Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Chinese City Offers Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine; Coronavirus in the United States as New Cases in Past Week Versus Previous Week; Discussion on Coronavirus Stimulus Relief; U.S. Stocks Sink on Dashed Hopes for Stimulus; U.S. States Say they have their Vaccine Plans Filed; U.K. Signs First Contract for First Virus Human Challenge Trials; Palestinian Negotiator Battling COVID-19; French First Lady in Self-Isolation; Merkel Urging Germans to Stay Home, Avoid Gatherings; Europe Tightens Virus Restrictions as Cases Soar; President Trump Campaign with Dirty Attacks; COVID-19 Paints a Grim Scenario for U.S.; Ireland Facing Six Weeks Lockdown; Boris Johnson Fed Up with Officials Bickering. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 20, 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 around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.
Just Ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They're getting tired of the pandemic, aren't they? They're getting tired of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Downplaying the pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump rallies in states with rising case numbers. Ignoring the science that's meant to keep people safe and attacking anyone supporting it.
Plus, cities across Europe see COVID-19 restrictions take effect, this as record cases of hospitalizations sweep across the continent.
And later, China is offering an experimental vaccine to select members of the public. We will have a live report from Hong Kong.
Good to have you with us.
And we start with a major problem for the U.S. President. With two weeks to go until election day, Donald Trump needs to convince Americas that he has the coronavirus under control. But the numbers tell a very different story. In 27 states the number of new COVID cases has risen by more than 10
percent versus a week ago. And hospitalizations are also on the rise and nearly every state. But the pain being felt by victims is not the story the president wants to talk about.
In fact, this was the scene in Arizona on Monday. People sitting shoulder to shoulder, many without masks as they turned out to hear Mr. Trump tell them everything would be fine. And his message has been clear. Trust me, don't trust doctors and scientists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You know, Biden wants to lock it down. He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci.
(CROWD BOOING)
TRUMP: He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci. He's going to lock down. This guy wants to lock down. He will listen to the scientists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And we get more on the president's day from CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: With the election day fast approaching, President Trump sounds like his running not against Democrat Joe Biden but against the man who's arguably the nation's most trusted health expert on the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I don't want to hurt him. He's been there for about 350 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The president his day of attacks on Fauci on a call with campaign staffers.
(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)
TRUMP: People are tired of COVID. I have the biggest people are saying whatever. Just leave us alone. They are tired of it. People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots. Fauci is a disaster. If I listened to him, we'd have 500,000 deaths.
(END VOICE CLIP)
ACOSTA: Fauci got under the president's skin appearing on 60 Minutes where the infectious diseases expert said he wasn't surprised when Mr. Trump contracted COVID-19.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I was worried that he was going to get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of crowded, no separation between people and almost nobody wearing a mask. Nothing good can come out of that. That's got to be a problem. And then sure enough it turned out to be a super spreader event.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Drawing thousands of supporters who aren't wearing masks, the president is on an anti-science crusade at his rallies, accusing Biden of siding with the experts on the virus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Biden wants to lock it down. He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci.
He'll listen to the scientists. If I listen totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Biden responded to that charge of listening to the scientists with one word on Twitter, yes. Contrast that with Fauci who said he's been muzzled by the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAUCI: You know, I think there has been a restriction, John. But it doesn't -- it isn't consistent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The president snapped back at that remark too.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: He gets a lot of television. He loves being on television. We let him do it. Sometimes he says things that are a little bit off and they get built up unfortunately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: But sources have told CNN for weeks that the president has opted to listen to the questionable advice coming from another doctor on the coronavirus task force, Scott Atlas, who tweeted a post had said masks work? No. A comment removed by Twitter because it violated the social media platforms rules. As most experts believe masks are effective.
Atlas has become such a lightning rod, the Washington Post reported task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx complained to the vice president's office about him. In the meantime, the president is escalating his attacks on Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[03:04:58]
TRUMP: Joe Biden is a criminal and he's been a criminal for a long time. And you are a criminal in the media for not reporting it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Biden is asking voters to reject the president on character grounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Words of a president matter. The words this president has used that our children have heard, our sons and our daughters, have been despicable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: A Trump advisor questions the president's decision to attack Fauci two weeks before the elections, saying the campaign is already struggling to keep up with Biden's massive spending advantage. Adding, time is running out. Being outspent is a problem. No one ever thought we would be outspent. Time is our enemy. The president is more confident.
(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)
TRUMP: We're going to win. I would've said that three weeks ago, three weeks ago, two weeks ago. I don't know, I would've said it.
(END VOICE CLIP)
ACOSTA: A campaign advisor said the president's attacks on Dr. Fauci are ill-advised as they remind Americans of Mr. Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a subject campaign official desperately want to avoid.
Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.
CHURCH: Joining me now is CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He is a professor of medicine at George Washington University. Thank you, doctor, for being with us.
JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: My pleasure.
CHURCH: Now I do want to start by getting your reaction to President Trump repeatedly lashing out at Dr. Anthony Fauci Monday, calling him a disaster and an idiot. What do you say to a U.S. president who attacks this country's top infectious diseases expert in the midst of a pandemic?
REINER: Yes, it's indescribable. I don't understand the politics. And there is no way to understand the public health benefit for that. It's kind of like being on an airplane in a thunderstorm and hearing a fight going on in the cockpit. It's very disquieting to see this kind of chaos coming from the White House. Anthony Fauci is a preeminent scientist and physician. He's been that way for 40 years. He understand what -- he understands very well what needs to be done now. The president just doesn't want to hear it. And he is lashing out at Dr. Fauci.
I wonder sometimes whether what bothers him most is that the public's perception of Dr. Fauci as substantially more favorable against the public's perception of the president? I wonder if that is what bothers him the most.
CHURCH: Right, and of course Dr. Fauci says U.S. COVID cases are high because this nation hasn't shut down as much as other countries. Not early enough, and not for long enough. But he's not advocating a national shut down just yet. He wants to see every American wear a mask.
If they did that right now, could that avoid a shutdown? And at the same time, can it turn this around, if of course, in conjunction with that we had better testing in place?
REINER: Absolutely. Look, the goal is in any pandemic, the goal is to achieve some form of herd immunity. Now the usual way to do that, the most efficacious way to do that is with the vaccine which I think we'll have very, very soon. But another way to get herd immunity is for 80 percent of the population to wear a mask. Masks are effective at preventing transmission. Masks also prevent the person wearing them from acquiring the virus.
And if more than 80 percent of this country wore masks, we would effectively have herd immunity. Now the way the president's now principal adviser Scott Atlas wants this country to attain herd immunity by basically letting the virus rip through large portions of this country, essentially unabated, would result in the deaths of probably at least two million people in this country.
So why don't we start with the masks? Let's start with something simple like that and very effective. And let's see where it takes us before we start shutting down. Why not do what's easiest first?
CHURCH: yes. It does seem to be the easiest and the most obvious solution here. But medical experts are very concerned about the weeks ahead, expecting the darkest days to be in the next 6 to 12 weeks. The U.S. death toll already makes up 20 percent of all global deaths. How bad are you expecting this to be by the end of 2020?
REINER: Well it's already getting bad. If you look at the most recent seven-day moving average of cases in the United States, it's now at 57,000 cases per day. We're averaging about 700 or so deaths per day.
[03:09:53]
If we start to take up from here, if we get to, let's say, 70,000 cases per day, that's going to equate to about 1,500 deaths per day. And then you can really start to get a sense for how the deaths continue to mount. So, we've been through dark times. This winter is going to be
difficult. But I am very optimistic that we are going to have, probably, at least two vaccines available. Maybe the next one is or the first one is as early as next month. But we have to get there.
It's going to take a long time to vaccinate this country. And we have to protect ourselves until that point. And the easiest way to do that is to social distance, wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid crowds. And then we'll get through this period of time. And next summer should be much better than last summer.
CHURCH: That is such great advice. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, thank you so much for joining us.
REINER: My pleasure.
CHURCH: Well COVID cases are rising across the world. We will start in South America. Argentina is the 5th country to report more than one million coronavirus cases. It follows the U.S., India, Brazil, and Russia, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Meanwhile, in Europe, the World Health Organization says about half of European countries have seen an increase in cases. And you can see those countries with the highest rate of increase in red on this map we have up there for you. Increased cases usually come before a surge in hospitalizations and eventually deaths. And the WHO is worried about those weekly trends.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL RYAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHO HEALTH EMERGENCIES PROGRAMME: Going back to even a couple of months, we would have had maybe 2,000 to 3,000 deaths per week even as much as -- even as much as two months -- two months ago. But now we are seeing a very large increase in the number of deaths per week. And it's now approaching something like 8, eight and a half thousand deaths per week across 48 countries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And CNN is covering this pandemic from every angle. We have reporters across Europe and the U.K., France, and Germany, looking at new restrictions and significant pushback. We're also in the Middle East and in Hong Kong examining China's progress with vaccine experiments.
But first Manchester, England is a flash point in the lockdown battle. Local leaders face a deadline to reach a deal with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Or be forced into England's toughest restriction category.
While England argues, Wales has decided on a two-week lockdown beginning Friday. Everyone will stay home except critical workers and those in jobs where work from home is not possible. And in Ireland, from Wednesday, no social gatherings in homes or gardens and no dining out. And for the latest on all these developments, Sam Abdelaziz is in
Manchester, England. And Nic Robertson is in London. Good to see you both. Nic, let's go to you first. These are very extensive restrictions for Ireland. How is this being received?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: These are the tier five restrictions. I think there is wide acceptance in Ireland that people were expecting and feeling the need, if you will, to -- for these restrictions to come in. The government is trying to ameliorate the economic impact by providing money for those whose businesses will be closed down. All but essential retail stores will close.
Everyone who can work from home must work from home. People should not travel on public transport unless they have a very compelling reason to do so, or are effectively emergency workers.
The government has been under pressure for the past two weeks from scientists who have been saying you need to move to the highest level of restrictions. One of the reasons is the health capacity in Ireland. When you look at the sort of the statistics for how many coronavirus cases there are in Ireland, it's about the middle of the pack in Europe, 261 per 100,000.
But their hospital capacity is limited. They have 298 people with COVID-19 in hospital already, another 20 were admitted yesterday, 34 of those are in ICU beds, 131,000, rather, 1,031 people were tested positive registered for coronavirus yesterday.
So, the statistics have been mounting up. Micheal Martin, the prime minister there, Taoiseach in Ireland announced these restrictions and appeared to do it with somewhat of a heavy heart. And gave people the goal of Christmas, six weeks these restrictions will be in place. The idea being that by Christmas some better Christmas maybe enjoyed by the population of Ireland. This is how he phrased that.
[03:15:07]
MICHEAL MARTIN, IRISH TAOISEACH: It won't be the same Christmas that we've enjoyed in years past. But if we all pull together and follow the spirit of these new rules, it will be a special time. And we give us all some respite from the horror (Ph) of the last seven months.
If each of us does what is asked of us, for a period of just six weeks, we will suppress this virus and we will emerge from these restrictions on the first of December.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: But this is a government that is fully aware of the impact, not just economic. He spoke also about the mental, psychological impact on people. And the government will be trying to help in that capacity as well.
CHURCH: OK. Thank you so much, Nic. Salma, let's go to you now. And what's the latest on negotiations over restrictions in Manchester? SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: Well, Rosemary, after 10 days of
talks, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government says they are fed up. They are saying that they will impose tier three restrictions on the city of Manchester unilaterally if a deal is not reached by midday today.
This is, of course, a very dramatic conclusion to this political bickering that we've seen between authorities here in Manchester and the government over their plans to impose the highest level of restrictions on the city. They would shut down pubs, bars, potentially gyms, and ban households from mixing together by and large.
The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is arguing against this has essentially been that, a, he disagrees with the strategy of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He wants to see a nationwide lockdown. But short of that he's been arguing that he stands for low paid workers here in Manchester.
He says if the government wants to impose these restrictions it needs to provide a financial package strong enough to help affected businesses. He's been calling for 80 percent of wages to be paid by the government to anyone affected under these restrictions. There did seem to be signs of progress yesterday. Of course, those now are half fallen. We are waiting for that midday deadline.
But it's important to remember Manchester is just one city. Yes, it is a large city but it is just one city. While these politicians bicker over restrictions, we've already heard from the House Secretary Matt Hancock that they've started negotiations with other areas and other regions over raising their restriction levels.
So, while these politicians are bickering over measures and what to do, the virus is continuing to spread. Just to give you an idea, here in Greater Manchester, Downing Street says that the region will run out of ICU capacity in just a matter of weeks.
Meanwhile, of course, the United Kingdom's four nations are each acting independently. Wales, for example, will be imposing a nationwide lockdown for a couple of weeks, that of course is again in opposition to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's regional strategy. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. Nic Robertson in London. Salma Abdelaziz in Manchester. Thank you to both of you for joining us.
Well just two days to go until the second and final U.S. presidential debate and two weeks until the election. President Trump's message to voters when we come back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: You can go and vote today they say. Today, go out and vote.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Thursday's U.S. presidential debate may have a different feel to it than the first one. The commission that runs the debates has decided to mute the candidate's microphones during their opponent's initial responses. They are hoping to avoid President Trump and Joe Biden talking over each other.
Mr. Trump after two campaign rallies in Arizona said he thinks it's very unfair, but he will still participate.
And we get more now on his day from CNN's Jeremy Diamond.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: While President Trump continuing his mad dance to election day on Monday, barnstorming the state of Arizona with two stops, one in Prescot, and right here in Tucson, Arizona. Now this is a state that President Trump won by four points in 2016.
But now, according to the most recent polling averages the president is down, trailing Biden by an average of the same margin. Four points once again. So, this is certainly a must win state for the president.
And again, what we are seeing from him familiar lines of attack throwing out red meat to the base and attacking the Biden family calling them a criminal enterprise at this rally here in Tucson by focusing on those unsubstantiated and false allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden.
So, it's clear that while the president is appealing to the base, not quite clear yet how he is appealing to those voters turned off by him, particularly the issue of the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump on Monday really continuing to downplay the pandemic, attacking Dr. Anthony Fauci who is the most trusted public health expert and the government's leading expert on this virus and on infectious diseases, but the president seems to have decided at this point that he is just going to focus on himself and on doing what he wants to do as it relates to the virus.
And that certainly includes continuing to have these large-scale rallies where thousands of people attended as they did in Tucson, Arizona on Monday. Now what's interesting here is that the president's advisers, including his campaign manager Bill Stepien and the RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, back in July when coronavirus cases were surging then, they advised the president not to resume his rallies.
But now as cases are surging once again the attitude seems to be that there are just two weeks left until election day. And therefore, the president just needs to carry on.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN in Tucson, Arizona.
CHURCH: Well, Joe Biden is staying off the campaign trail this week. He has nothing on his schedule for the next couple of days as he prepares for Thursday's debate with Donald Trump, but his running mate Kamala Harris is back out there. Harris was in Florida on Monday. Her first public events since the members of her campaign team tested positive for the coronavirus last week.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is so much on the ballot in 2020. Justice is on the ballot in 2020. Economic justice is on the ballot in 2020. Climate justice is on the ballot in 2020. Healthcare is on the ballot in 2020. Reproductive justice is on the ballot in 2020. Criminal justice reform is on ballot in 2020. Climate reform is on the ballot in 2020. Everything is on the ballot in 2020. Joe Biden is on the ballot in 2020.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And Biden has another powerful voice hitting the trail. Barack Obama will be will make his first live campaign appearance for Biden on Wednesday. The former president will campaign in Pennsylvania, one of the most important swing states.
Joining me via Skype is Chris Kofinis. He is a Democratic strategist and former communications director for John Edwards. Good to have you with us.
CHRIS KOFINIS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thank you. Good to be here.
CHURCH: So, President Trump was clearly not happy with Dr. Anthony Fauci's 60 Minutes interview Sunday. Attacking him Monday, calling Dr. Fauci an idiot and a disaster, and saying people are tired of the virus. All this coming as infections surge. And two weeks before the election, he is picking on this most respected doctor. Why would the president be doing this? How dangerous is a strategy like this?
KOFINIS: Well, I mean, if there is any logic to the strategy, it is that he is targeting his base. There is no question that, you know, in our research, the research that we have done, Republicans have a very different view of the virus. Of the various measures to address the virus than Democrats do.
[03:24:55]
And so, in a weird way, and now it's not logical. It's definitely not presidential. But it is strategic as much as Trump can be strategic because he has clearly come to terms or come to the terms with the simple fact that if he doesn't get his base out, he doesn't have much of a path to victory.
So that's the only logical reason because on the flip side of that, you know, those kinds of attacks alien out -- alienate independents, they alienate the undecided voters. So, there is not a lot of, you know, strategy there to try to win over new voters. This is about bringing his voters out as much as this can.
CHURCH: And his rival Joe Biden put out the statement warning his party and supporters not to get complacent, and this despite polls showing Biden in the lead. When you look at all these reputable polls, do you understand though why you, Democrats, still very wary because of what happened in 2016? And do you see any path to victory for Donald Trump? Or you're just not willing to accept that you've got this in the bag?
KOFINIS: Well, the ghost of 2016 are pretty hard to exercise. I mean, they are -- they still haunt the Democratic Party and the country, you know, and it's almost four years later. So, I think when people look back in 2016, what they saw were a lot of missed signs, a lot of missed signs in terms of the base where the president had at that time.
I think a lot of signs in terms of the level of dissatisfaction that there was towards both campaigns. But we really focused on Trump especially in the media and others. So, I think when you boil it all down, it's really hard to forget how this happened in '16. So, I think people are, you know, understandably and rightfully concerned and nervous about 2020. You know, is this going to be a repeat of 2016?
There are some obviously profound differences. He's running as an incumbent. He's got a record. I think people have seen his schtick for about four years now. And there is, you know, clear evidence in our research that voters are tired even his own supporters.
CHURCH: And top officials who worked under former President George W. Bush have put out an ad endorsing Joe Biden. Let's just take a look at some of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We understand the character, experience, and frankly the empathy required for leadership because we've seen it firsthand. We all served with the 43th president. But come election day, every last one of us on this team is voting for Biden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: This of course is extraordinary, because while George W. Bush is not directly endorsing Biden, his image is on clear display along with Biden. How powerful is an ad like this involving the last Republican U.S. president? They are basically endorsed, if you like --
KOFINIS: Yes.
CHURCH: -- Joe Biden. A Democrat.
KOFINIS: I mean, here's the -- you know, it's a nice ad. It speaks to a very super elite Republican audience. To be brutally true -- truthful about it, it's not going to move many voters, primarily because the Trump Republican Party is very different than the Bush Republican Party. That, you know, when you look at the percentage of support that the president has amongst Republicans, it's pretty, you know, it's pretty high. It is in the 90 percent, depending which poll you look at which state.
So that kind of, you know, that kind of an ad, that kind of appeal, if you will, may work with some, you know, more establishment type of Republicans. But in terms of moving your rank in file Republicans across, you know, the country or some of these key backgrounds, it's not really going to -- it's not really going to work. And the Republican Party is very different under President Trump. The
reason why he won is because he appealed to a segment of voters that was very different than some of the voters that voted for George W. Bush, let alone his father.
CHURCH: Chris Kofinis, thank you so much for joining us.
KOFINIS: Thank you so much.
CHURCH: And now to Pennsylvania where the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Republican's attempt to require mail-in ballots be received by election day. The court says officials can count these ballots if they are received within three days of election day even if they do not have a postmark.
Lawyers for the Republicans tried to argue that accepting ballots after November 3rd would inject chaos into the election process. Pennsylvania is a key battleground state in the U.S. election.
Well just ahead, millions of Americas struggling financially because of the pandemic, awaiting to see if a new stimulus deal with get approved today.
And one city in China is offering some people an experimental vaccine for COVID-19. How many are racing to try and get it without even knowing if it's safe. We will take a look at that.
[03:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: The United States reported more than 54,000 new COVID infections on Monday and that's according to Johns Hopkins University. And that takes the country passed 8.2 million cases. More than half of U.S. states are reporting an increase in infections compared to last week. Hospitalizations are also on the rise with states like Colorado seeing their highest number of patients since may.
CNN's Brian Todd has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Denver people playing pickup basketball in a city park not wearing masks. Despite the mayor's new orders that city residents know have to wear masks even in outdoor settings. If there was anyone who is not in their household.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are higher than we have ever been over the course of this pandemic.
TODD: Colorado is one of 12 Americans states now seeing their highest seven-day averages. Another is Illinois, where Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has a warning for residents if they don't see a dramatic turnaround in their numbers and soon.
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT (D-CHICAGO): We will not hesitate to take the steps that are necessary to save our city, to save our residents and even if that means going back to some of our phase three restrictions.
TODD: Experts say the falls surge of coronavirus has arrived and the numbers bear that out. 27 states now trending up in new cases reported. The number of new cases per day is up 40 percent over the past month with the U.S. averaging more than 55,000 new cases each day.
JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE AND VIRAL SPECIALIST: The virus has now seeded every part of the country. So, it is going to be very difficult to completely stop it, but what we need to do now is seriously to hunker down more than ever in the things -- with the things that we know work. Which are to wear masks. Wash our hands and socially distance.
TODD: One of America's top experts spares nothing in his assessment of the period the countries is entering.
MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY: The next six to 12 weeks are going to be the darkest of the entire pandemic. Vaccines will not become available in any meaningful way until early to third quarter of next year. And even then, half of the U.S. population at this point is skeptical even taking the vaccine.
TODD: In Wisconsin, still experiencing devastating spikes. A top health official says many residents of the state still do not get the danger.
PAUL CASEY, MEDICAL DIRECTOR BELLIN HEALTH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: Unfortunately there is an alarming lack of understanding about this disease. And unfortunately, a lot of people still think it is a hoax, so 50 percent of the population refuses to wear masks.
[03:35:08]
TODD: In Houston on Monday, young children arrived at school as the district begins a phased approach to in-person learning.
GRENITA LATHAN, INTERIM SUPERINTENDENTSCHOOL DISTRICT: What was most impressive is our student getting off the bus with their masks on as you can tell. And some of them have masks that we have provided or some of them had their own masks.
TODD: But in Atlanta, school officials citing unfavorable trends in the virus are postponing in-person learning until January. Despite precautions like that, America's top voice on the pandemic says one of the reasons America has been the country hardest hit by this virus is because it did not shut down as early or as strictly as European countries did.
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE: We know now that we are living through a historic pandemic. The likes of which we have not experienced as a civilization in the last hundred and two years.
TODD: Still, Dr. Anthony Fauci says a nationwide lockdown is not the way forward unless the pandemic, he says, gets quote, really, really bad. He says that we should put the idea of a shutdown away for now. And instead have a national resolve to use the public health measures that were recommended. Get the country back on track and bring some of those horrific fall numbers back down.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Millions of Americans are waiting to see if U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, can agree on an economic stimulus plan to help people hurt by the pandemic. Pelosi said today as the deadline to agree on a deal if it is past before Election Day, but with no deal insight all three major indices ended Monday sharply lower. And it was a wild ride for the DOW which swung more than 570 points between its highs and lows.
Well, CNN's John Defterios joins us now from Abu Dhabi to discuss this. Good to see you, John. And it has to be said, I mean, with millions of Americans thrust into poverty due to this pandemic, how is it possible that the U.S. politicians can't agree on a stimulus plan, and with this deadline just hours away, how likely is it that this will be done?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, as you say, Rosemary, it is really surprising they can't move the ball forward or down the court if you will. And people are getting lost in this political high stakes game. Nancy Pelosi trying to put some urgency into the matter here by putting their 48 hour deadline. But it doesn't seem to be moving the needle because there is fundamental differences and on philosophies as well.
But let's look at the three major players. Pelosi, Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary and Mitch McConnell, the House Democrats under Pelosi are at $2.2 trillion. Our sources for CNN and Washington are saying that the president is willing to go to $2 trillion.
If you think about the Senate Republicans, it never budged off of a half a trillion dollars and then another core issue is Democrats wanting to bail out city and states, because they have very strained pension systems with very high union membership as the political issue.
Republicans are saying we just don't want to go for this, so we have that shakeup if you will on Wall Street on Monday. We have the Asian markets largely higher with the exception of the Nikkei Index which is trending lower, but no shock to the system.
And if you look at U.S., futures are trading higher as well by as much as nearly two thirds of 1 percent. So, we have that shock on the anniversary of the 1987 crash which was yesterday, but stability today.
But the fundamental issue that is really at the core of all this, Rosemary it's the White House under Republican control and the Senate Republicans, the president and Steven Mnuchin unable to close that gap. It shows you the divisions within the party right now. That so many Senators out for reelection and with their anchor tied to President Trump, they are trying to create some distance between the two.
CHURCH: There is a lot of politics involved in this. In the meantime, so many Americans hurting so very much. John Defterios, thank you so much for joining. I appreciate it.
Well, we all know a vaccine is needed to help in the pandemic, but here in the United States there is still have no idea how they are going to pay for vaccine distribution once a drug is approve, according to state officials. Well, Friday was the deadline for states to submit their plans to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC gave $200 million to states for preparedness and planning, but in association representing them says that is not nearly enough money. It is asking Congress for $8.4 billion to help distribute and administer vaccines once they are available.
Well, China says it has the coronavirus mostly under control and its economy is starting to bounce back. And now one city is offering an experimental COVID 19 vaccine to select members of the public.
[03:40:01]
People started getting injections over the weekend. Two doses for about $60. The vaccine hasn't been fully tested, but there's clearly a demand for it anyway, of course.
CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us now live from Hong Kong. Kristie, I mean given this experimental vaccine has not being fully tested. Is China tracking the people, it's selling this to in order to ensure they don't experience negative reactions or perhaps worse?
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, that is a critical question. The answer is in this case, yes. The company behind this experimental vaccine that was distributed in Yiwu, is SinoVac, and SinoVac isn't testing for any possible effects, negative side effects from this vaccine.
CNN sent a team to Yiwu, this eastern Chinese city to look into these reports from over the weekend that the city was giving out experimental coronavirus vaccines to the general population. They found out that yes indeed that was happening. One clinic was offering these vaccines from the Chinses pharmaceutical maker SinoVac. Children were not being vaccinated here. You had to be an adult between the age of 18 or 59 to get one of these vaccines.
You had to purchase it. Two doses for 60 U.S. Dollars, around 400 Renminbi and they were being distributed at a first come first served basis. So by the time David Culver and his team arrived at the clinic they had already run out of vaccines. But what they found instead was fascinating.
They encountered a group of Chinese nationals who even flew from neighboring provinces to rush into Yiwu to be able to spend money to get vaccinated with these experimental vaccines, not because of the threat that the coronavirus poses inside China, but because of a desire to travel internationally again.
Now, inside China, there is demand for experimental vaccines, and there is trust in these vaccines. Since July, hundreds of thousands of people in China have been vaccinated with these experimental coronavirus vaccines under an emergency use ordinance and it was authorized by the Chinese government. These individuals include frontline medical workers as well as border patrol agents.
But disease experts have been warning that there could be harmful side effects to these experimental vaccines. And not only that, even coronavirus vaccines that would pass human trials could pose a risk. Now listen to what this Hong Kong based virologists of Hong Kong University School of Medicine said on that point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIN DONG-YAN, VIROLOGIST, HONG KONG UNIVERSITY: In the history of vaccine developments, there are many examples that even if the vaccine has passed the phase three trials, still there might be problems. Whether there might be (inaudible) in this case of SARS COVID 2, it is still unknown and we have to find out. And only after completion of the phase three, can we have a definite answer to that. Otherwise, it is risky.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LU STOUT: A coronavirus vaccine that would past human trials would still be risky. Not only that China's vaccine industry has a troubled safety record, over the last decade has been hit a number of scandals, including vaccine scandals involving vaccines intended to be used by children.
But nevertheless, despite all these points of risk, a number of people inside China are clamoring to take an experimental coronavirus vaccine. The demand apparently is there. Rosemary.
CHURCH: It is a very disturbing way to test a new vaccine. Kristie Lu Stout joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks.
Well, the U.K. will conduct a first human challenge trials for potential COVID-19 vaccines at the beginning of next year. The British government is working with Irish pharmaceutical company Open-Orphan (ph) on the trials to determine whether vaccine candidates will be effective in fighting the virus.
The challenge trials involve deliberately infecting a participant with the disease under controlled conditions. Now some critics call the process unethical, since there is no proven cure for COVID-19.
And CNN's Phil Black is following the story from London's Royal Free Hospital. Good to see you, Phil. So, what more are you learning about these COVID-19 vaccine human challenge trials? PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Rosemary, the way it will work is
that you will take a small number of volunteers. The scientists are running the program. They will give them a potential vaccine, one that seems promising.
And then a few weeks later they will bring them here to the London's Royal Free Hospital. Lock them up in a secure felicity, and deliberately dose them with the coronavirus. And then essentially, see what happens. Assess. Do they fall ill? Assess whether or not the vaccine is effective?
The idea is this is a more efficient way of assessing the many vaccines that are being developed around the world and getting a quicker sense of which ones are most promising and deserving of further research and investment.
[03:45:13]
It is believed to be, advocate say, more efficient because you're dealing with a smaller number volunteers. You get data relatively quickly and crucially, you have certainty that those volunteers will be exposed to the virus. And that is really where it (inaudible) us from large scale field trials, because in that situation, you are giving vaccines to large numbers of people, thousands -- possibly tens of thousands of people.
Then releasing them into the wild to live their normal lives in the hope, perhaps the assumption if the virus is in high circulation, that they will then be exposed to it. This is supposed to be sure of sharper, does not necessarily replace phase three trials in that way. But the government believes, the British government which is plowing money into this, believes that this will be another tool for helping to identify the best vaccines sooner.
It is as you touched on controversial, partly because to minimize risk you have to use young, very healthy volunteers who do not represent those most at risk from the developing serious COVID-19 consequences. They don't represent those who most need to be protected by an effective vaccine. And of course the other controversial factor is that you are deliberately exposing people to a potentially deadly virus.
So, it will need to be closely monitored and assessed by regulators and an ethics committee. For those regulators, and for that ethics committee, the question will be one of risk versus reward. In whether or not they decide to allow this to go ahead and grab their approval. The scientists behind it will have to make the argument that the risks behind it are smaller, if you like, then the potential rewards of actually conducting these trials at all, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Some very brave volunteers there. But this pandemic has brought us to this point. It is extraordinary. Phil Black, bringing us the latest there news from London. Many thanks.
Well, he is used to tough fights, but now the Chief Palestinian negotiator is battling COVID-19. We will have a live report on his condition. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat is in critical condition at an Israeli hospital. He was admitted Sunday after testing positive for coronavirus two weeks ago. Officials say his condition has deteriorated. Erekat is considered high risk because he had a lung transplant in 2017.
And CNN's Oren Liebermann is following this story. He joins us now live from Jerusalem. SO, Oren, what is the latest on the condition of Saeb Erekat?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORESPONDENT: Rosemary, at this point Saeb Erekat, PLO's chief negotiator and Secretary General remains in critical condition at Hadassah in (inaudible) hospital here in Jerusalem where he is being treated of course by hospital staff, but also with consultations with international medical experts according to members of his family.
[03:50:06]
As you point out, he was brought to the hospital on Sunday afternoon in serious but stable condition. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance from his home in Jericho. And there he is being treating -- been treated ever since then. On Monday morning, his condition deteriorated. And those of course were tense moments as are essentially all of these moments, because at this point Erekat remains in serious condition.
There was one update yesterday from his family in the hospital with him. They say that his oxygen levels have tipped up to 92 percent. So that they say, it's a good sign. They are looking for many more of these good signs as he remains in critical condition here. We have not yet gotten an update from the hospital on his condition today.
So the condition, so the update from yesterday is the one that at this point still stands. He is in critical condition with messages of support from around the world coming to him wishing for his recovery here. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. Many thanks to Oren Liebermann bringing us up to date on that situation from Jerusalem. We appreciate it.
Well, Intensive Care Units and France are under pressure. For the first time since May, there are more than 2,000 French patients in ICU's. And this news comes as we learn France's first lady is now self-isolating. The Elysee Palace says Brigitte Macron met Thursday with someone who later tested positive. So, even though she has no symptoms she will self-isolate for seven days.
CNN's Melissa Bell joins us now live from Paris. So, Melissa, COVID infections are rising across France. ICUs are under pressure here. And now the first lady has been put in isolation. What is the latest in all of this? MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The French rules were
changed a few weeks backwards. To change that quarantine period for 14 to seven days. So, it is a seven-day isolation period. She will be facing and then a test to make sure that she has not been infected. Even if she has no symptoms. And then she'll be able to get back to life as normal.
But it is a reminder that of course this is a virus that could affect everybody. And of course here in France there really is a problem in terms of the positivity rate which continues to rise. It now stands nationally, Rosemary, at 13.4 whether you mentioned that particular strain on the ICUs with more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients now inside them.
And here in places like Paris already, some of those emergency procedures that the health care system had vowed to keep going as it tried to (inaudible) the second wave already having to be canceled in order to protect some of those COVID-19 beds.
All eyes very much now. Whether those curfews are going to make the difference that the authorities hope that they will. For the time being, we have to understand that they are being widely respected. We heard from the France's interior ministry yesterday in an interview on French television, he said that although more than 3,000 fines had already been given out for people breaking that 9:00 p.m. till 6:00 a.m. curfew that is in place in 10 France cities including here in Paris.
He did say that he thought that it was being fairly widely respected. It's going to be in place, Rosemary, for the next four weeks as authorities wait to see whether that is enough to bring down these numbers that as you say are putting such pressure already on France's ICUs.
CHURCH: All right. Melissa Bell, joining us live from Paris. Many thanks.
And just ahead here on CNN, Germany's chancellor wants people to avoid social gatherings to stop a second wave of COVID 19. But there is backlash. We will have a live report for you from Berlin, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Welcome back. Well, Germany's COVID-19 infection rates have been much lower than most of Europe. But cases are trending up and that is according to Johns Hopkins University. It reports that at least 373,000 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
[03:55:15]
Chancellor Angela Merkel is encouraging people to avoid social gatherings to stop a second wave of the virus. But there is a growing backlash against restrictions.
CNN's Scott McLean joins us now from Berlin to discuss that. So, Scott, it has to be ask why is there resistance to new restrictions in Germany when they saw how well this work for them at the start of the pandemic?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly I don't think that that question can only be answered in Germany. There are, you know, we have seen this kind of backlash, kind of protest against restrictions elsewhere, and certainly Germany is not immune from it either.
Last Wednesday, the chancellor set out some new coronavirus restrictions across the board for virus hot spot places like Berlin. And so, bars and restaurants having to close early. Social interactions being limited in size.
But on that point, when it comes to the bars that was actually challenged in the courts here successfully. And so, the bars in Berlin can stay open past 11, but they do have to stop serving alcohol at 11:00 p.m. The chancellor said that they would see how those new restrictions go for about 10 days or so. And after that there would be a gut check moment where they would decide on whether or not more stringent measures were needed. That would come this weekend.
Bigger story than the German one though, Rosemary, I have to say's is in Czech Republic. That country is reporting more new cases of the coronavirus per capita than any other major country on earth with really no signs of slowing down. They barely saw a first wave of the virus at all. They had a lot of their restrictions that else were have. They had a lockdown. They had trouble restrictions.
But what set them apart was the mandate for everyone to wear a face covering, anytime they left their houses. So, they saw very few deaths and very few cases. But in the summertime, when all of those measures were relaxed and cases started to rise again, the populist Prime Minister, the same guy who had been advocating for that strict mask mandate declined to bring it back.
Yesterday though, the health minister announced that people will be required to wear masks in urban areas. There are some exceptions, but that measure is nearly as strict now as the one in place in the spring. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. Scott McLean, thanks for joining us. We appreciate it. And thank you for being with us. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more news in just one moment. Do stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
