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Mayor Torre (D-Aspen, CO) Discusses Colorado Ski Resorts, Aspen & Snowmass, Under Red-Level Restrictions; U.S. Congress Passes $900 Billion COVID Relief Bill; California Grapples with ICU Bed Shortages; Truck Drivers Stuck in Dover, England, as Borders Close. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired December 22, 2020 - 13:30   ET

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

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[13:31:53]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: Coronavirus cases in the Colorado mountains is surging. Pitkin County, home to popular ski spots, Aspen and Snowmass, is now under red-level restrictions.

That means no more gatherings with people outside your household. Restaurants will remain at 25 percent capacity but can only seat groups living in the same household. No indoor events. And outdoor events are limited to 25 percent capacity.

Plus, all travelers have to be tested and complete an affidavit.

Half of Pitkin County cases throughout the entire pandemic have happened in just the last month.

Joining me is Aspen's Mayor Torre.

Mayor Torre, thank you so much for coming on with us today.

And 50 percent of the county cases occurring in the last month. What's happened?

MAYOR TORRE (D-ASPEN, CO): That's a great question.

First of all, good morning to you. Good afternoon where you are. Thanks for having me on this morning.

We've seen a doubling, tripling of our incidents. Our other metrics are holding firm. But we're trying to figure out where transmissions are happening.

We have some data we are getting regarding some of our underserved population. And a lot of transmission is coming from informal gatherings and those people trying to do their best, staying at home. They're getting the virus, nonetheless. GOLODRYGA: It's coming at one of your busiest tourist times of the

year. Tourism is such important to the economy for the ski season and the holidays.

Restaurants are a key aspect of your economy as well. They're not being restricted like other businesses. Why is that?

TORRE: Well, what we have seen from data across our different business sectors is that restaurant transmission is not high on the list of where we need to be spending our energies and opportunities.

We also feel that in some ways we are eliminating some of those informal gathering opportunities if we have some of the safe outlets still available for people.

We're trying to make the decision based on what's best for health and safety of our residents and our visitors alike.

GOLODRYGA: And like many mountain areas, Aspen has one hospital. How is staff there handling, how are doctors and nurses preparing for the surge in cases?

TORRE: Amazingly well. Not without our caution and definite concern, but our hospital right now is doing very well.

And that's just all credit to the staff and administration that's out there. They've done a great job. They are prepared for any new surges we might see.

But as I said before, our hospital is maintaining very well right now. Those great servants out there are just amazing with the energy they're giving to the community.

GOLODRYGA: We are just thankful and thinking of all the first responders, doctors, nurses there that are preparing and currently handling the surge in cases.

The county is nearing the season's peak. We know new restrictions have testing and quarantine rules for travelers.

[13:35:00]

Is there an enforcement plan in place or is this more just guidance you're putting out?

TORRE: At this time, we're learning about how to get that enforcement and compliance in place.

I've got good news, Bianna. We're seeing a lot of our guests filling out the affidavit, getting tested before coming to the community.

But not only that. We have robust testing program going on here now in schools and for the general public. And that includes visitors.

If anybody is having a difficult time fulfilling that affidavit, we are making every opportunity available so they can do that once they're here on the ground.

We do have some penalties in place. We don't want to get there.

We're hoping this is a community collaborative effort. We do have that buy in from residents. I think we're getting that from visitors as well.

GOLODRYGA: I know this is an important part of your economy, the tourism season. Hopefully, if people heed these warnings, next year will be better, safer, healthier for everyone there.

Mayor Torre, thank you so much.

TORRE: We're all looking forward to that.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, we all are.

Happy holidays to you and your family.

TORRE: Thank you. To you, too, Bianna. Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you.

And still ahead, Congress finally passes a $900 billion pandemic relief bill. How long before you see that second stimulus check?

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[13:40:56]

GOLODRYGA: Thousands of pages, four hours to read it. A months-long back and forth, now it is over. Congress passed a pandemic relief package late Monday. The bill now goes to the president's desk and millions of Americans hope they'll see cash show up in bank accounts soon.

CNN's Manu Raju on Capitol Hill.

Manu, Americans didn't have to read this bill. You were reading and going through it for us as well. Secretary Mnuchin said checks could go out as soon as next week.

This bill took far too long. Let's be honest. Some Americans in desperate need of help are not getting that help when they needed it months ago.

What's the reaction on Capitol Hill?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot of folks dissatisfied with the process. Some believe it didn't go far enough. It is about half the size of the last rescue package that passed back in March. The benefits are cut in half as well.

Still, it is enough that some folks on Capitol Hill say it is at least a lifeline for people that are particularly seeing unemployment benefits dry up in the coming days. Next Congress, there's a push to do more, even though not everybody is

in agreement on what needs to be done or if anything needs to be done.

One of the things that will kick in for some folks, depending how much money they make, is those direct payments you mentioned, $600 in direct payments for individuals who make $75,000 a year or less.

That amount of money will decrease based on your income threshold, up to $99,000. People that make more than $99,000 won't get a check.

The income threshold is double depending on if you're a married couple filing jointly. There would be an additional $600 per person in the family, depending on the income level you're at.

In addition, people that are filing for unemployment benefits will continue to get those under this law. When it becomes law, it would include $300 of weekly unemployment benefits.

But small businesses, too, that have been hurt during the pandemic, could see loans from the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program, which will be replenished under this legislation, in addition to money for schools, vaccine distribution, aid for farmers.

So many sectors of the economy aided in some way or the other. The question is, will it be enough, how long will it take to get in the system.

It is not signed into law yet. They have to finish the paperwork, send it to the president's desk. He has to sign it, then time for all of this to be implemented -- Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: President-Elect Biden also suggesting it is not enough, saying and tweeting, "The work is far from over."

What kind of roadblocks will he be getting as far as getting additional relief later after he is inaugurated?

RAJU: There's not much consensus about how to move ahead. We saw it play out for months that led to enactment of the latest piece of legislation. Will Republicans agree with Democrats? They're simply not there yet.

There could be yet another fight over this when the President-Elect Biden is sworn into office on January 20th, especially if Republicans keep control of the Senate -- Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: We'll have another eviction moratorium at the end of January, just weeks and days after he is inaugurated as well. A lot on his to-do list.

Manu Raju, on Capitol Hill for us, thank you so much.

Coming up next, CNN is inside one of California's overwhelmed ICU units. Not a single bed available. And the staff, well, they're at a breaking point. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:44:27]

NANCY BLAKE, CHIEF NURSING OFFICER, HARBOR UCLA MEDICAL CENTER: They're not wearing masks. They're saying it is a hoax. I have to say I am a "glass half full" kind of person. My glass is empty right now.

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GOLODRYGA: Ninety-eight percent of California is under stay-at-home orders. Governor Gavin Newsom says he will likely extend it. That's because Monday marked another record high day of hospitalizations statewide.

Intensive care units in southern California are now at zero capacity. They're so overwhelmed, in fact, they've had to expand COVID wards, bring in refrigerated trucks to use as mobile morgues.

CNN's Sara Sidner went inside one of those ICUs.

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SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nurse Cliff Resurreccion is preparing for battle against the insidious and invisible enemy he and his colleague have been fighting for months.

COVID-19 is now sending so many people to the hospital in California, there are no more intensive care unit beds are open here at Harvard/UCLA Medical Center. So they've moved coronavirus patients into the emergency room.

[13:50:09]

Some are so sick, they're hooked up to no less than eight I.V.s, pumping in vital medicines to save or sooth them.

CLIFF RESURRECCION, REGISTERED NURSE, HARBOR UCLA MEDICAL CENTER: Very exhausting. It's like a never-ending struggle. Really tough right now.

SIDNER: Before his shift started, Nurse Resurreccion learned one of his COVID-19 patients had died. The patient had no family visits and no breath left to say good-bye.

RESURRECCION: He had not family. Did see them. Very sad around the holidays.

SIDNER: Everyone here has been exposed to the trauma of loss over and over again. But the patients just keep coming.

(on camera): What's it like right now for yourself?

BLAKE: It's a disaster right now for our staff. The patients are extremely sick. This is a horrible disease. I hope I won't cry, because it's been 10 months of this. And we are inundated.

SIDNER (voice-over): They can't send patients out to other hospitals in Los Angeles County because, in the most populated county in America, there's not a single licensed ICU bed open. All 2,500 are full. At last count, all of southern California had zero ICU capacity. Zero.

BLAKE: There's no break. There's absolutely no break. Even during July, it wasn't so bad. But this time, we're seeing large numbers.

SIDNER: Nancy Blake says this is so much worse than the first two surges of the virus, because now, they're getting their normal amount of emergency patients, plus a large number of coronavirus cases.

In the past two weeks, California has seen a 63 percent increase in hospitalizations. And in just one day, around 40,000 new infections were reported.

This, as 98 percent of the state is under a stay-at-home order. That is clearly not what is happening.

(on camera): What affect does it have on your staff?

BLAKE: They're angry. At the very beginning, it was people were, you know, saying nurses are heroes. Great job.

Now they're not listening to us. They're not wearing their masks. They're saying it's a hoax. And I have to say I'm a "glass half full" kind of person. My glass is empty right now.

SIDNER (on camera): Remember, in New York, at the beginning of the pandemic when they used refrigerated trucks because they needed space for bodies? Now this hospital, same thing, and this one just turned on.

(voice-over): But amidst the signs of suffering, there were signs of hope. Health care workers lining up to get their first dose of the vaccine. Each sending a message as to why they're getting inoculated.

The first day it arrived, the mood soared. But soured by the afternoon as more patients crushed into the emergency room.

(on camera): Are you OK?

BLAKE: No. It's the worst I've ever seen. I've been a nurse for 40 years. And it's the worst I've ever seen.

And some of the things these nurses are seeing, where their patients are dying, there's no family members, so they're holding that patient's hand, or they're on the other side of an iPad where the family's crying.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Ultimately, we are failing each other. And we're failing the people who make it their business to save us when we're sick, when we're hurt, or when we're dying.

And that is the message that these nurses and doctors want people to know. If they could just follow the guidelines that have set up. The simple things, wearing a mask, not gathering even though it's Christmastime.

It is a lonely time for a lot of people, but it is far more lonely if you end up in the ICU or the E.R. -- Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: It's a small ask for those people not taking this seriously. They should listen to that sound of the mobile morgue. It gives you goosebumps. It's unbelievable what these heroes have been going through this entire year.

Sara, thank you so much for bringing us that report.

[13:54:11]

Coming up next, thousands of long-haul truckers are stranded, unsure if they'll make it home for Christmas, as travel bans kick in for the U.K. This is all because of that new COVID variant spreading there. And CNN is on the ground.

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GOLODRYGA: Dozens of countries have banned travel to the U.K. after the announcement of a new variant of the coronavirus. Sudden border closures left thousands of trucks at a standstill and supply chains disrupted just before the Christmas holiday.

Salma Abdelaziz is in the English port city of Dover -- Salma?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Bianna, more chaos and confusion here. Hundreds of truck drivers and their trucks and their goods have been stranded along the port city of Dover since Sunday now with no instruction.

Today, they're being told to come to a disused airfield, essentially a massive air strip that's been turned into a parking lot for all of these truck drivers you see behind me here and think goods.

There's coronavirus testing lab on site but we don't know if these drivers will be tested.

What we do know is that British and French officials are talking about coronavirus testing as part of the agreement to reopen the border between these two countries.

[13:59:02]

Meanwhile, while all of this political back and forth goes on, there are people caught in the middle. Most drivers of these drivers don't think they'll make it home for Christmas.