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Increase in Vaccinations Next Month; Concern Over Variant Detected Overseas; Georgia Runoff Politics; A Look at 2020 in Entertainment. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired December 29, 2020 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Of the vaccinations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: I'm joined now by Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Doctor, thanks so much for coming on with us.

So we know the goal was to have 100 million people vaccinated by the end of March. Is that still possible?

DR. PAUL SAX, CLINICAL DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES DIVISION, BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL: Still possible, but we're going to have to change some things rather quickly. One is that we need a really concerted effort from the federal and the state governments to work together to try to get the vaccines actually to people. You know, it's one thing to develop them in the research protocols and then to have them in the factories, it's another thing actually to get them to the sites where they can be administered. So coordination between the federal and the state government really will be critical.

Another thing that will help is if another vaccine is approved and we have some very exciting data we hope coming soon in January about vaccines that are easier to ship and to store.

GOLODRYGA: And we also know that health experts are warning that the spike in hospitalizations could lead to rationing care. We're seeing things get to that point in California. What does that look like, not just for the COVID patients, but for anyone needing care outside of COVID?

SAX: Well, it's a very important concern and one that we all share in the hospitals. What we see when COVID cases surge is that some of the other care that we'd like to give to non-COVID cases gets jeopardized. And so elective surgeries, cancer chemotherapy and other things that people would normally have done on schedules get postponed, tests, screening tests, et cetera. This is really a big concern. It has ripple effects all through the health care system. What we're trying to do now, which is different from the spring, is

we're trying to continue whenever possible to provide that needed care, even while providing care to COVID-19 patients also. In southern California, though, right now that -- that actually can't be done.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. What is going on in California is just tragic.

Let's move on to the new variant discovered in the U.K. Dr. Fauci said on our air this morning that he wouldn't be surprised if it was already here in the United States, but what he wants to make sure is that it doesn't become the dominant variant here in the U.S.

Do you agree and what can be done to prevent that?

SAX: So I do agree that it likely is here because many other countries that do the kind of sequencing that is needed to identify this virus have already found it in their countries. We actually lag a bit behind those countries in the kind of sequencing necessary to identify it. Once it is found, then it will probably, like in other areas, become very quickly spread in the communities. And the concerning aspect is that it does -- it may be more transmissible.

Fortunately, at least based on evidence we have right now, it does not appear to cause more severe disease and also, from at least preliminary looks, the vaccines should be effective against this variant, too.

But we definitely need to up our game when it comes to sequencing and doing the kind of surveillance that is required to identify such changes.

GOLODRYGA: And this is, of course, happening at the busiest travel season. You have the TSA saying that more than 1 million people were screened at airports yesterday in the United States. Can you explain the disconnect between the record hospitalization and death rates that we talk about repeatedly here and people's insistence to travel for the December holidays.

SAX: Well, I think a little bit of it has to do with sort of pandemic fatigue and this is understandable that people are just tired of this. I think also, unlike in the spring when many communities really shut down, here we've tried to keep things open, which I think has given people the illusion that COVID is really not still a problem when, in fact, it really is. I want to emphasize for people that are in states that did not have much COVID in the summertime that things are really very different now in the United States, throughout the United States. There's actually more disease activity now than there has been at any point in the pandemic's history.

So as a result, this travel is discouraging and I would discourage people from traveling if at all possible. And then if you must travel, then use whatever precautions you can to stay as safe as possible, to get tested before travel and potentially after travel and to keep your distance from the loved ones that you're visiting if possible, if that's six feet or more, celebrating outside, wearing masks, et cetera. This is a very lethal virus. We do not want it to spread further.

GOLODRYGA: And before anyone thinks about booking a ticket perhaps they should look at our screen as well. Over 19 million cases in the U.S., over 335,000 deaths. And the numbers keep going up.

Dr. Paul Sax, thank you so much. Happy holidays to you.

SAX: Happy holidays. Thanks for inviting me.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you.

Well, we are one week away from election day in the Georgia Senate runoffs. The president's influence on these key races and the debate over stimulus relief both taking center stage. We'll discuss coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:39:02]

GOLODRYGA: The crucial Senate runoff elections in Georgia are just one week away and CNN has learned that one of the Republican senators in those races, David Perdue, spoke with the president this week to personally lobby him to sign the COVID relief bill. Sources say President Trump has been in regular contact with Perdue, who was apparently concerned that the president's delay in signing the bill could harm him and fellow Republican Kelly Loeffler in their runoffs.

Joining me now is Stephen Fowler, political reporter for the Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Thank you so much for coming on with us.

I want to start with the passage of the COVID relief package. How big of a factor is this delay in unemployment checks and direct payments for Georgia voters?

STEPHEN FOWLER, POLITICAL REPORTER, GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING: It's definitely a big thing when you think about this runoff because it doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican, if you're in Georgia and you need this relief, it matters to you. And much like everything else in the president's administration, it's become a political football.

[09:40:01]

And, you know, the message from David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler is, look at what we've brought you. We've brought this relief. We've brought you checks. We've brought you the unemployment benefits you need. This is more of what we can bring you if you vote for us.

And on the flip side, Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are saying these are the kind of pandemic politics that you get with Republicans and if you vote for us and if we have control of the Senate, we will get you more relief that you need as soon as possible. And it's really the final battle line that's being drawn here. GOLODRYGA: Yes, it's come down to $600 versus $2,000 and pitting

members of the same party against the president or their leader.

I want to play some of Georgia Senate Democratic Candidate Jon Ossoff's interview with my colleague, Alisyn Camerota, from this morning. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON OSSOFF (D), GEORGIA U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: People who are desperately hurting right now, gas bills they can't pay, rent piling up, prescription drug costs, in a COVID economy, that's hurting people through no fault of their own, $600 is a joke. The Senate needs to pass $2,000 checks within 48 hours and get this relief to the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: So both senators Perdue and Loeffler have yet to give a direct opinion on the $2,000 direct payments. Are they in a no win position if this goes to a floor vote? Oppose Trump or resist his call for $2,000 checks or reject fiscal conservatism and vote for increased payments?

FOWLER: From the start of the runoff, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler have been stuck between a rock and a hard place. President Trump has almost sabotaged their campaigns at many points from railing about the election being rigged and stolen from him, to now stalling this COVID relief bill. And part of their pitch to voters in Georgia, especially the base that's reliable to show up in runoffs, is that they support Trump 100 percent. But there are other things to consider, you know, like the defense authorization bill and other things that really they don't want to be hammered regardless of what they do. So I guess the strategy here is to wait until the last possible minute to give as little oxygen as possible for whatever their decision may be.

GOLODRYGA: And, in the meantime, as of Monday morning, over 2.1 million ballots have been cast in the Georgia Senate runoffs. That's already a higher early voter turnout than in the presidential election itself. But looking at the November 4th election results, Democrats in the Senate race still lag behind Republicans by thousands of votes.

How likely is it for Democrats to outperform in this runoff? Are they getting too ambitious here?

FOWLER: Well, looking at the early voting data, it actually shows a favorable pathway for Democrats because the voters that have turned out, some 2.3 million of them, are mainly coming from suburban metro Atlanta and the rural black belt in southwest Georgia where black voters are turning out at the same rate in the runoff as they did in the general election and we're seeing a dip in turnout from places like the 14th Congressional District, which is Marjory Taylor Greene's district, which is where President Trump is coming to rally next Monday, those voters are lagging behind what they did in the general election and so it's going to have to be a pretty big election day turnout for Republicans if they want to keep pace with the energizing nature that the Democrats have put forth. GOLODRYGA: Yes, it can be a nightmare scenario for Mitch McConnell. Of

course we know next Monday, the eve of the Senate runoff, President Trump will be holding a rally in Georgia and the question is, is this going to help those two Republican senators there or hurt them, given what he may be focused on and what he may not be focusing on, meaning their own elections.

FOWLER: Right. So I covered the president's last general election rally in northwest Georgia. Most of the people that were there were people that had already voted for the president and were going to vote for him regardless. And the same has kind of held true for other rallies that he's held in Georgia and it's more a President Trump rally than a Senate rally. So it remains to be seen if it hurts or helps.

GOLODRYGA: All about Trump, as always.

Stephen Fowler, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

FOWLER: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: We'll be right back.

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[09:48:44]

GOLODRYGA: From the tragic losses of Hollywood giants, to the pandemic caused standstill across the industry, 2020 threw curveball after curveball.

CNN's Stephanie Elam takes a look at a year like no other in entertainment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The pandemic shuts down Hollywood. "Tiger King" roared into our living rooms and the stars aligned to keep us together.

ELAM: As the world came to a screeching halt, here's a look back at how entertainment gave us an escape, hope, heartache and even a few laughs along the way.

JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: I'm shaking. I did not see that coming at all.

ELAM (voice over): The year started out with some nostalgia at the SAG Awards with a public reunion 15 years in the making.

ANISTON: This is so unbelievable.

ELAM (voice over): Moments after watching her acceptance speech, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, once Hollywood's reigning power couple, were spotted sharing a moment back stage while celebrating their wins.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it OK with you?

ELAM (voice over): "Parasite" became the first foreign language film to win the Screen Actors Guild's top prize. The South Korean film broke through barriers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR: (speaking in foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, ACTRESS: (speaking in foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, ACTOR: (speaking in foreign language).

[09:50:05]

ELAM (voice over): Mixing dark comedy, horror and drama to create a social commentary on class and equality. "Parasite" was showered in accolades and finished awards season by cementing itself in Oscar's history, sweeping four categories, including best picture, the first time for a non-English language film.

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will no longer go by his and her royal highness. They're giving up those titles.

ELAM (voice over): Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's big news sent shockwaves across the globe.

PRINCE HARRY: I Know I haven't always gotten it right. But as far as this goes, there really was no other option.

ELAM (voice over): The move sent the royal establishment into chaos as the couple sought to become financially independent. The queen said she would have preferred they continue to serve as senior members but respects and understands their decision. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex went on a farewell tour of sorts across England, making their last official appearances as royals as the pandemic began to take hold.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're back with new developments in the coronavirus pandemic. School closures, major events cancelations are picking up all across the United States.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all 40 million residents to stay at home.

ELAM (voice over): And just like that, Hollywood came to a standstill. Movie sets went dark, TV tapings were cancelled, live performances and concerts were scratched. Movie theatres were force to close and the major studios went into overdrive, first postponing the release of "Quite Place 2," then Disney's "Mulan," followed by an entire summer's worth of blockbusters. In New York, Broadway abruptly turned out the lights. And music festivals fell silent.

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON": Do you know who's on the show tonight?

ELAM (voice over): But as the world reeled, it came as no surprise that some of our favorite entertainers found ways to put on a show.

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Let's check in and welcome Wanda Sykes.

Hello, Wanda.

WANDA SYKES, ACTRESS: Hey, Jimmy.

ELAM (voice over): Performers found new ways to connect with their fans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you're at home, I just want to touch my hand to you right now.

ELAM (voice over): By bringing music and acts into our living rooms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): You can -- you can see (ph).

ELAM (voice over): And using social media to foster a sense of community while we've been apart.

Stuck at home, audiences turned to at home streaming services, binge watching TV shows like "Tiger King" and drooling over "Hamilton."

While "The Mandalorian," "The Crown" and "Schitt's Creek" got a lot of buzz. And the possibilities were endless with HBO Max and Peacock launching in the middle of the pandemic.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Academy Award Winning Actor Tom Hanks announcing that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, have both tested positive for coronavirus.

When COVID hit close to home, celebrities rallied to raise awareness. And as the virus raged, more and more stars came forward to share their own experiences battling the symptoms.

DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON, ACTOR: I wish it was only me who tested positive, but it wasn't, it was my entire family. So this one was a real kick in the gut.

ELAM (voice over): Sadly, COVID took the lives of some of our favorites, like legendary country star Charlie Pride and Broadway actor Nick Cordero, whose long and intense battle was chronicled on Instagram.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here is the host of "Jeopardy!," Alex Trebek.

ELAM (voice over): The year brought even more sad news with the death of "Jeopardy!" legend Alex Trebek from pancreatic cancer. He left a special, posthumous message for his viewers.

ALEX TREBEK, HOST, "JEOPARDY": Keep the faith. We're going to get through all of this and we will be a better society because of it.

ELAM (voice over): Also gone, Sean Connery, Naya Rivera, Kelly Preston, Regis Philbin, and Eddie Van Halen. But perhaps the most shocking, "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman.

He died after fighting a very private four year battle with colon cancer. Boseman leaves behind a legacy. Insiders say he could become the first actor to receive two posthumous Oscar nominations for his work in "Da 5 Bloods" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Remember, once you walk in, you may take off your mask.

ELAM (voice over): By summer, Hollywood production slowly picked up again with strict safety protocols in place. But not everything has been smooth sailing. Tom Cruise recently unleashed a tirade on the set of the next "Mission Impossible," enraged at crew members for reportedly not following social distancing measures. Hollywood also came out in droves to support global, social and political movements. Stars like A-Rod and Jennifer Lopez, Nick Cannon, Joe Jonas and Madonna all hit the streets to call for justice in the death of George Floyd and to support Black Lives Matter.

And in the race for the White House, Kanye West made the ballot in some states, receiving about 60,000 votes.

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, ACTRESS: I first met Joe Biden when I was doing my show "Veep."

[09:55:02]

ELAM (voice over): But Hollywood largely threw their support behind the winning Biden/Harris ticket.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, the cast of "The Office."

ELAM (voice over): Finally, this was a year for reunions. From "Fresh Prince of Bel Air," to "Legally Blonde," "Mean Girls" and "Father of the Bride." Casts from our favorite shows and movies met up virtually to relive the days that once were.

STEVE MARTIN, ACTOR: We're living in a tough time. And we don't know exactly how to do this or how it's going to turn out, but we've managed to stay OK all these months because we have each other.

ELAM (voice over): We made it through a tough year and to end it on a high note, the great Gloria Gainer with honor and celebrate health care workers, first responders and essential workers with a performance of, what else, "I Will Survive" in Times Square on New Year's Eve.

Stephanie Elam, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: And Hollywood did manage to survive a tough year no doubt. Our thanks to Stephanie for that.

Well, say so long 2020 and hello 2021 with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen live from Times Square New Year's Eve starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN. You won't want to miss it.

We'll be right back.

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