Convention Center is now a COVID-19 overflow hospital. It began accepting patients on Monday.

[13:45:05]

These are not the sickest COVID-19 patients. Instead, this is meant to alleviate the pressure on hospitals that, in some cases, are being pushed to the brink.

The state of Georgia is seeing an 85 percent ICU bed capacity right now. Right at this moment, they have 60 beds inside the facility but it can be expanded to 120 if that's needed.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: I'm Jacqueline Howard, in Atlanta. Jails are emerging as a major source of coronavirus spread not only within their facilities but in surrounding communities, as well.

A study published in the journal, "Health Affairs," suggests more than 4,000 COVID-19 cases can be connected to the outbreak in Chicago's Cook County Jail back in March. Researchers say that outbreak may be linked with 15.7 percent of all COVID-19 cases in this state.

And researchers say Cook County Jail was the largest known source of COVID spread before being surpassed by an Ohio state prison in April.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Thank you, everyone, for those reports.

We're following breaking news out of Beirut. The city has been rocked by a major explosion near the city's port area. The hospitals have been told to prepare for casualties. The city's governor saying that at least 10 firefighters are missing at this point.

The White House confirming moments ago they are monitor the situation there.

And we have CNN's Ben Wedeman, who's on the phone in Beirut.

This video that we are seeing from different vantage points of this explosion is -- it is stunning, Ben. Could you feel this explosion when it happened?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Yes. I was in the CNN bureau just about a kilometer away from the port where, just after 6:00 p.m. local time, about two and a half hours ago, the building shook. I thought it was an earthquake. It was absolutely massive.

But just moments later, the windows in our bureau were blown out. Most of them. Our office is now in shambles and that is really the case for many, many parts of this city.

We understand that one hospital has received at least 400 injuries and another is reporting more than 60, and that's two of many hospitals in this city.

I can still hear lots of sirens outside the window. Much of the city is dark. It seems that the electricity is down in many areas.

It is not clear what happened. Prior to the blast, the reporter for the "Los Angeles Times" tweeted a picture of a fire in the port area. That clearly something went off. And no one is clear at this point what.

The national news agency, the official news agency is reporting that it was a warehouse full of fireworks. But the head of the general security said that -- basically, he said it would be naive at this point to assume that a blast of this size and magnitude and destructive power was caused by simply fireworks.

So there's no indication at this time what has caused the explosion. But what is clear is it's sent this city into a situation of chaos.

One person I spoke to talked about people being treated in the street by other individuals, providing CRP to some and on the sidewalk.

It's not clear at this point, Brianna, what caused this explosion but the destruction is absolutely cataclysmic.

KEILAR: That is exactly the word.

All right, Ben. We know this is a developing situation and that you are working on the story there.

Ben Wedeman, in Beirut, thank you.

A family is calling out the president and the Texas governor in an emotional obituary for a father.

Plus, how did San Francisco go from an early COVID success story to a hotspot? A city bus driver will join me live to explain why.

And the president apparently reverses himself on mail-in voting but only in one state.

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[13:52:00]

KEILAR: Early on in the pandemic, San Francisco stood out as one of the first cities to take action to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

In early March, the city's Mayor London Breed was one of the first mayors in the country to warn about the disruptions that lay ahead.

San Francisco went into lockdown early on. People seemed to be mostly wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings. And it worked at first.

Now San Francisco is facing a dangerous surge in cases and hospitalizations. The city now has roughly 6,500 cases, more than 100 people in the hospital, according to the mayor. Many are attributing it to complacency about the virus.

Felix Castillo is joining me now. He is a bus operator for San Francisco's MUNI Transit System. He's on the front lines in the city every day.

Tell us, Felix, what you're seeing every day that is different than it was, say, two months ago.

FELIX CASTILLO, BUS DRIVER, SAN FRANCISCO'S MUNI TRANSIT SYSTEM: Oh, it's -- well, good afternoon. How are you doing?

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: I'm doing great. It's good to see you. Thank you.

CASTILLO: Thank you.

No, it's a world of difference. I actually live downtown. The first shutdown, it was scary out there. You wouldn't see anybody. It got really scary on the streets, the loneliness.

But as the weeks have been coming by, you see a little more people, more people. About a month ago, you started seeing traffic. And then people pretty much finally in complacency. They weren't scared anymore of what was going on.

KEILAR: So, they sort of aren't afraid anymore. They don't maybe have a healthy fear or at least a healthy enough fear.

Were most of your passengers wearing masks and keeping their distance once they started to return?

CASTILLO: It's those few cases that you have where it's -- there's always troublemakers in the bus riding with us. But then you have those few cases that may be wearing a mask but have them up to their neck, maybe not have put them on because they forgot. And you tell them and you have to repeat it three times.

Some people go all the way in the back thinking you're not going to check on them or, if you tell them once, that's it. And then you just have some people who get intoxicated on the bus and other people who you really have to watch out for because some of those may commit assaults or spit on you.

KEILAR: And to that point, do you worry about your own safety?

CASTILLO: Yes. This happened to one of the cases, to my cousin. He got spit on when they were telling someone wear a mask. The other day, someone got hit with a small souvenir bat and got called out racial slurs.

Some bus drivers are trying to take it more relaxed, that they don't want to get involved in actually telling them.

[13:55:03]

Yes. It's -- you have to be careful out there while you're driving. Policing, everyone wearing the masks at the same time. Using good judgment and how to interact with each customer.

KEILAR: Well, Felix, I'll tell you, you know, it's tough driving in San Francisco and that should be most of your concern as a bus driver. You shouldn't be dealing with this.

But we appreciate you talking to us about what you're experiencing day-to-day.

CASTILLO: Thank you very much for hearing us out.

KEILAR: Felix Castillo, a San Francisco MUNI bus driver, for us there.

President Trump claiming that the pandemic is under control, even though it's not. I'm going to speak live with Jonathan Swan, who interviewed the president on this claim, as well as a number of others. Stand by for that.

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