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More Than 91 Million Americans Live in Counties with High COVID-19 Transmission Rates; GOP Expected to Block Vote on Infrastructure Debate. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired July 21, 2021 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN NEWSROOM: Top of the hour. Good morning everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: And I'm Jim Sciutto.

It is sad to say but COVID infections and also, crucially, hospitalizations are once again back on the rise in this country, particularly where areas where people remain unvaccinated. This morning, more than 91 million Americans live in counties with high COVID-19 infections, and the delta variant, which is more transmissible, accounts for more than 83 percent of COVID cases across the country.

Despite plenty of vaccine supply, just a lot of them, there are no lines, you don't have to wait for them, and plenty of data to back up the efficacy of vaccines, more than half of the country remains unprotected. As it stands, these are the ten states there on that map struggling the most to get people vaccinated. And, Poppy, it's no coincidence that those are often states where you've seen the biggest jumps.

HARLOW: Yes. And, tragically, for a number of families, it is already too late to get the vaccine that could have saved lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMBERLE JONES, HER 37-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER DIED FROM COVID: She said, mama, sing Beat It by Michael Jackson. And I started singing to her. I started singing it to her. That's why I made that sign up there that said, Beat It. I said, girl, we're going to beat this. I said, we're going to beat it, baby.

That's why my baby is slipping away from me every day.

My daughter is not vaccinated, and I really do believe that had she been vaccinated, she would still be with me here today.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARLOW: Wow, a mother's pain. Look, the variants increasingly pose a threat to unvaccinated adults, to children who aren't old enough to get a vaccine yet. They're all feeling the effects. Just weeks before some of these kids start school, the American Academy of Pediatrics say more than 23,000 children caught COVID last week. And the CDC warns, the director, that Americans are not treating the risks of this virus appropriately in terms of our children. Watch.

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DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: I think we've fallen into this flawed thinking of saying that only 400 of these 600,000 deaths from COVID-19 have been in children. Children are not supposed to die. And so 400 is a huge amount for a respiratory season.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Let's kick things off this hour with our Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Can you explain to parents who are scratching their heads and saying why is this now worse for children than it seems like it was before?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Because this delta variant is just smarter than the variants that preceded it. It is so good at getting into our bodies and replicating, making copy upon copy of itself. And that is causing an uptick in cases in the U.S. and abroad.

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COHEN (voice over): An alarming summer surge of new coronavirus cases worldwide, a key factor, the highly-contagious delta variant. In the United States, cases are up in nearly every state.

WALENSKY: CDC has released estimates of variants across the country and predicted the delta variant now represents 83 percent of sequenced cases. This is a dramatic increase from -- up from 50 percent the week of July 3rd.

COHEN: And just in the last week, new COVID infections up 47 percent. The CDC warning this is now a pandemic of the unvaccinated.

DR. VIVEK MURTHY, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: If you are unvaccinated, you are at great risk right now. And you should take measures if you are unvaccinated, like masking, distancing, avoiding indoor gatherings.

COHEN: Outbreaks in states and counties with particularly low vaccinate rates are fueling the surges in cases. The delta variant first identified in India late last year has now been found in all 50 states.

DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: For most people who get his delta variant, it's going to be the most serious virus they get in their lifetime in terms of the risk of putting them in the hospital.

COHEN: The delta variant devastated India, overwhelming its health care system and killing thousands of people and overwhelming the healthcare system.

DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: This is the most contagious version of the virus we have seen throughout the whole pandemic. It's really very, very contagious and there's so much more virus around. People who were infected have such high viral loads.

[10:05:01]

But even short periods of time, five, seven minutes, you don't have to be within six feet. For people who are unvaccinated, they are getting infected with much, much shorter exposure.

COHEN: According to the World Health Organization, delta is estimated to spread roughly 55 percent faster than the alpha variant first identified in the U.K. A study suggests the delta variant may transmit faster than other variants because it makes more copies of itself inside our bodies at a faster rate.

Scientists in China compared dozens of cases of delta to strains from early in the pandemic. They found that patients with the delta variants had viral loads that were about 1,000 times higher. Vaccinated people can get infected with COVID, but rarely do they become very sick.

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COHEN (on camera): Now, as terrible as the delta variant, if you're vaccinated, research suggests that almost surely you won't get very sick and the chances of you passing on the virus to someone else much lower than if you were unvaccinated. Poppy, Jim?

SCIUTTO: Thanks so much, Elizabeth Cohen. That sticks out constantly, right? The vaccine keeps you from being hospitalized and dying, frankly.

We're joined now by Dr. Colleen Kraft, she is Associate Chief Medical Officer at Emory University Hospital. Thanks so much, good to have you on, Dr. Kraft.

First, if we could begin with the risk to children here, because I just want to put some context around this, and maybe you can help because there are a lot of parents watching and, by the way, Poppy and I are parents.

We are still talking about a very low percentage, by our math, less than 0.07 percent of all COVID deaths, 400 out of 600,000 nationally are children. Listen, if you're a parent of one of those kids, it doesn't matter what the numbers are, right? I mean, one death is too much. But in terms of risks as parents are making judgments on how and how much to protect their children, how much of a risk is this?

DR. COLLEEN KRAFT, ASSOCIATE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, EMORY UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Yes. So I think, you know, Elizabeth's segment just now is really clear. So we think this is the most transmissible. We think this is probably the most serious virus that you can get in your lifetime. And so I think we know how to protect against transmission. It's just sort of whether or not we can balance our fatigue and sort of make it through this current wave of this current surge. I think we all thought we would be in a different place by the month of July, 2021.

HARLOW: If this delta variant is more contagious and replicates faster in your body, as Elizabeth just explained and is, therefore, more -- puts children in more danger, if more than 50 percent of the country remain unvaccinated, could another even more contagious and threatening variant emerge?

KRAFT: Sure. I mean, I think that's part of the issue, is because if you now have the delta also mutating, is there an aspect to the delta that could become even more transmissible? The longer that this progresses and the longer that we are seeing infections, even if they're not putting people in the hospital, and I realize it's all over the map about whether putting people -- not being as serious and it's not affecting as many people because people are vaccinated, I think there's that whole argument. But I think a lot has to do with, you know, we want to get past the transmission of this virus.

SCIUTTO: We know vaccinated people, by and large, stay out of the hospital and to stay alive. I mean, more than 99 percent of the deaths -- more than 99 percent, not an exaggeration, that's a fact, are people who weren't vaccinated. So we know that. And, by the way, not being vaccinated helps this thing spread, mutate, becomes stronger, right? So we know that.

Just explain that people as well because, again, I'm just conscious of our audience being inundated with information, some of it concerning pretty much every day. Speak about the message here of the importance of vaccination.

KRAFT: Yes. So, this is not just confined to this virus. So, the reason we take flu vaccine, even though it's not 100 percent effective every year, is to keep ourselves out of the hospital. And so I know there's -- I've been faced with this on individual levels and bigger levels, it's very difficult to get over the hump of wanting to get vaccinated but it's absolutely for your health. And if your health is not your primary concern because you're quite healthy, then I would say can you think about it so that we can kind of pass out of the transmission phase, right?

So, if you want us to not be wearing masks on planes, all sorts of different varieties of getting back to your life as you knew it before COVID or at least tolerably after COVID, or living with COVID, then we really have to stop transmission, even if you can't think about -- when you think about a percentage of children, those are still 400 children that should have still been here.

So, I don't know what motivation people need, but to get to where we need to be, the best thing is to be vaccinated.

HARLOW: Yes, it's like not putting your kid in a car seat, right, because they can't put themselves in it. [10:10:04]

We have to do this for them. Thank you, Dr. Kraft.

So far, the delta variant has been detected in 124 countries, it's on track to become the dominant COVID strain around the world.

SCIUTTO: The World Health Organization says the global number of new infections grew by at least 12 percent just in the last week with almost every nation reporting a rise in new infections.

Our international correspondents following these stories from around the world as only CNN can do.

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Selina Wang in Tokyo. The Olympic opening ceremony is just two days away and Tokyo reports its highest number of COVID-19 cases in six months, now more than 70 cases in Japan linked to these Olympic Games. And more and more Olympic dreams are getting dashed before athletes even get the chance to compete.

A Dutch skateboarder and Chilean tae kwon do player are both out of the games. These are the first athletes to announce they are out of the games because they've tested positive for COVID-19 after already arriving here in Tokyo.

Nonetheless, the games have already officially kicked off with U.S. softball competing in Fukushima in empty stands with no cheers and no crowds.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm David McKenzie in Johannesburg. In a highly significant move, Pfizer and BioNTech have announced they will start manufacturing their mRNA-based vaccine for COVID-19 here in South Africa.

Now, in the coming months, that facility will come online in collaboration with a South African company and could produce up to 100 million doses annually, specifically for countries in Africa.

Right now, African countries are dealing with a surge of COVID-19 infections, in part, driven by a lack of vaccinations. There's been huge criticism of rich countries that have enough vaccines to vaccinate their population while African countries have very little. This could do something to try and rectify that inequality.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jim Bittermann in France, where skyrocketing COVID-19 infections have added a new sense of urgency to the government's plan to push the French to get vaccinated. As of today, to enter an establishment where there will likely be 50 or more people, museums, cinemas and even some places of worship, you have to carry one of these, a health pass which certifies that the person carrying it has either been vaccinated or tested negative.

Going forward, to pass a negative COVID test will be required for entry into increasing number of places, like bars, restaurants and cafes eventually. Anti-vaccination protesters are pushing back against the plan but it's likely to be enacted into law by parliament by the end of this week.

SCIUTTO: Selina Wang, David McKenzie, Jim Bittermann, thanks so much.

Still to come this hour, in just a matter of hours, there will be a key vote on the bipartisan infrastructure deal but it's expected to be blocked by Republicans, not exactly bipartisan. We're going to be live with an update.

HARLOW: Also concerns over the U.S. economy growing amid a worker shortage and more inflation concerns. What to expect tonight when President Biden answers key questions on those issues at CNN's presidential town hall.

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[10:15:00]

SCIUTTO: Right now, Senate Republicans unified, gearing up to block a vote to start the day on a $1.2 trillion, what they're still calling a bipartisan infrastructure bill as Democrats push to get the legislation passed before the Senate's August recess.

HARLOW: Manu Raju joins us from Capitol Hill. Manu, what was interesting I thought about, like Rob Portman, the lead Republican negotiator's comments this weekend, is, hey, we can't debate the text because we don't have a full text yet. And the pushback to is, well, we've got to start moving on this. Where does this leave things?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that is the point that the Republicans have been making here, and their argument is that they don't believe they should move forward without a deal being finalized here. The Democrats will counter and say it is not unusual for the Senate to open debate, continue to negotiate and then, ultimately, reach a deal and vote on the merits of that deal. That is a common practice in the Senate, that's what Democrats say.

So what will essentially happen this afternoon is this vote is going to go down, it's going to fail along party lines because of that procedural argument. What will not change is the fact that negotiations are going to continue. They happened late through the night last night. They're expected to meet again today. This bipartisan group of senators looking at a $1.2 trillion package over eight years to bolster the country's infrastructure, roads, bridges, waterways and broadband.

This is proving to be an incredibly complex negotiation and separate from the larger $3.5 trillion project that Democrats want to approve on their own to expand the social safety net. But this narrower infrastructure plan still could have life even after the vote goes down today.

And the number two Democrat, Dick Durbin, just told me moments ago that the majority leader, Chuck Schumer, indicated that he's willing to again consider this vote if it fails today, assuming that this group can come together.

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RAJU: And just on the bipartisan deal, if it goes down today, as expected.

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): Like the hypotheticals.

RAJU: Well, I mean, it's pretty clear where the Republicans are going. They're saying they're not going to vote for it. Do you think that Schumer should try to reconsider that vote?

DURBIN: Yes, he's already made that clear, that if it doesn't succeed today, he's prepared to call it again.

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[10:20:04]

RAJU: So that's something to watch here in the days ahead.

One Republican source with knowledge of the negotiations told me yesterday that he expects that by Monday, things could change, that potentially ten Republicans could break ranks and at least open debate on this because some of those lingering issues, this source believes, could be resolved by then, about how much this actually costs and as well as things like transit funding, which remain some of the sticking points. So we'll see if anything changes today.

We know what the outcome is going to be, but these talks will continue to see if a deal can be reached. Guys?

SCIUTTO: We know you'll be watching. Manu Raju, thanks very much.

Joining me to discuss is Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. He's a Republican among a bipartisan group of mayors and governors who met with President Biden at the White House to discuss the bipartisan framework, which he supports. Mayor, thanks so much for coming back on the show today.

MAYOR DAVID HOLT (R-OKLAHOMA CITY, OK): Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, you are among a group of Republican state leaders who support this plan. You want to move forward. In Oklahoma, you note 2,326 bridges, more than 1,000 miles of highway in poor condition across the state. You've got a need here. I'm wondering, are you frustrated by the pace of negotiations here in Washington on this?

HOLT: Well, you have to remember that people at the state and local level have been waiting for this package for the better part of a decade. So, I mean, we can wait a few more days or even a few more weeks. This has been a topic of conversation in the national discourse for a very long time.

And, as you alluded to, but I want to drive the point home, we've had almost 400 mayors sign a letter in support of this $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure framework. And whatever they've got to do to get it done is fine with us. We understand there's a lot of procedural and a lot of negotiating that has to occur. And that's beyond our pay grade. But we do want to see this infrastructure package for all the needs you just alluded to.

SCIUTTO: The politics of this are really strange, right? So, here you are as a Republican, you say, listen, I look at the need, we've got to spend some money, we've got to fix this stuff. But state senators, both of Oklahoma's national senators, I should say, James Lankford, Jim Inhofe, they're not on board for this yet. It just seems like the politics -- I mean, you're both in the same party in different directions here, that, from their perspective, if they vote along with this, they're going to get punished, right, in primaries. But, for you you're like, you've got to bring home the bacon. How do you explain that?

HOLT: Well, I wouldn't presuppose what their final votes on this package are going to be. And I think it's really important to understand there're two tracks here. There's the bipartisan infrastructure framework, which is core infrastructure, it's roads, it's bridges, it's transit, it's Amtrak, and then there's the other track, and that probably has less chance of getting Oklahoma or Republican support in the U.S. Senate, but that's fine. That's a different track. That's not what nearly 400 mayors signed a letter in support of.

I'm still holding out hope our Republican senators from Oklahoma and all states will look at the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package as core infrastructure and necessary for our country to move forward.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, if they don't reach bipartisan agreement and the only option is reconciliation, that is, passing this straight on a party line vote, much like the 2017 tax cuts were passed by Republicans, would you support that and say, listen, if that's the only way I'm going to get this money to Oklahoma City, that's fine?

HOLT: Well, the bottom line is obviously that Oklahoma City, cities and states around the country need this infrastructure funding. So, I mean, I'm not going to prejudge or get terribly involved in the procedural machinations in Washington. So, I mean, at the end of the day, we'll take the infrastructure support.

But I will say, and given this platform, I definitely want to make this point, there is an opportunity here to do something important on a bipartisan basis, do something together with Republicans and Democrats working together. I think that is a secondary opportunity here that is really important for our country on a national and international level to demonstrate the functionality of our government.

So, I do hope both sides in Washington will figure a way to compromise and to get this bipartisan infrastructure framework through on a bipartisan basis, and that's probably going to take compromise from both sides. But at the end of the day, the main point is getting infrastructure support for our cities and our states, and that's obviously the bottom line for me and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

SCIUTTO: Fair enough. That's a hope, it's a noble hope. A lot of people express it. I'm just saying, if it doesn't get there, and we've seen this movie before, would you support a party line vote, reconciliation to get the money you say Oklahoma City needs?

HOLT: Look, at the end of the day, what I as a mayor want is infrastructure funding for my city, for roads and bridges, transit and passenger rail, and all the broadband, water, all the other things in this package.

[10:25:07]

So, I don't really care how it passes. As a mayor, what I just said about bipartisanship, that's almost me speaking as an American that I want to see it passed on a bipartisan basis. But as a mayor, I need that infrastructure funding however it can arrive.

SCIUTTO: All right. Well, we hope you get it. Mayor David Holt, thanks so much for joining us this morning.

HOLT: Absolutely. Thank you. Be well.

HARLOW: You just heard Jim and the mayor talking about infrastructure, what it means for American cities. It's key to the president's domestic agenda. But will he get that agenda to move forward? He'll face questions about it tonight in CNN's presidential town hall, 8:00 Eastern tonight. More on that ahead.

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