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U.S. Prepares for Vaccine Distribution Ahead of Authorization; FDA Panel Recommends Authorization of Pfizer Vaccine; E.U. Chief: Bridging Differences with U.K. is 'Difficult'; Trump Pins Election Hopes on Dubious Texas Lawsuit; Israel, Morocco Normalize Relations; Restaurants Struggling to Survive; Several European Ski Resorts Close Due to COVID-19; Sen. Sanders (I-VT) is Interviewed about Call to Vote on New Stimulus Checks. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired December 11, 2020 - 00:00   ET

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

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: On the same day Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine gets a green light, a new forecast predicts the U.S. pandemic death toll could exceed 360,000 by the new year.

[00:00:13]

He is still the U.S. president and still has said almost nothing about a 9/11-size daily death toll from the pandemic. But some Donald Trump supporters are now warning of potential violence over his election loss.

And here we go again. Brexit impasse. The U.K. and the E.U. still no closer to a trade deal, and Boris Johnson is warning a no-deal exit is a strong possibility.

Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine is little more than a formality away from being distributed across the United States. An independent panel of experts reviewed the drug maker's research on Thursday, and recommended the Food and Drug Administration grant emergency use authorization. The FDA is expected to make it official on Friday.

On Sunday, a panel convened by the CDC will decide who gets the vaccine and when.

Thursday was an historic day for scientific achievement, but there's also been a tragic loss of life in the United States in recent days. And hospitals are treating a record number of COVID patients right now. In the nation's deadliest day on Wednesday, more than 3,000 dead.

And still, there will be even more dark days ahead. The CDC now says 70,000 more Americans could die from the virus by New Year's. The nation's top infectious disease expert had this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Some time in this coming week, we will likely see the full brunt of what happens when you travel and congregate in seemingly innocent settings like dinners and gatherings with family and friends.

Then, we're going to be entering into the Christmas holiday with the same sort of travel, with the same sort of congregating. Again, innocent things, like with family and friends. So we expect that we will likely see, yet again, another surge upon a surge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Once Pfizer actually gets the go-ahead, the official approval, then comes the hard part. Distribution. Right now, shipping companies, airlines and states nationwide are working to finalize how they plan to get this drug to those who need it most.

We get details from CNN's Sara Murray.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We intend to act quickly.

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Within 24 hours of an FDA authorization, the first coronavirus vaccines are set to ship out across the country. FedEx and UPS on standby to carry the first batch of nearly three million doses from a Pfizer facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to more than 600 states nationwide.

RICHARD SMITH, REGIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAS & EXECUTIVE VP, FEDEX EXPRESS: There will be no high-priority shipments in our network than these vaccine shipments.

MURRAY: Another Operation Warp Speed partner, McKesson, is already shipping out supply kits: millions of syringes, needles, face masks, and vaccination cards.

The monumental task of beginning to vaccinate Americans coming as states are still grappling with uncertainty over exactly how many doses they'll receive and when. In Nebraska, the governor is warning delays could lie ahead.

GOV. PETE RICKETTS (R-NE): We have been notified that Pfizer shipments will be delayed for week two and week three. We've not been told what that actually means for us.

MURRAY: One thing is clear: nationwide, for a while, supplies will be extremely limited.

DR. NIRAV SHAH, DIRECTOR, MAINE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: Whenever the first shipment arrives, of course, it won't be enough for every single person in Maine who may want or need the vaccine. Unfortunately, that has prompted us to have to make some difficult, unsavory choices.

MURRAY: The first doses will be steered toward frontline healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

Some hospitals are already setting up a delicate dance, staggering their staff vaccinations so entire departments aren't suffering the vaccine side effects, such as fevers and body aches, at the same time.

And even those at the front of the vaccination line could still have to wait.

DR. NGOZI EZIKE, DIRECTOR, ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Definitely, we have to send the message that, yes, there are a lot of people in that priority group, and, yes, we want to make sure we get it to you, but no, it won't happen on day one or week one, or maybe even week two. So patients will be the name of the game.

MURRAY (on camera): Well, it's still going to be months before we see this vaccine available to the general public. After we get through these healthcare workers, we're expecting essential workers could be next on the list.

Of course, it's going to be hard to decide who those essential workers actually are, and we're already starting to see early signs of lobbying campaigns. Today, an airline industry wrote to the CDC saying that these frontline aviation workers should be considered in this tranche of essential workers. You can bet, there are going to be a lot more pleas like that in the coming weeks and months.

Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Dr. Celine Gounder is a member of the COVID-19 committee, which is advising the U.S. president-elect, Joe Biden. And she is with us this hour. And it's good to see you. Thank you for taking the time.

DR. CELINE GOUNDER, PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S COVID ADVISOR COMMITTEE: Sure, of course.

VAUSE: Well, this vote to recommend the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use, it wasn't unanimous. There were 17 votes in favor, four opposed. One abstained. Here's how one board member explained why he voted yes.

[00:05:13]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PAUL OFFIT, VACCINES AND RELATED BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE, FDA: The question is never wanting to know everything. It's when do you know enough? And I think we know enough now to say that this -- this appears to be our way out of this awful, awful mess.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So will the reasons for the no votes be made public anytime soon?

GOUNDER: You know, that I'm not sure of, John. I think that really is going to depend on how the FDA wants to handle that.

But I think, big picture, we often don't have completely unanimous agreement on this. And, you know, I think part of what's a little bit more complicated here is you're dealing with an emergency use authorization, not a full approval. So the standards are a little bit different. And some of those who voted against may have been going with a stricter, more approval level of evidence.

So, you know, some of what we're not entirely sure of, for example, based on the data that we've seen, is how truly effective is this in 16- to 18-year-olds? There were fewer in that age group in the Phase 3 clinical trial.

But frankly, we do think that the data -- the vast majority of us believe that the data that was included in the trial, that included that age group, is probably sufficient to move forward with an emergency use authorization, even for some of those younger participants.

VAUSE: One issue which hasn't received a lot of attention, is safety and oversight where the vaccines are made. The FDA's Team Biologics inspects these facilities.

A report by "Vanity Fair," though, found some serious problems within that group, reporting this: "Four people familiar with its operations told 'Vanity Fair' that Team Biologics, staffed with only 14 investigators, is riven by conflict, dissent, personnel complaints, and low morale, and overseen by inexperienced supervisors."

You know, this is a very long report. It goes on and on and on. But would you expect that this may be an issue of something which could be addressed by the incoming administration?

GOUNDER: Well, I think, big picture, the incoming administration is really going to beef up public health, as well as different arms of the FDA. These are areas that have really languished with underfunding, understaffing, for some time now. And they've done, frankly, an excellent job despite that.

But I think it's really important, especially at this moment in time, as we understand the importance of these federal structures to the health of -- health and safety of the nation, we really do invest in them.

VAUSE: Even though we have these vaccines, the CDC modeling now has a U.S. death toll of, by January 2, of just over 360,000. That's a total -- that's a maximum there. The current director of the CDC, Robert Redfield, put it this way. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROBERT REDFIELD, CDC DIRECTOR: We are in the timeframe now that, probably, for the next 60 to 90 days, we're going to have more deaths per day than we had in 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor. I mean, this is really -- as I said, this is a real -- going to be a real unfortunate loss of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: This country went to war in Afghanistan for 13 years after 9/11. And yet, for some reason, there are people in the United States who refuse to wear a face mask, or they hold two dozen separate holiday parties at the White House.

How can you explain the disconnect in these death tolls, because it's abhorrent, what's happening?

GOUNDER: I do think that there are different values at play here. I think people feel differently when they feel like their country is being threatened by a foreign power or by terrorist attacks, than they do when it's a natural threat, a biological threat, in the form of the coronavirus. I think that's definitely part of it.

I think there are those who would still argue this is a question of personal responsibility and personal action. But where there is a fault in that argument is that this is an infectious, transmissible disease. And so all of our behavior affects everyone else.

And unfortunately, we're seeing the result of that.

VAUSE: Just very quickly, during the Democratic primaries, you may recall the candidates were asked what would they do one day one. Here's Kristen Gillibrand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KRISTEN GILLIBRAND (D-NY): The first thing that I'm going to do when I am president is I'm going to Clorox the Oval Office. The second thing I'm going to do is I will reengage on global climate change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Turns out, that was quite prescient. There are plans, right, to sterilize the White House before the new administration takes over? So what will that actually involve?

GOUNDER: Well, you know, I think one thing that we have learned over the course of the pandemic is that contact -- so surfaces, hand-to- hand contact -- actually play a pretty insignificant role in transmission of the coronavirus. It's really a respiratory transmission, so through droplets, through aerosols, through the air.

[00:10:00]

And so by opening windows, you know, well-ventilated spaces, just having people outside of the offices, in other rooms in the building, and giving that a chance to aerate, I don't think that you really need to go crazy with Clorox of the White House to make it safe.

VAUSE: Dr. Gounder, thank you so much. Appreciate you being with us.

Brazil's death toll is second only to the U.S. Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases, 6.8 million, almost 180,000 dead. Now comes word the country's first case of COVID-19 reinfection.

Meantime, Sao Paulo's governor says a vaccine developed by China is now in production there with a goal to produce one million doses a day. But President Bolsonaro refuses to use a Chinese vaccine for the nationwide inoculation.

Mexico is working through its distribution plans, as well. Officials say healthcare workers will get priority when 250,000 Pfizer vaccine doses are delivered later this month.

CNN's Matt Rivers shows us how hard it is for Latin America to get any doses at all.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To defeat the pandemic, countries need a vaccine, which means either producing vaccines domestically and/or buying vaccines from others.

Rich countries can do both. Middle income countries usually can afford to buy vaccines abroad. But poor countries can do neither.

Countries like Bolivia with one of the world's highest COVID-19 mortality rates and a suffering economy. But on a video call, the country's health minister tells CNN help is on the way.

He says, luckily, there are other caring countries that can take care of those of us with needs, and that's the main principle of the COVAX program.

COVAX is the U.N.-backed initiative that is aiming to get vaccines into the hands of the world's poorest countries, like Bolivia, and fast. In Latin America alone, more than two dozen countries will receive vaccines under the program, including 10 that will receive them free of cost.

DR. EDGAR POZO, BOLIVIAN HEALTH MINISTER (through translator): We don't have the resources to get the vaccine on our own. Buying millions of vaccine would be about impossible, so this is crucial.

RIVERS: But joining the program is one thing. Physically getting people vaccinated across Latin America is an incredible challenge, even in a region with plenty of experience with vaccine campaigns.

FELICIA KNAUL, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDY OF THE AMERICAS, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI: We've seen how to do this in Latin America, but it's not easy. And I think we've seldom had to do it at this -- at this scale.

RIVERS: Initial vaccines need to be kept cold. Doing that in remote villages, some in the tropics, will be very hard. Countries throughout the region have indigenous communities that don't speak Spanish, so language barriers exist. And in many places, inherent mistrust of national and local government could make vaccination messages fall on deaf ears.

KNAUL: Distance is an issue. Getting people to move to where the vaccine is is, is going to be an issue either way. And then making people believe that the vaccine is actually important and necessary.

RIVERS: And this is assuming that all goes right with the vaccine production and the COVAX program.

The assistant director for the Pan American Health Organization says we know in public health emergencies in the past, like H1N1, the poorest countries of Latin America and the Caribbean received the vaccine six to eight months after we started the distribution. And in many cases, well after richer countries got the vaccine.

There is every hope that COVAX will work, that vaccines will arrive on time, and that people will actually take them. But for those in charge of making all that happen, there will be some sleepless nights until it does.

He says the worst-case scenario, would be not having access to the vaccine, or that it arrives a lot later than predicted. That would mean more sick people, more deaths and even more dangerous and worrying situations.

Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Preparations are underway in Europe to distribute the vaccine, but in the meantime, pandemic restrictions are ramping up.

Berlin is about to implement significant restrictions in the run-up to Christmas to curb the spread of the virus. Schools will shut down, along with stores, until January 10.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been calling for a full lockdown after Christmas, ranging anywhere from several days to a few weeks.

France was meant to start easing restrictions next week, reopen cultural venues. But for now, that will not happen. The prime minister says infection rates are too high.

On the upside, starting December 15, people will no longer need certificates to leave their homes. But there will be a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. that might put a damper on those New Year's -- New Year's Eve celebrations. But the prime minister explained the need.

Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN CASTEX, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER: Despite previous other plans, this curfew will also be applied for New Year's Eve, on December 31. The New Year is traditionally a moment for parties. That's why we like it. But it has all the ingredients for an epidemic surge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:15:04]

VAUSE: And Sweden, the country which famously chose not to have a lockdown during Europe's first coronavirus wave, is now seeing a big increase in the number of cases. In the capital of Stockholm, 99 percent of intensive care beds are now full. The government is floating the idea of temporary pandemic law, which would give it the authority to potentially shut down certain public spaces.

Officials say that if Parliament to pass that law, it could take effect March 15.

Still to come here, dinner diplomacy. All exhaustive prospects for a post-Brexit trade deal are not looking good. We'll have the very latest from both sides in a moment.

Also, desperate efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. President Trump pins his hopes on yet another dubious long-shot lawsuit. We'll have the latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Now this is a sign of the times at the port of Dover in south England. A long, long, very long line of trucks. Check that out. All because of Brexit stockpiling. Also, the pre-Christmas build-up and the transport of medical supplies for COVID care.

The British prime minister's latest comments aren't likely to calm any Brexit jitters. Boris Johnson warns that there's a strong possibility there will not be a trade deal with the E.U. by the deadline, December 31. He says the country could end up like Australia, which doesn't have a trade pact with Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We need to be very, very clear there's now a strong possibility, strong possibility that we will have a solution that is much more like an Australian relationship with the E.U. or the Canadian relationship with the E.U. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing. There are plenty of ways, as I've said, that we can turn that to the advantage of both sides, in the conversation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Boris Johnson's pessimism over the prospect of a trade deal is shared by European leaders, as well. CNN's Nic Robertson has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, perhaps it was the Swedish prime minister arriving here for the E.U. leaders' summit meeting that summed up the mood best, saying he felt it was a more gloomy situation, that it seemed like a deal wasn't so likely. That's despite the meeting late Wednesday night between Boris Johnson and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.

They talked over dinner. They both agree that there were serious obstacles. Gaps remain. Not clear if they can bridge those gaps. This is how Ursula von der Leyen described it. URSULA VON DER LEYEN, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT: I had a very long

conversation yesterday night with the prime minister, Boris Johnson. It was a good conversation, but it is difficult.

We are willing to grant access to the single market to our British friends. It's the largest single market in the world. But the conditions have to be fair. They have to be fair for our workers and for our companies. And this fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far. Our negotiators are still working, and we will take a decision on Sunday.

ROBERTSON: A decision to be taken Sunday, she says, but in the meantime, the 27 different E.U. leaders here concerned about what happens if there really isn't a deal by the end of the year, the 31st of December deadline that there is.

Ursula von der Leyen announcing contingency measures, that there would be regulations to cover air travel, regulations to cover the safety of air travel, regulations to cover road transportation. And perhaps, most difficult for the British to swallow, regulations that would allow the European Union fishermen to continue fishing in British waters.

(on camera): This is really a very difficult time in the negotiations. They're still ongoing. But the mood here, gloomy, like the Swedish prime minister said.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Brussels.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: E.U. leaders, though, have agreed to a $2 trillion stimulus package. That's for European economies hit hard by the coronavirus. Member states had been haggling over the conditions for receiving financial aid. They reached a compromise on withholding money from members deemed to be in violation of the rule of law.

And that could be controversial. But the agreement will be a big relief to Europeans suffering economic hardship throughout that recession.

Well, there is absolutely no evidence it has any legal merit, but somehow, more than 100 U.S. House Republicans have signed on to support a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 results. And they include top leaders, such as the House minority whip, Steve Scalise, and Republican policy chairman, Gary Palmer.

President Trump is also backing that suit, which essentially asks the Supreme Court to invalidate millions of votes. Almost every legal expert says the high court is unlikely to take this case on, and some other Republicans seem ready to move on.

Here's our chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four more years! Four more years!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four more years! Four more years!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four more years! Four more years!

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Surfacing at a White House holiday party, the president made it clear he wants the Supreme Court to gift-wrap the election for him, by siding with a pro-Trump state attorneys general, out to overturn the will of the people.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Certain very important people, if they have wisdom and if they have courage, we're going to win this election.

ACOSTA: Filing the lawsuit with the support of 18 Republican-led states, Texas GOP Attorney General Ken Paxton, who's under federal indictment and accused by Democrats of seeking a presidential pardon, wants the Supreme Court to consider the case before the Electoral College finalizes Joe Biden's victory next Monday.

KEN PAXTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's a state-on-state action. The only place we can go is the U.S. Supreme Court.

ACOSTA: Pinning his hopes on the Texas case, the president is still scamming his supporters on social media, falsely tweeting, "How can you give an election to someone who lost the election by hundreds of thousands of legal votes in each of the swing states? How can a country be run by an illegitimate president?"

Texas Senator Ted Cruz says he's willing to argue on behalf of the president before the Supreme Court.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): I think we need a sense of resolution, and we need the Supreme Court to step in and ensure that we're following the Constitution and following the law.

ACOSTA: The same Cruz Mr. Trump repeatedly called a liar back in 2016.

TRUMP: Lying Ted Cruz. You know, he walks in, the Bible held high. Right? The Bible held high. He puts it down, comes over here, starts ranting and raving, and he starts lying.

ACOSTA: But other Texas Republicans are throwing cold water on the case. From Senator John Cornyn, who said, "I frankly struggle to understand the legal theory of it," to Congresswoman Kay Granger, who said, "I don't think it's going to go anywhere."

"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" reported the president warned Georgia's attorney general against rallying opposition to the case, after he said it was constitutionally, legally, and factually wrong. Georgia Republicans are facing the wrath of Trump supporters, who threatened to boycott the states upcoming Senate runoff election.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some folks are saying they're not going to show up. LUCRETIA HUGHES, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I understand them, because we're

pissed. Give the Republican people and the base a reason to get up off our tails and go vote for you. Because if you don't stop this fraud of an election, you don't have our backs, so why are we having yours?

ACOSTA: The president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, says he's ready to return to Mr. Trump's election crusade, after a bout with the coronavirus. Giuliani told WABC radio he received top-notch treatment, because he's a Trump VIP.

RUDY GIULIANI, ATTORNEY FOR TRUMP (via phone): Sometimes, when you're -- you know, you're a celebrity, they're worried if something happens to you, they're going to examine it more carefully and to do everything right.

ACOSTA: The president is fixated on the election as the pandemic is raging out of control, claiming more than 3,000 lives Wednesday, with the administration predicting there could be some 362,000 deaths by January. A reminder of all the times Mr. Trump downplayed the virus.

(on camera): What do you say to Americans who believe that you got this wrong?

[00:25:04]

TRUMP: I do want them to stay calm, and we are doing a great job.

As for that Texas lawsuit, the Pennsylvania attorney general has filed a blistering response to the case. In that filing, Pennsylvania accuses Texas of, quote, "seditious abuses" in its lawsuit.

Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: U.S. President-elect Joe Biden continuing to tap many former Obama officials for senior roles in his administration.

Denis McDonough been chosen to lead Veterans Affairs, and Susan Rice asked to lead White House domestic policy. McDonough served as Obama's chief of staff, while Susan Rice was Obama's national security adviser.

Biden is also nominating Tom Vilsack for agricultural secretary, a position he held in the Obama ministration, all among at least a dozen former Obama officials who are set to make a return.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, hailing an agreement to normalize relations with Morocco. He credited U.S. President Donald Trump for what he called his extraordinary efforts to bring peace to the region.

CNN's Oren Liebermann reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it an historic day on the first night of Hanukkah, as the announcement came out from President Donald Trump that Israel and Morocco had agreed to fully normalized relations.

Netanyahu, standing at the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem, next to U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman said that the two countries, Israel and Morocco, would open liaison offices in the immediate future and follow that with full diplomatic relations, the opening of embassies, and direct flights between the two countries.

But no doubt, the greatest winner here is Morocco, who got American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty in the occupied western Sahara territory. That is a major win for Moroccan King Mohammed VI.

Israel made no mention of that recognition in -- in talking about the normalization agreement between Israel and Morocco. And Netanyahu made no mention of it while speaking at the Western Wall.

Once again, Trump and his administration have shown a willingness to break decades of U.S. foreign policy and ignore sort of established norms here in making a move like this.

You saw it in Israel with recognition of Israeli sovereignty in the occupied Golan Heights; recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel; and moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

And now you see it with Morocco. The recognition of Morocco sovereignty in western Sahara. That breaking of decades of U.S. foreign policy, which Trump used to his advantage here.

That, it seemed, was too much of a gift for Morocco's royalty to pass up, and they chose to take that to normalize relations with Israel, and get a big win for it in recognition of their sovereignty in the western Sahara.

Once again, this leaves U.S. foreign policy, essentially, on its own, as no other western countries have recognized Morocco's sovereignty there.

Where does this go from here? Of course, the big question is Israel and Saudi Arabia. Are they, too, going to normalize relations in the waning days of the Trump administration?

Well, senior adviser to the president, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, said it was an inevitability, but he said the timeframe was still an open question. He says it's something that the Trump administration has been working on for a long time and is still working on it.

He says there are signs in that direction, the Saudis allowing Israeli overflights to, for example, the UAE and Bahrain. Bahrain's decision to normalize relations with Israel. All of those are positive signs that he says would have been unthinkable six months ago. But still, no definitive statement on when these normalization agreements would reach the Saudis. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Well, the coronavirus pandemic is taking lives and claiming livelihoods, especially in the restaurant industry. We'll hear first- hand about a battle to survive. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:31:14]

VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. Thanks for staying with us. I'm John Vause.

The U.S. Congress still deadlocked over a financial aid package to help those impacted by the coronavirus. And this comes as the U.S. Labor Department says another 853,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week, the most since mid-September.

The restaurant industry, the largest employer in the country, is being hit particularly hard. According to one analyst, the pandemic could cause 50 to 60,000 restaurants across the country to permanently close.

But what happens when a state implements some of the toughest restrictions in the U.S., including lockdowns and drastically reduced capacity for retail and entertainment venues, and the COVID cases continue to surge and hospitals are overwhelmed anyway?

That's precisely what happened in New Mexico, where businesses have been hit by the pandemic and the fallout from the government's effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Joining us now from the Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, is Tom Hutchinson, owner of two restaurants there and just one of so many who are struggling with the economic consequences of the pandemic.

So Tom, thank you for being with us and taking the time. We appreciate it.

TOM HUTCHINSON, RESTAURANT OWNER: Thanks for having me, John.

VAUSE: In New Mexico they seem to do everything right in terms of pandemic control. There is this report in "The Washington Post." It said a study by Altra (ph) University found the state's approach was "among the most restrictive and also the most successful, with New Mexico dodging the spring and summer surges that afflicted so many other states."

But not now. This latest surge of COVID, just like everywhere else, it's hitting New Mexico. So explain to me, as a business owner and a resident, what has it been like to go through all of that economic pain, all of that heartache, and the best result out of this is to see case numbers maybe have slowed a little? HUTCHINSON: Well, it's been very frustrating. Over the last nine

months, we've had a variety of different restrictions put on our industry, from being totally closed down and offering to-go only to being 50 percent open in indoor capacity.

So the governor has adjusted her public health order as cases either rise or subsided.

It is kind of interesting, that over the last, well, six -- four to six weeks as cases have gone up, she straddled back on retail and certainly the restaurant industry. I mean, right now, John, we're at 25 -- 25 percent of outdoor capacity only, in the middle of the winner. That's a brutal set of circumstances to operate.

VAUSE: Yes, and you know, a lot of people are struggling, and a lot of people will not -- well, business just simply won't survive.

The state has this red, yellow, green system for each county. Red has the highest number of daily cases and positivity rates and the toughest restrictions. When those numbers come down, the area then moves to yellow, with fewer restrictions, and then to green. But you can see right now, the entire state is almost all red.

But the problem, it seems, is that an area can quickly move from green to red. Which means one day, you know, you're open, the next day you're closed. How do you run a business amid that uncertainty?

HUTCHINSON: Well, that's been the problem. You know, pre-COVID, I had 120 employees at my business. When she shut us down in March of this year, I went to 10. I laid off 110 folks; 110 folks went on unemployment.

Then over the last nine months, we've -- it's been kind of like a rubber band. We've expanded. You know, we go to 70 employees and back down to 20, back down to -- up to 40, down to 30. As she's revised her public health orders.

So it's been very difficult. Not only on the business and restaurants all over the country, but on staff. My employees. It's just a rollercoaster ride. And particularly this time of year, with the holidays right around the corner. It's just -- it's just really tough. It's sad, you know, to have to send so many folks home. Because you know, unemployment is not full pay.

And we have no relief in the immediate future. We're hoping we'll get some federal relief soon. We hope Congress acts, and we're getting the possibility of some state relief. But again, this is probably the toughest moment in the last nine months.

[00:35:16}

VAUSE: Yes, because what's happened with that 25 percent capacity for outside dining, clearly, you know, that means a huge hit to your revenue. And that's obvious, right?

But your expenses are also up at the same time. And a lot of people, I don't think, realize all the extra money which has got to be spent on the safety precautions. And what, 200 restaurants have been forced to close in New Mexico.

HUTCHINSON: That's correct.

VAUSE: Is the only solution to this a financial lifeline from the state and federal government?

HUTCHINSON: Well, yes, I think so. I mean, I don't know too many of us that can hold on much longer without -- without some type of lifeline.

You know, when your mandate is to close, the folks mandating you to close have got to come up with some relief package to keep you alive. And -- and so that's been very slow to happen this time.

When the paycheck protection program happened earlier in the -- in this nine months, you know, that was only good for eight weeks. They extended to 24 weeks, and frankly, it's been the last three or four months, we've just been kind of hanging on.

So to your point, it's a lifeline. It's kind of like throwing out a life -- a life -- one of those round life preservers with a 10-foot rope tied to it, but you're 20 feet out. You just can't get to it. And we need help sooner than later.

VAUSE: Just very quickly, it's one thing if you went through all this pain and it worked. It's another thing if it doesn't.

HUTCHINSON: Yes! You know, I guess we'll look back on this in a couple years and -- and try to figure out which state handled it best and which governor had the best approach.

But you know, right now, if you look at all these states, John, you know, I'm surrounded by three states that have some type of indoor capacity for their diners. We're one of three states in the country that has no indoor capacity right now, and we're heading into the winter.

And I get that the winter is a tough time for flu and sickness, but give us some indoor capacity. We just need a little bit of indoor capacity, you know, to survive until some of these relief packages become a reality.

VAUSE: Yes, Tom, it just seems that it's the inconsistency. It's the lack of a national structure or national guidelines which is really hard to swallow in places. But thank you for being with us and best of luck for the coming days.

HUTCHINSON: Well, John, thank you very much. Thank you.

VAUSE: My pleasure, thank you.

Well, COVID restrictions are stopping many European ski resorts in their tracks. One country saying business as usual despite its neighbor saying otherwise. We'll take you there after the break.

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VAUSE: Well, the pandemic has forced many European ski resorts to close, and that's causing major angst among thousands of businesses and villages all across the region.

CNN's Melissa Bell takes us to one ski resort in Switzerland which remains open.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some come to the spectacular views and the fresh air, but many come for the sport. Each year, the European ski industry brings in 34 billion euros in revenue, half the world's total, according to an industry expert.

But not this year. Ski lifts will be at a standstill this Christmas in many of Europe's top skiing destinations because of COVID-19 restrictions. And that means trouble beyond the ski industry. Entire villages, like Megeve in the French Alps, are up in arms.

CATHERINE JULLIEN-BRECHES, MEGEVE MAYOR (through translator): The ski lifts here in Megeve will lose 8 million euros in turnover. And we know that one euro spent on lifts means seven euros spent in the village, so that gives an idea of the extent of the economic damage for villages.

BELL: But by early December, after much debate and mutual pressure, France, Germany, Austria and Italy decided not to open their ski lifts, a decision met with incomprehension by those whose livelihoods depend on them.

MICHAEL CUGIER, MEGEVE SKI LIFTS (through translator): It's an outdoor activity, and I think in terms of big crowds, we are not confronted with the same crowds you see in the metro in a big city.

BELL (on camera): But just 60 miles away, across the border here in Switzerland, the ski lifts are open. With the resorts like Verge (ph) putting in place special restrictions, like masks that need to be worn on the lifts, and social distancing put in place, as well, in order to make sure that people can ski as safely as possible.

(voice-over): Laurent Vaucher, who runs Verbier ski lifts, says that much has been learned since the Austrian ski resort of Ischgl was identified by health officials as a major cluster during the first European COVID wave.

LAURENT VAUCHER, DIRECTOR, VERBIER SKI LIFTS: Last Spring, we didn't have any measure in place. We didn't have any masks, didn't have any social distance. So now the game is different. We are pretty much sure that we can do good work in order to keep the ski resort safe.

BELL: Measures are being taken on the slopes and in the village.

Switzerland's infection rates are rising, and local leaders say they want to leave nothing to chance.

SIMON WIGET, DIRECTOR, VERBIER TAVERN: It's not only to save the Christmas holiday but it's to save winter. And it's to save, as well, the reputation, because we know that everybody is watching us, and if we make a mistake and afterwards, due to the mistake, we have a corona cluster, we will be appointed as a bad organization.

BELL (on camera): The condition here in the Alps this season are incredible. Loads of snow, plenty of sunshine. And the fear was that people might be tempted to flock to Switzerland, to try and make the most of the slopes. That's why several European countries have put in place restrictions to prevent their nationals from doing just that.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Verbier.

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VAUSE: Quick programming note now. This year's "CNN HEROES: AN ALL- STAR TRIBUTE" will be a special celebration of the heroic efforts of many people around the world who stood up to help others. Despite all the misery of 2020, there have been moments of resilience, hope, joy and inspiration.

Please join Anderson Cooper and special guest Kelly Ripa, who host our annual "CNN HEROES: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE," live on Sunday, December 13, 8 p.m. Eastern, Monday 5 a.m. in Abu Dhabi and that's 9 a.m. in Hong Kong. You can also DVR it.

I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour. In the meantime, WORLD SPORT is next.

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