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Moderna Following Pfizer in Bid for FDA Authorization; Experts Warn of Major Spike in Cases After Thanksgiving; CDC Panel Set to Vote on Who Gets Vaccine First; U.K. Parliament to Vote on Regional COVID- 19 Tiers; Yellen Nominated for Treasury Secretary; President-Elect Gets First Intelligence Briefing. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired December 01, 2020 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM, and I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, two vaccines are heading to the FDA for approval in the U.S. and could be ready in weeks. And with COVID hospitalizations hitting another daily record, help can't come fast enough.
President-elect Joe Biden finally gets his first presidential daily briefing as he continues to appoint the team around him.
Also, a CNN exclusive, documents reveal what China really knew about its first cases of coronavirus, and its chaotic early response.
Good to have you with us. Well, here in the United States, the number of COVID-19 cases is accelerating at a record and troubling speed. A record high, 96,000 plus COVID patients were hospitalized as of Monday. And more than 30 percent of all cases ever reported in the U.S. happened in the month of November.
But thankfully, hope is on the horizon. American drug maker Moderna is the latest company to ask U.S. regulators to approve its COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. CNN's Nick Watt has our report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Moderna's potential vaccine is, they say, 100 percent effective at preventing severe cases of COVID-19.
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: It will allow us to go back to basically a normal life. And that's really what we want this vaccine to do. We want it to prevent people from dying.
WATT: And that vaccine became the second submitted for FDA authorization. Next week, an FDA committee meets to assess Pfizer's offering. Does it work? Is it safe?
ALEX AZAR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: We could be looking at approval within days after that. Moderna is basically one week behind that. We could be seeing both of these vaccines out and getting into people's arms before Christmas.
WATT: But a sign of our still very strange times, the Denver Broncos just played a wide receiver at quarterback. One regular Q.B. has COVID, three more in quarantine, all NFL practice suspended.
DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: We are nearing almost 200,000 infections a day. I expect we're going to cross that at some point soon.
WATT: Soon, maybe fueled by Thanksgiving, Sunday was the busiest air travel day since the pandemic began.
JHA: We won't really know the impact of that for at least another five to seven days, because that is just the dynamics of this virus.
WATT: So many people now tired, bored, sick of this.
MELISSA CHEN, STUDENT: Expecting people to stay at home for 14 days is quite excessive. I mean, understand the logic behind it.
WATT: Here is the logic, 15 members of this one Texan family all sick after one birthday party.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, I'm in the hospital. I can't see my family.
WATT: In November alone 4.25 million Americans were infected. That equivalent to the entire populations of Montana, Vermont, Wyoming and New Mexico put together. 42 states are now above a key threshold. More than 5 percent of tests are coming back positive. This is what exponential spread of an uncontrolled virus looks like, the U.S. average daily death toll now approaching 1,500.
WILLIAM HASELTINE, CHAIR AND PRESIDENT, ACCESS HEALTH INTERNATIONAL: We are in it and we're not at the end of it. I think by the end of this wave, we'll have many more Americans die than died in World War II.
WATT: Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And a controversial member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force has resigned. Dr. Scott Atlas was known for pushing discredited theories and downplaying the importance of face masks and other safety precautions. A source close to the task force says Atlas's departure comes as welcome news. On Monday, Atlas tweeted out an image of his resignation letter. He said among other things he was honored to serve the American people and believed his advice was always focused on minimizing harm especially to the working class and the poor.
Joining me now is Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and professor of molecular medicine. Thank you, doctor, for joining us and for all that you do. DR. ERIC TOPOL, PROFESSOR, MOLECULAR MEDICINE, SCRIPPS RESEARCH: Good to be with you, Rosemary.
[04:05:00]
CHURCH: So, the FDA has scheduled an advisory meeting to discuss Moderna's coronavirus vaccine application for Emergency Use Authorization. That meeting is set for December 17. Pfizer of course will have its advisory meeting on December 10th. What happens between now and those dates to ensure that these vaccines get out swiftly and safely?
TOPOL: Well, the data that are being or currently being reviewed internally at FDA, and they're also getting sent to external reviewers, so both on December 10th and December 17th, separately the Pfizer and Moderna programs will be reviewed. Most likely within a day of each of those reviews if all goes well, the distribution, which has already started.
I mean, the vaccines have been distributed throughout the country, but the actual vaccination programs will begin 24 hours after each of the external reviews are complete. Assuming they are favorable.
CHURCH: Right, and that is encouraging news of course. An Operation Warp Speed official says that 100 percent of Americans that want the vaccine will have had the vaccine by June. Does that look like an achievable goal? Particularly if more Americans begin to trust in these vaccines. Because it's currently around what the 50, 51 percent to 58 percent area right at this moment.
TOPOL: Well, there's a few things about that. Firstly, the vaccines have performed far better than we ever envisioned. We had a paper about superhuman vaccine immunity. So, you know, we are hoping 60 percent, 70 percent, not 94 or 95 percent. And protection against severe illness which is what Moderna showed today.
So, the hope is that's going to increase the enthusiasm because the safety looks quite good. And here the super efficacy's is really enthralling. Then next is can the Operation Warp Speed actually deliver? They have an aspiration to have every American who wants a vaccine to get it before the end of June.
It's possible. But you know, there are some things that we don't have, the supplies, even just syringes. There are things that have to be squared away to meet that goal. It's an ambitious goal. It will accelerate our exit from the pandemic. But there's a lot of work that has to be done to reach it.
CHURCH: Yes, absolutely, and of course with the Pfizer and Moderna poised and ready to go with their vaccine once approval is given on this, the CDC will meet in the coming hours for an emergency meeting to determine who gets vaccinated first. And obviously, health care workers need to go first. But there are mixed views on who goes next. How will they make that determination? Will it be decided by CDC, but the ultimate decision made state by state? TOPOL: It's a really good point. So, there's after the health care workers, 17 million in the U.S., then the question is who goes next. And so, there is disagreement between the National Academy of Science and the ACIP committee. And that's going to get resolve tomorrow, we hope and there'll be consensus.
It's not that much different. It's about the level of risk. Where to fit in certain groups like teachers and those who are of advanced age, and their co-existing conditions. But it's pretty close. And I think we'll get a final read out on that tomorrow.
CHURCH: All right, and doctor, we did get late word Monday that Donald Trump's top medical adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas had resigned. He had of course doubted the science behind the wearing of masks. He had pushed the concept of herd immunity. What's your response to his departure?
TOPOL: Well, it's probably one of the best things that could've happened and unfortunately, it happened way too late. Like 130 days too late which is when he started. He has been a destructive force, anti-science, going against all the public health messaging regarding, as you mentioned, Rosemary, masks and the need to protect all individuals.
And so, this whole idea that he had of herd immunity was baseless, it was reckless, and we've seen such a large toll in the fatalities and the exponential spread in the number of new infections and cases. So, it's really good that he moves on. Unfortunately, a lot of damage to the public was done.
CHURCH: Indeed. Dr. Eric Topol. Thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
TOPOL: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, around the world, countries are closely following vaccine developments as the virus continues to upend daily life. In Turkey, deaths hit a record high for an 8th straight day. The government will be imposing new curfews to try to control the virus.
[04:10:00]
South Korea has just reported another 451 cases, mostly locally transmitted. And in the U.K., members of Parliament are expected to vote today on a new set of tough regional measures aimed at controlling the coronavirus. And CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins me now live from London outside the Houses of Parliament. Good to see you, Salma. So what can we expect to come out of this vote on these regional tiers and has been the reaction to this system so far?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Well what we're expecting, Rosemary, is that starting Wednesday when the nationwide lock that we're in England expires, that it will be replaced with a three-tier regional restriction system. And although there's three levels, it's important to remember that 55 million people, almost the entire population of England will be living under the highest two levels of that three- level system. And just to give you the idea of the measures, at level three if you
live under the strictest restrictions, that means that pubs and restaurants must shut down, and all households must basically not mixed together unless they want to stand outside in the freezing cold.
But this has -- but here's the catch on all of this. All nonessential shops can reopen. So that means Christmas shopping can begin, and that's the idea behind these measures, to allow the economy to reopen during the holiday season while still controlling the virus.
But it hasn't been enough for a lot of lawmakers. The Prime Minister has spent the last several days trying to shore up support for these new measures. He's written letters. Yesterday the government released an economic impact report. He's faced skepticism from his own party. The Labour -- opposition Labour Party will be abstaining from the vote. All of this controversy over again, the economic consequences. A lot of concern that the financial fallout from this three-tier regional strategy is simply too high.
The Prime Minister, of course, defending his strategy saying that this is the way forward. The nationwide lock down has worked in that it has brought down infection rates by almost a third, by about 30 percent. And the Prime Minister's argument is that we must maintain control of the virus, but here like everywhere else, Rosemary, walking that tight rope between balancing the economy and keeping control of the illness.
CHURCH: Yes, it is a tough balancing act, too. Salma Abdelaziz joining us live from London. Many thanks.
And coming up, the U.S. President-elect has one more meeting to add to his schedule after he finally received his first intelligence briefing following weeks of pushback from the White House. Back with that in just a moment.
[04:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Two more states have now certified their electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden dealing a blow to President Trump's attempts to overturn the results. Arizona Secretary of State said the election process was the most secure in recent history and the Republican governor even praised the integrity of the state's election system.
Wisconsin's governor also formally certified Biden's victory following a recount of votes in two counties at the request of the Trump campaign. The President's team says it still plans to further challenge the state's results in court.
And despite a combative exterior, two White House advisers tell CNN President Trump understands there's no possibility of staying in the White House. We are told he plans to keep fighting in court until all league avenues are exhausted, but Mr. Trump is said to have seen the writing on the wall. Still, the President falsely claims he won the election and has yet to concede to president-elect Joe Biden. Well, meantime, Biden has wasted no time pushing forward with his
transition. On Monday, the president-elect received his first intelligence briefing after the White House stalled for weeks to approve the daily updates. Biden also announced his nominees for key economic positions. CNN's MJ Lee has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: I hope these outstanding nominees received a prompt hearing.
MJ LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Joe Biden administration is starting to take shape with some history making appointments. The president-elect nominating Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary. If confirmed, the former Federal Reserve chairwoman would be the first woman to serve in that role.
Biden also naming other women to top economic posts including Cecilia Rouse, a Princeton University economist to serve as chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers. And Neera Tanden, the head of The Center for American Progress, to lead the Office of Management and Budget. That name already drawing fierce opposition from the progressive left and Republicans.
MICK MULVANEY, FORMER DIRECTOR, U.S. OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET: Very interesting to me that their putting somebody who is fairly hard- core left in that powerful position. It could be very, very difficult.
LEE: Both positions also require congressional confirmation.
BIDEN: Thanksgiving has always been a special time for the Biden family.
LEE: Biden also making headlines over Thanksgiving weekend by naming an all-female communications team at the White House, appointing key campaign and transition aides to senior most roles. Kate Bedingfield, his deputy campaign manager named White House communications director.
KATE BEDINGFIELD, INCOMING WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR: Every day is critical in transition planning which is why for months the Biden/Harris transition team has been preparing for all scenarios.
LEE: Jen Psaki, a veteran Obama administration aide and transmission official chosen to be White House press secretary. Biden also elevation several women of color. Symone Sanders, a spokesperson for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
SYMONE SANDERS, SPOKESPERSON, VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT KAMALA HARRIS: Joe Biden's message was a message that resonated with folks across the spectrum.
LEE: And Karine Jean-Pierre as principal deputy press secretary. The Biden transition team yet to announce several key national security appointments including for Defense Secretary and CIA director.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why didn't you announce Defense Secretary? BIDEN: We're going to do that. We're just doing a piece at a time here.
LEE (voice-over): Two women among the leading contenders for each role. Veteran Pentagon official Michelle Flournoy and Sue Gordon, former principal deputy director of National Intelligence.
And for the first time since becoming president-elect, Biden receiving the presidential daily briefing on Monday, classified information that he was denied access to for weeks as President Trump declined to concede the race.
[04:20:00]
The former vice president also paying a visit to the doctor's office over the weekend after Biden's office says he slipped while playing with his dog, Major. The diagnosis, hairline fractures in his right foot, likely requiring a walking boot for several weeks.
(on camera): Now president elect Joe Biden will kick off Tuesday by receiving another presidential daily briefing. And then later in the day here in Wilmington, Delaware, both he and the vice president- elect, Senator Kamala Harris, will hold an event introducing some of these key members of their new economic team. This is where we are likely to get a first glimpse in that that walking boot.
MJ Lee, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: CHURCH: So, let's bring in David Priess to talk more about this stage of the Biden transition. He has served in the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations and is the author of The Presidents Book of Secrets. Good to have you with us.
DAVID PRIESS, FORMER CIA OFFICER UNDER BILL CLINTON AND GEORGE W. BUSH: Good to be back.
CHURCH: So, David Priess, President-Elect Joe Biden received his first presidential daily briefing -- intelligence briefing Monday after being blocked by Donald Trump for weeks. How important is it that this finally happened, and what has been the cost of the delay in the transition of power?
PRIESS: It is very important that it does happen, Rosemary, because the president-elect needs to be prepared to be the commander in chief as soon as he takes the oath of office on January 20th. And there are a whole bunch of international issues that have changed a lot in the last four years since he has seen top secret intelligence.
Everything from developments in the North Korean nuclear program, to Russian politics, to Chinese military adventurism as well as of course, terrorism and pandemics cross national issues. So it is important that the president-elect get the best intelligence that's available so that he could hit the ground running. The delay in the few weeks after the election makes a short transition, even shorter. It means that he has to use the time between now and January 20th more efficiently. The good news here is that Joe Biden is an experienced customer of high-level intelligence. He has seen the presidents daily brief before in a different form when he was vice president, and he should be able to make up for lost time.
CHURCH: Yes, he is certainly not new to this is he? And of course, this daily briefing comes just a few days after one of Iran's top scientist was assassinated. An act that has now boxed Joe Biden in when it comes to determining what the U.S. needs to do about containing Iran's nuclear ambitions. How big a problem could this prove to be for Biden do you think after January 20th?
PRIESS: Well, it's only the end of November now and we've still got quite a few weeks left before January 20th. And I frankly doubt this will be the last thing that presents a challenge for soon to be President Joe Biden. Listen, there are a whole number of international issues that this president has been willing to push boundaries on, whether it's North Korea, Iran, or the Middle East.
This one probably will continue to be an issue going into the next administration, no matter what President Trump does in the meantime, because Iran has been a vexing issue for American policy makers since the late 1970s. So I don't think it's going to get any easier.
If President Trump chooses to use his remaining weeks in office to take actions that make things more difficult for the new president coming in, whether good policy or bad, just things that require more engagement earlier on after taking the oath of office. That of course is more difficult for a new administration to handle.
That is where two things matter. One is the experience and preparation of the president himself. And I think Joe Biden if nothing else is quite experienced in foreign affairs. And number two, the preparation and the capability of the team around him on international affairs, and Joe Biden is assembling a very competent, experienced team around him.
So, again, we are in somewhat good shape, if you will, that even if there are foreign policy crises hitting the president as soon as he is sworn in, he will be relatively well prepared for that compared to virtually any of his predecessors.
CHURCH: Right and of course you mentioned that team he is assembling. We are still waiting for Joe Biden to name his Defense Secretary and future CIA director. Given your CIA background, I'd be interested to get your response to some of the names being considered for the CIA director post. The top contender, Mike Morale, other names include Sue Gordon, David Cohen, Jeh Johnson who is also being considered for Defense Secretary. Who do you think would be the best pick for this post?
PRIESS: The interesting thing about that list you present is none of them are TV personalities.
[04:25:00]
The kind of person that Donald Trump looked to four years ago were often people who looked good on television, or people who had been championing his candidacy.
Joe Biden has not been going for the flashy names, for the recognizable faces. He's been going for the solid, steady professionals. And the whole list you mentioned are in that category. You have people who have either served at a senior level in the intelligence community or elsewhere in the national security bureaucracy. Any one of those people you mentioned would be able to start pretty quickly on day one if they were to be confirmed as CIA Director and understand the processes. Understand how intelligence fits into policymaking and understand the limits of intelligence.
CHURCH: David Priess, thank you so much for joining us.
PRIESS: Of course. Thank you.
CHURCH: And still to come, documents from inside China revealed chaos during its initial response to the coronavirus pandemic. Our CNN exclusive report, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: We now bring you an exclusive investigation on the coronavirus pandemic. CNN has obtained leaked documents from inside China that reveal the missteps and chaos of its early response to the pandemic. The documents are from Hubei Province, home to the city of Wuhan where the pandemic is thought to have begun. They show authorities release misleading public data on the number of deaths and cases, took an average of three weeks to diagnose a new case, and much more. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): An unprecedented leak of internal Chinese documents to CNN.
