Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Worldwide Concern over New COVID-19 Variant Omicron; English Channel Tragedy; Stephen Sondheim Dead at 91. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired November 27, 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]

PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world, I'm Paula Newton.

Coming up, a new coronavirus variant, causing concern, right around the globe, as more travel bans, now, going into effect.

Diplomatic discord: France and Britain work on a solution handling migrant crossings in the English Channel.

Plus, the world of theater mourning the loss of famed composer Stephen Sondheim. We will take a look back at his accomplished life.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

NEWTON: We begin with a new coronavirus variant that has seized the world's attention. The WHO is calling Omicron variant a variant of concern, as they put it. It was first identified in South Africa and has been detected in several other countries in the region.

Cases were confirmed also further afield. That is what is concerning everyone. This includes, Israel, Hong Kong and Belgium. It's not known whether it's anymore deadly or whether it can blunt vaccine efficacy or natural immunity. Scientists fear that it could be more contagious and health experts say research is critical, especially right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, COVID-19 TECHNICAL LEAD, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: This variant has a large number of mutations and some of these mutations have some worrying characteristics. Right now, there are many studies underway.

There is a lot of work that is ongoing in South Africa and in other countries, to better characterize the variant itself, in terms of transmissibility, in terms of severity and any impact on our counter measures like diagnostics, therapeutics or vaccines.

So far, there's little information but those studies are underway. So we need researchers to have the time to carry those out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: We'll tell you about those studies. Over the past 24 hours, countries responding by banning flights from several southern African countries. CNN has the story covered, from every angle, right around the globe.

Will Ripley, joining us in Hong Kong, where at least two cases of the new variant, already confirmed.

We want to begin with CNN producer, Nada Bashir, in London, for a reaction from Europe.

You don't have to remind people in Europe, it is the epicenter of this pandemic, right now, dealing with, already, a massive surge in cases.

What is the latest there?

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Paula, as we've seen the last week, European countries reporting record breaking figures in terms of the number being reported. And of course, the news yesterday that the first confirmed case of this new variant, in Europe, was reported in Belgium.

There is serious pressure on European leaders to get a grip before it spirals out of control. The Alpha variant was first identified in the U.K., putting immense pressure on the health care system in Europe.

And of course, the Delta variant, which is highly transmissible. We've seen this before and that is why there was a swift action on the part of European leaders bringing in travel restrictions, seeing that first, in the U.K.

The health secretary telling lawmakers, in the U.K., in the House of Commons, there needs to be swift action and if there's any lessons that have been learned from this pandemic, it is that the action should be taken at the earliest stage possible.

Several countries in the Southern African region, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, have been added to the U.K.'s red list. That means travelers returning from those countries will be required to quarantine at least 10 days, in a required hotel, at their own expense.

That's been followed by the European Union, taking a collective measure to implement travel restrictions, from the southern African region. So there's a sense of urgency there, that is because we still don't know what threat this new variant poses.

And there is some uncertainty as to how transmissible the variant, is although health experts have warned the sheer number and complexity of mutations observed do paint a worrying picture.

There's the question of what impact this will have on the vaccines. AstraZeneca and Moderna, saying that this variant could poses a very serious risk to the efficacy of their vaccines. Still, that is to be investigated.

So a series of concerns there. Governments will be looking at their national measures. And we've seen countries, including Slovakia, Australia, even now the Netherlands, implementing partial or full lockdowns. Other countries, bringing back into force those restrictions we saw in previous months.

[03:05:00]

BASHIR: And as we do move into winter, there is pressure on leaders to bring this pandemic under control. Paula?

NEWTON: And not a clear indication about how any country can do that at this point.

Will, you know, all too well, how vigilant Asia and Hong Kong have been in this pandemic.

What are they saying?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hong Kong, already in the process of tightening up its strict quarantine procedures. I am in a 14-day quarantine, I'm coming from Taiwan, which has almost no local cases.

Most travelers, have a 21-day quarantine. But the two confirmed cases, of this Omicron occurring in the same quarantine hotel, two floors down from me, as a matter of fact. A man in his 30s, another man in his 60s. And they were staying in separate rooms. They were both, fully, vaccinated.

How did the virus move from one, room to the next?

Health officials say that maybe the South African traveler wasn't wearing a proper mask.

Could it, also be, because this virus is, in fact, more contagious than others?

These are all things that researchers are looking into. But in the meanwhile, they are not taking chances in Hong Kong. We are allowed to open our doors, briefly, when we put out our trash, when we collect our meals.

I stuck my phone, with the mask on, hand sanitizer, the whole nine yards, out my door last night. The producers in Atlanta asked for some video to show people the hotel.

Look down my hallway on the 7th floor, every single chair you see, covered in plastic, is a room. What they do, is they put our meals on the chair, we put our trash underneath the chair.

So you can see how many people are staying, just on this floor. In the same situation, now on the 5th floor. So as a precaution, when these two travelers tested positive everybody in the adjacent rooms, six rooms in either direction, after their 21-day or 14-day isolation period, at this hotel, the Regal Airport hotel, will move to a government facility for an additional 14 days.

This is the holiday travel season, the new year is approaching, Chinese New Year also. And obviously, people are not thrilled to hear they will have to do this. But there's fear in the community that this variant could leave the quarantine hotels and the force lockdowns again.

NEWTON: You're in the middle of, it right?

Certain jurisdictions in Asia, willing to do things that other countries just can't think of. Even in a place, like Hong Kong, there hasn't been a push for vaccinations and uptake hasn't been that high.

Do you get a sense that may change right now?

RIPLEY: A lot of people have been resistant to vaccines in Hong Kong, simply, because life, here, once out of quarantine, is relatively normal. Restaurants are open, bars are open, people can gather in groups, everyone wears a mask on public transportation, when they take a taxi or even just walking outside.

But for the everyday Joe, life is good right now. So they don't feel that sense of urgency or that fear to get vaccinated. Like I observed, in Taiwan, back in May, when I entered Taiwan, they were in the beginning of their worst outbreak of the pandemic.

They had around 1 percent of their population vaccinated, in Taiwan. Now the vaccination rates, at least the first dose, nearly the entire population, upwards of 70 percent, in just a couple of months.

Here in Hong Kong, the vaccines are free, the Pfizer vaccine is available, offering boosters for people who want it. But getting people to, actually, get motivated to take that vaccine, with all the disinformation out there about the efficacy of the vaccine, whether it works or not, is a challenge.

Even in places like this, where the vaccine is readily available.

NEWTON: Will, you have certainly seen every angle of this pandemic there. Thank you.

And Nada, thanks for keeping up to date on Europe. Appreciate it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: Now we need some, help, clearly to help sort all of this out. I'm now joined by Dr. Peter Drobac.

OK. Let's do a deep dive here. You are an infectious disease and global health expert in Oxford, England. At this point in time, try and help us distill everything that we are hearing.

Do you believe that this could potentially be the variant that we have all feared?

Is this the one that evades the vaccines?

DR. PETER DROBAC, OXFORD UNIVERSITY: Hi, Paula, good to be with you.

I think there is a reason for concern and we've seen that, with scientists across the, world and we've seen that with the aggressive responsive, some countries have taken around travel bans. The answer, is we don't know. But there are some concerning signs, so some real cause for concern and vigilance.

[03:10:00]

DROBAC: The two things that have worried us about this variant are the high number of 32 mutations on the spike protein, the part of the virus the vaccine trains the immune system to fight.

That would make the vaccines, potentially, less effective than they are right now. And based on very limited evidence, so far, from the tremendous surveillance being done in southern Africa, this variant, appearing to be outcompeting the Delta variant, at least in the area around Johannesburg.

That suggests it may be more transmissible or has a survival advantage. Now remember, if we go back a few months to the spring or summer, there was a couple of different variants that we were worried about.

The Alpha variant was dominant and then Delta spread throughout the world and really became the dominant strain because it was more infectious and was able to outcompete other variants.

So there is a real concern that this could be the case here. But the answer, is we just don't know yet. So border measures might buy us some time. I think the most important thing we can do, right now, is continue to push vaccinations and taking other measures to drive down transmission, until we know more and see what happens.

NEWTON: And what about that?

What if you do find that these vaccines do not work well against this variant?

Is it possible, even though we see more breakthrough cases, the vaccines that we have right now, will still protect against severe disease and death?

DROBAC: I think it's actually very likely. Remember, immune escape, the word we use for the vaccines -- or the virus being able to escape vaccine generated immunity, is one of degrees. It's not like a light switch,, on or off.

So if we have a vaccine, currently, 90 percent effective, with the new variant that could decrease by any sort of measure. It's likely there will still be some protection, as you say. The really tremendous thing about our vaccines is they're very strong protection against severe illness and death.

Certainly, there is no evidence, so far, that this new variant causes more severe disease. We just don't know enough yet. I think it is very likely, that the vaccine will still have some effectiveness, and be a very important tool, in our tool kit. All of the companies, making vaccines, are already starting to tailor

their vaccines, to the genetic code of this new variant. So if need be, new versions of vaccines could be just months away. But only time will tell.

NEWTON: Doctor, Moderna announced it is rapidly, trying to advance this variant, the specific variant, this booster candidate that they have. And Pfizer says it's working on a potential solution.

What I want to ask, you however, is should this alleviate our fears, really?

Or should we still be concerned about those billions throughout the world, who are still unvaccinated, whether they are unwilling or, in most cases, haven't had access to a single dose of vaccine?.

DROBAC: I'm so glad you asked, that Paula. Right now, there are about 100 million doses of vaccine going unused in wealthy countries, set to expire next month. We continue to hoard vaccines and we have more than we can use.

Around the world, there are billions of people who have not yet received a first dose. In South Africa, only 25 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated. South Africa is a middle income country, has the resources; they just haven't been able to get the vaccines.

And a situation in which we have high levels of transmission, where there is lots of virus replicating, and relatively low levels of vaccination, create the perfect conditions for the emergence of new variants.

So allowing this to continue, in this fashion, around the world, is actually putting all of us at risk. Probably the most important thing that we could be doing globally, right now is working in more solidarity, trying to get vaccines to everybody who needs, them around the world. We have to radically increase our supplies to do that.

NEWTON: We will leave it there for now. I'm sure we'll be talking about this every hour in the next few weeks and Dr. Peter Drobac, appreciate it.

DROBAC: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: The new variant spooked local markets sending stocks tumbling Friday. Wall Street fell sharply with the Dow suffering its worst day in over a year.

European markets were also shaken. The major stock indices sold, off heavily. The price of oil, following the slide. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, and U.S. oil, have both fallen with the U.S. crude falling 13 percent. That may alleviate some of the stress on inflation. Still to come, the response to the deaths of more than 2 dozen

migrants in the English Channel has spiraled into a diplomatic spat between France and the U.K.

[03:15:00]

NEWTON: How the two leaders are responding, next.

And a disturbing warning from Ukraine's leader of an alleged plot to overthrow his government. We will tell you who, he says, is behind the planned coup.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

NEWTON: The diplomatic spat between France and the U.K., over how to handle migrant crossings is escalating. French President Emmanuel Macron and the British prime minister says he is not addressing the problem in a serious manner.

After Boris Johnson tweeted a letter, he wrote to President Macron, suggesting how they could prevent future tragedies in the English Channel. CNN's Jim Bittermann, joining us now, from Paris.

Jim, you are a veteran of these spats. I'm sure you will say, look, this is both sides trying to score political points and it has turned quite ugly.

But could this really damage any solution here?

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SR. INTL. CORRESPONDENT: I think it, will certainly, put off any solution. They may eventually come to terms with their diplomatic and political differences.

But at the moment, it is as acrimonious as I can ever remember it, between France and Britain. Basically, it has been a fall of one thing after another. We had the sub deal that was canceled, we have the struggle over fishing rights and now the immigrant deaths. And they have become kind of pawns in this cross channel spat that is going on. Basically, the most recent one, is because the publication of the letter that Boris Johnson, supposedly, wrote to Emmanuel Macron, the letter was published, right away in the British press.

That caused Macron to accuse the Brits of using the migrants in a political way. Here is what he, said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): I am surprised at the methods, when they are not serious. We do not communicate between one leader, to another, on these issues by tweeting and writing letters and making them public. We are not whistleblowers. Come on, come on. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BITTERMANN: In response to that letter, Macron, basically ordering his interior minister to cancel the British participation in a meeting that will be taking place tomorrow, about the migrant issue.

They are now going to exclude the Brits and it is going to be between the European Commission, the Netherlands and Germany, talking about what they can do to further stem the flow of migrants. It should be said, too, Paula, this migrant issue is much larger in France, than it is in the U.K.

[03:20:00]

BITTERMANN: There are about three times as many migrants that apply for asylum in France, than in the U.K. So the issues are much more to the fore, in terms of the politics of France. This is just complicating things and they have to get together on this, if they want to work out some kind of solution. Paula?

NEWTON: You are saying it's as acrimonious as you've ever seen it. Yes, there will be some work to do across the channel there. Jim Bittermann, I appreciate the update for, us live, from Paris.

The U.N. secretary general, condemning a suicide car bombing, in the Somali capital. Eight civilians killed, 17 wounded, including 13 children. It happened near a school, in Mogadishu and the U.N. says the target was a convoy affiliated with the U.N.

This is just the latest, in a string of bombings in Mogadishu, recently, most linked to terrorist group, al-Shabaab.

Ukraine's president is warning of a potential coup against, him that could be carried out, in a matter of days now. Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he received intelligence that Russians and Ukrainians, are plotting a coup, for the beginning of December.

It comes amid heightened tensions, over the buildup of Russian troops, along the Ukrainian border. CNN's Matthew Chance, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are disturbing allegations from the Ukrainian president, a serious and new threat posed by Russia against his government.

"We have information that will soon be a coup in our country," he announced in a roundtable discussion, with journalists. "It's in just a few days," he says, "on the 1st or 2nd of December."

The Kremlin denies any such plot. But it's a dramatic escalation in the war of words as Russia is accused of amassing forces, poised to invade, which the Kremlin also denies.

Now President Zelensky says he has intelligence, including an audio recording of Russians and Ukrainians discussing the plot against him. But no evidence has been yet made public.

He also suggested Ukraine's richest man, this powerful oligarch called Rinat Akhmetov, owner of several critical media outlets, may also be involved, something strenuously denied to CNN by Akhmetov himself.

"Information made public by Volodymyr Zelensky about attempts to draw me into some kind of coup is an absolute lie," Akhmetov said, in this written statement.

"As a Ukrainian citizen, the country's biggest investor, taxpayer and employer, I will defend a free Ukraine and do everything I can to prevent authoritarianism and censorship."

For years Ukraine has been facing enormous pressure from its powerful Russian neighbor, fighting a trench war with Russian-backed rebels in the country's east. It was the threat of holding back U.S. military aid that led to former president Trump's first impeachment.

Now U.S. officials say Russia is engaged in destabilizing activities inside Ukraine as well against the Zelensky government. It's one of the reasons the Ukrainian leader seems on edge, conscious he has enemies outside the country and within.

But there are also fears that he is using real concerns about Russia to crack down on his opponents, too -- Matthew Chance, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: The Solomon Islands are reporting the first casualties after days of antigovernment riots. Police say they found three charred bodies in a burned-out building, in the capital's Chinatown district.

Police say the city is still tense but it's starting to get back to normal. They also say over 100 people have been arrested, since rioting began, Wednesday. Meanwhile, an Australian army unit landed in the capital, Papua New Guinea also deployed a security team. Their mission will be to help the local police defend the prime minister whom protesters want to resign.

The American musical stage will never quite be the same again. A giant of the theater has taken his final bow. We remember Stephen Sondheim.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:25:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

NEWTON: From Broadway, to London's West End and stages, everywhere, the world of theater is singing the praises of Stephen Sondheim, who died at the age of 91.

(VIDEO CLIP, "WEST SIDE STORY") NEWTON: Sondheim wrote not only those lyrics for "West Side Story" but

words of music for way too many hit shows to name here, from the gritty "Gypsy," to the demon barber in "Sweeney Todd," to the farcical, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" to the lament, "Send in the Clowns."

His touch was gold, winning him an Oscar, a Pulitzer, eight Grammys, eight Tonys and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Theater brings so much joy and especially his musicals are so clever that you just feel a special connection with him, how he stays human in such a beautiful way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's like, no more Stephen Sondheim musicals?

No more Stephen?

Mind-boggling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: He left such an inheritance though. Sondheim summed up his love of musical theater and its audiences, by saying, "Making them laugh, making them cry, just making them feel is paramount to me."

I'm Paula Newton. Thank you for your company. "AFRICAN VOICES CHANGEMAKERS" is up next.