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Germany to Enter "Hard" National Lockdown on Wednesday; Japan, South Korea See Major Infection Spikes; New Zealand Commits to Travel Bubble with Australia; Leaders in U.K. and EU Extend Talks but Warn "No-Deal" is Likely; Ivory Coast President to be Sworn in for Third Term; Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex Honors CNN Heroes. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired December 14, 2020 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back to all of you, our viewers in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

In just a few hours from now, the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are set to go to locations across the U.S., and hope is health care workers can immediately begin administering the shots today.

Already we've seen shipments make it to several states, including California where the first batch arrived earlier at Los Angeles International Airport.

A recent surge in coronavirus cases is forcing Germany to take drastic action to stem the spread. It will go into a hard national lockdown this week. Beginning on Wednesday, all nonessential shops, services and schools will close until January 10th. And Christmas gatherings will be limited to five people from two different households. This comes after Germany reported its highest death toll in one day on Friday, nearly 600 fatalities.

For more on the new restrictions let's bring in Senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen, who joins us from Berlin. Fred, Angela Merkel has been passionately advocating this shut down for a while now. How will the holidays be different this year, and how are Germans reacting to this?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: While they're certainly going to be a lot different than they were in the years past. And that's not just generally because of the coronavirus, but especially now because of these hard lockdown measures. But the German government is going to start putting in place by Wednesday.

And just to give you one example of one of the things that will be completely different. Even church services for Christmas are going to have to be registered and approved before they can happen. They all have to happen with masks and there's not going to be any sort of singing. So that's just for Christmas itself. But even the run up to Christmas, obviously, it's really going to be a

lot different than most people here thought, most politicians thought, and most shop owners also thought as well. Of course, right now is a big Christmas shopping season, or would be. And come Wednesday, all of those stores are going to have to close.

Now the German government has acknowledged that's going to be a big issue for a lot of those shop owners. Obviously, going to put them under a lot of financial distress. The German government has said that there is going to be widespread and large scale compensation for all of that. But of course it is something that does have a lot of people extremely concerned.

But you're absolutely right, Kim, the German government simply felt that it had no other choice. You had several days with record numbers in the past couple of weeks, the worst being last Friday, with 30,000 -- round about 30,000 new infections in a single day, and almost 600 people dying in a single day.

And I can really tell you, Kim, that's really one of the moments where you could feel the mood here really start to change. It's about the equivalent of 2,400 people dying in a single day in the U.S. And the German government at that point said, look, this can't continue. Something needs to be done. And so, the German federal government met on Sunday with the state authorities and then decided on these lockdown measures that are going to be going in place a lot quicker than people would have thought -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Well, all right, thank you so much for that. Fred Pleitgen in Berlin appreciate it.

Cities in Italy are coming back to life after weeks of harsh COVID restrictions. Risk levels in five regions were downgraded over the weekend. That means most of the country woke up Sunday in the yellow zone, which is the least restrictive. Bars and restaurants in those areas can reopen, but have to close by 6:00 p.m. A nightly curfew remains in place throughout the country but none of Italy's regions are in the red zone now.

To Asia where several countries are seeing spikes in COVID cases. South Korea's infection total has climbed past 43,000, following a record surge. President Moon says officials will be looking at stricter distancing measures and more schools in Seoul Japan is also working on will go virtual.

Japan is also working on countermeasures. Officials there confirmed more than 180,000 cases since the pandemic began. Our Kristie Lu Stout is in Hong Kong. So let's start with South Korea. I take it it's much wanted test and trace system isn't working as it was early in the pandemic. Is that because, you know, they're just overwhelmed with too many cases?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're overwhelmed with new cases and new cluster, particularly in the Seoul metropolitan area. That's the case for South Korea. For Japan, they're overwhelmed by cluster all over the country, in

Tokyo, in Osaka, in Nagoya and especially in the north in Hokkaido. Compared to the U.S. and compared to Europe, much of East Asia had managed to keep the coronavirus in check.

[04:35:09]

But given this new wave of infection, we're seeing these two countries, Japan, and South Korea post these new records in daily coronavirus cases. Over the weekend, Japan posted and surpassed 3,000 new daily cases for the very first time in the punishing pandemic. Happening right now, 6:30 p.m. local time in Tokyo, the government is holding a task force meeting where it's discussing a number of counter measures to control the outbreak.

Meanwhile in South Korea, over the weekend, it recorded 1,030 new cases of the coronavirus, a new record for South Korea. On Saturday, the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in mobilized the military, the police, and medical workers to contain the outbreak. On Sunday, President Moon said that it was a, quote, emergency situation, and that if the country did not bring the outbreak under control, South Korea would issue its first ever level three alert. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOON JAE-IN, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It is a very serious and emergency situation. There is nowhere to back down. It is a desperate time to devote all efforts to stop the spread of corona by focusing quarantine capabilities and administrative power. Unless the outbreak can be contained now, it has come to a critical point to consider escalating the social distancing measures to the third level.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT (on camera): If South Korea enters a level three alert, if that would again be for the first time -- that would mean there'd be a ban on social gatherings of more than ten people, and only essential workers would be allowed in the workplace. But ahead of such a move, South Korea this afternoon announced the closure of schools in Seoul and in neighboring areas, and students will have to move to online learning. Back to you -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, big move there. All right, thank you so much, Kristi Lu Stout, appreciate it.

New Zealand says is ready for a travel bubble with Australia. It's expected to go in effect early next year if things go according to plan. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement earlier and explained what needs to happen to make it official.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACINDA ARDERN, NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER: The cabinet has agreed in principle to establish a travel bubble with Australia. We anticipate in the first quarter of 2021. Pending confirmation from the Australian cabinet, and no significant change in the circumstances of either country. Officials have been working on a range of matters and good progress has been made. There has been some public focus on the requirement for 28 days free of community transmission, but that is just one of the criteria, and areas where preparation needs to be done before opening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The bubble has been discussed for months and would allow quarantine free travel both ways.

Still to come, hope is fading for a trade deal between the U.K., and EU. But leaders aren't giving up yet. What we need to know about the tough talks coming up next. Stay with us.

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: The U.K. Prime Minister is managing expectations about reaching a trade deal with the European Union.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I'm afraid were still very far apart on some key things. But where there's life there is hope. We're going to keep talking to see what we can do. The U.K. certainly won't be walking away from the talks I think people would expect us to go the extra mile. Let's see what we can achieve, but in the meantime, get ready with confidence, January the 1st, trade on WTO terms if we have to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Boris Johnson and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have agreed to extend trade negotiations again but both parties are warning there will likely be no deal agreed when the Brexit transition period ends at midnight on December 31st.

CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins me live from London. Nic, the fact that they've extended the deadline, is that a sign that they're close to a deal or that each side doesn't want to be seen to be the one walking away? Kind of as Boris Johnson said in that clip there, just because there's so much at stake?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think it's that what's at stake. The reality really starts stacking up when the chips come down. You know, the maneuvering, the sort of public sound bites which create sort of a narrative of extreme scenarios. I mean, everyone knows that there's no deal, that there will be backlogs of traffic at the borders, as a potential shortage for food and for medicines and all of these sorts of things. And everyone has kind of known that going into the talks.

But when you're sort of staring down the barrel of this happening and you know, the British, for example, the Prime Minister has the navy on standby to put four frigates into the English Channel to protect British fishermen from the potential of French fishermen. And I mean, and the rhetoric goes up like that. I think it sharpens and focuses people's minds.

So these talks are going on now without a set deadline. We've just heard the Irish Prime Minister, the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, speaking to an Irish media outlet saying, yes, there's no deadline, but, you know, the real deadline really would be the end of the year, 31st of December. So can the talks really go right up to the wire because there will be no time for ratification. But that's how long perhaps this piece of string is. But he said what the EU and U.K. hope to do is to clinch a deal in the next few days.

Well, the next few days, what does that actually mean? Again, the string analogy, how long is a bit of string each time that it's possible to stretch this out further, it happens for those reasons. No one wants to blame. Everyone knows the cost of getting this wrong, and I think that's where we're at now.

So if there's going to be movement and I think we're in a period of invigorated glue, rather than the glue where we were going into the weekend, that now is the time that it's going to take shape and be possible.

So you know, the Prime Minister saying be ready for no deal, but I think also there was a real hope because both sides actually want it, that they will pull this together. But when, we just don't know. Because we don't know what's going on inside the meets -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, invigorated gloom, well said. Nic Robertson, appreciate it.

In the day ahead, the president of Ivory Coast is expected to be sworn in for his third term in office after winning a highly disputed election marked by violence and political unrest. Scott McLean has our report, and a warning, it does contain graphic images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This video shows people in the Ivory Coast blocking a major highway last month to protests the reelection in the country's president. And some time after the video ends, shots are fired.

This was the aftermath of what was supposed to be a peaceful protest, victims, lying motionless on the pavement. Witnesses told Human Rights Watch, that there were three people killed after Ivorian security forces opened fire.

[04:45:00]

The government says investigations are underway but the President Alassane Ouattara, who spoke exclusively to CNN, has made up his mind.

ALASSANE OUATTARA, IVORY COAST PRESIDENT: No, this is a lie. I had given a strict instruction to the defense forces not to use fire guns. And no one shot among the defense forces. JIM WORMINGTON, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: It's pretty premature at this point to call that research ally.

MCLEAN: The shooting kept off a string of pre, and postelection protests, and violence. 85 people have been killed on both sides, hundreds more injured, and more than 15,000 fled the country, fearing a return to the civil war violence that brought President Ouattara to power almost a decade ago. Opposition supporters say he should not have been allowed to run for a third term since the constitution limits presidents to just two.

OUATTARA: It's a decision, I am glad that I took today because the country would have been in a mess if I had not been a candidate.

MCLEAN (on camera): Do you understand why some of your opponents, and a lot of people in your country, were upset by your decision?

OUATTARA: No, I think they just know they could not win, if they want to grab power without election, they are not democrats.

MCLEAN (voice-over): While the Ivorian Supreme Court allowed the president to run, the Electoral Commission barred 40 others from challenging it.

(on camera): Does that sound like democracy to you?

OUATTARA: Let me tell you, democracy does not invite anyone should come and run. Where are those young countries, the fragile countries, candidates should be able to say what they are going to do for the people and for the country.

MCLEAN (voice-over): Those candidates who are allowed to run boycotted the election before the vote. And afterwards, setting up a parallel government to organize a new poll. One exiled candidate went even further.

GUILLAUME SORO, OPPOSITION POLITICIAN: Mr. Ouattara is a con artist. And a liar. And he is behaving like a culprit. And a culprit should be jailed.

MCLEAN: But it was one of Ouattara's main rivals who was jailed, another was put under house arrest.

OUATTARA: Suppose that Donald Trump, decide to form a government because Biden has won the reelection. He would be sent to jail right away. And this is what we are doing in Cote d'Ivoire.

MCLEAN: Election observers, from the American Carter Center, found serious concerns about restrictions on civil liberties, freedom of expression, and the right to vote, and be elected which threatening to undo democratic progress.

But it seems the rest of the world is unwilling to make a fuss not even France, which has strong ties its former colony.

KOBI ANNAN, ANALYST, SONGHAI ADVISORY With the relatively recent instance of civil war in early 2010 and 11 in the country and before the election are been real possibility of returning to that, I think it kind of seeing as better to just except what is, and what people know.

MCLEAN (on camera): Democracy has been sacrificed in the name of stability.

ANNAN: I think it is fair to say, that yes.

MCLEAN (voice-over): For now, at least, there's peace in Ivory Coast. But the real war may be with democracy itself.

Scott McLean, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Last night, CNN heroes, an all-star tribute showcased remarkable individuals who have stepped up in a year riddled with turmoil. People who have offered help and solace to those in need. Special guest, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, a proud supporter of feeding programs around the world, joined CNN heroes to help honor communities that came together to make sure that food is available to those struggling amid the current hunger crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEGHAN, THE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: Back in March, the COVID-19 crisis hit hard and overnight, everything seemed to change. For many families, the impact of the pandemic has been catastrophic, and far too many were faced with a heartbreaking question, how am I going to put food on the table for my family.

But in the face of this devastating reality, we also saw the power of the human spirit and the remarkable ways that communities respond in challenging times. We saw the good in people, in our neighbors, and in entire communities coming together to say they would not stand by while our neighbors went hungry. We saw communities standing up and taking action.

When kids' lunch programs came to a halt, we saw our neighbors make sure that those children received the nutrition they need and when those who are immunocompromised or most vulnerable couldn't leave their homes, we as a community showed up to deliver the feed they needed to their doorsteps.

We know the value of food, as nourishment, as a life source, and in moments of crisis, the warmth of a meal can feel as comforting as a much needed hug. Especially in the absence of human contact, due to the social distancing we're all experiencing. These moments reminded so many that they're cared for.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: CNN royal correspondent Max Foster joins us live from outside London with more. Max, so this is the first time we have seen her since she revealed her miscarriage and she did that in a "New York Times" piece, and there's a reference to the same theme in this video. What more can you tell us?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and she finishes off her video saying we will be OK. Which was a reference to the "Times" piece, which focused ultimately on the Duchess wanting to encourage people to go out and ask people if they're OK during this very traumatic year. So it's playing into a theme there.

It was interesting to see how she described herself actually in the "Times" piece as a mother, feminist and advocate, as opposed to a royal, which is how she's better known. But she's defining herself in a different way now that she is back in the United States.

[04:55:00]

I think this video felt quite statesperson like. It was professionally filmed by CNN about a week and a half ago in Los Angeles. And I'm told that she wrote that speech about a subject that is very close to her heart. She has with Prince Harry being out and about, in and around Los Angeles, delivering food aid during the pandemic. So it's a topic she cares deeply about, but she's tying it into a bigger theme which is just making sure people are OK, which is something that it feels like she's going to keep coming back to in this sort of new role that she's really carving out for herself in the United States and around the world but based from Los Angeles, of course, now. Instead of where I am in Berkshire, in the U.K.

BRUNHUBER: All right, thank you so much, Max Foster, appreciate it.

Well, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Kim Brunhuber. "EARLY START" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)