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Military has Rescued All Kidnapped Boys in Nigeria; FDA Authorization Expected Quickly for Moderna Vaccine; Top U.S. Health Official Pleads for Continued Vigilance; Congressional Leaders Struggle to Pass Aid Deal; Seoul South Korea Running Out of Hospital Beds; Australia's Mystery COVID-19 Outbreak Grows to 28 Cases; UNICEF Helping to Feed Children in The U.K.; Hopes for U.K.-E.U. Trade Deal Falter; Two Dead in Cyclone Yasa in Fiji; Going Green Features Growing Your Own Food; Crucial Moment for America; President Emmanuel Macron Tested Positive; Europeans Skeptical of Vaccine Safety; E.U. Need to Advertise Vaccine Efficacy; Russia Determined to Sow Chaos in U.S.; Kidnapped Children Now Back Home. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired December 18, 2020 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Hello. I'm Kim Brunhuber, live from CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom.
With intensive care beds in short supply, and death rates skyrocketing, new hope in the United States, a second vaccine set to get the green light.
Across Europe, vaccines are still more than a week away. Why some people are saying, they don't want the shots.
Shouts and tears of joy. You are looking at the first video of students rescued after being kidnapped in Nigeria.
An emergency use authorization for Moderna's COVID vaccine is expected to come quickly. Just one week after authorizing the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the Food and Drug Administration is on the verge of adding a second one following an FDA advisory panel's recommendation. It would almost immediately add millions of more doses to the supply chain. And that could be critical in the days ahead.
Some states have already been told to expect smaller shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine beginning next week as the logistics of the vaccination campaign are ironed out.
The tragic truth is no matter how quickly the entire country is vaccinated, it's already too late for many. More than 114,000 Americans are now filling COVID wards all across the country. It's the 12th day in a row hospitalization have broken a record, and some facilities say they've run out of empty beds.
The FDA says it will work quickly to finalize the process on the Moderna vaccine.
We get the latest from CNN's Alexandra Field.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Moderna's vaccine could be now just days away from reaching Americans. An FDA advisory panel is recommending authorization of what would be the nation's second COVID vaccine. The panel heard accounts from scientists, doctors, and people who survived COVID.
DOUGLAS DIETERICH, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR LIVER MEDICINE: There is a lot of long-term effects of COVID. After I was at home for a few months, I developed some severe atrial arrhythmias. When they subsided, I developed superior hypertension, which I'm still battling.
FIELD: It comes just a day after one of the darkest in our history. The pandemic at its all-time worst.
DANIEL TREVINO, SIBLINGS DIED FROM COVID-19: One minute, they are OK, you are talking to them, you know, on face time, then all of a sudden, you try to face time again and they are hooked up to six different machines. You know, with tubes going down their bodies and, you know, that's the last image you are going to have of your loved one.
CARLOS DEL RIO, EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATE DEAN, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Which is not seeing people doing the implementation necessary to stem the tide of this virus right now.
FIELD: A new CDC forecast adds of thousands more deaths to predictions for the next few weeks, as many as 391,000 by January 9th.
UNKNOWN: So, these patients when they are dying, they are alone.
FIELD: Nevada and five other states hitting a record high for deaths reported in a single day. The White House COVID task Force says the fall's surges merging with the post-Thanksgiving surge to create a winter surge with the most rapid increase in cases yet. Tennessee now among the states with the fastest spread of the virus.
GOV. BILL LEE (R-TN): One thing that this vaccine will not solve, one thing that it will not cure, is selfishness, or indifference to what's happening to our neighbors around us.
FIELD: The rollout of Pfizer's vaccine, the first hit the market, continues across the country. A shipping air forced New Mexico to throw out 75 doses that shipped at the wrong temperature, but pharmacists also say they are finding some vials of the Pfizer vaccines have extra doses.
UNKNOWN: I think I'm ready for the vaccine.
FIELD: A bit of a boost as certain states learn they are getting less for now than what they expected. Iowa says it's working with federal partners to figure out why they are receiving as much as 30 percent less than what they planned for. (END VIDEO CLIP)
FIELD (on camera): States will be learning, on a weekly basis about how large the next week shipments will be. Which means that they will have to plan, and, perhaps, adjust their plans in some cases. We are also now learning that if the Moderna vaccine gets its emergency use authorization it could start sending out each shipments of the vaccine almost right away. That means the federal government would plan to send about 7.9 million doses of vaccine next week, 5.9 million Moderna, and another 2 million from Pfizer.
In New York, Alexandra Field, CNN.
[03:05:02]
BRUNHUBER: French President Emmanuel Macron is experiencing a cough and a fever the government says after he tested positive Thursday for COVID-19. Mr. Macron, currently is self-quarantining and working remotely. But there is added concern because he had numerous meetings just days ago with some top European leaders.
So, let's talk more about this with CNN's Jim Bittermann joining me from Paris. Jim, of course, there is concern about the president's health, but the implications here could radiate far and wide. What's the latest?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kim. All over Europe, as a matter of fact, there are a number of people now self-isolating having come into contact with President Macron within the last week. They include the prime ministers of Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Luxembourg, as well as the President of the European Council, and the OECD secretary general.
All of whom have come into contact with Macron, particularly worrying here domestically is that a lot many of the leaders of Macron's party were in contact with him at a series of lunches and dinners on Tuesday and Wednesday.
So, a lot of people potentially exposed. Macron, himself, is self- isolating outside of Paris at (Inaudible), which is a presidential residence on the grounds of Versailles. And his wife, Brigitte who has tested negative basically staying at the Elysee Palace.
So, it's a really kind of shock and a very delicate time for the European leaders because they are negotiating Brexit, and any other number of touchy subjects, including the response to COVID.
Once thing else that's happened here this morning is that the France scientific council has said that 2021 is going to continue to be bad, as far as COVID is concerned, the first six months especially he said and it probably won't life -- probably won't return to normal in France until the end of 2021.
So, not a very great prediction, not a very positive prediction from the president of the French Scientific Council. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: Yes, not very positive, but probably very realistic. Jim Bittermann, thank you so much for that. I appreciate it.
The European Union will begin COVID vaccinations in the coming weeks with health experts worry that historic European skepticism of vaccines and government will make it harder to convince people to get those shots.
CNN's Melissa Bell is in Paris for us. So, Melissa, just to contrast, South Korea just announced it will complete vaccination for 80 percent of its population against coronavirus by November of next year. I imagine it will be an uphill battle to get similar numbers in many European countries.
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's very difficult, Kim, to see from here how anything like that could be achieved in European Union countries. Remember how Europe had marveled at the handling of the early days of the pandemic by some Asian countries including South Korea. It was simply much harder to get unruly populations unused to those kinds of restrictions to get in place in order to deal with restrictions and accept them in a way that might allow the pandemic to be brought under control.
And it looks likely that the similar thing is going to happen with vaccines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BELL (voice over): With infection rates in France and other European countries out of control, hope is just around the corner. With the E.U. just started its vaccination campaign on December 27th. It may not be that easy.
ARANCHA GONZALEZ LAYA, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think vaccination is a question of trust. This is why in Spain we are spending a lot of time and energy in building trust with the citizens.
BELL: Hence this TV campaign to convince the reluctant. With poll showing only 41 percent of Spaniards currently intending to get the vaccine
In Italy, the figure is just 52 percent. Authorities there going with a primrose based commercial matched by primrose shaped pavilions to attract people to wear the vaccines will be dispensed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL (on camera): Experts say that 70 percent of the population need either to have recovered from infection or to have been vaccinated for herd immunity to kick in. Now as of early this month, only one in two people here in France said they were be willing to get the vaccine. And that's something that's really repeated across the European Union. In fact, Europeans were amongst the most vaccine skeptical on earth before the pandemic. And the pandemic doesn't appear to have changed that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DAVID SCHAPIRO, VICE PRESIDENT, UFML: It has crystalize because it made worse all the tensions between people. The people who are afraid. And when you are afraid most of the time you get quite extremist.
BELL (voice over): Across Europe, skepticism not only of vaccines, but of governments encourage these last few months but populist and far-right parties. Also, by mistakes made by several governments early on in the pandemic.
DOMENICO ARCURI, ITALIAN CORONAVIRUS COMMISSIONER: At the beginning of this year all of us didn't know nothing about the virus. We, in that moment with any power, any know how, any capability to fight with it. After some months we are fully empower.
[03:10:07]
BELL: But even though the vaccines that will soon be available in Europe have been tested, found to be effective, and found to be safe, skepticism goes deeper than you might think.
JEREMY WARD, SOCIOLOGIST, CNRS: That's something that we tend to forget. It's not doctors are actually not so different from the general public. Lots of them are hesitant.
BELL: It's Europe's moment tweeted the president of the European Commission on Thursday to announce that start of the E.U.'s vaccination campaign. From December 27th, the first Europeans will be able to get vaccinated, the question is, how many will choose to do so?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL (on camera): For the time being, what we expect to happen in terms of that rollout, Kim, of the vaccine here in the European Union is that the first doses should be available in Germany before the end of this year.
Here in France, that's likely to be just after January 1st. Then, what the French say is that by December, by the month of June, 40 percent of the French population will have been vaccinated if they can manage to get 40 percent of the population to do it.
It's going to be staged. They begin with people living in care homes and then move down through the older age groups and down to the youngest. And of course, it won't therefore be until next summer that we'd have a real idea of how successful France and other European countries vaccination programs have been.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Melissa Bell, that was a fascinating report. Thanks for that. Melissa Bell in Paris.
Well, for more on this, let's bring in Dr. Peter Drobac who is an infectious disease and global health expert at the University of Oxford in England. Doctor, thanks so much for being with us. So, we just heard there about how prevalent anti-vax sentiments are in
Europe. How do you break that down when even apparently, as we heard there, some doctors are skeptical. These beliefs seem so deeply held, surely, you know, running ads and so on alone won't cut it.
PETER DROBAC, GLOBAL HEALTH EXPERT, OXFORD SAID BUSINESS SCHOOL: Well, thanks for having me, Kim.
You're right, this is a real concern. And there are some deeply entrenched vaccine hesitancy here in European that has to be overcome. And we do see those numbers going. It's important to keep in mind that there is a real variety though of reasons why people may be hesitant, and that some may be more hardened than others.
And so, it is important that we get out there first. Research shows that inoculating people with accurate information before some of the conspiracy theories and things that we're seeing on social media can hit, can be effective.
We also have to remember the messages need to come from places that people trust. And so, when you're facing issues where people aren't trusting government, or aren't trusting traditional media, we need to find other sources to provide that information. And sometimes that means going a community base route through faith leaders and others in the local community.
What we hope is that as people begin to get vaccinated, and you can see your friends and your neighbors getting vaccinated and doing so safely that that can also help.
BRUNHUBER: So, this, as the U.S. is about to authorize the Moderna vaccine. So, what are the differences between that and the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine? And will people have a reason to be jockeying to get one over the other?
DROBAC: They are quite similar. In fact, they are based on a very similar mRNA technology. And the efficacy results have been largely the same at about 95 percent. So really there should be, from an individual standpoint, I would be very happy to get one or the other when my time comes.
One difference that the Moderna vaccine does not require the ultra- cold storage that the Pfizer vaccine does. It still requires freezing temperatures, but not to the same extreme degree. So that will make distribution a little but easier.
BRUNHUBER: Now all of this, you know, a race against time with these spikes around the world, hospitals in many countries are running out of beds here in the U.S., South Korea as we heard even where you are, the NHS says they are running out of beds. But you know, what's baffling is instead of imposing tighter restrictions over the holidays, they are allowing this so-called holiday bubbles. I know you've railed against these.
DROBAC: Yes. It's a real concern. I mean, we are seeing worrying spikes despite having gone through a four-week lockdown. Just recently, we are still, you know, reaching the levels of hospitalizations and cases that are near what we saw in the spring. And so, the idea that we could relax for five days over the holidays and start to have people traveling around the country, mixing with one another.
Think about what happened over Thanksgiving in the U.S. or in Canada. We saw these big surges. We're still seeing the effects of that. I think that's the last thing we want here. Unfortunately, we'll pay the price in January. I wish we could reverse this course, but it seems like the government is unwilling to reverse course, at least at this time.
BRUNHUBER: I wonder if we can file the idea of the holiday bubble next to the concept of fighting COVID with herd immunity.
[03:15:00]
You know, Sweden was lauded in many conservative circles at least here for its lack of restrictions embracing that so-called herd immunity. But first, the country's top expert said it didn't work. Now the king in his address to the country admitted that Sweden failed. Are you tempted to yell I told you so?
DROBAC: Well, I don't think that's helpful. And you know, Sweden has gotten so much attention mostly because of this kind of politicized approach to controlling the virus or not controlling the virus around the herd immunity argument. What's clear is that they did take a relatively relaxed approach without having severe restrictions. And that approach did not work.
They have a very high death rate, similar to here in the U.K. and among the higher in the world. And it showed that the idea that you can allow a controlled spread of the virus through the population, through the younger parts of the population while protecting the more vulnerable is just not impossible. And so, I do hope that this experience, however difficult it is, might put some of these fallacious arguments to rest.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Last question for you. We just heard that the French government scientific advisor said he didn't expect, at least in France, no return to post-COVID-19 normal life before autumn of 2021. Do you expect that to apply generally to other countries? The U.S., for example?
DROBAC: Yes. I think we need to be cautious that we're sort of at the end of the beginning with the pandemic. And we still do still have a way to go. I do believe that we will see things start to get better by the spring, a combination of vaccinations, of mass testing, of improving weather, and improving treatments but that doesn't mean back to normal.
Those vaccinators still going to need to wear masks, we're still going to need social distancing measures in place, and it's going to take a long time to vaccinate a majority of populations everywhere. So, I think it is more realistic to understand, yes, things will get better, but we're not going to be out of the woods and we're going to have to learn to live with this virus for some time to come.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. People have to be prepared for the long haul here.
DROBAC: Right.
BRUNHUBER: Dr. Peter Drobac with the University of Oxford in England, thank you so much for joining us.
DROBAC: Thank you, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: A massive security breach has compromised government and corporate computer systems across the U.S. So, coming up on CNN Newsroom, who security experts say is likely behind it and what it's going to take to fix it. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. officials are calling a massive spate of data breaches a grave risk to the federal government, as well as the private sector. The hacks were allegedly carried out by a Russian link group using previously unknown tactics.
CNN has reported that at least several agencies in the U.S. government had their systems compromised. And as CNN's Alex Marquardt reports there may be more.
[03:19:59]
ALEXANDER MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The impact of the suspected Russian hack on the U.S. government and companies as well is widening. But it will be sometime before the full scope is really understood.
In an alarming new alert on Thursday from the U.S. cyber agency which is known as CISA, they warned that government agencies critical infrastructure and private sector organizations were all compromised. Though it's unclear how many. CISA did say that they have identified other new ways that the hackers had got into the various systems that they are still investigating. And they said that there are also tactics and procedures that have not yet been discovered.
In the statement, it reads, removing this threat actor from compromised environments will be highly complex and challenging for organizations. Now U.S. officials are scrambling to figure out the full extent of this extraordinarily sophisticated breach which was confirmed to have started in March, and is still very much ongoing.
The various networks will have to be forensically analyzed to figure out what data was accessed, spied on, or stolen which could take months or even longer. The true answer may never be known.
Now President-elect Joe Biden said on Thursday that his team has been briefed, and he said he will make cybersecurity a top priority. He also issued a stern warning, saying his administration will be, quote, "imposing substantial costs on those responsible for such malicious attacks." And that he will not stand idly by in the face of cyber assaults on our nation.
Now despite all of this ongoing uncertainty, one thing is clear. When Biden takes over as president in January, many of the networks of the departments and agencies he is inheriting will still have those suspected Russian attackers lurking inside of them.
Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.
BRUNHUBER: It was a revealing moment for Russia's president during his annual news conference Thursday. Vladimir Putin admitted his security services were watching poisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Mr. Putin said Russian operatives were following the opposition figure but denied they poisoned him.
Those comments follow a recent investigation by Bellingcat and CNN. It undercovered evidence that Navalny had been trailed for years by a Russian team that specialized in nerve agents.
Earlier, CNN's Clarissa Ward and John Berman discuss Mr. Putin's stark admission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was definitely a little surprising. Because this isn't the first time that someone has revealed something, a journalist has revealed something that's embarrassing to the Kremlin or embarrassing to President Putin or the security services. But it's definitely the first time that I can remember where the response of the Kremlin hasn't been to say this is outrageous, this is preposterous, this is nonsense, this is ridiculous, but actually to say, sure, why wouldn't we follow him?
And the reason that President Putin gave for following Alexei Navalny or allowing FSB operatives to follow him was by saying that essentially, he is working with U.S. intelligence services.
The question that he didn't answer, though, or the allegation in our reporting that he did not speak to, is the crucial one. Which is that, these weren't just normal FSB operatives, they were experts in chemical weapons, in poisons. They were in regular contact with a lab in Moscow that is known to be producing Novichok. So that part of it, he stayed away from.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Georgetown University adjunct professor, Jill Dougherty joins me now from Washington, D.C. via Skype. And she is also a former CNN Moscow bureau chief. Thank you so much for speaking with us.
You know, several high profiles involving Russia to dig into. So, let's start with the cyber hacking in the U.S. Russia is highly expect -- suspected of being behind this. It seems as if they've hacked into, you know, treasure troves of information we still don't know how much, or how valuable. And incredibly, it is still ongoing.
JILL DOUGHERTY, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Yes. I think the disturbing part is it started, is believed, at least back in March around the time that COVID began in fact. And right now, it is very unclear how extensive this is, what kind of information they were looking for. Were they actually using that information, exfiltrating that information, or just kind of sitting on it for future purposes? It's unclear.
Now of course there is a lot of information behind the scenes that many of us are not privy to. But it is a very, very disturbing bit of news.
BRUNHUBER: Are you surprised by the size and scope of this and how unprepared the U.S. seems to have been for this?
DOUGHERTY: You know, I am disturbed by that. I would say that I'm not surprised that Russia continues to try to do whatever it can. And look at the timing. You know, you had COVID happening, you had the American election happening, and I think that, you know, Russia takes advantage where it can. And exploits opportunities.
[03:25:06]
You can't think of the better opportunity than a period of some, let's say, political chaos and then also, chaos because of the COVID, you know, the COVID problem. So, I -- but I think the extent of it is the thing that worries me very much. And the purpose of it. That is what we do not know.
And then the other thing is, what is the United States doing about it? Because at this point, there is nothing coming from the White House and, you know, we'll have to see with the next administration will do. They've been much stronger rhetorically but this, it raises a very serious issue, Kim. And that is, how do you retaliate? I mean, you can tell the Russians not do it, but remember, President Obama years ago, told Vladimir Putin directly, don't do this, but they continued.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. A big mess left for President-elect Joe Biden. Flipping it though, how big of a win is this for Putin in the Kremlin?
DOUGHERTY: You know, I don't know whether I would call it a win, per se. It's a victory in the sense that they got in, you'd have to say, they were very successful, if indeed it is the Russians. And you know, most people do believe at this point it is. But the fact that they got in and the fact that they were so sophisticated in the way they did it and the fact that it affected not only the United States government and all of those agencies, but private businesses.
I mean, the Fortune 500, essentially, all of them were using those same, you know, technical means. And so, they were vulnerable too. So, it's affecting the U.S. economy, businesses, and the government.
BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll have to leave it there. Thank you so much, Jill Dougherty. I appreciate you joining us.
DOUGHERTY: OK.
BRUNHUBER: In Nigeria, a joyous ending after a horrific crime. Hundreds of young students kidnapped from their school are coming home. Up next, we'll hear how they were freed and why their communities still live in fear.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: And welcome back to you, and everyone watching in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. And you are watching CNN Newsroom. More than 300 schoolboys kidnapped in northern Nigeria are coming home.
[03:30:00]
While these are the first pictures of the boys on their way to freedom after the Nigerian military rescued them. Authorities say bandits posing as Boko Haram terrorists abducted them from their school last week. But the good news that the rescue was tempered by the fears of people across the region that the wave of criminality gripping their communities is far from over.
Senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon has been monitoring this story and joins us now. Arwa, terrifying ordeal for those poor boys. Seems to be over, if indeed they were all released but there is still plenty of questions about the story, including who is actually behind it. So what more do we know?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Kim, a lot of the details surrounding this are quite murky. And it is extraordinary and amazing that their release came about so quickly, especially given how, other similar mass kidnapping have unfolded. But here is a look at the past week. A glimpse into what these schoolboys, and their families endured.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON (voice over): It was a Friday night. The school boys were getting ready for bed in their dorms. Some, presumably still chatting. Others, about to fall asleep. Attacks are storm and shattering any sense of security enjoyed by most school children of normal that may have existed, and that may never exist for these students again.
More than 300 of them were kidnapped. A chilling video released shortly before they were freed claimed to be by the Abubakar Shekau's faction of Boko Haram. And shows one of the schoolboys making a statement clearly under duress and being prompted. Surrounded by his classmates, looking distraught, and covered in dust.
UNKNOWN: You have dissolved any gun vigilantes, close any kind of schools.
DAMON: The video confirmed that the boys are alive, and that their captors are ready to negotiate their freedom. But, just hours later at the Nigerian government said the boys were freed, with no conditions, and that local bandits were responsible. For days, the schoolboy's parents were shocked, heartbroken, and terrified.
MURJA GOMA, MOTHER OF ABDUCTED SCHOOLBOY (through translator): We've seen so many tears, our hearts are grieving, and we don't even know what to do. We have gotten tired of talking.
DAMON: They were expecting the worst. After all, everyone remembers the pain of the families of the Chibok school girls, more than 100 of them still remain missing. Nearly seven years on. Angry protesters took to the streets.
JAMILU ALIYU TURANCI, NORTHWEST COORDINATOR, COALITION OF NORTHERN GROUPS: Why are we even here today, because we want to tell the federal government that what federal government is doing is not enough. What the federal government is doing is not enough. And Mr. President has failed us. Mr. President shows no sympathy over this matter.
DAMON: Even with the joyous news of the release of the schoolboys, there remains an underlying fear. That this can happen again. When all people want is an end, once and for all to the lawlessness that is increasingly defining their lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON (on camera): And Kim, for that to come about, there is going to have to be a lot more action on the part of the Nigerian government. But for now, I think all of us are just waiting to see that video of the schoolboys, reuniting with their families. And just for a moment, being able to partake in that joyous occasion.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. For sure. Listen. One question, I wanted to know here, do we know what happened to the kidnappers and all of this?
DAMON: No. We don't. At least not in any official capacity. All we know is that there was some sort of negotiation that, obviously, did take place.
The government is insisting, that they did not make any sort of concessions to the kidnappers and we're hoping that more details may emerge in the coming hours and days, especially as we hear from those schoolboys that were actually freed themselves and hopefully the government is more forthcoming, not just with the details as to how they managed to secure their release so quickly.
But also, as to what it is going to do moving forward to prevent his from happening. This is not just an issue of security, it is also an issue of access to education. You can just imagine, if you are a school child, or a parent, how frightening the idea of just attending class actually is right now for so many of them in these lawless parts of Nigeria. And then of course we have a lot of questions that were waiting for confirmation for, such as, are in fact, all of these schoolboys released.
BRUNHUBER (on camera): Absolutely. But at least some happy pictures there, of at least some of the boys coming back, as you say. Thank you so much. Senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon, I appreciate it.
[03:35:00] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to act quickly to
authorize the Moderna vaccine for emergency use against the coronavirus. An FDA advisory panel, overwhelmingly recommended the authorization on Thursday.
Its second vaccine recommendation in a week adding Moderna's drugs so that COVID arsenal would pump millions more doses into the supply chain, almost immediately, and that could be critical in the days ahead. Some states have been told to expect smaller than promise deliveries of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine beginning next week.
Well, as we mentioned before, it will be several months before vaccinations are widely available. And that means, extra vigilance is required for the foreseeable future. The Director of the National Institute of Health says the country needs to be tough it out a little while longer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, U.S. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH: We know that these masks, that we are all being asked to wear, they are not political statements. They are lifesaving medical devices. If we would all write today and decide to set aside all of those arguments about politics and invasions of your freedom and everything else and simply say, I'm going to wear this when I am outside of my home. I'm going to avoid gathering indoors with other people, especially if they don't have masks on.
I'm going to be part of the solutions to protect myself but also to protect my neighbors, my grandparents, all of those vulnerable folks who are still out there and could still be the next casualties. We could have a chance to turn this around in the course of the next few months. While we are waiting for the vaccines to kick in, but, you don't want to just say, well, we're almost there, because we're not.
We have another couple of dark months ahead of us if we don't do something at this point to try to stop this dreadful upward curve of hospitalizations and cases, and deaths. And we could do something much better than that, but this is not the moment to be throwing down your guard, and gathering for the holidays like nothing was happening. We have a lot of trouble here in front of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): U.S. Congressional leaders are working to get a stimulus deal finalized with the government shutdown looming. Funding for operations, runs out at midnight Friday. Lawmakers may have to extend the deadline to avoid a shutdown, while stimulus negotiations continue. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday that he helps any extension is short. He also said the Congress may work through the weekend to finalize a deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: They waited, and suffered, and some have died while needles is political games are played out. Struggling Americans don't just need action, they need action fast. Fast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): McConnell focus on direct stimulus payments in a recent conference call. They're a major issue in the Georgia Senate runoff races, which will determine the next Senate majority.
South Korea's capital city is running out of hospital beds as COVID-19 infections their sore. More than 220 patients have now waited more than full-day for a bed.
CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Seoul and she's monitoring this increasingly critical situation.
So, Paula, you know, running out beds is the nightmare scenario for healthcare providers all around the world. And it's happening where you are. So, what's the latest there?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, officials are telling us that they are starting to increase the number of ICU beds dedicated for coronavirus patients. But it really does appear as though, as soon as they increase the number, than those numbers beds are filled up as well. So here in Seoul city, there is still just one ICU bed available, in the entire city when you look at the greater Seoul area, so the surrounding areas, there is just four ICU beds available.
Now, officials say that they are hoping that they will be able to get together 160 new ICU beds, nationwide, by early January. But certainly the race is on. We've already see, earlier this week that man in his 60's died while waiting for a hospital bed, this Friday.
Seoul City officials apologize to the family of that man, explaining, what they called, the explosion in numbers of new case in early December has really made bed allocations a very difficult situation. And as you say, more than 200 patients have to wait more than a day before they could secure a hospital bed.
Now, also we hear that officials are looking up the top tier, the top level of social distancing measures for Seoul and the surrounding area. This is really where the epicenter of the pandemic is in South Korea, at this point. This vast majority of outbreaks happening in the greater Seoul area.
And at this point, we are on level 2.5, they are considering whether to raise its to level 3, which would be the highest level and they actually strengthened what level 3 means, it looks a lot more like the European style of lockdown. A lot more stringent.
[03:40:00]
What it would mean is gatherings of less than five people or five or less. It would mean more than a million businesses, having to shut their doors. All except nonessential personnel working from home. And it would also mean just 50,000 supermarkets, and convenience stores staying open, but only to sell groceries. So, at this point, officials say that they are looking at this option
very closely. And we could hear, within days, whether or not they believe that this highest level of restriction is necessary. As once again on Thursday we saw more than a thousand new daily coronavirus cases. We had been seeing that for a few days in a row now. So, even though it may not seem very many, when you compare it to other countries. Certainly for South Korea, this is the highest that we have been at. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: All right. Thank you so much, CNN Paula Hancocks in the South Korean capital. I appreciate it.
Well, now to Australia were a mysterious coronavirus outbreak is spreading. 28 infections have now been confirmed in New South Wales. And the first case was only reported Wednesday. The cluster is centered around the northern beaches area of Sydney.
Health officials say the genome's sequence of this particular virus strain doesn't match strain seen elsewhere in Australia. They say the source might be from overseas, possibly the U.S. Local residence are being asked to stay home and authorities have closed 21 beaches in New South Wales.
UNICEF has launched a campaign to feed children in the U.K. for the first time. The humanitarian organizations says the pandemic has turned the lives of vulnerable children and families upside down and they need help.
Joining me now from London is CNN's Salma Abdelaziz. Salma, historic move here but not one without controversy. Take us through this.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: That's absolutely right Kim, and before we get into UNICEF plans, I just want to lay the groundwork of this debate. Because it might surprise some to hear that providing free school meals to children during holiday breaks is actually a matter of great controversy in this country. Over the last few months there's been a very bitter debate that's been raging over this issue.
On the one hand, you have the Prime Minister, and the Conservative Party, arguing that providing assistance to country's (inaudible) families, during the school breaks, providing these meals on increases their dependence on government aide and government support.
On the other hand, you have football star, Marcus Rashford, a beloved figure in this country, someone who had struggled with food poverty as a child himself, passionately arguing for school meals to be provided. He's twice force the government into a u-turn on this issue. But just again, to give you an idea of how divisive this is.
At one point, a few months ago, conservative politician, linked providing school meals to children, to needy children to (inaudible). He later apologized for those remarks but again just showing you the firestorm of criticism around this.
Enter UNICEF yesterday with this announcement that for the first time in their 70-year history, they will be providing assistance to the neediest families in the U.K. The organization said, a domestic emergency had been created by the coronavirus pandemic. And these families need help.
But a senior government official said, UNICEF should ashamed of itself for this plans. Calling them a political act of the lowest order. Kim, to be frank with you, this government has had an image issue.
In the north of the country, there is a great deal of controversy a few months ago over their handling of coronavirus restrictions with many people feeling that the decision makers are elites and the capital disconnected from the needs and the struggles of a common family.
And I can tell you that these kinds of debates, this controversy, this backlash against a charity providing food for hungry children, it's only going to make it worse. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: Yes, it is hard to fathom, I must say. CNN Salma Abdelaziz, with the latest in London. Thank you.
Still ahead is the sun setting on a Brexit trade deal? We're live in London next where optimism seems to be running out. Stay with us.
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: The European Union's top negotiator is making some dire statements about the prospects for a trade deal with the U.K. And right now, it looks increasingly likely, an agreement between the U.K., and the E.U., will not be reached.
Anna Stewart is in London with more on what it all means. Anna, we just got late word now about the state of those negotiations, and it isn't good. What can you tell us?
ANNA STEWART, CNN PRODUCER (on camera): We keep getting updates from both sides in the last 24 hours, in a fair few of mixed messages actually, Kim. But the latest is from Michel Barnier, he is the chief Brexit negotiator from the E.U. side.
Speaking in Brussels, in parliament, he said there is very little time remaining. He said, we are in this position, because the U.K. refused to extend the current transition period, all the way back in the summer. He says negotiations have, therefore have become extremely difficult. We've reached the hard nuts to crack.
Some of those hard nuts are fishing rights that remains one of the biggest sticking points in the negotiations. Also state aid rules. And this is coming, Kim, with less now than two weeks before this transition period ends.
Businesses are not racing to find out whether or not there is a deal. They have been on the brink of a no deal Brexit, many times, in the last 3.5 -- four years. They're viewed multiple pinch points. And they are preparing, in the way they know how, and that means stockpiling. And it is putting huge pressure on U.K. ports. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEWART (voice over): Still, 13 miles out, from the port of Dover, they are in for the long haul.
How long is the queue, hours?
UNKNOWN: Three hours.
UNKNOWN: Two hours, maybe.
STEWART: Two hours.
UNKNOWN: And we have more.
UNKNOWN: They're saying it came from the other side, and then this side. This will take me about another three or four to get across.
STEWART: The pandemic has cause port disruption for months.
UNKNOWN: It's going to take us probably four to five hours to cross over to France.
STEWART: The last few weeks of seeing cues getting longer, and British hauler Alcaline are putting it down to Brexit, and the risk of no deal.
DAVID ZACCHEO, OPERATIONS MANAGER, ALCALINE: Pandemic was and I think has much to do with this. This is just purely stockpiling. Which a lot of customers had been doing for the last couple of months. In 2021, this could be (inaudible) done on a daily basis.
STEWART: To beat the traffic, Alcaline are taking to the skies. They bought two helicopters.
You can see all these, (inaudible) joining a cue.
We are flying over the English Channel from Dover to (inaudible). The main artery of trade between the U.K. and the E.U. Cues on both sides is a disruption some businesses just can't afford.
What sort of items are you transporting with the helicopter?
UNKNOWN: It's basically car parts, and we will take all the light things. I took some windscreen wipers for example. You will take, say a thousand of those in. If their production line were to stop, it's far more cost effective to get a helicopter.
STEWART: We are just crossing over the white cliffs of Dover. We are back, it's taken us less than 20 minutes to do the whole round trip. For those people driving the lorries, it's taking ours, sometimes up to a day.
Helicopters are a huge investments for this haulage firm, and it's not the only money they've spent preparing for Brexit.
LORENZO ZACCHEO, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ALCALINE: We've made over 3 million pound investment and maybe half of it is a complete waste of money. It could have been invested elsewhere and do other things, you know. Because not knowing what the future is going to be. Like, well, you know, what kind of deal are we going to have, until the very last minute that you know, you say, obviously, it's even possible. You can't plan anything.
STEWART: They may have to permanently move half the fleet to Europe next year, making British drivers redundant. Fresh back from Italy, a familiar face.
[03:50:00]
I missed you Gordon.
UNKNOWN: I missed you.
STEWART: I filmed with Gordon nearly two years ago. His journey, are taking much longer now.
GORDON TERRY, TRUCK DRIVER: Today, it took me five hours. Two weeks ago it took me nine hours.
STEWART: I do (inaudible) that the only Brexit for you is a no deal Brexit. Do you still want this? Do you still --
TERRY: Yes. Even though I live in Italy, I still want a no deal Brexit. I think it's the only way.
STEWART: But you are spending hours in cues.
TERRY: It will clear up. It will get better. I'm optimistic. You've got a bit on you otherwise you wouldn't do this work.
STEWART: If only everyone is so optimistic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STEWART (on camera): Truck driver, Gordon Terry, optimistic there. Unfortunately not as much optimism have from the politicians. In less than two weeks, tariffs, customs, could be introduced for all trade between the U.K., and the E.U. That means those cues that you can see, which are really astonishing as far as the eye could see could get longer. And the mutiny (inaudible) it's getting worse I think as the weeks going on.
We have Boris Johnson last night in a core with the E.U. commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, the read up from that was that actually a no deal Brexit is looking and I quote, very likely.
Chief negotiator for Brexit on the E.U. side, Michel Barnier speaking just moments ago saying, very little time remains, saying that the U.K. is in this position because they didn't offer an extension, saying that the negotiations have now hit that extremely difficult part, and we've reached the hard nuts to crack, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Very interesting report there from you, Thank you so much, CNN's Anna Stewart in London.
Well, now to the powerful winter storm that slammed the northeastern United States. More than 40 inches of snow are recorded in the Binghamton New York, while New York City's Central Park are nearly 11 inches. That's more than what fell during last year's entire winter season.
We are also following developments in Fiji. At least two people are dead after tropical cyclone Yasa made landfall there. Winds reached up 285 kilometers per hour, and heavy rain brought major flooding. Fiji declared a state of natural disaster, and ordered its entire population to seek shelter while imposing curfews across the country.
You are watching CNN Newsroom, just ahead, a growing your own food to stay healthy. Will head to farm city on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.
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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: On the island of Mauritius, farm city, a small social enterprise is changing the way Mauritians look at farming. Wesley Oxenham is Mauritian born, but move to the U.S. in 2012. He was living in the San Francisco bay area, working in the tech industry, when he says he began to feel unwell.
WESLEY OXENHAM, CO-FOUNDER, FARM CITY: I felt sick, and we decided to go back home. While we were in Mauritius we tried to figure out what was the cause of the sickness. And everything lead to a food related issue.
UNKNOWN: Oxenham says he never got a clear diagnosis but he believes his illness had to do with the foods he was eating. And he believes eating organic food help him feel better.
OXENHAM: While we are looking for good food, we found out that, no where it was being done. And so we had to start growing ourselves. And just like that, we started as farmers.
UNKNOWN: Today, Farm City claims to grow around 30 types of vegetables. From leafy greens and root crops, as well as an array of fruit.
[03:55:08]
OXENHAM: The best way to serve a community was to make sure that organic food was (inaudible) price that no supermarket was selling it.
UNKNOWN: In order to offset the cost of subsidizing their produce, Oxenham and his team asks farmers to pay what they can afford, and raise money through various community events. Much of the produce is sold directly to the public. Which helps fund programs that get children excited about farming.
OXENHAM: What else are very good to have in a garden? Butterflies.
Today we have the children from five to six years old. And we teach them mainly small activities. So, it's playful learning, and the program is an introduction to what they are going to learn in school for the whole school year.
UNKNOWN: Just as Farm City was gearing up for their year. The global pandemic dealt a devastating blow. Oxenham says an emergency required him and his wife to travel to Singapore where they remain today.
OXENHAM: While we were in Singapore we got caught in between two love (inaudible) from Mauritius and Singapore. We are very glad to have (inaudible). And we have this money the Mauritius farm in Singapore when we the saw the demand from the community. Wanting to grow, wanting to learn how to grow, we decided to set up a second farm in Singapore. But the silver lining I would say (inaudible) is that people do want to learn how to grow. And this is I would think a good sign after this pandemic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER (on camera): You can find out more about the innovators who are taking on some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges. So watch Going Green this Saturday at 6:00 a.m. in New York, 11:00 a.m. in London, right here, of course, on CNN.
Well, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom, I'm Kim Brunhuber, and I will be back, again, in just a moment with more news. Stay with us.
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