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Omicron Variant Prompts Global Travel Restrictions; Germany Locks Down the Unvaccinated; South Africa Reports 16,000+ New COVID-19 Cases for Second Straight Day; Death Toll Rising after Indonesia Volcano Eruption; Biden-Putin Virtual Summit Tuesday; Norwegian Tech Company Develops Way to Cut Methane. Aired 2-2:30a ET

Aired December 05, 2021 - 02:00   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 AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Paula Newton. Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, new rules and stringent travel restrictions in effect as experts race to learn more about the Omicron variant.

Spewing ash into the sky, dozens are missing as a deadly volcano erupts in Indonesia.

And later.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're harnessing lightning to zap livestock slurry and lock in harmful emissions, like methane and ammonia.

NEWTON (voice-over): That's right, fighting climate change with cow waste zapped by lightning. We will explain.

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NEWTON: Now just as many parts of the world gear up for the holidays, international travelers are again facing severe restrictions and mandatory quarantines as governments try to halt the spread of the new Omicron variant. Many rules are aimed at arrivals from South Africa, where the variant was first detected and many of those countries are lashing out, saying the new restrictions unfairly target African travelers.

New rules are set to take effect Monday in the United States. That would single out arrivals from eight countries in southern Africa.

Similar restrictions in the U.K. begin Monday. Europe, meantime, is enforcing more restrictions in an effort to stem the tide of rampant COVID cases and some of those efforts are meeting resistance. Masks and face coverings are now mandatory in Rome and Sicily. Local

officials are hoping to quell a rise in COVID infections. The new rule will run at least until the end of the year.

On Saturday, in Berlin and Frankfurt, people marched. In her final video podcast after 16 years as German chancellor, Angela Merkel urged people to get vaccinated.

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ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY (through translator): Get vaccinated. It doesn't matter whether it's the first or the booster vaccination. All vaccination is useful. It gives the vaccine recipient security and at least excellent protection against the serious course of the disease. And the highest possible vaccination rate will help all of us in this country to put this pandemic behind us.

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NEWTON: Joining us from Berlin is Matthew Karnitschnig, he is the chief Europe correspondent for "Politico."

Good to see you there, Matthew. We heard Merkel right there, despite months of her pleading, really, little has been done to change the minds of some Germans, who are refusing the vaccine and even stricter restrictions.

What now, if these tougher measures don't work?

MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG, CHIEF EUROPE CORRESPONDENT, "POLITICO": Well, Merkel actually hinted at this last week in other remarks that she made. I think she was looking to the south toward Austria, where a vaccine mandate was recently introduced.

And she said even though she's leaving office, she would support a vaccine mandate because it doesn't look like the measures they've announced will work to convince the 30 percent of the German population that's not vaccinated to get the shot in the coming weeks.

NEWTON: That is a significant portion, when you consider waning immunity.

Now in the near term, even if some of these measures work, what are the immediate challenges facing the health care system there right now?

KARNITSCHNIG: Well, unfortunately, we're seeing hospitals fill up. We're seeing intensive care units in particular get quite full. And a lot of people are worried that, as we head into the holiday season in the coming weeks, that Germany's going to be facing a full-blown crisis in the hospitals.

And the question is whether these lockdown measures are really going to have the necessary effect. And a lot of politicians are already admitting new, tougher lockdown measures are probably going to be necessary.

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KARNITSCHNIG: And even the public seems to have come to terms with that, because we saw a poll in one of the big Sunday newspapers today, saying more than half of Germans would accept further lockdown or think that further lockdown would be necessary in order to get the situation under control.

And it's worth remembering that we're talking about the Delta variant now. We're not even talking about the new variant. So a lot of people are quite, quite worried.

NEWTON: Such an important point, because the spikes in cases that we are seeing around the world, with the exception perhaps in South Africa, is still being fueled by a variant that's really been on the scene for many, many months.

I want to talk to you now about the E.U. in general. This week, officials floated the idea of a vaccine mandate.

KARNITSCHNIG: That's right. As we've seen in the United States and other places, people see that as a step too far, that this is a fundamental right that they have, to decide whether they are going to be vaccinated.

That's not really the idea, in most cases behind this. The idea is more that, if you don't get the vaccine, you would be forced to pay a fine. But still, it's going to be, I think, a very emotional issue, as we've seen this weekend again with these demonstrations.

It has become a regular event, especially in the German-speaking world, where the resistance to these mandated vaccine laws is particularly high.

NEWTON: I want to ask about that, 30 percent of the German population, you know, from what you see, what is the reason that people are so reluctant?

KARNITSCHNIG: Well, I think there's a bit of a paradox here because people associate Germany as having a science-based society. But I think it's also worth remembering that there's a large part of the population, in places like Austria and southern Germany, that really believes in homeopathy and natural remedies.

And I think you're seeing this group has taken on a lot of influence during this pandemic, raising questions about the vaccines, particularly the mRNA vaccines, that they're suspicious of.

And given the power of social media that we've seen in a lot of other spheres recently, this has kind of powered these conspiracy theories in many cases. And it's had just a devastating effect on people's willingness to get the vaccine.

NEWTON: Oh, no. And it will be hard to know what will change those minds. Obviously, definitely challenges ahead for everyone. Matthew, thanks so much. We appreciate this.

KARNITSCHNIG: Thank you.

NEWTON: Now for the second straight day, South Africa reported more than 16,000 new COVID cases. That's four times, four times what it was just about five days ago. CNN's Larry Madowo is live for us in Johannesburg.

Larry, there is new information coming out from South Africa. We are obviously laser focused on it, because this is where the new variant was first detected.

What more are we learning about these cases and the severity of the illness with this new variant?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You asked about this yesterday, about the hospitalizations, and what we know about that. We've heard slightly more now from the president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who's been traveling. And he says the health ministry's informed him that the rate of hospitalization is not increasing at an alarming rate.

However, he hedged a little bit. He did say they still need a lot more testing and research. But it indicates even though the Omicron variant may be more transmissible, it's not sending as many people to the hospital. And that may and good sign.

If it is proven by more research and data, then that will be something that a lot of other country find comforting, because the reason why you see all these travel bans against southern African countries is because scientists just don't know enough about how severe this new variant leads, what kind of -- how severe the disease that people will get if you get the Omicron variant.

So the fact that scientists think it's not that severe is helpful. However, like I said, it's early days. Severity takes time to manifest. And if South Africa's only at the beginning of the fourth wave, it might be a while before there's enough sufficient data to make that conclusion definitively.

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NEWTON: Larry, appreciate it.

Meanwhile, the new variant is once again highlighting the need for more genomic sequencing. The scientific process identifies COVID variants that may be emerging and is a key weapon in containing the spread of the virus.

But as CNN's Scott McLean reports, many countries lack the resources to properly conduct this type of research.

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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the past few months, the Philippines has seen record COVID case numbers. And, as officials try to contain the virus on the streets, inside this lab in Davao City, they're fighting on a different front.

KAHLIL CORAZO, ACCESSIBLE GENOMICS: The first rule in war is that you have to know your enemy. And for us to know our enemy in this pandemic, we have to sequence it.

MCLEAN (voice-over): In the battle against COVID, the lab has the artillery it needs to sequence the virus, this tiny machine. The problem is that it can barely afford the ammunition, the chemicals that make it work.

They cost about $900 for just a couple hundred test samples. In a given month, they say thousands are needed to fully track the virus.

CORAZO: Recently we've started a crowdfunding campaign. And so far we've raised around 400 euros. A thousand dollars is like two people's monthly salary so it's not significant here.

MCLEAN (voice-over): That relatively small funding gap is a big reason why developing countries are lagging so far behind in identifying COVID-19 variants that might be more deadly or transmissible.

In the West, labs like the U.K.'s Sanger Institute are sequencing the virus on a huge scale, using multimillion dollar machines like these. According to GISAID, the COVID-19 variant database, the biggest contributions are coming from the richest countries.

Some countries haven't sequenced any genomes at all, which means none of us know which variants are circulating there, ready to potentially spread across borders.

LYRE MURAO, DIRECTOR, PHILIPPINE GENOME CENTER MINDINAO: We don't get to do sequencing in many parts of the world. Then definitely we're missing out on possible variants that are, you know, emerging.

MCLEAN (voice-over): We know how rapidly new variants can take hold. The Delta variant first emerged in India in April and was the dominant variant worldwide by mid-July.

Omicron, the new variant first spotted in South Africa, was declared a variant of concern in record time and is predicted by some experts to become the dominant strain in the days ahead. Its emergence highlighting again the importance of real-time virus surveillance.

Getting the necessary technology out to all corners of the globe is part of the challenge and this company, an hour north of London, thinks they have an answer.

MCLEAN: The technology to sequence the virus in remote labs around the world is being manufactured here on an industrial scale. It's small and relatively inexpensive. The challenge has been getting governments to actually use it.

GORDON SANGHERA, CEO, OXFORD NANOPORE: These systems are plug and play. If you're a 16-year-old high school student, you can run the platform. It's that easy to use. MCLEAN: I just wonder why more countries aren't using it.

SANGHERA: It's a confluence of regulation, governments, lack of awareness. We've been slow to fully understand that we need to look at the variants. But if we got a vaccine escape variant, things could change dramatically overnight.

MCLEAN (voice-over): Back in the Philippines, this lab won't be doing large-scale surveillance anytime soon without a massive influx of cash. But they have proven, with a tiny piece of technology, that even small-scale operations can contribute to COVID sequencing, helping us all stay one step ahead of the virus -- Scott McLean, CNN, Oxford, England.

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NEWTON: Coming up, a volcano erupting in Indonesia has left multiple people dead and its ash cloud is so enormous and high, planes are now getting warnings. The very latest after the break.

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NEWTON (voice-over): These are aerial images from the island of Java in Indonesia where a volcano erupted Saturday. At least 13 people have been killed and scores more injured. Thousands have been displaced as well.

Pilots are being warned to be alert, with ash clouds towering up to 50,000 feet in the air.

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NEWTON: Search and rescue operations are now underway and local officials say blocked roads are hindering those efforts. Evacuation shelters, though, have been set up for those fortunate enough to escape.

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NEWTON (voice-over): A towering ash cloud engulfs the sky in Indonesia. Panicked villagers run for safety with the giant plumes of smoke from Mount Semeru looming behind them.

Authorities say the volcano, which is the tallest mountain on the island of Java, erupted Saturday afternoon. Some people say it was an eerie scene, with the smell of sulfur in the air and the sky looking like it had turned from day to night.

One woman says, "There was a cloud raining down hot ashes. Then the sky went totally dark."

Thousands of people have fled the area. Authorities say they are unable to reach some villages, because roads are blocked by debris and mud. Heavy rains have further complicated rescue attempts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): There are families, parents and children, who are not found yet. But considering the hot lava, the hot temperatures, the field is tough. So what we can do is get to the locations that we know we can reach.

NEWTON (voice-over): Officials say dozens have been wounded and suffered severe burns. A restricted zone has been set up within five kilometers of the crater. Many weary families are taking shelter in evacuation centers in village halls and mosques, where they await word on missing loved ones, unsure themselves of when they can return home.

Mount Semeru is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes. It had a previous major eruption about a year ago. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center has issued a warning to airlines that one part of the ash cloud could reach as high as 15,000 meters.

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NEWTON: Now a Russian military buildup near Ukraine is bringing a new warning from U.S. intelligence: the Kremlin could be ready to invade within months. Moscow insists that's not going to happen. But a potential Russian attack is set to be on the agenda for Tuesday's summit between Russia and the U.S.

CNN's Joe Johns has more now from the White House.

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JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: White House press secretary Jen Psaki putting our a statement, indicating, as her counterpart at the Kremlin already had, that President Biden and Vladimir Putin will have their big telephone call on Tuesday on video.

And one of the major topics to be discussed will be the tens of thousands of Russian troops massing on the Ukraine border.

That statement says, in part, "President Biden will underscore U.S. concerns with Russian military activities on the border with Ukraine and reaffirm the U.S.' support for the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine."

So one of the big questions is whether Putin is planning on invading Ukraine. The answer to that cannot be known. The president, on departure to Camp David this weekend, was asked what he would do if Russia invaded Ukraine.

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JOHNS: He did not answer the question. But he did say this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've been aware of Russia's actions for a long time. And my expectation is we're going to have a long discussion with Putin.

QUESTION: Do you accept Putin's red line on Ukraine?

BIDEN: I won't accept anybody's red line.

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JOHNS: One of the big reasons it's so difficult to figure out what's going on with the Russian troops is, according to a U.S. intelligence report, they're being moved around in a way so as to obscure their motivations -- Joe Johns, CNN, the White House.

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NEWTON: Now the parents of the suspected Michigan school shooter have pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter. James and Jennifer Crumbley are each being held on a $500,000 bond after setting off a fugitive manhunt.

This exclusive video that you see there shows the couple being taken into custody from a warehouse in Detroit. Police say someone aided the pair while there. Prosecutors will now decide if charges are brought against that person.

In the meantime, during the Crumbley arraignment Saturday, their lawyers claimed they had fully intended to turn themselves in before being arrested. They also denied their client's son had unrestricted access to the gun accused of using at Oxford High School earlier in the week.

Four students were killed in the shooting. Six other students were wounded, as well as one teacher.

CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has been terminated from CNN, effective immediately. The news came Saturday after Cuomo was already suspended by CNN. It stems from how he advised his brother, then New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, as the governor was facing sexual harassment allegations.

Documents released by the New York attorney general point to a serious breach of CNN standards.

Chris Cuomo has released a statement about the termination.

It reads in part, "This is not how I want my time at CNN to end. But I've already told you why and how I helped my brother."

And you will have more in fact on that statement coming up.

Now the last surviving officer of the legendary World War II regiment, immortalized in the HBO series, "Band of Brothers," has died. Army Col. Edward Shames was a member of Easy Company, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 121st Airborne. From D-Day onwards, Shames fought in nearly every famous battle of Europe.

He was among the first American soldiers to enter Hitler's mountain retreat, Eagle's Nest, where he took a few bottles of cognac from Hitler's personal collection. Shames later used them to toast his oldest son's bar mitzvah. Army Col. Edward Shames was 99 years old.

And we will be right back.

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NEWTON: Methane emissions are one of the most prominent greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Now a Norwegian technology company has developed a new strategy to cut methane emissions from livestock in a very unusual way. Kim Brunhuber has details.

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lightning and cow manure: an unlikely pair that's part of a new strategy to fight climate change. Norwegian technology company N2 Applied says it has found a way to reduce methane emissions from livestock slurry, a mixture of manure and water, which farmers used as a natural fertilizer.

CHRIS PUTTICK, N2 APPLIED: in essence, we're harnessing lightning to zap the livestock slurry and lock in harmful emissions like methane and ammonia. And as we know, methane, the potent greenhouse gas, livestock are the emitter of that. And we're here to solve that challenge.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): The heat-trapping potential of methane is 28- 34 times higher than carbon dioxide over 100-year period. And cattle are the main agricultural source of greenhouse gases around the globe.

At the COP26 climate summit last month, more than 100 countries signed on to a global pledge to cut methane.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So together, we're committing to collectively reduce our methane by 30 percent by 2030. And I think we could probably go beyond that.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): N2 Applied is testing its technology at various sites across Europe. At this 200-cow farm in England, a scraper collects slurry from the barn floor. The slurry is moved to a pit and fed through this machine, which absorbs nitrogen from the air, lowering the pH.

Then the slurry is blasted with a 50 kilowatt plasma torch, simulating a lightning blast, which the company says locks in both methane and ammonia.

PUTTICK: An over 99 percent reduction in methane emissions from slurry, so practical elimination there; 95 percent reduction in ammonia emissions and we practically double the nitrogen content of the slurry, which can be used as a more sustainable fertilizer source.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): What comes out is called nitrogen enriched organic fertilizer or NEO, in the form of an odorless liquid.

PUTTICK: This technology delivers a reduction of 199 tons of carbon equivalent every year, with one machine, based on a 200-cow dairy farm. And so we're now looking to scale out this technology across the U.K. livestock sector.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Lightning-zapped manure is just one of many innovations to cut methane emissions from livestock.

In Ireland, scientists are feeding cattle seaweed to reduce the methane in their manure.

And researchers in New Zealand and Germany are potty training cows to reduce methane and also water pollution, an idea that, scientists admit, began as a joke but shows promising possibilities -- Kim Brunhuber, CNN.

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NEWTON: Thank you for spending part of your day with us. I'm Paula Newton. Stay with us here on CNN. "SAVED BY THE FUTURE" is next.