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Speaker Nancy Pelosi Brings House Early from Recess to Work on USPS Bill; President Trump Against Funding USPS; Democratic National Conventions to Kick Off Monday Virtually; FDA Authorizes Emergency Use of Saliva Testing. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 17, 2020 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello, welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States, and from around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I am Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, vacation over amid fears of delayed ballots in the November election. Nancy Pelosi calls U.S. lawmakers back to Washington to try to block postal service changes.

Just hours before the start of the Democratic National Convention, the race for president is tightening between Donald Trump and challenger Joe Biden.

And a massive demonstration in Belarus. Thousands, angry, calling for the ouster of the country's newly re-elected president in a widely disputed vote.

Good to have you with us. Well, as the back to back U.S. political convention gets underway, the Trump administration's handling of the U.S. Postal Service is raising concerns about the integrity of the upcoming election. And the House Speaker is taking action. Nancy Pelosi is calling on lawmakers to return to Washington this week to vote to block any changes in postal service operations.

Requests for mail-in ballots are expected to surge during this pandemic. President Trump's appointed postmaster general has made a number of cutbacks in the postal service. The president has admitted he believes an uptick in mail-in voting will favor Democrats. And he has repeatedly claimed falsely that mail-in voting will lead to massive fraud.

Meantime, a scaled down Democratic convention is just hours away. It will consist of virtual events televised from across the country as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris accept the nomination. For the next four nights, the Democrats will showcase some of the party's biggest names including the Clintons, the Obamas, former 2020 candidates, as well as rising Democratic stars.

And CNN's Abby Philip has more now on the issue surrounding the U.S. Postal Service and the political uproar. ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: Amid national outcry, the U.S. Postal

Service appears to be backtracking on two moves that it had made in recent months as part of a major restructuring that have also lead to significant delays in mail delivery all across the country.

The Postal Service says it will no longer remove those blue mail drop boxes that you'll see in communities all across the United States. Those drop boxes were slated for removal because the Postal Service said some of them were in low usage.

They will now no longer remove those Postal Service boxes between now and the election. They are also keeping in place some of these massive pieces of equipment that were used to sort millions of pieces of mail all across the country.

About 700 were slated for removal, destruction, or redistribution, in the Postal Service system. And amid outcry, they are now saying that they will leave those pieces of machinery where they are between now and November.

At the same time, CNN has obtained internal documents that show that many of those pieces of machinery were already slated to be removed by this point, about 95 percent of them. So it's not clear whether or not this announcement will make a substantiated difference.

Meantime, White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, was pressed this weekend about whether the White House would be willing to come to the table on the issue of funding the Postal Service. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[02:04:57]

MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I'd be glad to.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: If this Postal Service issue is one that everybody can come together on, why not have a stand-alone bill? You seem to be suggesting you don't want to do that. You want it to be a part of a bigger package. But let me ask you just a broader picture about voting by mail.

MEADOWS: Well, and don't get me wrong --

TAPPER: You're --

MEADOWS: Yes. Okay. Don't get me wrong.

TAPPER: Your own folks --

MEADOWS: I am all about piecemeal. If we can agree on postal, let's do it. If we can agree on stimulus checks, let's do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: And that would be a reversal of the White House's position on this issue. Last week, President Trump made it very clear he did not want to fund the Postal Service to the tune of $25 billion because he was concerned that that money would be used to help the Postal Service process millions of mail-in ballots.

Meantime, over on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a major development says she will bring the House of Representatives back from recess by the end of this week to deal with the issue of the Postal Service.

She is also calling on her members to have a day of action on Tuesday, urging them to go to postal offices in their district to bring attention to this issue. Abby Phillip, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: And former U.S. Vice President Al Gore appeared on CNN Sunday. He was asked about President Trump and what is being done with the Postal Service.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I suspect that he has gone too far on this, even for him because the Republican members of the House and Senate, are really hearing from outraged voters, veterans who aren't getting their medicine, people who aren't getting their paychecks, people who are expecting things in the mail and not receiving them. This is really an outrageous assault on an American institution that goes back to the very beginning of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And Al Gore accepted his party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention 20 years ago. As we get closer to this year's convention, CNN's Jessica Dean tells us what to watch for.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The 2020 Democratic National Convention is set to kick off on Monday and this is going to be a convention unlike any convention we've ever seen. As Democrats work around the pandemic and work to make sure everyone is socially distanced and safe, as they also try to rev up the Democratic Party and build support around Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

And we're get some details on logistically how this might work. We're told first that there are four different sets that they'll be using, Los Angeles, New York, Wilmington, Delaware -- here in Wilmington, Delaware where we are told that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will give their acceptance speeches. And then Milwaukee, which is where the full convention was originally slated to take place.

In addition to that, there will be speakers all across America from different historic sites that will be giving their speeches, which we are told will be much shorter than we are used to seeing at these conventions. These will be more like two to five minutes. We are used to seeing maybe 10 or 15 minutes from some of these speakers.

And then additionally to that, we are told that broadcast kits have been sent out all across the country to delegates, different members of the party who will be able to set up those broadcast kits in their own living room.

There will be a truck here in Wilmington, Delaware that will be able to see those feeds from all of these people across America and be able to punch up reaction shots. They'll also use those for roll call. We are also told there will be an emcee and various emcees that will carry the programming because again, remember, this is going to be like just a television broadcast.

Typically, a convention is broadcasting to both the room and TV. And this case, they are simply broadcasting out to TV. And also across all the various online platforms.

We are also told that there will be a host of speakers on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, starting with a real variety within the Democratic Party on Monday that includes Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama, and a former Republican governor, John Kasich, who actually ran for the Republican nomination back in 2016, now speaking at the Democratic National Convention. So, a lot to watch as we move into Monday. Jessica Dean, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.

CHURCH: And a new CNN poll shows Joe Biden's lead over Donald Trump has narrowed significantly since June. Overall, half of registered voters back the Biden-Harris ticket while 46 percent say they support President Trump and Mike Pence. That's right at the poll's margin of error.

And with me now from Los Angeles, political analyst Michael Genovese. Good to have you with us, and a lot to cover of course. But let's start with that latest CNN poll showing the Biden-Harris ticket only 4 percentage points ahead of the Trump-Pence ticket going into the DNC, given the pandemic, high unemployment, the controversy surrounding the U.S. Postal Service, how surprised are you by how close this is right now?

MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: I think this look like a close race from the very beginning. And we are still a long way away, 11 weeks. And we won't really have a clearer picture until a few weeks after the two parties have their conventions.

[02:10:03]

But in all likelihood, this will be another squeaker (ph) as it was 20 years ago. And Donald Trump has two paths to victory. One is basically a replay of 2016 where he loses the popular vote this time by probably about 5 million or 4 million, but wins the Electoral College.

The other way is if the Republicans can be successful in voter suppression efforts that they are trying, and if the mail-in ballot chaos continues and they don't resolve that before the election.

CHURCH: And let's look at that because with President Trump objecting to mail-in voting and even stopping USPS funding, there is concern the elderly and vulnerable won't have an opportunity to vote in the middle of the pandemic. Should the rest of us consider voting in-person to ensure our ballots get counted? GENOVESE: Well, I think this is a universal problems, not just the

elderly or the infirm. Who wants to go to a high school gym in the middle of a pandemic with a bunch of other people? This requires us to have some, you know, openly clear thinking and take some risks in terms of trying some new things.

We need to open up the process and make voting longer. There is a lot of things we can do to make voting easier. The problem is, the president is going to try and narrow the range of the vote. Democrats want to expand it. And whoever wins that race, the race to open or close the amount of people voting is going to win the presidency.

CHURCH: Of course, in just a matter of hours, the Democratic National Convention kicks off four days of virtual events. Michelle and Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Governor Andrew Cuomo and others will speak. And this will be very different, of course, to anything we've ever seen before due to this pandemic. But what are you expecting to see and hear, and what are you watching for?

GENOVESE: Yes. It's not your father's convention. This is going to be a strange one. I've been to six party conventions, Democrats and Republicans. They tend to be partly 12-way circus and partly big tent revival meeting. This is going to be much more tempered, much more moderate and much more controlled.

In the past, we didn't know the nominee until we got to the convention. But since the era of primaries starting in the '70s, we knew ahead of time who the candidate is going to be. So the drama is gone. It seems to be more of a coronation than a contest and a big infomercial for both parties. And so what I'm looking for is to see who can manage and process best and who can get their key points across desk.

CHURCH: Yes, it's going to be a very different arena, isn't it? And President Trump, meantime, intends to make a speech near Joe Biden's hometown on the same day the former vice president accepts the Democratic nomination. What's Trump strategy and will it work do you think?

GENOVESE: Well, he likes to do counter programming and he likes to do counter punching. Donald Trump always has to be the center of attention. And the cameras are going to be on Biden and the Democrats over these next few days. He's going to try to wrestle them away. It's something like Teddy Roosevelt's daughter said to her father. She said, poor dad has to be the bride at every wedding, the corpse at every funeral, and the baby at every christening.

That's Donald Trump. So his counter programming is going to be to try to shine the spotlight on himself to tear down Biden of course. It's a norm that he's going to bust (ph). Normally, the opposition party gives the other party a few days just to make their case and not interfere. But Donald Trump is a norm buster and he's going to try to reclaim center stage. He may be very well be able to do it.

CHURCH: We shall watch and see. Michael Genovese, joining us live from Los Angeles, thank you so very much. GENOVESE: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Well, the school year is starting in many places despite the coronavirus pandemic. And one student party has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. What the university is saying, that's next.

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[02:15:00]

CHURCH: Another blow to the U.S. in its battle against COVID-19. The virus has now claimed more than 170,000 American lives. But what's unsettling is how quickly the United States hit this new milestone. It comes just 18 days after the U.S. reported 150,000 fatalities.

Over the weekend, President Trump disagreed with a warning by the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who said the U.S. could be headed for its worst autumn ever from a public health perspective. He says the double threat of COVID-19 and seasonal flu could have a catastrophic impact on the U.S.

Well, once a hot spot, Arizona is seeing signs of progress in its fight against the coronavirus. The state's governor says the virus is spreading at a slower rate, but health officials warn there are a few trends that have them concerned. CNN's Miguel Marquez reports from Phoenix.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So things here in Arizona seem to be improving by the day. The positivity rate is now at about 10 percent, perhaps a little lower right now. All that is good. One thing that officials say is not happening in Arizona is that the number of people getting tested is not rising, it's actually falling.

That will make it very difficult for officials to know where a breakout is, how big it is and then to track and trace that breakout as well. Officials at ASU, Arizona State University, believe that around 1 to 2 percent of the population in the state, it's about 150,000 people or up to 150,000 people, may carry the virus and not know it.

So it's important to keep that testing up. And this is something we're seeing not only in Arizona, but across the country. The number of people getting tested is coming down as it taking too long for results to come back. It's not readily available at every sort of pharmacy or doctor.

[02:20:00

So it's very, very frustrating that they can't get their tests very quickly, very easily, and people just aren't doing it. That is now raising headaches for public health official in Arizona and beyond.

I will say one thing we have seen just being here over the last month, this is anecdotal, but staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, there was a great adherence to the mask order in Maricopa County and throughout the state. It does seem to be waning to some degree. People are getting more tired of wearing the mask. We see much -- many

more people without masks in hotels, in bars, in restaurants as we go about our daily lives. So, officials warning people across Arizona that they have to keep those mask orders on.

They have to keep their foot on the gas, as they say. Otherwise, they risk a very brig outbreak, a second wave, just as the flu season arrives, just as the snowbirds return, just as schools might start-up, and just as university students return to Arizona. Back to you.

CHURCH: And speaking of those students, a video has gone viral showing a private party over the weekend near a university campus here in Georgia. And you can see a huge crowd of people gathered outside at an apartment complex.

It happened near the University of North Georgia. The university says it is disappointed that students chose to ignore public health guidance by congregating in large groups without social distancing, without wearing masks.

And to be clear, Georgia does not have a statewide mask mandate. Many schools have had to shut down or limit in-person learning due to virus outbreaks as the new school year gets underway.

Joining me now is Dr. Saju Matthew. He is a primary care physician and a public health specialist. Thank you doctor for talking with us, and of course, for all you do.

SAJU MATTHEW, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN: Thank you Rosemary for having me again.

CHURCH: Absolutely. So, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved emergency use for a saliva test developed by the Yale School Of Public Health to detect COVID-19. Could this potentially be a game- changer do you think?

NATTHEW: I'm excited about the potential, Rosemary. I'm always a bit hesitant about when you expedite a test. How accurate will it be? The traditional test is still the nasal pharyngeal swab and that looks at genetic material. These point of care test like the saliva test looks at the protein. It is quick, it is fast, it will answer some questions about the supply chain issues, and also that uncomfortable swab.

The FDA is suggesting, Rosemary, that it is as accurate as the traditional PCR. So, I am excited, quick turnaround time, so that's what we need.

CHURCH: Yes. It absolutely is. And of course, we know at this point that for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. is seeing a downward trend in the number of COVID tests being done. Why is this happening at the same time as the Trump administration insists that enough tests are being done? Is there any correlation there?

MATTHEW: It's a bit confusing to know exactly what's happening but, you know, the virus is still there, Rosemary. We know that. The positivity rates in a lot of states are going up. Part of the reason why the number of cases or the hospitalizations might be going down is because of better care that we have now with remdesivir and steroids.

But ultimately, testing is the way out of this pandemic and we need to have that consistent messaging that unless you test, you don't really know who is infected.

CHURCH: Right. And CDC director, Dr. Robert Redfield, has warned of the worst fall ever if people don't get out and get their flu shot this season and do all the other things suggested like wearing a mask. Should there be more public service announcements to explain the importance of this to people because they're not hearing it from some of their leaders?

MATTHEW: That is correct. You know, I'm a primary care physician, Rosemary, and I see about 15 to 20 patients a day. I am a bit anxious about this upcoming fall season. We do already have a lot of Americans that are hesitant in getting the vaccine.

Up to 40 percent, maybe even higher of Americans do not want to get a flu vaccine that has been with us for decades. Especially this year with the combination of COVID-19 and the flu, and the fact that it's going to be difficult to distinguish the symptoms. The symptoms overlap. We really need to be clear about getting that flu vaccine as early as possible.

CHURCH: Maybe people will be smarter, of course, with COVID-19 out there and do just that. But also, we know that the CDC is also saying that once you test positive for COVID-19, you don't need to test again for three months.

[02:25:00]

What does this mean exactly because other study suggests antibodies only last for about 20 to 30 days?

MATTHEW: I think we need to be careful about this recent, if you will, kind of hidden announcement by the CDC. It was really sort of hidden in the pages of how do you quarantine yourself from being exposed to somebody with COVID-19?

Now, we know that patients who are severely ill have higher antibodies. Patient who have mild symptoms have lower antibodies. And as you mentioned, over about three to four weeks, those antibodies go down.

Now, if CDC is suggesting that you might have up to three months of immunity, we don't really know that and I think it's going to be really careful as physicians for us to have this clear message that we need to still act like we're infected because even though you might get a negative test today, the moment you step out of that house tomorrow, you are potentially re-exposed.

So, I still think that ultimately when the pandemic is over, Rosemary, we're going to find out that different people have different levels of immunity depending on their comorbid conditions age and health status. CHURCH: Dr. Saju Matthew, always a pleasure to talk with you. Thank

you so much.

MATTHEW: Thank you Rosemary.

CHURCH: Well, Barack Obama's name won't be on the ballot in 2020, but some argue his legacy could help Joe Biden win the election. A look at the Obama factor, that's next.

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CHURCH: Well, the Democratic National Convention kicks off in a matter of hours. And the party has a lot on its plate. The pandemic, the recession, racism, and civil unrest in the U.S.

[02:30:00]

And this week, we will hear from a who's who of Democratic Party leaders and rising stars. Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders headline Monday's speeches. Among some of the other speakers this week, Gretchen Whitmer is an outspoken critic of President Trump. The Michigan Governor's profile is on the rise, following her criticism of the federal government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): We're not in a political crisis where we should just negotiate and find some common ground here. We're in a public health crisis. We're in the midst of a global pandemic that has already killed almost 4,000 people in our state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, former presidential candidate and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar urged Biden to seize the moment and choose a woman of color as his running mate, even though that put her out of the running. She is a moderate who often takes a bipartisan approach to politics. And lifelong Republican John Kasich is a forthright critic of President Trump. He ran against Mr. Trump in the 2016 presidential primaries. And he also supported the president's impeachment. The former Ohio Governor is now standing behind Joe Biden in this race. Kasich told CNN's Don Lemon, why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KASICH, FORMER GOVERNOR OF OHIO: The great things that happen in our country, whatever they are, women's suffrage, civil rights, they happen when we come together, not when we're divided. So, I felt that Joe Biden would be a unifier and he would stop this division and we could get back to, you know, sort of a civil conversation. Could be arguments, could be strong, but at the end of the day, I think that he will include people not exclude them and stop the name calling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And one of the most high-profile speakers at the convention will be Joe Biden's former boss Barack Obama. The former president will likely look to energize voters who may see Biden's ticket as a return to the type of Obama-era politics they once knew and appreciated. CNN's M.J. Lee has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance.

M.J. LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: They call each other, brothers, family. Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden have long publicly flaunted their friendship.

OBAMA: Same time next week?

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Same time next week.

OBAMA: All right.

LEE: Now, Biden's former boss could play an outsized role in helping him take on President Trump in the fall. One of the most famous and popular Democrats in the country --

OBAMA: You're all feeling a sense of urgency.

LEE: -- Obama already making several high-profile campaign appearances on Biden's behalf. A virtual fundraiser in June --

OBAMA: There's nobody that I trust more to be able to heal this country and get it back on track than my dear friend, Joe Biden.

LEE: -- raising a whopping $11 million in one night. And there was this lengthy video recorded by the Biden campaign.

OBAMA: It all starts with being able to relate.

LEE: Featuring the two men discussing everything from COVID-19 to President Trump.

BIDEN: He ran by deliberately dividing people from the moment he came down that escalator. And I think people are now going, I don't want my kid growing up that way.

LEE: Obama not often going after Trump by name, but making clear that his successor is very much on his mind.

OBAMA: But even as we sit here, there are those in power who are doing their darndest to discourage people from voting. The Obama-Trump feud dating back years, Trump infamously embracing birtherism, relentlessly casting doubt on Obama's eligibility to be president.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Why doesn't he show his birth certificate? If he wasn't born in this country, which is a real possibility, then he is pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics.

LEE: Trump, yet again, flaming conspiracy theories this week.

BIDEN: Kamala Harris.

LEE: This time about Senator Kamala Harris, Biden's newly-named running mate who was born in Oakland, California.

TRUMP: So, I just heard that -- I heard it today that she doesn't meet the requirements.

LEE: Obama's advice on handling Trump --

OBAMA: You are not going to out-controversy this president. You're not going to get more attention. The circus that he runs is not something that Joe should try to compete with.

LEE: Now, former President Barack Obama will be speaking on Wednesday night. This is the third night of the Democratic National Convention. And we are told that the theme of that evening will be a more perfect union, where the Democratic Party tries to speak about the importance of moving the country past the Donald Trump era. Now, that evening is, of course, also when we will hear from Senator Kamala Harris, as she officially accepts her nomination from the party for the vice presidency. M.J. Lee, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:35:06]

CHURCH: And you can catch CNN's special coverage of the Democratic National Convention starting at 8:00 Eastern Time, Monday night. For our international viewers, that is at 1:00 a.m. Tuesday in London, 8:00 a.m. in Hong Kong. Well, the opposition movement in Belarus is swelling, one week after a highly-contested presidential election. On Sunday, a sea of protesters filled the capital Minsk, demanding the country's longtime president step down. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has our report.

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FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tens of thousands of people have turned out to this demonstration near the city center of Minsk to a demonstration that was called for by the opposition in Belarus. And so, they called for mass demonstrations on this day, and as you can see, many, many people followed that call. The crowds that we see here are very, very peaceful. And mostly, their message is also very common. They're calling for change. They want Alexander Lukashenko, the longtime dictator of this country, to step down, and they want new elections.

Now, of course, at this point in time, it doesn't seem as though Lukashenko seems to want to do that. He called for a rally of his own where pro-government forces actually bust in people from other parts of the country to have a demonstration in the city center of Minsk. Lukashenko also made an appearance at that demonstration. He shows no signs of wanting to step down. He still says that he won the contested election last Sunday by getting about 80 percent of the votes. But as you can see, the masses who are coming out here say, they do not one second believe that that is true. They believe the opposition are the ones who won the election, and they are calling for a new election, for Lukashenko to step down, and also, for an end to police brutality. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Minsk, Belarus.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Well, coronavirus concerns are prompting New Zealand to move its general election back by for weeks. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the new election date will be October 17th. The nation's most populous city, Auckland, is dealing with a recent outbreak of the virus after more than 100 days with no locally transmitted infections. And in the last 24 hours, the country has reported nine new cases. And for more on this, we want to turn to journalist Angus Watson. He joins us live from Sydney, Australia. Good to see you. So, talk to us about what is happening there in New Zealand and the reaction, as well, to the delaying of the election.

ANGUS WATSON, JOURNALIST: Well, Rosemary, it wasn't so long ago that New Zealand was celebrating over 100 days without a case of COVID-19 transmitted in the community. Now, it's had 58 cases in a week, all centered on this cluster in its largest city, Auckland, as you mentioned. 100,000 tests have been done in that country of 5 million people since those tests were first came up positive around a week ago. And what they found is that is a cluster of Coronavirus that they're unsure of its source. They're still trying to determine what that is.

And the government of New Zealand that Jacinda Arden believes that it's not safe right now to hold an election. So, she's pushed it back by four weeks. She could have pushed the election back as far as November. She has chosen this date of October 17th, instead, and hoping that Coronavirus might be knocked -- might be -- this cluster of Coronavirus might be hit on the head by then. Take a listen to what she had to say this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACINDA ARDERN, PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND: Ultimately, the 17th of October in approximately nine weeks' time, provides sufficient time for parties to plan around the range of circumstances we could be campaigning under, for the Electoral Commission to prepare, and for voters to feel assured of a safe, accessible, and credible election. Due to this decision, I am proposing that Parliament reconvene tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Now, of course, this isn't a decision that the government of any country would make lightly. And this isn't a decision that Prime Minister Arden would have really wanted to make politically. Her Labour Party is in the ascendancy in the lead up to this election. She has sky high approval ratings, and her opposition is in tatters. They've had -- the National Party there in New Zealand, the governmental opposition has had three leaders this year. So, it was dreading this poll. Ardern is looking forward to it, you could say, and she'll hope that Coronavirus will be in a situation by October, where it can go ahead, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, well, she had eliminated in the early stages there. So, she certainly got the population on her side. We'll watch to see what happens there. Angus Watson joining us live from Sydney. Many thanks. Well, South Africa has some of the highest COVID-19 numbers in the world, but officials say it's time to ease restrictions. A live report from Johannesburg, coming up next.

[02:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, some European countries hit hard in the early stages of the pandemic are seeing a resurgence in new cases. Local outbreaks in Spain have led to thousands of new infections. Officials there are bringing back some social distancing measures to curb the spread. France reported more than 3,000 new cases on Sunday, its second highest daily jump since mid-May. And starting Monday, Italy is shutting down discos across the country. It's also requiring people to wear masks outside during the day in crowded areas.

Well, now to a troubling report from Iraq. The health ministry there says the country recorded its highest daily increase of new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is with me now. So, Jomana, what is driving this increase in New COVID cases, and what's the government doing about it?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, we've been seeing this since the start of the outbreak in Iraq back in March. The numbers are continuing to rise, this pattern that we're seeing of almost every day. We're hearing that Iraq is recording in new daily high. And the concern right now is we've gotten to a point where the government is really struggling to contain and control the outbreak.

Earlier in the year, they did put some strict measures in place, curfews, lockdowns restricting the movement of people. But, you know, some would tell you that there was lacks enforcement, that people were not really following the measures. And what we saw in -- starting in April, is the government began easing a lot of the restrictions, especially when it comes to the movement of people across the country. And even now, Rosemary, as we're seeing these numbers, continuing to rise.

[02:45:01]

The Iraqi government is reducing curfew hours and easing a lot of these restrictions and, you know, it's -- a lot of this is being driven by the country's economic struggles. Like, so many other countries around the world, the state of the economy is really dictating how the country deals with the pandemic. You know, the Iraqi government is really reliant on oil revenue. More than 90 percent of the country's budget, its spending is based on oil revenue. And this year, of course, the price of oil and the demand on oil has been -- has gone down significantly, and that has impacted the Iraqi government. So, they have been already struggling to pay state employees, let alone trying to deal with the rest of the population.

And now, when it comes to the Iraqi people, I mean, you hear health officials, they are voicing their frustration, saying, that people are not really adhering to the measures, that they're asking people to stay at home more. They're asking people to continue to follow the guidelines on social distancing and wearing masks. But a lot of the population, Rosemary, depends on daily wages. This is how people earn their living, their day labor, especially in hotspots like Baghdad. A lot of people -- basically, to feed their families, they have to go out, they have to work. And work means working in crowded environments in these busy markets, in densely populated areas.

So, social distancing and staying at home is a luxury that people really cannot afford. So, it's a very complicated situation. And it's very difficult for Iraq to try and find that balance between dealing with the economic situation and trying to control the pandemic. And we're hearing the warnings there from health officials saying that it is likely going to get worse. You know, this is a country where the health sector, the health infrastructure has really been impacted, decimated really, by years of sanctions, corruption, and war. And the biggest concern is we're already seeing it that it is going to struggle to deal with the pandemic, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, these are difficult choices for people right across the globe, in fact. Jomana Karadsheh, many thanks for that live report, appreciate it. We turn to Latin America now, in the Caribbean, where more than 6 million coronavirus infections have now been confirmed. Brazil, the worst-hit country in the region saw another 23,000 cases on Sunday, while nearby Colombia reported more than 11,000. And this weekend, Peru past Mexico for the sixth highest case total in the world, and the second highest among Latin-American countries.

Well, South Africa is easing its lockdown restrictions. This, as the country's president says, infections appear to have peaked. South Africa has recorded more than half of Africa's known coronavirus cases. Johns Hopkins University says it ranks fifth worldwide for reported infections. So, let's get more now on this with CNN's David McKenzie. He joins us live from Johannesburg. Good to see you, David. It has to be said, though, that other countries have learned that easing restrictions too early can set the stage for a new wave of cases. How cautious will South Africa be with this?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think that's a very big worry of the government. And just a short time ago, the president sent out a note saying, you know, that the second wave is a possibility and this couldn't be a free for all now. They have had, though, five months of very strict restrictions here in South Africa. So, it's not the case that it's a quick lockdown and then eased off. It was one of the earliest lockdowns relative to the spread of this disease across the world. Now, some of the key things that are happening is they're going to rescind the alcohol ban that was put back in place, as well as the cigarette ban, which has been in place for many months now.

They will allow interprovincial travel, but still international travel is banned, and large groupings are not allowed, and masks are mandatory. So, it is still certain restrictions, but I think there was a feeling from the government as they see hospitalizations ease off, if not community spread necessarily that they needed to open up the rest of the economy to try and kickstart what has been a devastated economy. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Very true. David McKenzie, many thanks for bringing us that live report from Johannesburg. Well, after the break, a heartwarming story about the power of social media. How one small farmer became an internet celebrity in India, we'll explain.

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CHURCH: OK, I'll explain this. Absolutely shocking images from the Moto Grand Prix in Spielberg, Austria. Franco Morbidelli's bike collides with Johann Zarco. Both riders would walk away relatively unscathed, believe it or not, but worth another look here because their bikes continue on without them and come within inches of fellow competitors, Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales. And you can see from some of the onboard camera replays, just how close they all came to sheer disaster. Spectacular footage there, just incredible.

Well, India is among the world's fastest growing markets for online video site, YouTube. It's seen major growth in rural areas, especially for content about farming. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout reports on a rags- to-riches tale of a farmer turned celebrity, thanks to a YouTube comedy show, and it's part of a new series called "TECH FOR GOOD."

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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Living in a small farming village in India, a grandmother of eight is an unlikely candidate to become an overnight YouTube celebrity. But somehow, that is exactly what Gangavva Milkuri from Lambadipally has done. She is the star of a comedy series called "My Village Show," watched by millions online.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) camera, action.

GANGAVVA MILKURI, ACTRESS, MY VILLAGE SHOW (through translator): I think people like the weird talk. I am an old lady, you know, and I'm not educated. I didn't even finish my first grade. I never imagined that this show would be such a success.

TEXT: Police! Get off the bike.

STOUT: This particular post has been viewed more than 30 million times on YouTube.

TEXT: What have we done wrong?

TEXT: Why is she overreacting?

TEXT: Nothing, sir, she's just mentally ill. TEXT: I will pay the fine. How dare you say I am mentally ill.

STOUT: Gangavva's son-in-law is a filmmaker, who's also provided CNN with the footage for this story. He's the one who discovered her acting talent.

SRIKANTH SRIRAM, FILMMAKER: She act very naturally before the camera, in front of the camera. So, it's very advantageous. Fans are liking that kind of attitude.

STOUT: A team of nine people worked on "My Village Show." Last year, YouTube sent them a golden plaque for reaching a million subscribers. Through advertising placed on the videos, a steady income is generated for the village. The woman who had never traveled further than the next village is now a celebrated YouTube personality. Her talents have also been cast on the silver screen and Telugu language movies.

MILKURI (through translator): I take selfies with people who come to visit the village. There are a lot of people that come here to see me.

STOUT: India's YouTube sensation says she wants to keep growing her audience and show her fans that anyone can dream big.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Isn't she marvelous? And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be right back with more news in just a moment. You're watching CNN.

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