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Prince Philip Dies At Age 99; House Ethics Committee Opens Probe Into U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz; Forensic Expert Testifies Police Actions Caused George Floyd's Death; St. Vincent's La Soufriere Volcano Erupts; Justin Rose Leads Masters. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired April 10, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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

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PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers in the United States, Canada, all around the world. I'm Paula Newton. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

Britain, the Commonwealth countries and nations all around the world are paying tribute to the late Prince Philip.

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NEWTON (voice-over): Gun salutes will be fired right across the U.K. at noon local time. That is in about two hours from now.

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But they have already started in Australia. Buckingham Palace is expected to confirm funeral arrangements for Prince Philip soon. It says he passed away on Friday at the age of 99. He died two months shy of his 100th birthday.

He was a World War II hero and husband to Queen Elizabeth, spending seven decades by her side. He will be remembered as the beloved patriarch of the British royal family and father of the heir apparent, Prince Charles.

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NEWTON (voice-over): The bells of Westminster Abbey ringing out in honor of the duke. Flowers have been placed at the palace gates, even though the government is asking people not to do so because of COVID- 19.

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NEWTON: We go to Isa Soares in Windsor.

You can't help that people feel like they want to do something. Many there taking the measure of a man, who had a role that was singular, unique.

How are people remembering Prince Philip?

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. That's right. People I was speaking to yesterday and this morning, have been telling me they are here to pay their respects. They are not spending much time, passing by and bowing their head and paying tribute to a man that they say was always there. He was always present.

Of course, inside Windsor Castle he was next to the queen. And outside, he was always walking a few steps behind. And people admire what he has done for the country, the fact that he gave up his own career, his own ambitions as a naval officer to dedicate his life to the woman he loved for 73 years, really, to queen and country.

So people, obviously, feeling very sad today. Many people talking and discussing how the queen may be feeling at this difficult time -- Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, certainly, you cannot imagine.

When do we expect to hear about the kind of goodbye that is now in store for Prince Philip?

SOARES: Well, we are hoping to hear in the next day, maybe today or tomorrow, as early as today. Funeral arrangements are planned years in advance. But because of COVID-19 that has had to be changed.

The duke, we know, didn't want to make a fuss about his funeral. He never really liked the attention. It was never about him.

So he was a simple guy. He wanted something small. So we know that the funeral will be held at Windsor Castle behind me at St. George's Chapel, the chapel where Harry and Meghan married.

We don't know how many will be there because of the COVID-19 restrictions. We are looking at 30 people or so.

Who exactly will attend that service?

Will it be a military service in the fact of the naval career the man had?

And will Prince Harry attend?

He's in the United States, if he came he would have to quarantine 10 days.

Or would he be exempt?

Then so many people here saying to me there may not be a procession but we will still come out and pay our respects.

We are hoping to find out in the next day or so exactly how people can pay their respects to the man that led this country for so many years -- Paula.

NEWTON: Even just given the outpouring we are seeing now, it's hard to imagine there won't be a spontaneous way to honor him.

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NEWTON: Isa, thank you.

The former press secretary of Queen Elizabeth, Charles Anson, joins me now.

She is the queen and perhaps no more relatable to us than right now, right?

A wife married for more than 70 years. Now a widow, having spent her first night, you saw Windsor Castle, alone without her husband, her friend, her confidant. She shared most of her adult life with him.

CHARLES ANSON, FORMER PRESS SECRETARY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH: That is correct. A very long and successful life of shared duties and shared lives and interests in the countryside. So it's a very long, long and very successful team they have been.

I think the queen will have been well prepared herself for this moment perhaps. And, you know, she is philosophical by nature. She has a very strong faith. And she will be able to treasure the moments she has spent together.

And, of course, in this particular time, she is surrounded by very close family, by those in the royal bubble at Windsor and preparing, obviously, for the send-off that will be given to the prince.

It will, obviously, be somewhat scaled down. But I think her faith and her family and those around her -- she is very much a family person and her children will be very much in touch with her.

NEWTON: Absolutely. Now apparently, the prince was quite involved in the arrangements for his own funeral. It seems it was always said he wanted something modest by royal standards.

Why do you think that is in terms of what his wishes are?

ANSON: Well, that is really, Paula, in the nature of the man. Prince Philip never liked to have a fuss made about him.

And his attitude to life, I found, from my seven years with working closely with the queen and Prince Philip, is that he wanted the focus to be on what he was doing and what his objective was and trying to make society better and opportunities for young people better, sort of attachments to the navy and the military services.

He was always focused very much on where he could make a difference. He didn't want fuss made of him and that would go for the funeral. I can imagine a slightly wry smile he might have had about the funeral arrangements being more modest. He wouldn't have minded that at all.

He didn't want the focus to be on him, which is quite interesting. because, of course, tributes have been have been huge. And his contribution, as the queen's consort and as a man of great capabilities in his own right, are enormous.

He has done a lot to change the world for young people, for the environmental causes and so on, in a very significant way, more than almost anyone in a way. He had these huge range of interests.

But at the heart of him, it was this, the first priority was his being at the queen's side on all major occasions, whether it was a state visit or, as I remember well, the night of the great fire at Windsor, where Prince Philip was abroad on an official visit and he just jumped on a plane straightaway and came back overnight.

So he was always at the queen's side. So that is a loss for her. But she has also this very close family around her and she has a strong sense of family herself.

NEWTON: Speaking of that family, of course, there has been a very painful and public rift with Prince Harry.

Do you think there is the opportunity, though, for this to be a moment of family unity?

ANSON: Well, I think there is already a great deal of family unity and I think it's a great strength in our monarchy. People tend to think this family difficulty is the worst crisis since the abdication.

It is not the worst crisis since the abdication. The succession of Prince Charles and Prince William and Prince George is very strong. So there is not a problem with the monarchy. There maybe family arguments or differences of a certain kind.

But I think what brings them together is a great deal stronger. And the queen is a healing and encompassing figure. And when Prince Harry and Meghan decided to go to California, the queen was the first to say, look, this is your decision and, you know, if you decide to go to California.

[05:10:00]

ANSON: And you decide in a year's time that you'd like to come back, of course, you'll be welcome. They decided to stay out there. But the queen has made it absolutely clear that Harry and Meghan remain loved members of the family.

So I would expect them to come over at some stage; whether they can come over with the funeral with all of the COVID arrangements, I simply don't know.

But it will be a small funeral. I think your correspondent is right, that it probably will be a rule of 30 people, which would encompass, you know, the queen's immediate family, within that 30. Her children and their wives and husbands and her grandchildren would be encompassed within that 30, I would think, maybe very close friends and colleagues.

NEWTON: It's already a very large family as it is. We will wait to hear the details in the coming hours. Charles Anson, the queen's former press secretary in London, thank you for your insights.

ANSON: Thank you.

NEWTON: We will have much more on how Prince Philip is being remembered right around the world. We will be live with Salma Abdelaziz in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where, after nights of protest, there's an appeal for calm as a show of respect. And our Eleni Giokos will join us from Johannesburg.

Police officers are taking a stand to rebuke Derek Chauvin's use against George Floyd. Coming up, we will have the latest from the courtroom and we will discuss if this rare testimony shifts a signal in policy.

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NEWTON: Now to the U.S., where embattled congressman Matt Gaetz is responding to news that the House Ethics Committee will investigate him. They plan to look into numerous allegations including that the Florida Republican may have violated sex trafficking laws.

He defended himself in a speech to a conservative women's group on Friday at a Trump resort in Miami, Florida.

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REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): I'm built for the battle. And I'm not going anywhere. The smears against me range from distortions of my personal life to wild and I mean wild conspiracy theories. I won't be intimidated by a lying media and I won't be extorted by former DOJ officials and the crooks he is working with. The truth will prevail.

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NEWTON: To be clear, sex trafficking isn't the only allegation of wrong doing the GOP congressman is facing. CNN's Paula Reid explains.

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PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz about to make his first public appearance in days, as new details into the scandal emerge.

The congressman set to speak at an event organized by a conservative women's group, while at the same time beefing up his legal team, adding two New York attorneys, including Marc Mukasey, who has also represented the Trump Organization.

Federal investigators are looking into Gaetz's role in connection to alleged prostitution as part of a wider probe of one of the congressman's friends.

Now "The Daily Beast" offering new insight into the trail of money. Venmo records obtained by the site show how, in May of 2018, Gaetz reportedly paid friend and then Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg $900.

The next morning, Greenberg transferred money totaling the same amount to three young women, according to the report.

JOSE PAGLIERY, "THE DAILY BEAST": When Matt Gaetz sent them to Joel Greenberg, it's a test and hit up this girl. When Joel Greenberg paid them to these girls, it said school and tuition.

REID: CNN has not confirmed the details of allegations in this story. At this point, there is no indication the payments were related to any illegal activity.

JOEL GREENBERG, FORMER TAX COLLECTOR: It really is an honor to be here today.

REID: Gaetz's friend, Greenberg, has been indicted on 33 federal charges, including sex trafficking of a minor.

FRITZ SCHELLER, ATTORNEY FOR JOEL GREENBERG: He is uniquely situated.

REID: Greenberg is likely to enter a plea deal in his case, raising the possibility he could cooperate with federal investigators and put pressure on the congressman.

SCHELLER: I'm sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today.

REID (voice-over): Gaetz has continued to deny any wrongdoing.

REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): It is a horrible allegation and it is a lie.

REID (voice-over): Writing on Monday, "I have never, ever paid for sex. And second, I, as an adult man, have not slept with a 17-year old."

In a sign the Gaetz investigation may expand beyond sex trafficking, "The New York Times" is reporting prosecutors were told Gaetz discussed arranging a sham candidate in a Florida state Senate race last year with a Florida lobbyist to help his friend win the seat.

Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger the first GOP member of Congress openly calling for Gaetz to step down, tweeting late Thursday, "Matt Gaetz needs to resign."

REID: The House Ethics Committee has announced they have launched an investigation into Gaetz for a laundry list of potential violations, including sexual misconduct and drug use and sharing inappropriate images on the House floor and accepting bribes and misusing campaign funds.

In a statement, Gaetz's office called the allegations "blatantly false" and not validated by a single human being willing to put their name behind them -- Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

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NEWTON: Dozens of protesters gathered in Minneapolis Friday night to demand justice to George Floyd and an end to police brutality. They could be heard chanting, "I can't breathe," some of the last words Floyd said before he died in police custody last summer.

The protesters have been demonstrating at the courthouse throughout the murder and manslaughter trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is charged with Floyd's death after kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes.

The second week of the murder trial has largely focused on Floyd's cause of death. And while dozens of witnesses have taken the stand, Friday's testimony ended with one of the most important witnesses so far.

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NEWTON: CNN's Omar Jimenez has details from Minneapolis.

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OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In one of the most highly anticipated moments of the trial...

JERRY BLACKWELL, MINNESOTA PROSECUTOR: You conducted the autopsy on Mr. George Floyd?

DR. ANDREW BAKER, CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA: I did.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): -- Hennepin County's chief medical examiner, Dr. Andrew Baker, took the stand.

BLACKWELL: With respect to Mr. Floyd, you didn't see any damage to the heart muscle?

BAKER: That's correct.

BLACKWELL: Did you note anything resembling either a pill or pill fragments in the stomach?

BAKER: I did not.

BLACKWELL: His autopsy report on George Floyd listed the manner of death as homicide, but specifically cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement's subdual, restraint and neck compression.

BAKER: I would still classify it as a homicide today.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): No mention of asphyxia and no physical findings to support it, either. BAKER: In my opinion, the law enforcement subdual, restraint and the neck compression was just more than Mr. Floyd could take, by virtue of that -- those heart conditions.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): According to testimony Friday, in June 2020, he even told investigators of George Floyd, "If he were found dead at home alone and no other apparent causes, this could be acceptable to call an O.D.," or overdose.

But he added at the time, "I'm not saying this killed him."

ERIC NELSON, ATTORNEY FOR DEREK CHAUVIN: Have you certified deaths as an overdose where the level of fentanyl was similar to the level of fentanyl in Mr. Floyd?

BAKER: Yes.

NELSON: Does methamphetamine further constrict the vessels and ventricles and arteries?

BAKER: As a general rule for forensic pathology, methamphetamine is not good for a damaged heart, a heart with coronary artery disease.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Earlier Friday, Dr. Lindsey Thomas, a forensic pathologist and former assistant medical examiner for Hennepin County, took the stand.

BLACKWELL: Did you rule out drug overdose as a cause of death?

DR. LINDSEY THOMAS, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: Yes. In this case, I believe the primary mechanism of death is asphyxia, or low oxygen. There's no evidence to suggest he would have died that night, except for the interactions with law enforcement.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Dr. Thomas even pointing to the autopsy itself, saying, ordinarily, that would be all she needed. Not this time.

THOMAS: In this case, the autopsy itself didn't tell me the cause and manner of death. And it really required getting all of this other additional information, specifically the video evidence of the terminal events, to conclude the cause of death.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): A cause of death the jurors are now left to wrestle with.

NELSON: So, in your opinion, both the heart disease, as well as the history of hypertension and the drug -- the drugs that were in his system, played a role in Mr. Floyd's death?

BAKER: In my opinion, yes.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): The prosecutors pressed the doctor further.

BLACKWELL: Those other contributing conditions are not conditions that you consider direct causes; is that true?

BAKER: They are not direct causes of Mr. Floyd's death.

JIMENEZ: At this point, the only thing that really matters is how jurors interpreted exchanges like those on, arguably, the most important topic in this trial, George Floyd's cause of death.

Throughout the day on Friday, jurors were incredibly engaged. And at one point, at least one juror seemed annoyed at the defense's line of questioning for Dr. Baker. At points he was squinting his eyes and shaking his head.

But also other jurors seemed to take extra notes when the doctor spoke about if he found George Floyd in a home by himself and without any other factors, he would have considered this an overdose case. So all dynamics will be incredibly important as we move forward. Witness testimony is expected to continue on Monday -- Omar Jimenez, CNN, Minneapolis.

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NEWTON: You can see we have heard powerful testimony throughout the Chauvin trial. But some of it has come from unexpected sources. It's seldom we see police officers testify against one of their own.

And, yet, you can see them there, one by one, officers have taken the stand on behalf of the prosecution to testify against their former colleague, Derek Chauvin, chipping away at the so-called blue wall of silence.

Earlier this week, even the Minneapolis police chief gave a stinging rebuke of Chauvin's actions.

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CHIEF MEDARIA ARRADONDO, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: To continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back, that that in no way, shape or form, is anything that is by policy. It is not part of our training and it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values.

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NEWTON: Cheryl Dorsey is a retired Los Angeles Police Department sergeant and joins me now.

[05:25:00]

NEWTON: She's also the author of "Black and Blue: The Creation of a Social Advocate (Volume 2)."

Thank you for being here. What a week. I want to get to the substance of what has happened this week, very detailed, very dramatic testimony.

For the jury, though, it all still boils down to, do you believe this police officer was responsible for the death of George Floyd?

How clearly do you believe that case was made?

CHERYL DORSEY, RETIRED LAPD SERGEANT: I think the prosecution has done an amazing job of layering all of the bricks, if you will, in this story line.

You have police supervisors, from the first control sergeant on scene, all the way up to the chief of police, speaking on training and what is expected of their officers and how Derek Chauvin deviated from his training and how unreasonable and unnecessary the force was.

Then couple that with medical professionals, who were on scene. These are trained EMS workers, an off-duty firefighter, very different from the emotional testimony that we heard from the civilians in the first few days of the trial, who spoke of wanting to intervene and being denied.

NEWTON: In terms of what our analysts have already been pointing out, throughout the week, it's that solidarity of police officers seemed to have been so categorically challenged. And at the highest levels, even the police chief.

Why do you think that is?

DORSEY: Part of is because we all saw what we saw. And this is not anything that, even the police chief was going to be able to minimize and mitigate. And that's why Derek Chauvin was fired so quickly.

They are still in damage control. They had to pay that family $27 million in a settlement, mind you, to prevent going before a jury in a civil case and having a jury give the family much more than that.

And so they had no other alternative but to come to court. And once they raised their hand and swore to tell the truth under the penalty of perjury, they had to speak to the fact that, everything that we saw, everything that they saw, violated their policy and, therefore, they had to speak truthfully about it.

NEWTON: When we look at what's gone on -- and, again, it's just the prosecution just putting forward their case so far -- do you feel, though, from what we have already heard, that this could profoundly change policing?

DORSEY: I don't think that it's going to profoundly change policing. Listen, you know, the system does what it's designed to do.

And, you know, even though the police chief and his commander and his lieutenant and his sergeant all spoke truthfully, they don't get any brownie points from me because it wasn't like any of them didn't know who Derek Chauvin was.

This is a 19-year veteran of that department, with 18 personnel complaints. So each of them have progressed up the ranks, the police chief included, knowing who Derek Chauvin was, allowed him to remain in patrol, allowed him to live to offend again, complaint after complaint.

And it wasn't until the death of Mr. Floyd that they finally decided to step forward and take action.

Imagine what would have happened, had they dealt with Derek Chauvin at personnel complaints 6, 7, 10, 12, 14?

Mr. Floyd would still be here. So nothing has changed nationally since this incident last May. There have been incidents all over the country, where police are still using unnecessary force, using deadly force as a first resort rather than a last resort, as many of us are taught and trained.

So you know, depending on what happens ultimately in this case, people have short-term memory. And they will go on and it will be business as usual. And, sadly, I'm afraid we will revisit this and we will have another discussion with another name.

NEWTON: That is quite an indictment. We will continue to follow the case and we really appreciate your insights here, Cheryl Dorsey. Thanks so much.

People all around the globe are remembering Prince Philip. Just ahead, how world leaders are mourning his passing.

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NEWTON: British members of Parliament are expected to pay tribute to the late Prince Philip in a special session on Monday. A short time from now, gun salutes will be fired across the United Kingdom.

Buckingham Palace said the duke passed away on Friday at the age of 99. They are expected to confirm his funeral arrangements quite soon.

Prince Philip became a household name after marrying then Princess Elizabeth in 1947. To the queen, he was her, quote, "constant strength and guide." Salma Abdelaziz joins me now from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

We have had those violent protests that have been going on there for now more than a week. Salma, what is interesting here is that, despite these protests, there will be this pause. This is going to be short- term.

But what are the hopes about any deescalation in the longer term?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: This is a very troubled part of the United Kingdom and, for a week, there was violent clashes here. Nothing like these communities have seen in years. What started as Protestant sentiment against the police turned into the violence between communities.

You can only imagine that the reaction to Prince Philip's death was extremely divided. I spoke to one gentleman, who said the royal family meant everything to him. Take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would consider myself to be a royalist. I have been my whole life. I follow them very closely. And that is why I'm wearing a black armband.

ABDELAZIZ: What does that mean to wear that band?

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That to me is a sign of mourning for anybody. But I have that particularly for Philip.

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ABDELAZIZ: Now if you're a member of the Catholic community, if you're a nationalist, you feel exactly the opposite of that gentleman. You feel the royal family doesn't represent you. There is no love lost there. There simply is no connection.

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ABDELAZIZ: But yesterday what we saw was a bit extraordinary. We saw all factions coming out, saying youth need to stay home and nobody go out and protest. We need a moment of calm, out of respect for what is happening and out of respect those who are mourning the loss of this royal family member.

And that is exactly what we saw yesterday. There were a few scrimmages but nothing like the violence we have seen the last few days.

The question, will it hold?

That is difficult to answer because the factors that caused this violence, they are still at play.

What are those factors?

First, a Brexit agreement that has essentially created a sea border between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain. That for Protestants is a red line. They expect unfettered access to the United Kingdom and feel that Westminster has turned their back on that community.

You have the socioeconomic factors at play here, paramilitary groups organizing youth to go out in these protests.

Will that happen?

Yesterday, these groups called on their youth to stay home and not go out.

What will happen tonight?

That's the question.

Will this be a brief pause out of respect or is it more?

NEWTON: We will see, as the period of mourning is now another eight days, so we will see how long this can last in Belfast. Salma, thank you for update.

News of Prince Philip's death has touched everywhere. His lifelong job was to stay two steps behind his wife, Queen Elizabeth, but support her always. As Anna Stewart reports, his devotion to service was foremost in the minds of leaders around the world.

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ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Condolences for Prince Philip, coming in from all around the world. Some, poignantly, from places the duke loved. The prince famously enjoyed the Scottish outdoors and often spent time at Balmoral Castle. Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, sent her sympathies to the royal family.

NICOLA STURGEON, SCOTTISH FIRST MINISTER: First and foremost he was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather and my thoughts are with all of those today who will be feeling a profound sense of loss and grief, in particular, the queen.

STEWART (voice-over): Prince Philip was emblematic of British monarchy but he was born a prince of Greece on the island of Corfu. He later renounced his title to marry then Princess Elizabeth. The Greek president praised his service to England, posting that he served his country with devotion for many decades.

A global figurehead, not just well-known but as someone who traveled much of the world. Leaders and common people alike say he left his mark everywhere he went.

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Prince Philip was a man of service, motivated by a sense of duty and others.

STEWART (voice-over): Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted that Prince Philip had a distinguished career in the military. The prince last visited India in 1997 for the 50th anniversary of its independence. Residents of Mumbai said they were upset to hear he was gone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has done a very good job for his country also and we also, India, also have good relations with Britain. And obviously, it's a sad news.

STEWART (voice-over): U.S. President Joe Biden lauded the duke's fortitude, saying, "In the course of his 99-year life, he saw our world change dramatically and repeatedly.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He was a heck of a guy, you know, with his lifetime of service in the United Kingdom and the whole Commonwealth. He was (INAUDIBLE) for a long, long time.

STEWART (voice-over): He was the first British royal to visit Israel. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeting, "He will be missed in Israel and across the world." Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, tweeted that Philip visited his country more than 20 times, appearances that left a lasting impression for some.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sad that he's gone. I was hoping he would last for his -- at least last for his birthday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He might not have been the king but he was the king in so many eyes, I think.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

STEWART (voice-over): News of the passing of the duke was broadcast on news channels around the world, an outpouring of tributes and remembrances for a prince who spanned geographies and generations -- Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: CNN's Eleni Giokos is in Johannesburg and joins me now with more global tributes.

This was Africa. The prince undertook extensive travels in the commonwealth nations of Africa.

How are they honoring him?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, 54 commonwealth countries and, of those 54, 19 are in Africa. They are former colonies so they had strong and political ties between the U.K. and many African countries, of course.

The relationship then shifted to one of camaraderie and friendship between Africa and the monarchy. We are seeing the sentiment being displayed by African leaders, who have sent condolences and best wishes to Queen Elizabeth.

[05:40:00]

GIOKOS: Importantly here, Prince Philip had very big milestones on the continent. In fact, it was a trip to Kenya with then Princess Elizabeth when they found out the king had passed away and she would ascend to the throne.

That was a pivotal moment in Prince Philip's life. He had to give up the military and then serve the crown and stand on the side of his wife so that she could fulfill her responsibilities.

We heard from South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, who said Prince Philip was a remarkable figure who lived an extraordinary life and who will be fondly remembered by many people around the world.

Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta saying Prince Philip has been a towering symbol of family values and the unity of British people as well as the entire global community.

Prince Philip was also very involved in charity work and he was a patron of 780 charities He focused on illiteracy and accompanied the queen to many state visits and embarked on many events on the continent.

So the link between the monarchy and Prince Philip and Africa is a really strong one and we are hearing from many African leaders today, sharing their experiences, talking about his legacy and the fact that he will be missed.

NEWTON: As you said, a lot of travel there and certainly that bond with the continent. Eleni Giokos thank you so much.

The U.S. is seeing a rise in coronavirus infections this week. On Friday it reported more than 80,000 new cases according to Johns Hopkins University, on top of the worsening trend emerging in recent weeks. Cases among young people are increasing. CNN's Lucy Kafanov has more.

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LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pfizer is pushing to get shots into the arms of kids, now asking the FDA to expand the emergency-use authorization for teenagers 12 to 15 years old, some of the same ages where COVID-19 cases are on the rise. DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: Cases and emergency room visits are up. We are seeing these increases in younger adults, most of whom have not yet been vaccinated.

KAFANOV (voice-over): It's all part of the race to outpace the spread of new variants.

According to the CDC, more than one in four American adults, over 66 million people, are now fully vaccinated, while 112 million have received at least one dose.

JEFF ZIENTS, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE COORDINATOR: Our current seven-day average is now 3 million vaccinations per day, up from 2.9 million last week.

KAFANOV (voice-over): But the virus is also showing signs of speeding up. Nearly 80,000 new cases reported yesterday, one of the highest numbers in the last two months and 1,000 deaths.

Hospitalizations also edging past 42,000 for the first time in a month, the numbers going up in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, among others.

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): So it's Michigan and the Midwest today and tomorrow or next week it could be the northeast or the south or another part of our country.

KAFANOV (voice-over): Another worry, scattered reports of COVID-19 infecting those who have been vaccinated.

Diane Schmidt, a Minnesota nurse practitioner, who's been fully vaccinated since January, now stuck in Mexico after testing positive for COVID-19, one of 222 so-called vaccine breakthrough cases identified last week by the Minnesota Department of Health.

DIANE SCHMIDT, POSITIVE FOR COVID POST-VACCINATION: My case is definitely an outlier. I'm still highly recommend the vaccine.

KAFANOV (voice-over): While rare breakthrough cases, even a few deaths, have been reported in state like Michigan and Oregon, the nation's top infectious disease expert says he's not surprised.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF COVID-19 MEDICAL ADVISER: That number of individuals who were breakthrough infections is not at all incompatible with a 90-plus percent vaccine efficacy.

KAFANOV: The CDC says it's aware of four states that are reporting adverse reactions to the J&J vaccine. These tend to be mild things like feeling faint, lightheadedness and sweating. Georgia on Friday temporarily paused Johnson & Johnson vaccinations at one point. Colorado, did, too, on Wednesday. But the state health department has investigated the issue and says there's no cause for concern -- Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Denver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: A volcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent has now erupted and could continue to do so for weeks. After the break, our meteorologist will have the latest.

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[05:45:00]

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NEWTON: Parts of St. Vincent in the Caribbean Sea are being covered by smoke and ash after the La Soufriere volcano blew its top. Scientists say the eruptions could continue for weeks yet.

The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center said there were at least two explosive events Friday, sending huge plumes into the air. You see those pictures there.

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NEWTON: Today is moving day. The third round of the Masters as the golfers try to position themselves to win the green jacket. First, they have to topple the two-day leader. Our report is ahead.

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(MUSIC PLAYING) NEWTON: Action at the Masters golf tournament is getting more intense as players prepare for the third round and that is coming in a few hours in Georgia.

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NEWTON: England's Justin Rose remains on top; barely, though, after his four-stroke first round lead evaporated to a single shot on Friday.

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NEWTON: Thank you for being with us. I'm Paula Newton. "NEW DAY" is straight ahead.