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Deadly Crush At Houston Music Festival; Iraqi Prime Minister Survives Assassination Attempt; U.S. President Joe Biden Says He'll Sign Infrastructure Bill "Soon"; About 6,000 New York Police Officers Seek Vaccine Exemption; Ethiopian Military Calling On Veterans To Rejoin Armed Forces; Thousands Swarm Glasgow Streets To Demand Climate Action. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 07, 2021 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

Coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, concertgoers caught in a deadly crush at a music festival, some describing it as a death trap. I'll speak to two witnesses caught in the middle of it all.

Also an assassination attempt on Iraq's prime minister. We're live with what Baghdad and Washington have to say.

And COVID cases on the rise again in Europe. The World Health Organization has a dire warning for the months ahead.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: Welcome, everyone.

Terrifying accounts of concertgoers fighting for their lives are emerging from Friday's deadly crowd surge in Houston, Texas. And we're hearing from the rapper, who was at the center of it all.

Eight people were killed, scores of others injured, when the massive crowd rushed the stage at the Astroworld music festival. All of the victims under 30 years of age. One witness says "all hell broke loose" when rapper Travis Scott took the stage.

Here's the moment when the music star realized something was terribly wrong.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES (voice-over): And just a short time ago, Scott posted about the tragedy on his Instagram account. Have a listen. TRAVIS SCOTT, RAPPER: To the ones that was lost last night, we're

actually working right now to identify the families so we can help assist them through this tough time.

You know my fans, my fans, like -- my fans really mean the world to me. And I'll always just really want to leave them with a positive experience. Anytime I can make out, you know, anything that's going on, you know, I'd stop the show and, you know, help them get the help they need, you know?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Three hundred people were treated at a field hospital set up at the festival. A 10-year-old child remains in critical condition. Police say the cause of the surge is still not clear. It's just one of the many unanswered questions surrounding this tragedy. CNN's Rosa Flores with the latest from Houston.

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ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The investigation into the Astroworld Festival that turned deadly just escalated to include the Narcotics and Homicide Divisions here in the city of Houston. Here is why.

According to a security officer who was on scene at the time, he says that he was pricked in the neck; he was treated with Narcan and he was revived. This is according to the police chief here.

The chief also says that other individuals were also treated with Narcan. He's not releasing more information on that but does say that now the investigation now includes the Narcotics and Homicide Divisions. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TROY FINNER, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: One of the narratives was that some individual was injecting other people with drugs. We do have a report of a security officer, according to the medical staff, that was out and treated him last night.

That he was reaching over to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck. When he was examined -- he went unconscious -- they administered Narcan. He was revived.

And the medical staff did notice a prick that was similar to a prick that you would get if somebody was trying to inject.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: We are also learning the ages of the individuals who died. Eight people died between the ages of 14 and 27. We don't know the age of one individual. The number of people who were transported to the hospital has also increase from 23 to 25.

And now we are learning that five children were transported to the hospital. Now this is all very, very troubling. Based on talking to some of the concertgoers, they tell me that, depending on how tall you were, that's how easy or difficult it was for you to breathe at the height of the situation.

Now according to authorities, at about 9:15 the night of the concert, that's when the crowd started compressing toward the stage.

[03:05:00]

FLORES (voice-over): By 9:38 they say it turned into a mass casualty event. About 10:10 is when the concert ended.

So based on the accounts from these concertgoers that I talked to, they described very intense moments, where people were trying to just breathe. One individual said that it felt like a mob and that his survival instincts kicked in. All he wanted to do was take a breath and take a drink of water.

That's how intense it was for some of those individuals that were in the crowd, that were close to the stage. Now authorities say that all of this is under investigation. They are trying to figure out exactly what happened, why so many individuals were compressing toward the stage.

Now of course, based on what the Houston police chief has said, the account from a security officer, who says that his neck was pricked, he was treated with Narcan and then he revived, this investigation has escalated to include the Narcotics and Homicide Divisions -- Rosa Flores, CNN, Houston.

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HOLMES: Now my next two guests were at the concert in Houston Friday night. And they shared the following video with CNN, showing the overwhelming chaos on the ground. I do want to warn viewers, some might find this hard to watch.

(VIDEO CLIP)

Batool Naji and Dana Schlomovits both join me now, who were both there in the middle.

The video we just played looks utterly terrifying. You sound terrified, literally telling each other to just breathe.

What was going through your minds as all that was happening?

DANA SCHLOMOVITS, FESTIVAL CONCERTGOER: Just stay together and we, really, just we were trying to take every individual breath. We couldn't gasp for -- there was no oxygen anywhere.

BATOOL NAJI, FESTIVAL CONCERTGOER: No air.

SCHLOMOVITS: There was no air left and it was too tightly compact to breathe. There was no more room for all of the people and it was just nonstop pushing.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: And how are you feeling now, Batool?

How are you now?

Have you processed this?

NAJI: I mean, I didn't process it when it happened. I was very traumatized and shaken up. Even on the plane, I was totally fine. We just landed not even an hour ago and I got home and threw my stuff and came over here to do this interview.

And on the way, I just was sobbing because I was realizing that I literally survived. I almost died. I felt like I almost suffocated to death. And I lost her for about 15 to 20 minutes in the crowd because she was carried out.

And I got -- was still in the crowd and no one would help me up. It got very graphic and I -- my head got pushed down and I just couldn't stand up for a while. Some guy, I wish I could remember his name or face, but he helped me up and he was trying to make sure my head wasn't down so I could get some sort of air from outside.

And they ended up carrying me out and security pulling me out eventually from the front of the stage.

HOLMES: What a -- I just can't imagine what that's like.

When did you first realize something was going wrong?

How did it start for you, Dana?

SCHLOMOVITS: I would say I knew at first, about 40 minutes before the show had even started, someone passed out behind us just because people were already pushing. And it wasn't a warm day. It was about 55-60 degrees outside and people were passing out and sweating.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHLOMOVITS: So I knew then that something was going to be wrong when the show started. And then it did. And then it was just relentless pushing toward the front, with no break.

Usually -- I've been to many Travis Scott concerts and festivals. I went to my first one when I was very, very young and I was fine. And something was seriously wrong with this one. And I don't know what was different. But it was -- just terrifying is the only word I have.

NAJI: Nothing like I've ever experienced in my entire life. And I have experienced dangerous -- I mean not dangerous but very heavy crowds and larger crowds than this.

(CROSSTALK)

HOLMES: What do you think they should have done?

What wasn't done right, given your experience at concerts like this?

What did they mess up?

SCHLOMOVITS: Security wasn't prepared for the crowds. And then they weren't prepared to handle what was happening with the crowds.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHLOMOVITS: They weren't -- people -- teenagers were giving CPR to other teenagers because the medical staff wasn't well-equipped to handle this. They weren't -- they didn't know how to do CPR. So people's friends were giving CPR to each other.

NAJI: People that were pulled out were, actually after they woke up --

[03:10:00]

NAJI: -- were told to help out give CPR, even though they had just woke up from being passed out because there was not enough to help out.

People -- for even people giving CPR to people who didn't have pulses -- I mean, who didn't have pulses and then people who didn't have pulses were just laying there and no one was giving them any help. And I, when I was taken out, I wish I knew that people needed help, I would have helped because I'm certified in CPR. She is as well.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHLOMOVITS: It's so true. And it's like no one knew what was happening.

NAJI: No one had any idea. It was just --

HOLMES: And what was the reaction of those around you?

I'm thinking back to the video because it's so visceral.

What were people around you doing?

Were people caring for each other?

Or were they just not realizing what was going on?

NAJI: So taller people, I feel like, more, bigger guys, who can kind of tell what was going on, they were trying to help people up and out and trying to reach them to security.

But there were so many people they just couldn't even move. I felt like I couldn't move. There was a point where my hands were like this and I couldn't move. And like no space at all.

And I fell on top of someone. And if no one pulled me up and I didn't reach my hand out, someone would have fell on top of me. And some guy also choked because a guy was on top of his face and I had to push him off because he didn't realize he was on top of someone. It was just extremely terrifying and hectic and nothing like I've ever

experienced at all.

HOLMES: Did you think you were going to die?

NAJI: Genuinely, yes.

SCHLOMOVITS: Yes.

NAJI: I thought I was going to suffocate to death.

SCHLOMOVITS: We -- just there was -- there was no time to breathe. So it wasn't really I think I'm going to -- it was, I'm going to die, I need to breathe.

NAJI: Exactly. Yes, it was more of a I can't breathe thing, that's the point where I didn't know if I was going to make it out of there.

SCHLOMOVITS: And then we were separated and then it was --

(CROSSTALK)

SCHLOMOVITS: -- I can't breathe. It was --

HOLMES: Well, hopefully, lessons are learned from this. I can't imagine what you went through. I'm really glad you're OK and I'm grateful for you telling us and sharing what went on, so people really know what it was like. Batool Naji, Dana Schlomovits, thank you so much, both of you.

NAJI: Thank you so much.

SCHLOMOVITS: Thank you.

HOLMES: The Iraqi prime minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, has survived a drone strike in Baghdad's green zone in what the U.S. State Department calls an apparent act of terrorism.

Joining the U.S. in that criticism is its old enemy, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, also slamming the botched hit as a terrorist act. It's not clear yet who tried to kill the prime minister but a powerful Iran- backed Shia militia group is insulting him.

A spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah has denied involvement in the failed assassination while at the same time saying, quote, "may God curse" Mr. Kadhimi.

Mr. Kadhimi had this to say to his would-be killers.

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MUSTAFA AL-KADHIMI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): The cowardly missiles and drones do not build our countries nor our future and we are looking to build our homeland by respecting its state and its institutions and establishing a better future for all Iraqis.

I invite everyone to a calm and constructive dialogue for the sake of Iraq and the future of Iraq. Long live Iraq, long live Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Jomana Karadsheh joins me now live from Istanbul. Jomana has spent a lot of time in Iraq.

A lot of eyes turning to those Iran-backed groups, whose supporters have been protesting recently but denials from them.

What do we know about who might benefit from such an attack?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael, I think, if you look the Iraqi government, Iraqi officials are being very cautious not to point the finger right now at these Iranian backed militias, perhaps really trying to prevent this from escalating even further.

You're looking at a very, very dangerous situation and a very serious escalation right now. What we understand is they say they're investigating this incident, that the prime minister was fortunate to escape what they're describing as this assassination attempt.

The latest information, according to the interior ministry, they say at least three drones were involved in this attack on the prime minister's residence in the green zone. What we understand from security services is that one of these drones, an explosive-laden drone, struck the house of the prime minister. He was out at the time.

He was returning to his house. He was out, inspecting troops outside the green zone. You can see from the images we've gotten from the Iraqis, really extensive damage, a number of his security detail injured, according to an official.

But the prime minister escaped it unharmed, as we saw him in that televised address, calling for calm and restraint basically. But Michael, as you mentioned, there is good reason for why these Iranian- backed groups would be suspected of being involved in this attack.

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KARADSHEH: This is pretty much their M.O. We've seen them carrying out these sorts of drone strikes, these explosive-laden suicidal drones, as they've been called, striking U.S. bases in Iraq and outside Iraq.

And then you've also got this very tense situation that has been brewing in Iraq, in Baghdad, over the past few weeks since the Iraqi elections. These Iranian-backed militia groups emerged as the biggest losers in the Iraqi elections. They lost many of the seats they had in the previous parliament.

And they have refused to accept the results of these elections they describe as fraudulent. They have staged -- their supporters have staged a sit-in outside the green zone over the past few weeks. And we saw that turn really violent on Friday when they tried to storm the green zone.

You can clashes that erupted when at least one protester was killed and dozens were injured in these clashes. So there has been a lot of concern about what will happen next. They have threatened the Iraqi prime minister in the past. It's no secret.

But they do not like the Iraqi prime minister, who is seen as close to the United States. He is seen as someone who's tried, in the past, to crack down on these Iranian-backed groups.

But as you mentioned, right now what we have is two of the most powerful Iranian- backed militias, both coming out and denying that they had anything to do with this, essentially.

The latest statement from one of these groups calling for an independent investigation, saying basically that this is a setup, trying to blame them for what happened. No matter who is responsible for this, Michael, this is a very critical and dangerous moment for Iraq right now.

And very hard to see how you de-escalate a situation like this.

HOLMES: Indeed, any response would have to be incredibly measured. Jomana Karadsheh, appreciate it. Good to see you, my friend.

The largest public works initiative in U.S. history will soon be signed into law after marathon negotiations finally secured its passage in Congress. We'll explain what that trillion will be used for coming up.

Also the looming fight over the president's ambitious social and environmental agenda, with key Democrats refusing to get behind it. Our political analyst weighs in after the break.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We did something that's long overdue, that long has been talked about in Washington but never actually been done.

There'll be jobs in every part of the country -- red states, blue states; cities, small towns; rural communities, tribal communities. This is a blue collar blueprint to rebuild America and it's long overdue.

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HOLMES: President Biden there, speaking to reporters on Saturday, just hours after the U.S. House approved the largest investment in public works in American history. He's expected to sign that trillion dollar bill into law in the coming

days and then travel around the country to promote it. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux now takes a closer look at what's in it and why getting it passed was so difficult.

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SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Democratic lawmakers under a tremendous amount of pressure to show that they can actually get something done, especially after the loss in the governor's race in Virginia and that near loss in New Jersey.

And now you have many of these lawmakers tweeting, patting themselves on the back and really saying, advertising, what kind of goodies are in this bipartisan infrastructure package for the voters in their state.

Here's how some of it breaks down: the $1.2 trillion including money for roads and bridges, the electric grid update, broadband as well as rail transportation, airports, some climate change protections and even power stations for electric cars.

All of this after a very messy day, a long process; the House adjourning at 12:42 in the morning on Saturday before it was all said and done. It was voted on 228 for, 216 against; 13 Republicans signed on, breaking with their party for the most part; familiar names, people who have bucked the party before, who voted to impeach the president, are also resigning as well.

And six Democrats who voted against the bipartisan infrastructure package, these are the progressives, the original Squad, if you will, sticking to their position that they would only vote for the infrastructure package if it went along with the Build Back Better bill, that larger economic social safety package, that they said must accompany the infrastructure piece.

Ultimately, that did not happen. The caucus chair of the progressives, Representative Pramila Jayapal, striking a deal with the rest, who said they want a score from the Congressional Budget Office of that bigger bill to find out what it actually costs before they put their support behind it.

But Jayapal said she was satisfied she got the reassurances she needed for their support. Later on down the road, that vote expected to happen some time in the week of November 15th -- Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, at the Capitol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Larry Sabato is director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, joins me now.

Good to see you.

First of all, how important was this win for Biden politically on this legislation?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: It was absolutely essential. It has been for a long time. It's been late in coming, a day late and a dollar short, particularly with respect to the elections.

But he got it. He got it and there's enough time between now and November 2022 for the midterm elections, potentially, for people to see the benefits in their states and localities.

HOLMES: Politics aside, I mean, it is worth noting that this is a huge bill, historic, really, in terms of what it will mean.

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HOLMES: Single largest investment in public works in the nation's history.

Historian's hat on, how significant is it as a piece of legislation?

SABATO: I would rank it probably near the top, if not at the top of what recent administrations have been able to do.

You know, this infrastructure bill of some sort has been around for years and years and years through several administrations. And nobody's been able to get it passed. Now granted, it was passed with enormous difficulty.

But in the end, it was passed and it's important to note, this is more bipartisan than probably anything else you're going to see; 13 House Republicans voted in favor of it and quite a few Republican senators supported it in the summer.

HOLMES: Yes, especially given this climate, absolutely.

Next up, of course, is the Build Back Better bill. Even if that gets through the House, though, it's going to face some stiff opposition, including from some Democrats like senator Joe Manchin, who is a big fan of the coal industry. It almost certainly will be substantially altered before going back to the House.

How steep of a hill does that look?

SABATO: It's not as steep as it once was. But I think you'd still be winded if you had to climb it. I certainly would, anyway. I kind of think something will pass. I don't know how much of it will pass. I'm not even sure what's in it today.

(LAUGHTER)

SABATO: They keep taking things out and putting things back in.

I think the progressives had to be given some assurances by the leadership and by President Biden that it really would come up in the House, be passed in November and something would be worked out before the end of the year with the senators. But all it takes is one senator; in this case, two, to say, no go on

this, I veto that, I want this dropped. And suddenly it's a very different bill and the progressives may be unhappy. We'll just have to wait and see.

HOLMES: Yes, in that context and also what you mentioned before about, you know, getting stuff done, in any kind of bipartisan way, this infrastructure bill good for the country, jobs, investment, improvement structurally for the country, yet it was so hard to get it over the line.

What does the, at times, chaotic process, the division among Democrats and the opposition from Republicans, what does all of that say about politics in the U.S. right now, when this bill that is good has so much trouble?

SABATO: We, as a country, are as divided partisanly as we've been in decades. There are certainly other partisan periods in American history. And we have been partisan recently. But this is an intensity that we haven't seen in a long, long time.

And it really does prevent even good legislation, bipartisan legislation, from getting through because, if you're in the other party and you vote for something, you're seen as a traitor and they treat you as a traitor in the Republican Party.

So -- and the Democrats, of course, are divided but not really; overwhelmingly, they're liberal and progressive. But you have enough moderates in a closely divided Congress, very close House and in the Senate 50-50, you need every senator and almost every Democratic House member to move anything through.

That would be a tough one for Merlin to pull off.

HOLMES: Yes. And there's so much self-interest. Heaven forbid things will pass for the actual good of the country and not for partisan reasons.

On the Democrats, before we let you go, what damage, if any, do you think the Democrats did with their infighting, damage to themselves?

I mean, the rocky road so far and the likely rocky road ahead to the midterms.

SABATO: Well, I'd like to say that even people who love sausage would not have liked this sausage making. It was horrible. They were parading in front of the cameras daily. They were arguing among themselves in the full view of public -- and really every hour or two. This -- and it's gone on for months.

This has been an image disaster for the Democrats. Lucky for them, they've got a year to try and repair it, with the substance of the one bill they passed and the other bill that one assumes they will pass in one form or another. And they'd better get to work.

HOLMES: Yes, great points as always. Larry Sabato, good to see you. SABATO: Thank you, Michael.

HOLMES: Still to come here on the program, police are investigating what caused that deadly crowd surge at a sold-out concert in Houston, Texas. Up next, we'll hear from a witness, describing the chaos, as so many people fought for their lives.

And also, the push to get more vaccines into Americans' arms hits a stumbling block in court. Why the workplace vaccine mandate is now in legal limbo.

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HOLMES: And welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes.

Returning now to our top story: a fun-filled night of music turns deadly at a concert in Houston, Texas. Eight people between the ages of 12 and 27 lost their lives on Friday when the crowd rushed the stage at the Astroworld music festival.

One concertgoer describing the incident as a death trap, with people struggling to even breathe.

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HOLMES (voice-over): And you can see an ambulance in the middle of that massive crowd right there. But no one even seems to notice and the music plays on. CNN's Pamela Brown spoke with a witness about what he saw Friday night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILLY NASSER, ASTROWORLD FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: People were getting trampled. They're losing their balance and then tripping over to people on the floor. And people were just dying left and right.

The heat lasted about 15 minutes after Travis came onto the stage and just progressively got worse. There were shoving -- the barricades couldn't accommodate all the people that were there. It was too small. It was a death trap, basically.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: A death trap?

And what was that like for you to be caught in the middle of that?

NASSER: I've seen kids pass out before but everyone usually always helps out. But in this time, people are basically fighting for their life. I was

trying to pick kids up. They were getting stomped on. And I picked some kid up and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. So I checked his pulse.

I knew he was dead and then I checked the people around me and just had to leave him there, there was nothing I could do. I had to keep going.

[03:35:00]

BROWN: So even in the midst of the chaos, you were trying to help someone else, check their pulse, there was no pulse.

What was going through your mind as this was all unfolding?

NASSER: It was really frustrating. I wanted the music to stop and I wanted everyone around me to realize what was going on. But people didn't have very much, like, self-awareness. It was like kids were just going crazy and partying for the festival and they weren't actually paying attention to the bodies that were dropping behind them.

BROWN: Did you feel like, as this was unfolding, it was getting really bad, you're there trying to help the situation, that there was enough security guards or people there, who were supposed to be jumping in at moments like this to contain the situation?

NASSER: No. No, no, no. There wasn't enough security guards and there wasn't enough EMTs or people helping out the crowd. The paramedics couldn't even reach the crowd. I was in an area that I was trying to lift kids out of the crowd that wasn't being reached. And the ambulance, that little golf cart ambulance got to us about 30-45 minutes after I saw like 10 to 20 people passed away.

BROWN: Did you fear for your life?

Did you think you were going to die?

You described it earlier as a death trap.

Is that what you thought was going to happen to you?

NASSER: Yes. I've been in crazy mosh pits like this, so I know how to maneuver my way out. But for people who were in there for their first time, I just felt bad for them because they didn't know what to do. And a lot of these kids go there to see Travis Scott and Fortnite and they're younger kids and they don't know what to expect.

And when I was posting the content from what happened at the show, I just wanted to be able to see the reality of how these festivals can be. It's very dangerous.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Police say the cause of the crowd surge is still unknown but both the Narcotics and Homicide Divisions have now joined that investigation.

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HOLMES: Now on the COVID front, a milestone for the U.S. vaccination campaign. The CDC says 70 percent of adults are now vaccinated while 80 percent have received at least one shot.

But a federal appeals court is putting the brakes on President Biden's new vaccination mandate. The court in New Orleans temporarily blocked the measure after a group of Republican governors and businesses filed a legal challenge.

The mandate requires employees of large companies to be fully vaccinated by January 4 or start taking weekly COVID tests. But as the vaccination initiative falters in court, a new anti-COVID pill could be on the horizon. Evan McMorris-Santoro reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As younger children begin to receive Pfizer vaccines this week, the pharmaceutical giant has been working on something new -- an experimental new treatment for the virus.

An interim analysis from Pfizer showed that when their experimental pill is taken in conjunction with another antiviral within three days of symptoms appearing, there was an 89 percent reduction in the risk of hospitalization or death.

The company's hope is that people would take it at home before becoming sick enough to go to the hospital. But the pill is still far way off from reaching patients. Pfizer's data has not been peer reviewed, published or submitted to the F.D.A. yet.

ALBERT BOURLA, CEO, PFIZER: This is significant, that means that instead of having among this group of people, 10 going to hospital, only one will go and likely very few if any will die. So the introduction of this pill will save millions and millions of lives.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): With nearly 60 percent of the U.S. population fully vaccinated, the government's emphasis has turned to vaccinating children between the ages of five and 11. They began to receive their vaccines earlier this week, with more shots rolling out for that age group this weekend at Walgreens locations and other sites throughout the country.

BIDEN: Were prepared for this moment by security enough vaccine supply for every single child in that age category in America. Those doses have started to arrive at thousands of pediatrician's offices, pharmacies, schools and other sites.

Starting next week, our kids' vaccination program will hit full strength with about 20,000 trusted and convenient places for parents to get their kids vaccinated.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): But vaccine hesitancy is still with us. NFL star, Aaron Rodgers said he is unvaccinated and consulted with podcast host Joe Rogan about a course of treatment when he caught the virus.

He says he took several treatments, including the drug, ivermectin, a medication that is not a proven treatment for COVID-19.

Here in New York City where tense battles over vaccine mandates for municipal workers led to protests last week, the vaccination rate for city employees has continued to inch up, now about 92 percent.

Approximately 80 percent of the city's firefighters have been fully vaccinated and 86 percent of the New York City Police Department have received their shots. Only 130 people have been put on leave without pay. But about 6,000 uniformed and civilian officers have requested exemptions from the mandate.

Commissioner Dermot Shea telling CNN's Jim Sciutto that the department is handling each of those cases individually.

DERMOT SHEA, NYPD COMMISSIONER: The impact comes from the uniformed and civilian members that have not requested an accommodation and were put out leave without pay. It's manageable.

[03:40:00]

SHEA: You know, we're able to move resources around, stop training in certain areas, do things behind the scenes by trying to get those people back to work.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO (voice-over): Evan McMorris-Santoro, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Concerns are growing that Europe could be in for a rough winter as the latest surge of the pandemic sweeps the continent. Russia the latest country to see a record number of COVID cases in recent days, reporting more than 41,000 new infections on Saturday.

At least five other European nations have seen record numbers of cases over the past week. One of them is Greece, where new restrictions for the unvaccinated went into effect on Saturday. They're now required to show a negative test before they can go to banks, shops or access social services.

Because of all of that, health officials say things are looking bleak as Europe heads into the winter. For more, Nada Bashir joins me now from London.

All the experts say winter is a dangerous time for this virus.

How are European leaders preparing to manage already rising case numbers ahead of winter?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, the pressure is really on European leaders, now as we head into those winter months to tackle these rising cases. And what we've seen over the last few days and weeks are record numbers of daily cases reported across several European countries.

And there's a real sense of urgency and concern now, as we move into winter that there could be a situation which puts the health care sectors across the continent under renewed pressure.

They are generally under intense pressure during the winter months, during the flu season, that is. Here in the U.K., the HHS often faces this winter crisis. But health experts are warning of what has been described as the twindemic, dealing with both this winter crisis and the coronavirus pandemic.

And, of course, this year we'll be heading into the winter months with the presence of the Delta variant, which is highly transmissible and has put at risk thousands of lives as we continue to see these rises in cases.

What governments are really doing now is pushing for more people to get vaccinated. We've seen an uneven uptake of vaccines across Europe, in the eastern parts of Europe and, indeed, in some parts of the Balkans, we've seen a growing number of vaccine hesitancy. And there is a concern that could put hundreds of lives at risk.

The WHO has warned in the last few days if this situation continues on the current trajectory, we could be seeing something like half a million lives lost to coronavirus between now and the beginning of February, in just Europe and central Asia.

So there's a real sense of concern but a real push for people to go out and get the jab and for governments to take the measures needed to prevent this winter crisis we expect to see -- Michael.

Nada, thanks for that, Nada Bashir in London.

Well, more countries are telling government employees to leave Ethiopia. The latest on the crisis as rebels move toward the capital.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be right back.

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HOLMES: More countries are telling their nonessential staff to leave Ethiopia, amid fears a rebel advance could bring all-out war to the capital. Canada and Belgium have joined the U.S. in telling some of their diplomats to get out.

As embassies empty, there are communications blackouts as well. Images have emerged of pro-government rallies as officials, at the same time, try to downplay the crisis. But a state of emergency has been declared, allowing conscription. And the military's calling on veterans to rejoin the armed forces. For more on all this let's join CNN's Melissa Bell, standing by in

Paris.

Bring us up-to-date, Melissa.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That call, the very latest in that drive to bring fighters on the side of the government forces, as you mentioned a moment ago, people who served in the army before and are under 55 but also going up to 60 and 64 for senior officers, urged if they're fit and well to rejoin the fight.

What we've seen the course of the last week and you're quite right to point it out just a week ago, Michael, is on one hand those calls to arms not just the conscription but now the calling in of people who have served in the past and may have left the army, army veterans.

And also that very inflammatory language we heard from the Ethiopian prime minister over the last few days from either Facebook posts or Twitter posts. Really on one hand driving people to try and take arms and take on those rebel -- joint rebel forces that are some 160 kilometers away from the capital, after those important gains we saw last week.

And on the other hand, really trying to downplay the threat to Addis Ababa. You mentioned the images coming in of pro-government rallies of tens of thousands of people.

And interestingly signs on them depicting anger toward international media outlets. And this is really in line with what the government has been saying as well, even as it tries to drum up support and find fighters and encourage Ethiopians to take up arms.

On the other hand, calling the reporting that's been covering those rebel advances alarmist. You have both sides of that coming from the government side. And what we've heard as well over the course of the last few days -- and I think this is important, Michael -- is that it isn't simply a military risk that Addis Ababa faces.

We heard from the attorney general on Friday. He was asked by a journalist what it would take for them to sit down with the rebel forces. He said it would take at least for them to withdraw from the Amhara and Afar regions.

And that's important we're talking about the routes that go from Djibouti to the capital, all of those supplies that fuel the basic necessities that the capital needs to live with. So there's also that question of time and what a protracted conflict and a digging down of positions could mean for the supplies to Addis Ababa.

HOLMES: Indeed, Melissa, thanks. CNN's Melissa Bell there in Paris for us.

Quick break here on the program. When we come back, activists demonstrate in cities around the world, demanding more action on the climate crisis. We'll go inside one of those protests after the break.

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HOLMES: Protesters took to the streets in countries around the world on Saturday to call for more urgent action on the climate crisis.

I want to show you the scene in Glasgow, Scotland. Tens of thousands gathering near the site of the COP26 summit, as world leaders prepare for a second week of climate talks. CNN's Phil Black is in Glasgow.

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PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This wide range of people and groups, coming from across Scotland, the U.K. and much further, too.

They're marching through the Glasgow weather to demand climate action that is just, delivers for people from all countries regardless of how rich they are and is sufficiently radical to result in the sort of change that science says is necessary to get a handle on climate change.

What do you think of the progress of the conference so far?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a good start. But much more needs to be done. Every country in the world needs to be getting involved. Every country needs to be held to it (ph) but especially the West, because we have done so much damage in the last 100 years, I suppose, yes.

BLACK: You look like a really diverse group.

Where have you all come from?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All over the U.K., from cities, urban areas, rural areas, like, yes, we're all together as a movement of farmers, land workers, activists, teachers, researchers, yes.

BLACK: As farmers, you're used to this sort of weather, I guess.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, everyone is pretty hardy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

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BLACK: Who are you guys?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're the greenwash busters.

BLACK: Tell the nice people who are watching what greenwash is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Greenwash is telling people you're doing one thing and saving the planet and actually destroying it. It's just for marketing purposes. It's all over Glasgow. COP26 is full of greenwash.

BLACK: Hi, can you hear me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BLACK: Why are you this today?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm dressed to make people aware that the Earth is getting too hot.

BLACK: The Earth is getting too hot?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And we need to stick to 1.5 degrees.

BLACK: And we need to stick to 1.5 degrees.

And you are dressed as an avocado, because...?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, in case of -- with temperatures so great, increasing. And we can actually grow avocados here.

BLACK: We don't want avocados in the U.K., that's what you're saying?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be grown here.

BLACK: To be grown, yes.

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BLACK: To be eaten here, absolutely.

Yes, they're wonderful but not to be grown here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They went from making commitments, to making pledges, to now just doing the whole conference via press announcement.

BLACK: Does this event give you hope?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes, there is loads of people here. There is loads of people here all wanting to work together, to make a better world. Of course it gives me hope.

BLACK: The mood on this wet, awful day, is surprisingly warm and even joyous at this times. But the issue is really serious and increasingly urgent. COP26 now has one week of negotiations left, to deliver --

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HOLMES: Lost Phil Black there. But we've got the gist of that report. Week two of COP26 about to get underway.

Meanwhile, thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @HolmesCNN. Do stay with us. My colleague, Kim Brunhuber, will have more news for you in just a moment.