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FDA Says It Will Work Quickly to Authorize Moderna Vaccine; French President in Isolation After Testing Positive; UNICEF Helping to Feed Children in the U.K.; Sweden's King: Country's COVID-19 Response Has Failed; Florida's Governor Faces Criticism Over State's Response; iPhone Dropped from Plane Miraculously Survives. Aired 4:30- 5a ET

Aired December 18, 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 watching in the United States, Canada and around the world.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it will act quickly to authorize the Moderna vaccine for emergency use against the coronavirus. An FDA advisory panel recommended the authorization Thursday. It's the second vaccine recommendation in a week. Adding Moderna's drug to the COVID arsenal would pump millions of more doses into the supply chain and that could be critical in the days ahead.

Some states have been told to expect smaller than promised deliveries of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine beginning next week. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains how both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines appear to work equally well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think they're pretty similar from my standpoint. I would not, you know, sort of have a difference or a preference in terms of one or the other. I think for most people it's going to be a question of what you can get. I mean, right now, the demand is obviously much higher than the supply.

The Moderna vaccine will probably make its way into places maybe the Pfizer one couldn't because it doesn't require the same level of cold storage. So, you know, that's going to be a great option for people who live in those areas. But other than that, I really don't draw a distinction between these two.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Many European countries are battling a new surge in COVID cases. Germany reported a record single day increase Friday with more than 33,000 new cases and more than 800 deaths. The country is responding by imposing stricter lockdown measures.

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's added concern because he has numerous meetings just days ago with some top European leaders.

And Northern Ireland is set to impose a six-week lockdown starting on December 26th. Now this means all nonessential shops will close after Christmas day in an effort to curb the sudden spike in infections.

Right with us now is Jim Bittermann in Paris and Salma Abdelaziz in London. Salma let's start with you. So much to talk about. The NHS warning they're running out of beds. UNICEF stepping into feed children in the U.K. for the first time. Confusion over holiday restrictions. Where do you want to start?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: Let's start with UNICEF. There is a lot to talk about. Here's the bigger picture, Kim. This country is struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases and is struggling with the economic impact of a pandemic.

I want to start by just laying the groundwork before I give you details about this UNICEF announcement. There's been a debate raging in this country over providing free meals to children during holiday breaks. It's been an extremely divisive and controversial one.

The You have on the one hand the Prime Minister and the Conservative Party arguing that providing meals to hungry children during these school breaks essentially increases the dependence of these families on financial aid.

On the other hand, you have a star footballer, Marcus Rashford, a beloved figure in this country. Someone who shared his own stories of food poverty as a child. Passionately arguing for more assistance for this country's hungriest children. He has twice forced the government into a U-turn on their policy with this issue.

Enter UNICEF into this debate announcing yesterday that for the first time in its 70 year history it will be providing food assistance to the most vulnerable families across the U.K. They say this country is facing a domestic emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic and these families need help.

[04:35:00]

But a senior government official is outraged that they are stepping in. He said UNICEF should be ashamed of its and said that this is a political act of the highest order. We've also heard from the opposition Labour Party which obviously has called out the government for its comments and said the only people who should be ashamed are the government themselves -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks so much for that. Let's go to France now, Jim with President Macron testing positive. Of course there's this concern about his health but the implications here could radiate far and wide. What's the latest?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pretty widespread, Kim, no kidding because President Macron had a lot of contact last week -- during the last week with other European leaders. And so as a consequence today after the president announced yesterday that he had tested positive, as a consequence, the Prime Minister of Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and Luxembourg are self-quarantining, self- isolating, as well as the president of the European Council and OECD secretary general. That's in Europe.

Here in France, the Prime Minister is also self-isolating as well as the president of the national assembly, and perhaps some more people. Because, in fact, President Macron had a lunch and a dinner over the last couple of days, and he may have come in contact with any number of top political leaders. So we may be hearing about more leaders self-isolating over the next few days.

Macron himself is at the presidential residence called Lantern, which is out next to Versailles. His wife Brigitte, she tested negative, but she is staying here in Paris at the Elysee Palace.

One other thing, Kim, this morning in fact the announcement from the president of the Scientific Council in France has said that coronavirus is going to be with us well into 2021. He said the first six months will be very tough, and then beyond that he said it probably would be in the fall before France would return to normal -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, probably the rest of us as well. Thank you so much, Jim Bittermann in Paris, and Salma of Abdelaziz in London. Appreciate you both joining us.

Well the European Union will begin COVID vaccinations in the coming weeks. But health experts worry that historic European skepticism of vaccines and of government will make it harder to convince people to get those shots. Earlier I spoke with infectious disease and global health expert, Dr. Peter Drobac, here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER DROBAC, GLOBAL HEALTH EXPERT, OXFORD SAID BUSINESS SCHOOL: It's important to keep in mind that there's 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER (on camera): That was infectious disease and global health expert, Dr. Peter Drobac at the University of Oxford in England.

Now to Sweden and a condemnation of the COVID response from an unlikely source, the country's own King. Sweden never went into lockdown during the first wave of the pandemic and was well into the second when voluntary precautions were finally recommended. Sweden now reports more deaths per capita than any other Scandinavian country. The King calls that a tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING CARL XIV GUSTAF, SWEDEN (through translator): Simply I think that we have failed. Many people have died, and that is horrible. That is something we can all sympathize with that we haven't been able to help them, and it is very sad, terribly sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

All right, with us now is CNN's Max Foster who has reported extensively on Sweden's handling of the pandemic. Max, I remember seeing you piece as, you know, Sweden was lauded in many conservative circles, you know, here in the U.S. primarily for its lack of restrictions, embracing that so called herd immunity. But now Sweden as we heard, admitting wasn't the success story many thought it was.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and the government will deny to you that they were ever pursuing herd immunity. But certainly, public policy and health experts there were looking at whether or not there was a level of herd immunity building into the population. Who also had a very high early death count that was restricted largely to care homes.

Then the number started falling and falling and falling, and that's when the Americans conservatives particularly were looking at Sweden.

[04:40:00]

Saying, you know, their policy of not enforcing a lockdown and not enforcing face masks, keeping restaurants and bars open was working. But Sweden always argued they were adhering to lots of restrictions, but they were voluntary, and that's a cultural difference. But now we've seen numbers rising sharply. They got a record number of people in hospital with COVID. We've got ICU units running to full capacity because of COVID, and there's a clear problem.

And for the head of state to step in and say something like this is pretty seismic and it's an acceptance, really, that there's a problem there. Even the Prime Minister stepping in and saying he agrees with the King. So a big moment in Sweden.

BRUNHUBER: All right, thanks so much for that. Max Foster appreciate it.

Negotiators from the U.K. and the European Union are furiously trying to reach a new trade deal but talks in Brussels are said to be going very poorly. The EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, told the European Parliament that only a few hours remain to hammer out an agreement, and he's calling this the moment of truth. The status of fisheries is among the obstacles negotiators can't seem to overcome. If a deal is reached, the U.K. and European Union will have no trade agreement come January 1st.

All right, still ahead. Increasing questions about Florida's governor and his response to COVID-19, especially around the time of the election. Why there's a rising chorus of criticism in the Sunshine State. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: On Thursday, Florida reported its highest daily case count since July. But its health department barely mentions the virus on social media. Many people have concerns about how the state and its governor are handling the pandemic. Drew Griffin has that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hey Ron, how are we doing?

[04:45:00]

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the week surrounding the November 3rd election, Florida's Department of Health all but stopped reporting deaths that had taken place more than a month earlier, making overall death numbers appear much lower.

Days after the election, the department went back to reporting those back logged deaths as first reported by the "Sun Sentinel" newspaper. Why? The state isn't saying. But CNN has interviewed more than a dozen state officials and experts and finds Governor Ron DeSantis's administration has sidelined health experts promoted questionable science and left some county officials feeling muzzled from raising the alarm about rising cases.

DR. AILEEN MARTY, INFECTIOUS DISEASE PROFESSOR, FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY: They were not necessarily at liberty to release all the information that they might want to lose.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert at Florida International University says the Governor's approach to the virus has made it worse.

MARTY: It's counterproductive.

GRIFFIN (on-camera): Is it also deadly?

MARTY: It leads people towards behavior that increases transmission. Bottom line, it leads to more deaths.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): In recent weeks, Governor Ron DeSantis has defiantly kept restaurants and bars open joined the maskless crowd, tweeting this picture from a high school football game and scoffed at the notion of more government mandated shutdowns no matter how bad the virus.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): If they want to shut down businesses. I'm going to stand in the way.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): What he has rarely done is mention the 20,000 Floridians who have died or the more than 1 million who've been infected. Seemingly say critics to downplay the virus, keep Florida's economy open in an effort to win an election for one person.

TRUMP: We're with the governor of Florida Ron DeSantis has done a spectacular job in Florida.

CARLOS HERNANDEZ, (R) HIALEAH, FLORIDA MAYOR: He's doing a very miserable job when it comes to this issue here with coronavirus in the state of Florida. And I'll tell him to his face.

GRIFFIN: The Governor's executive order has prevented county officials and mayors like Carlos Hernandez, the Republican mayor of Hialeah from enforcing local mask regulations or other restrictions that could have slowed the viruses spread.

HERNANDEZ: Maybe he has a number in mind that it's OK for that amount of people to die or not. I don't know. But I think there's a lot more that we could be doing as a state.

GRIFFIN: Instead, health experts like USF Dr. Marissa Levine say DeSantis' administration controls the messaging about the response.

DR. MARISSA LEVINE, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA: All of those decisions are made in Tallahassee and I suspect that the Governor's office.

GRIFFIN: Two Department of Health employees tell CNN in late September they were told to not focus on COVID-19 in their public messaging. Both workers who asked not to be named said they were afraid of being fired.

We're putting politics in front of lives, one said. And sure enough, the state's public messages about coronavirus almost entirely vanished.

The Florida Department of Health's website and social media accounts used to be filled with COVID information and advice. But on September 25th, the day the governor signed his order that fully reopened Florida, all of that changed overnight. The tweets and Facebook posts suddenly were about Infant Hearing loss, carbon monoxide poisoning and the flu shot.

Up until Thursday, the Department of Health's website was filled with a week's old image promoting National Diabetes Awareness Month, which was November to find the latest news on COVID-19, you need to click on a link.

LEVINE: The Governor made up his mind about what the right thing to do was, found people who supported that and then went ahead. The problem is it was kind of an all or nothing and it undermined a lot of the local efforts.

GRIFFIN: Florida's governor's office and State Health Department refused to answer any questions.

(on camera): And Florida just today recorded over 100 more deaths, more than 13,000 new COVID cases. That's the highest daily case load since mid-July. And Governor DeSanctis took to tweeting again today about high school football.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Drew Griffin reporting there.

Well we talk a lot about the numbers of people who have died from COVID-19, but it's important that we do more than that. We need to see their faces too. Philamena Belone was a beloved teacher who relished doing just that, teaching. She led Zoom classes for behaviorally challenged students during the day and worked with those who had no internet at night over the phone.

When she contracted COVID-19 and pneumonia, she was hospitalized for three days, but later carried on working wearing an oxygen mask. Almost two weeks later, the 44-year-old returned to the hospital and passed away.

Her family and many students are part of the Navajo nation which has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. Her brother says she gave her heart to her students and wanted to make them each feel special. Philamena is survived by her three children and one grandchild. We'll be right back.

[04:50:00]

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. This is CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Well, if you own a phone, you've dropped it. I've dropped mine like a thousand times, which is why I have one of these hard cases. It can be a heart stopping experience. But imagine dropping your smartphone from a moving plane. That's what happened to an Australian man, and believe it or not, the device survived to tell the tale. Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: The next time you drop your cellphone, think of this guy. Talk about a dropped call.

Seems like people delight in destroying iPhones, shredding them, drowning them in milk, piercing them with nails but Brazilian documentary maker, Ernesto Galiotto wanted to use his phone, not lose it, as he shot the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. But when he took one hand off, the phone took off. Ernesto got a little annoyed. Here's how it looked from the phone's point of view. A blurry spinning, 19 seconds later. The iPhone 6 landed.

[04:55:00]

Amid the beach grass, the next day, Ernesto used the find my phone app and actually found it. You would say thank you, too, if your phone fell out of a plane and still worked with only minor damage to the screen protector and case.

Jealous Twitter users complained, I could just look at my screen and it cracks. But I dropped mine into a urinal and it dies. Jimmy Fallon showcased the survival story.

JIMMY FALLON, NBC, THE TONIGHT SHOW: That's crazy. I mean, who the hell still has an iPhone 6.

MOOS: This isn't the first iPhone to weather a fall from a plane. a photographer in Iceland was shooting flooding when he dropped his cell back in 2018. When it landed, seven seconds later, you could hear the plane's engine receding. It took 13 months for hikers to stumble on the phone. It still worked to go online, send photos, make calls, though the person on the other end couldn't hear him.

No such problem for Ernesto. It's here and it may even have messages, he said. It turns out you can take aim, and shoot an iPhone, but drop it from a plane and it's still not shot. Ernesto won't have to ask Santa for a new one, but Santa should hold tight on to his while aloft in his sleigh.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And I dropped my phone like 6 inches, and it smashes into a thousand pieces. There you go.

That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Kim Brunhuber live from Atlanta. "EARLY START" is up next after a quick break, so please stay with us.

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