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Winning is What Matters to Trump; Europe the New Coronavirus Epicenter; SCOTUS Now with New Justice; Sixty Million Americans Voted Early; Tension is High in Nigeria; French Products Boycotted in Turkey; Wall Street Sees Worst Sessions in Weeks; U.S. States Report Dramatic Increase in New Cases; Mental Health in the Age of COVID-19; Millions Tested for COVID-19 in Xinjiang; Melbourne, Australia To Come Out of Lockdown; U.S. Wildfire in Southern California; Tracking Hurricane Zeta; Typhoon Molave Forecast to Hit Vietnam in 24 to 36 Hours; Prince Harry Says His Wife Open His Eyes to Racial Bias; Campaign Volunteers Make Final Get Out and Vote Appeals; Pennsylvania's Importance to Trump in 2020. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired October 27, 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)
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hi everyone. I'm Robyn Curnow. You're watching CNN live from CNN's world headquarters here in Atlanta.
So, ahead this hour.
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MIKE RYAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: There is no question that the European region is an epicenter for disease right now.
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CURNOW: The coronavirus second wave sweeps across Europe breaking records forcing new shutdowns and sinking stocks.
And COVID cases spiking as well in the United States, but that's not stopping Donald Trump from hosting a jam-packed rally a week before the election.
And more Muslim majorities are speaking out about against French President Emmanuel Macron's comments on Islam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN center. This is CNN Newsroom with Robyn Curnow.
CURNOW: With just a week to go before the election the U.S. is seeing a record number of coronavirus infections. It's now averaging more than 68,000 new cases a day according to Johns Hopkins. The seven-day moving average of new daily cases is now the highest level since the pandemic began. And over the past week at least 37 states have trended in the wrong direction as you can see from this map.
Now the surge is leaving presidential little time to convince undecided voters he is the best choice to lead the country out of the pandemic. On Monday he attended three campaign rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania where there was a little social distancing and the mostly unmasked crowds. This is Mr. Trump making his case why he believes he's the better choice than Democratic Joe Biden.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, Joe Biden says you've waved the white flag on fighting coronavirus, controlling the virus.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: No, no. He has. He has waved the white flag on life. He has left his basement. This guy does not leave his basement. He is a pathetic candidate. I will tell you that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you given up on controlling the virus?
TRUMP: No, not at all. I think the opposite, absolutely the opposite. We've done an incredible job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Biden meantime was out on the campaign trail. On Monday he made an appearance in Chester, Pennsylvania where he fought back against Trump in his handling of the pandemic.
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Biden: I have been saying for months as you will know that he waved the white flag all the way back then. He wasn't doing much at all. Some people said I was being harsh, that I was being unfair. The White House is coming right out now and admitting what I said months ago. It was absolutely true. And look how many people are dead?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Meantime, a second wave of the virus is sweeping through Europe with infections rising at an alarming rate. Experts in France say the situation is extremely serious. The country is reporting its highest number of hospitalizations since April with more than 2,700 virus patients in the ICU right now.
Germany says new cases have roughly doubled in the last week and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet with state leaders on Wednesday to talk strategy on how to slow down the virus. And then the Czech Republic announced a weeklong ban on free movement between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. All retail stores must be close during that time except for gas stations and pharmacies.
The World Health Organization says measures like these are unnecessary to make any headway against the virus.
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RYAN: There is no question that the European region is an epicenter for disease right now. We are well behind this virus in Europe. So getting ahead of it is going to take some serious acceleration on what we do, and maybe in much more comprehensive nature of measures that are going to be needed to catch up with and get ahead of this virus.
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CURNOW: Well, ahead now to Paris where CNN's Melissa Bell is standing by with the latest. You are in France. You know what these restrictions are like. Talk us through what's happening right now.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well the question had been whether the curfews that were introduced now more than a week ago in places like Paris had been extending to some 46 million French people just a few days ago, were going to be enough, Robyn, with the last few days have told us is that the answer to that is no.
So, this morning there will be an emergency meeting and another one tomorrow which was exactly the pattern of meetings that we saw the week, the curfews were announced and what we expect for fresh restrictions to be put in place. Now we don't know yet how close to a proper second lockdown there would be or whether it could simply be an extension of the hours of curfew, for instance, and the lockdown over the weekends, for instance.
So these are some of the things that people are looking at, wondering what's going to come out, but clearly France will by the end of the week have heard about the tightening of its restrictions, because for the time being it simply hasn't managed to bring the second wave under control.
[03:05:02]
A positivity rate that now stands nationally, Robyn, at 17.8 percent. That's extremely high. In places like Paris, the healthcare system's under strain. It is now 68 percent of ICU beds that have been taken up by COVID-19 patients in the greater Paris region. There simply is a moment when systems cannot cope with figures like that.
CURNOW: And beyond Paris, the rest of Europe we gain seeing all these numbers tick up in dangerous ways.
BELL: Similar story. I mean, what we heard from the Italian prime minister on Sunday as he announced a fresh tightening of restrictions in Italy, was that Italy simply couldn't afford a second lockdown. And that's really been the rationale, the reasoning behind so many of these incremental step-by-step restrictions that have been tightened over the course of the last few weeks that the numbers have continued to rise.
So many European countries seeing fresh records over the course of the last couple of weeks. All of them adding restrictions little by little, desperate to avoid a second lockdown. But what we have been hearing I think here in France is really interesting about the nature of the second wave. And I think it might explain what's happening elsewhere.
Far faster infection rates and it could be under (Inaudible), the Scientific Council in charge of these things in this country -- due to the cold weather. They feel that what has happened over the course of the last couple of weeks is a spread beyond what they had imagined possible with this virus caused partly by the changing weather which really bodes terribly of course, Robyn, for the coming weeks and months here on the European continent.
CURNOW: Yes, it certainly does. Melissa Bell there, thank you so much. Live in Paris.
So, for more now on all of this I want to bring in Dr. Peter Drobac, an infectious disease global and health expert at the University of Oxford. Peter, good to see you again.
So, you just heard Melissa live in Paris. I know you are there in the U.K. These numbers are taking up dangerously across the continent. What do you attribute it to? I mean, Melissa was suggesting its cold weather. How come it's just so bad right now?
PETER DROBAC, GLOBAL HEALTH EXPERT, OXFORD SAID BUSINESS SCHOOL: Well thank you for having me, Robyn.
We always fear that winter would sort of bring a perfect storm of circumstances for COVID-19. And that's what we are starting to see. So colder, drier air is an environment where the virus tends to thrive. of course, that colder weather we saw indoors with the risk of transmission is much higher, and then we are also recently having had millions of students at schools and universities, you know, back in kind of congregate settings.
And all of those things I think are coming together to dramatically increase the transmission rates. And you know, we are seeing this not just in France, in the U.K., but some of the countries in Europe that had some real success in containing COVID-19 early on in the spring, like Germany and the Czech Republic also facing really alarming rises. And it's really humbling right now in terms of what we face in the winter months ahead.
CURNOW: And do you think the lockdown or even potential of lockdowns, tougher lockdowns in the coming weeks will work and how necessary are they?
DROBAC: Unfortunately, I do -- it's hard to see how they won't become necessary. We just heard about kind of incremental steps that are being taken to try to gradually impose restrictions that might do just enough to slow transmission.
The problem is that if you impose some restrictions, and you get it wrong, and you wait two weeks to see if they work, you may already see double the number of infections as when you started the virus move so quickly then we are now.
So it's hard to see us getting it under control without strict measures. So we have to remember that while we may need to impose the real pain of more significant lockdowns, that those are just temporary measures to bring infection rates back down and give us some breathing space. It buys us some time.
We also need to be investing more in the public health infrastructure in the testing, in the tracing, in the isolation support, as well as support for businesses. That's going to help us get through the winter. It's really going to require a comprehensive strategy. It's not only about lockdowns.
CURNOW: And when you look at the numbers, are Europe's numbers worse than the U.S. right now?
DROBAC: Yes, if you look at population adjusted numbers in terms of the numbers of new cases, it's not a perfect comparison. But over the last couple of weeks, Europe's rates have been higher than the U.S. They're both unfortunately rising dramatically. In both cases, we're seeing rise in the number of hospitalizations and the number of deaths which lag of course infection rates by a couple of weeks.
So, yes, I think the situation may be a bit worse in Europe right now. But U.S. is by no means out of the woods. And at least in Europe there are some measures being taken to try to get this under control. Whereas in the U.S., of course we're still seeing political paralysis and denialism, and I would expect that things unfortunately in the U.S. will get much, much worse.
CURNOW: When we hear people talking about a second wave, or even a third wave, or perhaps a continuation of the first wave, does it even matter? As people trying to figure out where they are in this pandemic? Because we don't really know where the end is.
DROBAC: I think that's right. In the U.S., certainly we've just seen sort of a, you know, continuous surges on a baseline of very high levels of transmission.
[03:10:01]
We haven't really been below 40,000 a day for many, many months. What we are seeing right now, though, you know, call it a third surge, if you will, whatever you want to call it. You know, this is a dangerous trend that we're seeing. We haven't in the northern hemisphere lived to the perfect storm of circumstances that winter brings.
If we don't take real measures right now, if you look at the projections from places like the IHME, we could be looking at, you know, December being the deadliest month yet in this pandemic.
CURNOW: So, what do you mean by that? How bad could it get?
DROBAC: So, for example, projections are that if we keep going as we are right now, that in the United States alone, we could be looking at about 400,000 deaths by the 1st of January. That's almost double where we are right now. So, you know, we are quickly approaching 1,000 deaths a day. That could exceed 2,000 deaths a day within weeks.
So, we are looking at really hundreds of thousands of deaths, similar dire projections across Europe. That's if we continue on the same measures. We can turn things around. Measures as simple as a universal mask mandate, we're 95 percent of people are wearing masks when they're out and about in proximity to others, could on its own, according to those projections, save 60, 70,000 lives. So there are very simple measures that could make a very big difference.
CURNOW: Have the Australians done it right? Particularly folks in Melbourne? They just come out, I think in the next hour or so, about to come out of 100 days of lockdown. What does that tell you? I mean, that's extremely discipline on one level. It is Australia, it is an island. But can that be repeated elsewhere?
DROBAC: Australia is a great example of a totally different approach that we call an elimination strategy. The idea there is to say that no amount of transmission is acceptable. And we're going to use a combination of social distancing measures. In Melbourne, because there is a concentrated outbreak, that meant a prolonged, severe, difficult lockdown.
But coupling that with investments in testing, in tracing, with public health infrastructure that can prevent the virus from resurging, and then thirdly border restrictions or border controls to make sure you're not importing new cases of the virus.
This is exactly we've seen in places like New Zealand. That have essentially eliminated community transmission, and been able to kind of open back up to a degree of normalcy where people are out and about. There are people in sports stadiums, there are people in restaurants, there are people going back to work.
Australia of course was facing -- was in the middle of its winter when Melbourne had its spike back in July. And so, they, you know, they experienced a very prolonged, deep lockdown. They've now effectively eliminated transmission. I think we saw about seven new cases in the entire country yesterday.
Think about that. We're counting in the tens of thousands per day in Europe and the U.S. There they're counting on their fingers. So it's a totally different world. And it does show what's possible. It's not like Australia, New Zealand have any magic or resources that we don't have in the Europe or U.K. And so, with leadership in a different approach, sure, it is possible.
CURNOW: OK. Yes, hats off to the Aussies. Peter Drobac, always good to speak to you. Live from the University of Oxford there. Thank you so much.
DROBAC: Thank you.
CURNOW: So, Amy Coney Barrett is now officially a U.S. Supreme Court justice. She was sworn in during a ceremony at the White House on Monday shortly after her nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. She is filling the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died last month.
Democrats blasted Donald Trump and Republicans from moving forward with Barrett's confirmation so close to the election. Barrett says she is honored to serve the country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY CONEY BARRETT, U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: Thank you, President Trump, for selecting me to serve as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. It's a privilege to be asked to serve my country in this office. And I stand here tonight truly honored and humbled.
Thanks also to the Senate for giving its consent to my appointment. I am grateful for the confidence you have expressed in me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Well Barrett's confirmation solidifies a six to three conservative majority on the Supreme Court, a major victory for Republicans.
Well Kaitlan Collins has more on her White House confirmation ceremony.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It didn't take long after Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed by the Senate to the Supreme Court, that the White House held an event celebrating that confirmation on the South Lawn.
Though the event looked a lot different than the ones you've seen in the past at the White House, including the fact that despite hundreds of guests being invited, including the Republican lawmakers who voted to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the high court, there was social distancing. The seats were spread apart. And you did see people wearing masks as was required by the White House.
And we're told that the people who did come into contact with President Trump were tested beforehand as you saw the president came out and the first lady.
[03:15:00]
One person who was not there was Vice President Mike Pence who, of course, has been choosing his events as he goes after several of his staffers and close aides tested positive for coronavirus. Something that we're seeing a second outbreak happened at the White House just a month after they held that event where the president said he intended to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Off court, that was an event that was later tied to an outbreak in the West Wing with several cases coming from that. So, you are seeing this as of course, you know, Amy Coney Barrett being nominated to the Supreme Court is really going to shape it. And it's something that the president is expected to tout on the campaign trail as he is making his final pitch to voters in these closing days.
But of course, you've also got to look at the optics of holding this event. It was evening so you could see it's a little bit dark out there at the event last night as they were holding this.
Kaitlan Collins, CNN, the White House.
CURNOW: Well U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden issued a statement about Barrett. He said the rushed and unprecedented confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett in the middle of an ongoing election should be a stark reminder to every American that your vote matters.
And with only one week to go before the U.S. election, the number of votes cast so far has surpassed all early ballots cast four years ago. But this push to the polls has not been without incident.
As Abby Phillip now explains. Abby?
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Early voting again bringing lines of voters in the final full week before the election.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vote. It's like your life depends on it.
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PHILLIP: Even the ongoing coronavirus pandemic isn't putting a stop to civic duty.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The way the country is in right now, I think we're all trying to make a difference.
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PHILLIP: The U.S. hitting record early turnout. More than 60 million Americans have already voted. Surpassing all 2016 early ballot casts. More young people and minorities are casting ballots early this time.
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CHELSEA CRANDALL, BROOKLYN VOTER: I want us to be better as a country. I think there is a lot of injustice and things that need to be fixed.
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PHILLIP: And this NASA astronaut proved you can vote even when it's zero gravity.
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KATE RUBINS, NASA ASTRONAUT, VOTED FROM ISS: I think it's really important for everybody to vote. And if we can do it from space, then I believe folks can do it from the ground too.
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PHILLIP: In battleground Georgia, the total ballots cast has more than doubled the ballots cast at this point in 2016. And in Texas, more than 7.3 million people voted so far according to data posted on the Texas secretary of state's web site. That represents more than 42 percent of registered voters. In 2016, only about 59 percent of registered voters actually voted.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I voted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIP: As Maryland begins its first day of early voting, concerns about long lines and violence continue. In New York City protesters clashed in Times Square on Sunday resulting in at least nine arrests.
Boston police arrested a suspect in connection with a ballot drop box allegedly set on fire.
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WILLIAM GALVIN, MASSACHUSETTS SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH: This is a very serious issue. It's a federal crime. We are going to insist on prosecuting whoever did this.
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PHILLIP: The incident prompting the Massachusetts secretary of state to issue a directive for election departments to step up security through election day.
And a word of caution for voters who live in states where the signature on their ballot must match the signature that is on file. There was a recent study that looked at the rejected ballots in the state of Florida and found that black, Hispanic, and younger voters were more likely to have their ballots rejected because of reasons like their signature not matching.
It's just another sign that there could be potential problems with ballots that could cost thousands of them to be rejected and not counted on election day.
Abby Phillip, CNN, Washington.
CURNOW: You are watching CNN. Coming up, more inflammatory comments against the French president as Turkey's leader calls for a boycott of French goods. We're live in Istanbul for the latest on that.
Plus, smoldering rage among the youth in Nigeria, how a judicial panel is promising justice. We'll look at what triggered the anger and whether the inquiry can succeed.
[03:20:00]
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CURNOW: Security is tight in Nigeria as the judicial panel is investigating police brutality in the allege shooting of protesters convenes for a second day. Now, the incident in Lagos last week triggered two days of violent unrest. Witnesses say soldiers opened fire during a peaceful demonstration against police abuse and killed several people. The army called it fake news.
Well Eleni Giokos is following the story from Johannesburg and joins us now live with more on this judicial panel. Eleni, what can you tell us about the second day that is being convened and what can we expect?
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, look, this is all about getting closure and getting accountability of course. And this has been one of the important developments that we have seen playing out in Nigeria since the shooting at toll gate in Lekki last week Tuesday.
And remember, in terms of the issue of accountability, the Lagos state governor says that he doesn't have the authority to give orders to the military.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday during his address quoted the issue. So this investigation is definitely something that Nigerians are looking forward to in terms of getting some information of what transpired last week Tuesday that then plunged the country into chaos.
We've seen violent protests playing out around parts of the country, curfews being instated. And importantly, Robyn, yesterday we saw more looting of warehouses. COVID-19 related supplies have now been taken out of warehouses in Abuja, in the capital city, and in fact we've seen this trend playing out.
There is so much distress from what I'm hearing on the ground where people say that the government was deliberately hoarding some of the supplies that were destined for the poor. Some of the voices that we've heard this morning on local media saying that we are hungry, we are starving and we are taking possession of these products because we need to eat.
So, this is definitely an underlying issue that has transcended the initial protest action which was initially about police brutality. That was the End Sars campaign. Now many people say that it's a movement that's taken a different -- a different stance and it's focusing more on governance, on corruption and the inequalities that exist on the ground in the country.
Seventy percent of the population right now living on or below the line of poverty. And of course, the pandemic has certainly accelerated those trends and of course created a lot more pain for the poor in Nigeria.
So, in the next few days, this investigation, this panel, this inquiry is going to be of paramount importance and here as well. We are hearing of course the people in Nigeria -- the government, religious leaders and many business people calling for unity and for calm.
The initial protest action that started in Nigeria two weeks ago was very organized it cut across the social spectrum where you saw executives, business people, and unemployed youth joining in. And then it started to take a different form where you saw violence erupting in Lagos. One person said it feels like he said it needs to be rebuilt with regards to critical infrastructure.
Public infrastructure has been targets -- targeted as well as private property as well, Robyn. And it's a situation that's evolving and developing very rapidly.
CURNOW: Thanks so much, Eleni Giokos there in Johannesburg.
So, France says the growing calls for a boycott of French goods in the Middle East are unjustified. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has voiced his support for the boycott because of what he calls the rise in Islamophobia in Europe.
Here's Arwa Damon with that report. Arwa?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a divide generation ode. One that is easily ignited, manipulated and dangerous. An Arab and Muslim country, small protests erupted against France. Against a French president who was previously called Islam, a religion in crisis all over the world. And it's putting forth legislation to combat Islamist's separatism.
Islamophobia is a disease, this banner in southern Turkey reads. Calls for a boycott of French products spread. In some countries store shelves were cleared of yeast, jam and cheese imported from France.
[03:25:04]
French President Emmanuel Macron's perceived stance against Muslims has long been the source of tension as has that of the west with this latest incarnation inflamed by a tragedy. The horrific beheading of teacher Samuel Patti, after showing the controversial caricatures of prophet Muhammad from a satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo during a class on freedom of expression.
EMMANUEL MACRON PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): Samuel Patti on Friday became the face of the republic of our desire to break terrorism, to diminish Islamist, to live as a community of free citizens in our country.
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DAMON: Many Muslims living in France feel that so-called campaign to break terrorism is being exploited beyond the parameters of Patti's murder. Macron tweeted that France respects all differences but would not accept hate speech.
For many Muslims worldwide, the anger towards French is entrenched and what they feel is the country's hypocritical position towards its Muslim community and historic refusal to condemn blasphemy when it comes to Islam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAHER AL-HULI, HAMAS LEADER IN DEIR EL-BALAH (through translator): We ask all the sons of the Arab and Islamic nations all the free people of the world and humanity to express their rejection of this insult to the prophet of humanity, Muhammad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: And then there is the geopolitics of it all. There is no love lost between Macron and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Already at odds over Libya and Turkey's oil and gas exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Over the weekend, Erdogan said that Macron needed to have his mental health checked and only upped his rhetoric after France with the Jewish ambassador to Ankara.
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RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): In reality, Europe is no stranger to (Inaudible), inquisitions, and genocide. They are used to it. They have done it before. We remember the crimes against humanity committed against Jews 80 years ago and in Shrebernitza 25 years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON: Fuel is being poured on multiple fires, with risks burning us all.
Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.
CURNOW: Armenian and Azerbaijan are accusing each other of violating a ceasefire just moment after the U.S. brokered humanitarian ceasefire went into effect early Monday morning. Leaders of both nations blamed the other for reigniting warfare.
The ceasefire was the third such tried at stopping the fighting over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. That region is inside Azerbaijan's borders but has de facto independents and an Armenian majority.
And still to come, as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc around the world, we are learning more about how it's affecting mental health. We'll speak to the head of the American Psychological Association who warns it is a national crisis in the making. Stay with us.
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[03:30:00]
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. I'm Robyn Curnow. You're watching CNN.
So, fading hopes for an economic stimulus, soaring coronavirus cases and the anxiety about the elections. That all adds up to Wall Street's worst session in weeks. The DOW closed down 650 points. But right now, U.S. futures are in positive territory. Now, that pessimism extended to Asia as well where markets have mostly been down.
Well, Anna Stewart joins me now from London with more on the movement of Wall Street. It certainly wasn't a great day.
ANNA STEWART, CNN PRODUCER: No, 650 point drop is pretty dismal by any standard. And actually, Robyn, I was up to making some recovery through the trading day, it was a really broad-based sell-off and we saw sectors of sectors to economic woes being hit. Financials and energy and also of course those sectors really exposed the pandemic. So, travel and leisure as well.
And as you mentioned in the lead in, a real confluence of issues here. The rising cases of coronavirus in the U.S., but also this impasse, the continued impasse when it comes to the fiscal stimulus. Now with election just days away, I think what concerns here is this it's less and less likely to reach any kind of conclusion. And that is a real risk for businesses.
And this is why we are seeing investors particularly concerned and economists, the fear of (inaudible) that double dip recessions. You know, just to remember, the U.S. in Q2, the economy contracted by over 30 percent. Now we get the data to Q3 on Thursday.
Lots of eyes will be watching that. But until some sort of momentum, I guess it's created on the fiscal stimulus plan and until investors feel that coronavirus is under control stateside, I think we are going to see more and more volatility on the markets there, Robyn.
CURNOW: And what are you expecting to see? European markets opening in just less than two hours?
STEWART: Yes. European markets opening soon. Well, they had a terrible trading day yesterday as well. To think it's across the board. Not at least of course for Europe, bracing its second wave of coronavirus.
We're seeing more restrictions in more countries whether it's Germany, Switzerland, the U.K. here, almost every week we have more areas going into different levels of lockdown. We do see European futures pointing a little bit higher today, a bit like the states, but it doesn't take much to not off that sentiment. Robyn.
CURNOW: Anna Stewart there. Great to see. Thank you so much live there in the CNN London studio. Nice to see you in the studio. Well done.
STEWART: Great for me, to be here.
CURNOW: Speak against him. So the U.S. is now averaging more than 68,000 coronavirus infections a day. In many U.S. states are reporting an increase in new COVID cases over the past week here is Erica Hill in our report. Erica?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More Americans hospitalized. More new infections, more lives lost. The average number of new cases in the U.S. now nearly 69,000 a day. WILLIAM HASELTINE, CHAIR AND PRESIDENT ACCESS HEALTH INTERNATIONAL:
We are looking forward to a number of record weeks in the very near future. It will drive this daily rate above 100. Thousand
HILL: 37 states reporting an increase in new cases over the past week. 21 posting their highest seven-day averages to date. South Dakota's positivity rate for tests returned on Monday, 23 percent.
ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: Literally we've never given out on a virus like this before.
HILL: With no national plan, experts are working overtime to fill the void.
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE: If people are not wearing masks, then maybe we should be mandating it.
HILL: Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, pushing for a temporary nationwide mandate in a new op-ed noting states should be able to choose how to enforce a mandate, but the goal should be to make masks a social and cultural norm. Not a political statement.
LEANA WEN, FORMER HEALTH COMMISSIONER, BALTIMORE: We actually have a narrow window of opportunity right now to stop the explosive spread that is coming.
HILL: Pennsylvania secretary of health urging residents to limit all holiday gatherings.
RACHEL LEVINE, PENNSYLVANIA SECRETARY OF HEALTH: We need to think about more and more gatherings being virtual. Only staying with your family that you live with.
HILL: Four confirmed cases at this Arizona middle school prompting a two-week quarantine for hundreds of students and staff. Chicago, adding a new curfew as numbers there rise. Illinois Director of Public Health breaking down over the weekend.
NGOZI EZIKE, DIRECTOR, ILLINOIS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH: We are reporting 3,874 new cases. For a total of 364,033 confirmed cases since the start of this pandemic. Excuse me please.
HILL: The Utah hospital association warning it may soon need to ration care.
DR. TOM INGLESBY, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY, JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: That will affect not just people who had COVID, but people who need to go to the ICU for other medical purposes.
HILL: El Paso Texas adding a two-week curfew as hospitals and ICU's reach capacity.
MAYOR DEE MARGO, EL PASO TEXAS: We've had significant spikes to the point that our hospital capacity is really tapped. We are probably at the end of our rope there.
[03:35:05]
HILL: The convention center being converted into a hospital to help manage the surge which shows no signs of slowing.
FAUCI: It's kind of semantics. You want to call it a third wave or an extended first wave, no matter how you look at it it's not good news.
HILL: More than half the states, 27 have reported their highest single day for new cases in October and the month isn't over yet. That is from data from John Hopkins University which also found 11 states reported their highest single day death tolls in October as well.
In New York, I'm Erica Hill, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: And there is certainly no doubt that 2020 has been a stressful, stressful year for all of u, all over the world. Well, now the American psychological association is ringing the alarm bell since the U.S. in particular is facing a national mental health crisis. And warned there could have serious health and social consequences for years to come. Especially for young people.
On a new survey, 78 percent of Americans say the coronavirus pandemic is a significant source of stress in their life. And 68 percent said they have experienced increased stress over the course of the pandemic.
For more now, I am joined by the CEO of the American Psychological Association, Arthur C. Evans. Good to see you sir. So, we are more stressed these days. But just how stressed? What does the study told you?
ARTHUR C. EVANS, CEO OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: Well, the study shows that Americans are extremely stressed right now. In fact, nearly 80 percent of the population is reporting that they are experiencing significant stress related to the pandemic.
And about 70 percent are saying that their stress level has increased over the life of the pandemic. That is in combination with other stresses that people were reporting prior to COVID. And some additional stresses that they're reporting now after the COVID crisis has started.
CURNOW: Yes. So, what are the sources of the stress? That's COVID and what else? Clearly election, division within society. Racial tensions? It's an awful cocktail, isn't it?
EVANS: Sure. It is. We have a perfect storm of issues that are causing a lot of psychological distress. So, you know, what is interesting is that when we ask people about stressors that they had prior to COVID, those stressors remain intact. So, concerns about climate and the economy and those kinds of things, but also now there is an added stressor related to COVID, to the economic downturn, to the election.
In fact, we had the highest number of people reporting election level stress that we have ever recorded. So, 68 percent of Americans are reporting that they are stressed by the election, and that cuts across the political line. So, Democrats, Republicans and independents, the majority of all those groups are stressed by the elections.
CURNOW: And how are people coping? Substance abuse? Have you been able to measure how folks are managing and mostly also because some of them are alone at home? In lockdown?
EVANS: You know, -- we know from -- and the reason that we did this study is that we know that stress leads to a whole variety of negative outcomes for our health and for our mental health. And we know that when that stress is unrelenting, when it is just chronic and we don't get any kind of relief, it will lead to those kinds of problems. And it is one of the reasons that we do the study so that we can identify this and get people to engage and behave and to reduce their stress.
We know from other studies that people are experiencing a lot of symptomatology consistent with no health conditions. And those rates are two to three times what we would normally see in the population. So, all of this is saying there are things that we should be doing now to prevent further problems down the road.
CURNOW: Well, down the road is holiday season. We have Halloween in the next few days. Kids and family can't trick or treat the way they used to. Here in America, of course, there's thanksgiving, many people -- many families have been told you can't meet up. And there's Christmas. What is going to happen? I know in England, there are real concerns about this rule of six. You know, what are you going to do about Christmas with only six members of the family are allowed?
There is going to be a lot of anxiety. Extra anxiety when it comes to the holiday season and the fact that folks are cut off from their network and supports systems.
EVANS: Well, you know, where the point out is that we have to be flexible. And you know, the first priority has to be our health and safety. And we have to figure out new ways to celebrate, to be connected in this pandemic world.
What I have noticed in the United States is that more and more stores and businesses are learning how to adapt. They have all kinds of procedures now that can keep people safe and keep people coming through the door. So businesses are learning to adapt. We have to also adapt.
[03:40:06]
Now we are seeing that also in terms of behaviors, and you know, around the community in terms of people attending parks. And those kinds of things. Enjoying it in a safe way. It's important to do that during the holidays and to create new traditions. And so, I think it's important for people to do that. CURNOW: Either way, it means we all just need to keep on looking
after each other. Arthur C. Evans, thank you very much for joining us and explaining a lot of these details. Thank you.
EVANS: Thank you.
CURNOW: So, just one confirmed case of COVID sparked the mass testing of nearly 5 million people. When we come back, the very latest on the ongoing coronavirus testing in China, we are live in Beijing.
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CURNOW: Well the world's longest coronavirus lockdown is about to be lifted. People and businesses in Melbourne, Australia are getting ready for restrictions to be relaxed in just a few hours from now. The city has been under a stay-at-home order for more than 100 days.
Angus Watson is in Sydney for us. And what are folks that you know who are in Melbourne been telling you? What has it been like for 100 days? How strict has it been as well?
ANGUS WATSON, JOURNALIST: Well, right now, Robyn, they are elated. They are elated that they are going to be able to leave their house for any reason they want to go and see friends and family as of midnight tonight. Or likely tomorrow. They are also very proud that through this time, this dark time in which they have lived under one of the strictest and longest lockdowns the world has known.
People have stuck to the rules, they have listened to the science, they've looked after one another. And they have achieved what they wanted to achieve. Zero cases today. Zero cases yesterday. Just two months ago cases were over 700 a day. So, they went into this deep lockdown, wanting to get on top of the virus and they have done so, Robyn.
CURNOW: And how have they managed economically? I mean, given -- just paint us a picture of what it has been like to live in Melbourne and what is the first thing many people are going to do once they are let out of their houses after 100 days.
WATSON: Look, Robyn, I think people are just really keen to socialize again maybe even go to a bar and have a drink. It's been really tough for people. Every business deemed nonessential has been shut, so people's lives, you know, if you can't work at home, it has been really tough to earn a living. There has been government support on and off a bit, you know, it has not been a perfect system.
Most people have received it. Some people have missed out. And it has been intense. So, I know that today there were people especially in the hospitality sector that are just so keen to open up again. And people are very keen to get out and support those businesses and really celebrate this feat, Robyn because it just does goes to show that if people are diligent and they are vigilant that they can get on top of this disease.
[03:45:12] CURNOW: Yes. It can be done. Great stuff. Angus Watson there, in
Sydney. Thank you so much.
So, authorities in northwestern China hope to finish testing more than 4 million people in the coming hours. Now, these mass testing in Xinjiang province was only after a single asymptomatic case was diagnosed on Saturday. Since then, 164 more asymptomatic cases have been reported.
Well, Steven Jiang has the latest from Beijing. So, just one case kick started millions and millions of tests. I mean, this is amazing on many levels, isn't it?
STEVEN JIANG, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, but also even some Chinese experts have questioned its necessity and effectiveness in this kind of mass testing, but the authorities insist this is a tried and true method. That has been proven effective in containing several localized outbreaks in recent months.
That is why after that initial discovery of just one asymptomatic case, they have launched not only mass testing but also extensive contact tracing and then lockdown four towns where they have recovered additional asymptomatic cases.
Now, they're also getting help from Beijing where the central government is sending a team of experts to connect even more epidemiological investigations, because there are several baffling aspects about this latest cluster of cases, including how this initial case was never travelled out of town and they became infected in the first place.
Then of course the asymptomatic nature of these cases is worrying for the authorities as they potentially prepare for this potentially growing number of cluster of cases in the coming winter months, Robyn.
CURNOW: But is this how China has managed to subdue the virus? Is by this mass testing?
JIANG: Well, that is how the authorities see it for sure. That is why they say this is now a familiar page from their playbook. We have seen time and again, not only in Kashgar but also Qingdao and other cities across the country.
But of course, this kind of top down approach is not always easily replicated elsewhere in the world, but of course, for the Chinese authorities this is also an added bonus when they can tell the superiority of the political system as well, Robyn.
CURNOW: OK. Steven Jiang there, thank you very much for joining us live in Beijing. Thank you.
So, big win for a Chinese tech powerhouse and group millionaire Jeffrey Towson Company raised more than 34 billion dollars in the world's largest IPO on Monday on the Hong Kong and Shanghai exchange. And it was also a victory for Beijing, which has been encouraging Chinese tech companies to (inaudible) instead in the U.S. The two countries remain locked in a long running trade war.
And it has been an unusually busy hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. We are tracking the latest storm as it hits Mexico and eyes in the U.S. We will take a look at the forecast. That's next as well.
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CURNOW: Welcome back. So multiple wildfires are forcing people from their homes in Southern California. All in all, 90,000 people have been told to evacuate. One of the blazes nearly quadrupled in size on Monday. Two firefighters are hospitalized for second and third degree burns.
And in just a few hours ago, hurricane Zeta made landfall in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. It's the latest storm to batter the area of what has become a very, very busy hurricane season. Now the storm is expected to head next toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.
[03:50:08]
And then on the other side of the world, a stronger storm is prompting the Vietnamese government to evacuate more than a million people. The typhoon is expected to hit areas that have already suffered from deadly floods this year and heavy rain is the last thing they need right now.
I want to take you to Pedram Javaheri. Pedram joins me with more on all of these stories. What can you tell us? Hi, Pedram.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Robyn, good seeing you. You know, this particular storm, when it comes to Zeta, the 27th named storm of the season, as you noted just making landfall across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. And of course the third storm to make landfall across this region of Mexico in the last six or so weeks, but I want to show you where it is slated to end up here within the next 36 hours.
Forecast guidance, it takes (inaudible) -- over the Gulf of Mexico. Potentially reemerges as a category one or at least strengthens back up to a category one. And then, you'll notice it will tracked very close towards the state of Louisiana. That is an area that has also been very hard hit this particular season. Four tropical systems have made landfall across the state of Louisiana so far this season.
And you'll notice, the model suggestion here between the American and also the European model kind of brings this in. Maybe as a strong tropical storm or a weak hurricane, but regardless what the four name storms of the season, Laura, Delta, Cristobel and Marco, Zeta making it number five when in fact the most single storm landfalls for a single state in any need given season on record. So, it's really an incredible run here in 2020.
Now, look at what is happening on the other side of the world. This is typhoon Molave, this particular storm is equivalent to a category two hurricane and within 24 hours of making landfall in Vietnam, which by the way, if there were 2020 comparisons that were made between the U.S. and Vietnam, the state of Louisiana and the nation their of Vietnam would be very similar.
And the amount of landfalls they have endured. Five landfalls so far this season. And the concern is of course, this particular storm Molave comes in and making another landfall across this region that has been so very hard hit in recent weeks. The storm comes in and we think potentially as a strong category one equivalent. But makes landfall just south of Da Nang into the afternoon and evening hours of Wednesday.
Notice the amount of water those forecast in those regions. From (inaudible), all the way southward towards Da Nang, could see as much as 250 to 300 millimeters of rainfall. You have an area that has seen so much rainfall. So many people displaced. And a lot of landslides they've had as well.
So, we're going to watch the system as it makes landfall here in the next couple of days, Robyn. And eventually, it rains itself out. Now we know evacuations have been prompted. The damage from recent storms has been extensive. So, people are taking this very seriously, Robyn.
CURNOW: OK. Thanks for that update there, Pedram Javaheri. Thanks, Pedram.
So, Prince Harry says his royal upbringing method with no concept of racial bias and it was only through his wife that he gained some understanding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: Unconscious bias from my understanding, you know, I mean, having had the upbringing and the education that I had, I had no idea that what it was. I had no idea it existed. And then, you know, (inaudible) used to say it, it took me many, many years to realize it, especially living a day or a week in my wife's shoes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: He made those comments during an interview for GQ as part of a feature celebrating black history month in the U.K.
And the coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for some campaign volunteers in the U.S. to do their typical neighborhood canvassing. Now, President Trump and Joe Biden have taken to very starkly different approaches to reaching voters. So have some of their supporters in North Carolina. And the question is which approach will prove more effective come election day? Here's Jeff Zeleny.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Crowds thunder for President Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, North Carolina. Go out and vote.
ZELENY: And horns honk for Joe Biden.
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 2020 U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hello, North Carolina.
ZELENY: But the real work is also happening here in the neighborhoods of Trump and Biden supporters. In the closing days of the race, volunteers for the Biden campaign are hitting the streets. For the first time in eight months after being grounded by the pandemic.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, go Biden. Let's do this.
(APPLAUSE)
(CHEERS)
ZELENY: They have gloves. Masks. And an urgent task, finding voters who still haven't been reached.
CAROLYN EBERLY, Biden CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER: People have been calling and texting and writing, and everything they can do and have not heard from new voters. So, this conversation or this contact is really important.
ZELENY: Carolyn Eberly in Scarlet (inaudible), had been itching to knock on doors and look those voters in the eye.
EBERLY: We say in North Carolina, we don't do landslides, we do squeakers. So, we have to really get, you know, those votes out.
ZELENY: You wonder what the other side has been doing and if they have they've been doing this all along?
EBERLY: We have heard that and seen that. That the Trump campaign has been out canvassing throughout this -- all of this. The people that we want to elect. They care about the people lives. And so, that's why this decision was made to not do it.
[03:55:10]
ZELENY: Until now, team Biden has done most of its work virtually, while Trump has gone full speed ahead with his rallies at the center of it all.
TRUMP: Thank you, Estonia (ph), beautiful name.
ZELENY: Four years ago Trump won this Gaston County by more than 30 percentage points. To win those Carolina again, he is trying to increase those margins.
JONATHAN FLETCHER, CHAIRMAN, GASTON COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY: That's really one of the reasons why he wanted to come here, was to energize the base.
ZELENY: So, the rally is part of the (inaudible) here?
FLETCHER: Absolutely. Absolutely. Here and everywhere else it goes. You know, that's the point of him going places is to get people out to vote.
ZELENY: Yet it's not just big rallies. Republicans have been going door to door for months.
AMY BYNUM, SECRETARY, MECKLENBURG COUNTY, REPUBLICAN PARTY: We come to house. As we come to people where they are.
ZELENY: Here in the growing Charlotte suburbs, Amy Bynum is running for State House. She is also secretary of the County GOP.
BYNUM: It's our job to reach folks. It's our job to reach, get our Republicans out to vote.
ZELENY: North Carolina has more than 1.3 million new registered voters since 2016. As cases of coronavirus soar, turning out voters is a challenge facing both sides, but particularly Democrats.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Go to the polls.
ZELENY: For Biden to win here, high enthusiasm among black voters is key.
VI LYLES, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA MAYOR: With a leader like Joe Biden.
Charlottes Mayor Vi Lyles says she thinks about this every day, but believes Democrats have an even bigger motivating force.
LYLES: And this time has been framed by COVID and the president's lack of response for it. And that is why I think people are going to come out to vote.
ZELENY: Now more than 3 million people have already voted early here in North Carolina, and early voting extends through Saturday. No question of enthusiasm here, but the Biden campaign believes they can find more voters through this on the ground organizing.
Now, President Trump, for his part has been in the state twice over the last six days. There is no doubt he is a motivator for voters on both sides. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Charlotte, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Thanks, Jeff for that. And CNN's John King now explains why the Trump campaign is spending so much time in Pennsylvania. Take a listen. John.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: let's start with the 2016 math. And the president's three stops today. Three stops in one state. Pennsylvania, why is he doing that? Well, the state was critical to him four years ago and guess what, he is losing and losing big time right now.
And how do we know that? Early voting results. Look at this data, 70 percent of the ballots returned already in Pennsylvania were cast by Democrats. It doesn't mean they all voted for Joe Biden. But we know most of them did. 70 percent of those ballots returned by Democrats, only 20 percent returned by Republicans. The president is losing big time in the early voting in a state with 20 electoral votes.
Here is another way to look at it. New poll today the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin (inaudible), it shows number one, Biden winning Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. All those blue wall states the president flipped four years ago.
But look at this among those who have already voted, Joe Biden is up 78 points in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump is ahead in the polls among those who have yet to vote but only by 21 points, Don. You could do the math. Joe Biden is up by 78 points now that is not enough. Donald Trump is in Pennsylvania looking to bring people out of the woodwork.
The Trump campaign says it has registered new people, will see if it that math works, but it looks tough. Let's come back to the national perspective now and quick a little then and now. National 2020 versus 2016 eight days out. Joe Biden has a 10-point lead now. Hillary Clinton had a 5 point lead. Double the lead. More significantly, Joe Biden above 50.
Watch if the national polls shrink if they get into single digits then we scrub the states, but right now Biden looks comfortable. One more. Let's just look at this real quick. Bring up the battleground state of play. 10 states on the board here. All carried by President Trump in 2016. A lot of blue right. Joe Biden leads in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin as Jeff said. Plus, he has never leads in Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Iowa.
Now, some Republicans say we can get these states. Maybe they can. Texas and Ohio, the president is leading by a little margin. But what does this tells you? Joe Biden is competitive everywhere. It is a very different, very different 2020 math as opposed to 2016 which is why in the final days Joe Biden has a lopsided lead.
He's going to Texas. He's going to Iowa. He's going to Georgia. He thinks he can stretch this map. Democrats are confident. The president at a minimum needs to do this. When all the toss-ups on our board. Even if he did that it would not be enough. That would be 290 to 248 which brings you back to where it began, 20 in Pennsylvania.
The president needs those 20, even he got them under this scenario, it would not be enough but it would be a giant start. The president needs these 20 very much. We lead in blue right now. That's why the president was there today and likely will be back.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: And I will be back with more news after the break.
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