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California Hospitals Near Capacity as Cases and Deaths Spike; European Countries Tighten Restrictions; FDA Authorizes Moderna Vaccine for Emergency Use; Large-scale Evictions Loom in U.S. as Relief Deadline Approaches; Trump's Tweets Fixated on Election Loss; Minority Communities Remain Hesitant about Vaccination; U.S. Officials Found Early, Inconclusive Signs of Cyberattack; Medical Experts Fear COVID-19 Spike during Holidays. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired December 19, 2020 - 04:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST (voice-over): The FDA gives emergency approval to a second coronavirus vaccine. The U.S. sets another record for both cases and hospitalizations but not everyone is willing to get the shot. We'll talk to a Los Angeles doctor about why some minority communities are so hesitant.

Plus, it's being called the largest-ever hack of the U.S. government. The Trump administration says it believes it knows who's behind it.

Welcome to you, our viewers in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

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BRUNHUBER: Another vaccine has emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This one by the drug manufacturer Moderna. It's the second one in a week to get the green light.

Now we're waiting for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend who should get the new drug first. That's expected this weekend. Millions of doses could then be sent across the country as soon as Monday.

The decision came as the U.S. saw a record number of new coronavirus cases on Friday, just shy of a quarter million people. Adding to the toll, 13 straight days of record hospitalizations. Right now, there are almost 115,000 Americans being treated for COVID.

Some hospitals already are out of ICU beds. They warn that another surge after Christmas could overwhelm the system. We get the latest now from CNN's Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The United States now in far worse shape than at any point during the pandemic, deaths reported Thursday, 3,270. And the IHME is predicting roughly 560,000 U.S. deaths by April, a significant increase since their last projection.

Hospitalizations also mounting nationwide, and all eyes are on California, which is in a gruesome predicament. L.A. County's Health Department says on average, two people are dying from COVID-19 every hour and there are now zero ICU beds left in Southern California.

The director of the L.A. County Health Department says their hospitals are under siege. The vaccines are in high demand. Today, Vice President Mike Pence and surgeon general Dr. Jerome Adams got their first dose for all the public to see.

The surgeon general is doing his part to encourage people of color to get vaccinated.

DR. JEROME ADAMS, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: And as the U.S. surgeon general and a Black man, I am equally aware of the symbolic significance of my vaccination today.

KAYE (voice-over): The vaccine rollout also getting some help from pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS. They are expected to help vaccinate millions of residents in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

But what about Pfizer's vaccine distribution?

Health officials across the country are confused after multiple states were told by the federal government to expect fewer doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine than initially promised.

GOV. CHARLIE BAKER (R-MA): It's not clear to us why the shipment amounts have been adjusted. We're certainly frustrated that we won't be receiving the amount that we expected in the first wave.

KAYE (voice-over): A reason for the delay wasn't given, though Pfizer released a statement Thursday, saying they have millions of doses in their warehouses, but no shipment instructions.

KAYE: Here in the state of Florida, they are preparing to receive 367,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine next week. That would be the Moderna vaccine. And those doses will be going to 173,000 hospitals in the state that did not get the Pfizer vaccine in the first round.

The larger hospitals got the Pfizer vaccine.

[04:05:00]

KAYE: Those are the larger teaching hospitals, which have more staff to assist -- Randi Kaye, reporting in West Palm Beach, Florida -- back to you.

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BRUNHUBER: Millions more people in England are now under the toughest level of restrictions called tier 3. Infections have spiked and there are fears a new variant of the virus is accelerating the spread. The British prime minister hopes there will not be a third lockdown for England after Christmas but he's not ruling it out. Let's bring in Salma Abdelaziz live from London.

Salma, what's the latest?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: Despite the fact that there has been growing concern for the medical community, demand for tougher and tighter restrictions, the prime minister is insistent to go ahead with a relaxation of rules during Christmastime.

There is a period of five days between December 23rd and December 27th in which people will be allowed to break their social restrictions, up to three households can come together and celebrate the holidays in a small, confined space and share a meal together.

This has many doctors and nurses concerned, pleading with the prime minister to reverse these rules. That crucial R number, early analysis now shows that's going over 1 after a few weeks of it being under 1, hospital capacity across England is already 90 percent full.

You mentioned that variant that's been of extreme concern to government officials. There is an emergency meeting with ministers yesterday and we don't have a unified response.

Two of the four nations will actually be doing a post-Christmas nationwide lockdown to deal with this surge in cases. But Downing Street sticking to their strategy, despite fears that this could cause a third wave.

The question is why?

Why would the prime minister insist on this?

He's shifting the responsibility here from the government to the individual. If you listen to his statements, he said, you, it is up to you to isolate before you form your Christmas bubble. It is up to you to decide what to do with your elderly relatives. It is up to you to determine what extreme caution is for you and your family.

But again, very concerning for everyone here in the medical community. Doctors and nurses already overwhelmed and warning of a third wave, Kim, next year.

BRUNHUBER: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much.

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BRUNHUBER: Infectious disease expert Keith Neal joins us now from Darby, England, professor emeritus at University of Nottingham.

I want to ask you about that new variant. Obviously, diseases mutates and so on.

But how worried should we be about this variant?

KEITH NEAL, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM: I think it's one for concern. It's not unusual for viruses to mutate because they're really not very good at replicating their RNA or DNA accurately, unlike animals and plants.

I think the issue is it appears to be spreading faster, which in effect is, if you have a selection, random mutation for something that can spread quicker, then it's likely to become the predominant strain.

What we are not seeing is that it is more dangerous and more virulent. Which means for health issues, it's about the number of those being infected is crucial. And we need to ramp up what we do accordingly.

BRUNHUBER: So I want to go back to our headline here in the U.S., a second vaccine authorized by the FDA.

How important might that be?

NEAL: We've heard the phrase game changers for many times. And I think the only two game changers we've had is one, the dexamethasone in the recovery study here in Britain and now vaccines, because this is the end of the light of the tunnel. We can stop this spread when the vaccine is adequately spread to as many people.

BRUNHUBER: Now you know, we're getting alerts every so often about adverse effects and we've been reporting on them as they happen. But there's a danger there that we give people the false impression that these vaccines are dangerous. So talk to me about what is normal.

What should we expect?

And what should the bar be for alerting the public about something that is significant, that they should be aware of?

NEAL: I think we've always known that vaccines have a small risk. I think the issue is that, when these vaccines were introduced, they'd been given -- each the three vaccines have been given to at least 20,000 people without any really serious effects.

What happened in Britain on the first day was two people developed a severe allergic reaction. But interesting, both these people carried EpiPens and that was a sign that they are particularly likely to have allergic reactions.

And we've changed our guidance for the Pfizer vaccine to, if people have a severely allergic response, to wait for another vaccine. So far, we've given doses to 137,000 people here in Britain.

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NEAL: And that figure was three days ago so you can increase that further. And we've had only very few reactions. If you think about a 6-year-old person's risk of catching COVID, it's pretty high now. And if you get it, there's a 1 percent chance of dying.

So that's 1 in 100 chances of death or 1 in 100,000 chance of a bad vaccine reaction. I think the maths is really clear.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's very well put. So while some countries are entering lockdowns over Christmas, other countries aren't taking any action here, for instance, or even relaxing some restrictions like in the U.K. where you are. Now the instructions we're getting are, you know, just keep it small, keep it to a few loved ones, a few family members.

But that still involves often traveling, mixing, sometimes with the elderly, so how safe are these small family gatherings, really?

NEAL: I think we can actually reduce the risk substantially. And that is really limited to the number of families you meet up with because each family, if they've got infections, quite likely many people in the family could have it.

So a couple of families who meet up, most of whom have isolated before meeting up, not have symptoms, then you can substantially control the risk. Traveling itself is not a risk factor. Whether you travel in car two miles, 20 miles or 200 miles in a private car with your family members makes no difference.

It's public transport where you're meeting with lots of other people, which is the risk here.

BRUNHUBER: Some very valuable advice there heading into the holidays. Thank you very much for joining us, infectious disease expert, Keith Neal, in Darby, England. Appreciate it.

NEAL: Thank you.

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BRUNHUBER: French president Emmanuel Macron says he's doing well a day after testing positive for COVID-19. He is working in isolation from an official residence outside Paris. He says he has the same symptoms as many as others, fatigue, headaches and a dry cough.

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EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): Yesterday I tested positive, showing that the virus can infect anyone. I was very protected. I was being very careful. I respected the safety measures, the distancing. I wore a mask, I was applying alcohol gel regularly.

And despite everything, I caught the virus. So we must continue to respect these rules that may weigh on you, that may sometimes seem hard for you. But we have to hold on.

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BRUNHUBER: Mr. Macron says he's staying focused on his country's pandemic response and will keep the public updated on his health.

Donald Trump is encouraging congressional Republicans to follow through on a last-ditch effort to keep him in power. Just ahead, we'll talk to a political expert to find out why some of the president's allies might actually go along with it.

And a little later on, we'll get the latest on a massive cyberattack that targeted U.S. federal agencies and corporations. Find out why senior U.S. officials say they're sure Russia is involved. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Congress and the president have passed and signed a two-day funding extension to avoid a government shutdown. That gives them more time to negotiate an economic relief bill to help millions of struggling Americans.

For days, Republican and Democrat leaders have said they were close to reaching a deal on the $900 billion relief package but there are several sticking points between the two parties. House Democrat Adam Schiff explains why he thinks the deal isn't done yet.

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REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), CHAIR, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: The reason why it's been so hard to get to an agreement is more than half of the Republicans in the Senate -- and those are Mitch McConnell's constituents -- are like Ron Johnson. They don't want to do anything more. They think we've already done too much.

Small businesses, you know, they don't pay the campaign bills. So they are not particularly interested. And so Mitch McConnell felt if he brought it up before the election, it would divide his conference. It would pass in the Senate, with a majority of Democratic votes and a minority of Republican votes.

And so we put it off until after the election.

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BRUNHUBER: Rather than deal with the stimulus effort or skyrocketing new COVID infections, President Trump's attention is still clearly fixed on defying the results of the election he lost and staying in the White House. CNN's Jim Acosta explains the president's latest attempt.

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Still scheming for a way to stay in power, President Trump is throwing his weight behind Senate Republicans willing to defy the will of the voters.

Mr. Trump is tweeting his support for incoming Alabama GOP senator Tommy Tuberville, who's hinting he may join a Republican effort in the House to block congressional ratification of the election results on January 6th. TOMMY TUBERVILLE (R-AL), SENATOR-ELECT: You'll see what's coming. You've been reading about it in the House. We're going to have to do it in the Senate.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The plot which is doomed to fail as Democrats control the House could become another embarrassing spectacle.

Still, the president is pushing other senators to dive right in. Falsely tweeting, "Republican senators have to get tougher, or he won't have a Republican party anymore. We won the presidential election, by a lot. Fight for it. Don't let them take it away"

But even a source close to the White House said, "It's an exercise in futility and fealty to Trump."

CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: So, it's time for us to accept that defeat. Also, by the way, accept the many victories we had that night. We had a great night except that the top of the ticket. And so, we need to accept that. And we need to move on.

ACOSTA (voice-over): But other White House allies want to keep fighting including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn who was recently pardoned by the president and told Newsmax, Mr. Trump should consider declaring Martial Law and a new election. Though Flynn was careful to add, he is not specifically calling for that to happen.

MICHAEL FLYNN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: He could order the -- within the swing states if he wanted to, he could take military capabilities and he could place them in those states. And basically, rerun an election on each of those states.

I mean, it's not unprecedented. These people out there talking about martial Law. It's like it's something that we've never done. We've done -- martial Law has been instituted 64 -- 64 times.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president is also playing games with the pandemic. Just as Vice President Mike Pence was receiving his vaccine.

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn't feel a thing.

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PENCE: Well done. And we appreciate your service to the country.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president was retweeting conservatives, who questioned the effectiveness of wearing masks and contrast with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who both got the vaccine themselves.

The White House isn't saying much about when Mr. Trump will be vaccinated. Earlier this year the president said he was ready to do his part.

ACOSTA: If there is a coronavirus vaccine, will you get it? Will you take it? DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Will I take it?

I would absolutely, Jim. If there is a vaccine and they want me to be first in line, I'd be first in line or be last in line or would not take it at all. Whatever is best for the country.

ACOSTA (voice-over): The president is also laying low on the suspect Russian cyberattack on the U.S. government that lawmakers are still trying to understand.

SEN. ANGUS KING (I-ME): What if this attack was on the gas pipeline system or on the electrical grid or on the air traffic control system? This just underlines how critically important the issue of cyber is and how we really aren't there yet in terms of preparation.

ACOSTA (voice-over): White House officials insisted Mr. Trump is working hard on the issue.

BRIAN MORGENSTERN, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON: At this point, administration continues to work very hard behind the scenes and to the extent we have to speak publicly we do that but the work is being done whether or not he is coming in front of cameras.

ACOSTA (voice-over): But sources tell CNN, Mr. Trump is on the verge of granting new pardons. One potential pardon recipient, long-time personal attorney Rudy Giuliani paid a visit to the West Wing in the afternoon.

ACOSTA: As for talks aimed at reaching a deal on a coronavirus stimulus package, White House officials say they are hopeful Congress can that happen by the end of this weekend. But the president's leadership appears to be missing in action on that front as well -- Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.

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BRUNHUBER: For more on this, let's turn to Thomas Gift from University College London.

Thank you so much for joining us. I want to get to the COVID relief deal. But first I want to start with what we were just hearing there about Jim Acosta, that tentative plan by members of Congress to potentially force a challenge to the election on January 6th.

So you've heard a source there, saying to us, you know, it's an exercise in futility and fealty to Trump. Just a few hours ago, in the early hours of this morning, the president tweeted about a big protest in D.C. on January 6th. He said, "Be there, will be wild."

Now January 6th, of course, the day that Congress is scheduled to count the electoral votes.

What do you make of this dismal echo chamber?

THOMAS GIFT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, it's really hard to know, Jim. This is basically more of the same from Donald Trump. He's been disputing the election outcome since November 3rd; continues to do so right now.

I still maintain this is largely rhetorical. But it is damaging because so many Republican voters believe his unsubstantiated claims. It further erodes the social fabric in the United States and it undermines one of the most basic precepts in our democracy, which is respect for free and fair elections. So this is basically a continuation from Donald Trump but it is salient and we shouldn't get desensitized to it.

BRUNHUBER: One notable person who has been fairly absent from the move to overturn the election has been Mike Pence. Of course, he's stayed loyal to the president but we saw him yesterday, getting the vaccine on camera, which the president hasn't done. He's sort of distanced himself from the whole election steal thing.

Is that all being done with an eye to 2024?

GIFT: I think so, Kim. Mike Pence is in a really tough spot politically. To the extent that he's concerned about his future in the party, he can't distance himself too sharply from Trump simply because he knows the president's popularity. And any thought he has of running in 2024 depends on loyalty to Trump.

However, just like Mitch McConnell earlier this week acknowledged Biden's victory, the reality is becoming harder and harder to ignore. So I would expect Pence to try to walk this fine line between supporting Trump while also mildly distancing himself from some of the more outrageous claims that the president makes about voter fraud and irregularities.

Practically, that means probably repeating lines like "making every legal vote count" and letting voters read between the lines. BRUNHUBER: So a tough tightrope to walk there. Let's get back to what

will ultimately be more important to millions of Americans, that COVID relief deal. They seem close but still some major sticking points among them.

The Democrats, including Bernie Sanders, are pushing for bigger checks for Americans, vowing to block it if they don't get basically double what's on offer now. And now Republicans are coming up with this new demand to restrict the Federal Reserve lending program.

Which do you think will prove to be the bigger obstacle?

And will it be enough to sink a deal?

GIFT: Kim, I do think that the main issue right now seems to concern the Federal Reserve.

[04:25:00]

GIFT: Back in March, when the first stimulus passed, the Fed utilized a number of lending programs that aided in the provision of credit to states and private companies. Republicans in Congress now want to ensure some of those powers are limited. That's angered Democrats. They say that the Fed wouldn't be able to operate as effectively as a

lender of last resort, which would also depress confidence in financial markets.

By contrast, Republicans are making the case that curbing the Fed's discretion would preventive it from crowding out private lending and becoming too politicized in bailing out states and local governments.

So it's a significant impasse. And I guess we'll see if it ultimately proves to be too much of a roadblock to overcome.

BRUNHUBER: To the transition now, Joe Biden is expected to announce more members of his cabinet next week. Democrats are hoping Biden doesn't grab any more members of Congress. Their majority is already razor-thin. But there is a plan to stagger the nominations. Take us through how that might work to sort of lessen the risk.

GIFT: We're going to see some special elections. But on the one hand, one might say it's a majority. But on the other hand, it does seem like there is very little leeway for action, especially since the Democratic Party is already deeply divided between progressives and moderates.

For Nancy Pelosi, marshaling broad support across her side of the aisle will be a challenge, especially in the months following the transition. So pushing forward in a liberal agenda will be especially hard, I think, because, looking forward to the 2022 midterms, elections tend to go against the party holding the White House.

As a result, vulnerable Democrats might be more reluctant to support anything too controversial. So this razor-thin margin, I do think, is a significant story.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thank you so much for joining us, Thomas Gift of University College London, we always appreciate it.

GIFT: Thanks, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: The coronavirus vaccine can't come soon enough for many people but even as cases reach new records in California, there's still hesitancy about vaccines, especially in minority communities. So I speak to a medical expert to see why.

Plus, later on, tips from health experts on how to stay safe during this holiday season. Stay with us.

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[04:30:00]

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. We're live in Atlanta. This is CNN NEWSROOM. The COVID vaccine developed by Moderna could be filling syringes and

administered as early as Monday. The FDA gave emergency use authorization on Friday. A final OK by the CDC is expected this weekend.

Moderna is the second vaccination authorized a week after Pfizer BioNTech. The arrival of the two vaccines coincides with the pandemic at its worst. New cases in the U.S. reached another record on Friday, almost 250,000 people.

Hospitalizations also hit a record high at almost 115,000 COVID-19 patients nationwide. California is experiencing an unprecedented surge in new hospitalizations and deaths. More than 41,000 new cases were reported Friday alone in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley ICU bed capacity is at zero.

Health care workers are exhausted and, as Lucy Kafanov reports, some fear the worst is still to come.

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LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In southern California, our hospitals are at their breaking point. Too many coronavirus patients and, as of Thursday, no ICU beds left.

Just outside of Los Angeles, the Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino, so overwhelmed, they've had to treat COVID-19 patients inside these surge tents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look around. This is not ideal.

KAFANOV (voice-over): All 48 ICU beds full; the majority, COVID patients. The relentless pace, the deaths, the suffering taking a toll.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's probably the hardest year I've had as a nurse. As nurses, we still have our families and our loved ones to worry about.

KAFANOV (voice-over): Dr. Rodney Borger, who oversees the emergency department, says this is the worst crisis he has faced in his 25-year career.

DR. RODNEY BORGER, ARROWHEAD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER: The thing that keeps me up is when there is a time where we have to decide who gets something and who does not.

KAFANOV: So if things don't change, you are concerned?

BORGER: If things don't change, we probably will ration care. And that is something that's very concerning.

KAFANOV: That's a decision no doctor wants to make.

BORGER: A decision no one wants to make. KAFANOV (voice-over): The state reporting more than 147,000 new

coronavirus cases in just three days, activating its mass fatality plan, ordering 5,000 body bags, 60 refrigerated trailers on standby as makeshift morgues.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This means we expect to have more dead bodies than we have spaces in morgues for them. That frightens me. And it should frighten you.

KAFANOV (voice-over): In Los Angeles, where the mayor is in quarantine after his 9-year old tested positive, officials say an average of two people die every hour. The number of patients hospitalized across L.A. County, tripling over the past month, to more than 5,000.

DR. BRAD SPELLBERG, LAUSC MEDICAL CENTER: We are getting crushed. I'm not going to sugarcoat this. We are getting crushed.

KAFANOV (voice-over): In some areas, emergency rooms so crowded that ambulances had to wait hours to offload patients, some on gurneys outdoors, waiting. The entire San Francisco Bay Area is now effectively locked down, 98 percent of the state's population ordered to stay at home.

Colleen Cirrillo is a traveling nurse who arrived in California in May. She's exhausted from all of the deaths and wants people to take the virus seriously.

COLLEEN CIRRILLO, TRAVELING REGISTERED NURSE: It's really frustrating because today I lost my patient. So that was someone's family member. And for people to still believe that this isn't real, I don't know, I take offense to it. And I would take greater offense if that was my family member.

KAFANOV: The doctors, the nurses here tell us they've never seen anything like this before. Yes, vaccines are being distributed. There is hope on the horizon but there's also the holidays coming up. And if people let their guards down, during this critical time, the next two months, these doctors say will be bleak. We have not yet turned the corner on this pandemic -- Lucy Kafanov, CNN, San Bernardino, California.

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BRUNHUBER: Controlling the pandemic poses a unique set of challenges and one of them is mistrust of vaccines among minority communities. It's rooted in an unfortunate history of racism in U.S. medical research.

[04:35:00]

BRUNHUBER: The most notorious example is the Tuskegee experiment in Alabama which ran from 1932-1972. It tracked the progression of syphilis in African American men. The doctors didn't actually treat the disease. Many died, suffered health issues, passed syphilis to their partners. But Black and Latino medical professionals are working to ease fears about a COVID-19 vaccine. A short time ago I spoke with a Los Angeles doctor doing just that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Dr. Sheila Young is an assistant professor at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.

Thank you so much for joining me, Doctor. This is such an important topic. The experts are emphasizing just how important it is to encourage people in minority communities to get vaccinated.

So give me a quick history behind the Charles R. Drew University and where exactly you work. I used to live not too far away.

So what makes it different from much of L.A.?

DR. SHEILA YOUNG, CHARLES R. DREW UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE: So the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science was founded after the Watts rebellion in the 1960s. So it was established to provide medical care and also jobs for those in the community.

BRUNHUBER: And what makes it a bit different from the rest of L.A.?

YOUNG: One thing I can say is some of our greatest talent in the world has come from this area in South Los Angeles. Unfortunately, there is a very high poverty rates. We have the highest rates of homicide, unfortunately, the highest rates of diabetes and complications of diabetes, also high blood pressure.

And there's a very large percentage of the population who don't have insurance. Also, there's a large part of the population who are undocumented.

BRUNHUBER: So when it comes to COVID, that sounds like a recipe for a disaster. You know, when the virus hit, it seemed like the traditional ways to reach those Black and Latino communities weren't working.

You have another title, Director of Street Medicine COVID-19 Testing. You've been going out into the community, to talk to folks about the coronavirus getting tested and so on. And you had one of the busiest testing sites in L.A. County.

Tell me more about why so many African Americans and Latinos are skeptical about COVID-19 and testing and how you were able to turn that around.

YOUNG: Sure. I think one of the things that hindered testing In the beginning was the misinformation and also the visuals of a procedure that appeared very painful and very scary. And that's, of course, the nasopharyngeal swab going to what people said was their brain.

But it wasn't that. We were fortunate to work with organizations and laboratories that offered us oral testing so we were able to take a sample from the mouth. So we really just got out on the streets and let people know what we had to offer.

We also addressed the fears that other folks had, about whether they had to have insurance or not; whether you had to be documented or not. And one of the things that happened is that families have been split up when ICE has come to the home and taken a person from the family.

So getting a test through a government-run facility isn't necessarily the best option for folks. However, because Charles R. Drew has worked in the community for so many years and we have strong ties to the community through our community partnerships and also the fact that many of our faculty members are from the community -- our president and CEO, Dr. David Carlisle, his grandmother lived not too far from the big university.

And so with these personal connections, it provides an opportunity for us to really understand and reach the heart of those who have fears around medical care.

BRUNHUBER: So now the next challenge will be getting people vaccinated. The polls show that people in minority communities, especially African Americans, are much less likely to get the COVID shot.

Does it just come down to people won't trust a coronavirus vaccine if they don't trust the government?

YOUNG: I don't think so. I think that, essentially, what we have to do is provide the proper education.

[04:40:00]

YOUNG: And I think that folks will, once they understand how the vaccine works, would be more willing to take it.

BRUNHUBER: Thank you so much for everything you're doing there in the community and best of luck going forward, Dr. Sheila Young. We appreciate you talking to us.

YOUNG: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: Now to Mexico City, where there's a strict new lockdown in effect for millions of people. It will last for at least three weeks. With an alarming spike in cases and people flooding streets and shopping districts ahead of Christmas, officials say they have no choice. Matt Rivers has more from Mexico City.

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MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For weeks now, health officials here in Mexico City have been warning the general public that if the situation with COVID-19 did not get better, that they would be forced to close down sections of the city, to take more drastic measures.

Over the past few days, we have seen record numbers of hospitalizations here. We've seen a record number of new cases being added on a day-to-day basis. Because of that, officials are following through on that threat.

As of midnight Saturday, all nonessential businesses, both in Mexico City and in the surrounding state of Mexico, which, combined, make up one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world, all those nonessential businesses will be forced to close until at least January 10th.

Health officials say it could go on longer, depending on the status of the pandemic. Make no mistake: health officials tried not to do this. In fact, they faced criticism over recent weeks, as we've seen this disease trending in the wrong direction in terms of new hospitalizations and new cases.

Some of them calling for businesses like these to be closed earlier. But health officials resisted that, at least in part because of the economic pain that this is going to cause. Mexico City, the state of Mexico, huge economic drivers for the country overall.

And this will be an economic hit to an economy that is already struggling during this pandemic. But officials are saying they didn't have a choice here. They were forced to make what they are calling, quote, "extraordinary actions" to try and get the pandemic more under control.

And, of course, they are going to be looking at the upcoming holiday season. We're in it right now and just like other countries around the world, Mexican families gather during this time of the year. That poses a risk. Mexican health officials are urging people to stay home.

There's no mandatory stay-at-home order. But we know that these businesses are being closed. That's is the play by the Mexican government right down, to try and get the case numbers and hospitalizations moving in a different direction -- Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.

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BRUNHUBER: President Trump has had little to say about a massive security attack that has compromised U.S. federal agencies but America's top diplomat is talking about it. We'll find out who he's blaming. That's just ahead. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The U.S. secretary of state Mike Pompeo announced little doubt on Friday that Russia is behind the cyberattack on federal agencies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: There was a significant effort to use a piece of third party software to, essentially, embed code inside of U.S. government systems and it now appears systems of private companies and countries and governments across the world as well. This is a very significant effort.

And I think it's the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity.

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BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, we're learning more about when officials first began to notice that something was wrong. Alex Marquardt has more.

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ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We are getting new information about what was known and when. It was several months ago that American officials, who monitor for threats to critical infrastructure, when they first noticed suspicious activity, according to three sources speaking to CNN.

That suspicious activity, we now know, was linked to what we are now reporting as one of the largest hacking operations in history. At the time, those officials were not able to tie what they were seeing to the software, which we know the hackers used to get inside.

The activity they saw was classified and did not provide conclusive evidence that the networks had been compromised. Still, it worried top cybersecurity officials that there were potential vulnerabilities in the systems.

Then, fast forward to 10 days ago. The top cybersecurity firm FireEye revealed that it had been hacked. Then followed several days later by the U.S. government, admitting, it, too, had been targeted in what we now know is the biggest breach the U.S. government has ever seen.

We are learning more every day about what the hackers, who are believed to be connected to the Russian intelligence services, what they had access to. But given the sophistication, there is still so much that needs to be learned.

What data was accessed?

What was done with it?

18,000 customers use the software that the hackers rode into these networks on. It's from a company called SolarWinds. All of those clients, including many in the U.S. government, they all need to do a forensic analysis. That could take months or longer and we may never know the full extent of what these hackers did.

The U.S. cyber agency, known as CISA, has also said in a statement that there were other methods used to get in and techniques that have not yet been discovered. The scale and sophistication of this operation that has been going on since March cannot be overstated -- Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: The holidays are just around the corner and health experts are worried it will mean a spike in COVID cases. When we come back, tips on how to stay safe during the holidays. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: It's almost Christmas and for many that means family gatherings but this year, health experts are urging Americans to tone down their holiday spirits.

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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): America's top voice on the pandemic warns Christmas this year could cause an even more catastrophic spread of coronavirus than Thanksgiving did.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: With Christmas, it's thought several days before it goes through Christmas, the week after Christmas into New Year's and the New Year's holiday.

TODD (voice-over): As America is in the midst of an especially dangerous period of hospitalizations and deaths, Dr. Anthony Fauci says this year, it'll be just him and his wife together for Christmas.

FAUCI: And for the first time in more than 30 years, I'm not spending the Christmas holidays with my daughters.

TODD (voice-over): Tonight, Dr. Fauci, the CDC and other experts have warnings and safety tips as the holiday season peaks. They warn Americans not to travel, but if you have to travel, try to get tested and quarantine before you leave. Then quarantine again when you get there. Try to drive to your destination.

DR. MEGAN RANNEY, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: If you have to fly, the shorter the flight, the better. Make sure you wear a mask. Make sure you wash your hands and try to avoid eating or drinking while traveling.

TODD (voice-over): Any gatherings with people outside your immediate family are discouraged. But Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore Health Commissioner, suggests if you do host a gathering, try to make it outdoors wherever possible.

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Outdoors, those infectious particles are more likely to get dispersed before others can breathe them in.

TODD (voice-over): But Dr. Wen also has advice for people who don't live in warm weather areas.

WEN: For many people, it's probably going to be cold. Ask us to bundle up, a fire pit or a heat lamp could also help.

TODD (voice-over): She suggests seating families 6 feet apart and the host sets out individual servings of food and drink. For gatherings indoors, experts say, spread people out as much as possible.

DR. ANNE RIMOIN, PROFESSOR OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, UCLA FIELDING SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE DIVISION: Open as many windows as you can, provide as much circulation as you possibly can.

TODD (voice-over): If people are eating at a gathering in a home, epidemiologist Anne Rimoin says, have them eat in pods of their own family members in different parts of the residence and --

RIMOIN: Don't have loud music. Do everything you can turn music way down so that people do not have to speak loudly.

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TODD (voice-over): Many shopping malls are still crowded this holiday season and experts say that's dangerous. If you can't order gifts online, what do you do?

RANNEY: Try to pre order and to pick up at the curb side or just walk in, get the gift pay and leave again. Try not to linger in the mall for long periods of time. And if you can go at off hours when there's not a lot of people there, that too is going to decrease your risk of getting infected.

Dr. Megan Ranney and other experts are very concerned about the mental and emotional health of people this holiday season, acknowledging that it could be lonelier and more desperate for more people this year.

They encourage people who are dealing with that to contact organizations like the Crisis Text Line and Samaritans USA or simply pick up the phone or get on Zoom and contact relatives -- Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has teamed up with the United Kingdom's National Health Service choir for what you might call a "Holy" alliance.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Proceeds from this special version of the hit, "Holy," with Chance the Rapper, will benefit NHS workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

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BRUNHUBER: That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber and I'll be back in just a moment with more news. Stay with us.