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Omicron Infections Doubling In U.K. Every Two-Three Days; Public Anger Mounts Over Alleged Government Parties In U.K. Lockdown Last Year; Mainland China Reports Its First Case Of Omicron; 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Indonesia's Coast; Naftali Bennett Makes First Official Visit To UAE By An Israeli Prime Minister. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired December 14, 2021 - 00:00   ET

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

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[00:00:13]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, the Omicron moment as the U.K. braces for a potential crush of new COVID patients, hopes remain high, their symptoms may be less severe, their chances of survival are much higher.

It's no party right now at Number 10. The ghost of Christmas past sending the Prime Minister's approval rating to a record low.

And an amicable trip which was an historic first. Israel's Prime Minister traveling to the UAE meeting face-to-face with the Emirati Crown Prince. A chance to build personal connections, a relationship once thought all but impossible in the past.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with John Vause.

VAUSE: Wherever you are around the world, thank you for joining us. We begin with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's warning of a tidal wave of new infections driven by the jaw dropping spread of the Omicron variant. Now comes word from the U.K. of possibly the first death in the world directly linked Omicron which is now spreading so quickly. It's expected to be the dominant strain in London in less than 48 hours.

According to the health secretary, the number of infections doubling every two to three days. While there is a lot of anecdotal evidence, there is still not enough scientific data to know if Omicron is less severe compared to earlier strains of the coronavirus.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAJID JAVID, BRITISH HEALTH SECRETARY: While Omicron represents over 20 percent of cases in England, we've already seen it rise to over 44 percent in London. And we expect it to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the capital in the next 48 hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: The government is wrapping up the rollout of booster shots making a third dose available to all eligible adults urging them to get it by the end of the month.

A work from home recommendation now in place soon. Proof of a third booster shot will be required before qualifying for a health pass, which is needed for entry into the nightclubs and other large public gatherings.

Joining me now from Hawaii. Dr. Scott Miscovich, President and CEO of the Premier Medical Group USA and a national consultant for COVID 19 testing. Dr. Miscovich, it's good to see you again.

DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP USA: Hi, John, how are you?

VAUSE: I'm good. Thank you. Well, you know, for the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, it seems his biggest concern right now apart from the controversies over his, you know, the Christmas parties, but is this astonishing rate of transmission of Omicron. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that's something we need to set on one side, and just recognize the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population. So, the best thing we can all do is get our boosters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, here's the thing, if the symptoms overall are mild, there will still be a small fraction, right, who becomes seriously ill? And if Omicron is infecting 10 or 20 times more people in Delta, we still don't know, there will still be a significant number of people who need hospital care and could die.

So, it seems we're sort of back to facing this crush of patients at hospitals in cities and countries around the world.

MISCOVICH: Very, very well put, John, that's exactly what people are under estimating. We have too many people saying oh, but it's not that severe. The symptoms aren't that severe and it's milder.

Well, what we do know for sure, is that the rate of spread, as you see, we're getting doubling every two to three days. And that was verified back in South Africa. We see it as it's surging through Europe. And as we know London, it's going to be greater than 50 percent.

You just have to do the statistics to show that so many more people will get infected so much more quickly. And we are not seeing yet the data on the over 60. That is our concern.

Most of the data we're seeing right now is on the 20 to 50-year-old age group. So, it is far too early to talk about mild symptoms. Right now, because of the rate of spread, we are so concerned about

overwhelming hospitals and death that can ensue.

VAUSE: And all the data which we do know, there is information out there which shows current vaccines in particular AstraZeneca and the Pfizer vaccine, not as effective against Omicron compared to Delta.

I want you to listen to the co-author of this new study which was done by Oxford University.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW SNAPE, PROFESSOR IN PEDIATRICS AND VACCINOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD: There is quite a drop off in the neutralizing antibody activity against Omicron compared to Delta after two doses of Pfizer.

Then, there's around a 30-fold drop off in the neutralizing antibody levels compared to against Delta.

And similarly, after two dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, a significant drop off such actually the neutralizing antibodies were below the normal level of protection.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:05:02]

VAUSE: So, just explain in everyday terms what that actually means. And does this explain why even vaccinated people are catching this version of COVID?

MISCOVICH: Absolutely. Now, the first thing I want to highlight, that study you just played is one of the ones that experts across the world look at. Because it's a quality study by a quality university, we have two others that confirm that exact same thing.

Now, I do want to highlight an issue, that is a laboratory-based study where they take samples, and then they put the samples compared, it's not real-life data, we want to see real life data.

But right now, all of the three studies are saying the same thing, a major drop off in the efficacy of two shots of the main vaccines that are out there, and in the U.K., and Europe, AstraZeneca, Pfizer across the world. And it is a massive concern for us right now.

We're seeing -- you heard what he said, it's down to nil, down to zero, the efficacy, which means that two shots, if you've had them highlighted after six months, you could totally have very little fight.

Now, I want to give everybody a little bit of glimmer of hope. We do find that the T cell or B cell immunity can still protect you against hospitalization and death of severe hospitalization. So, there still is a little positive in there.

VAUSE: So, this is something which a lot of people forget about what vaccines are primarily meant to do.

MISCOVICH: Yes.

VAUSE: It's meant to reduce the severity of the disease trying to prevent you from going to a hospital or die. I mean, that's the main goal, right? It's up to prevent infection that happens that's along the way. That's a good thing, but not necessarily a key requirement.

MISCOVICH: Absolutely. Absolutely. And so, you know, when I -- it just really bothers me when I hear people only focusing on purely on the mortality rate or you know, saying some side comments about the vaccines, well, they don't work.

Well, they are working for reducing the severity of the disease and the the hospitalizations which look at across Europe, look at parts of the United States, the hospitals around the vert, we have so many people overwhelming emergency rooms, that is where we have to start.

Now, we have another issue with COVID which is long term COVID. We need to try to stop the disease and stop the disability. So, you are spot on, John.

VAUSE: Dr. Scott Miscovich, thank you very much. I guess one last point here. We will wrap this but instead of clapping healthcare workers, get vaccinated get a booster. Thank you for being with us.

MISCOVICH: Pardon me.

VAUSE: (INAUDIBLE) Thank you, sir.

MISCOVICH: Yes, yes, everybody get your third shot, get another shot in your arm as soon as possible. It will save lives and reduce your chance of severe disease, please do.

VAUSE: Good advice to finish on. Thank you, sir.

MISCOVICH: Thank you.

VAUSE: Now, quick quits, the actions of which British Prime Minister are part of an internal investigation he ordered into allegations of Christmas parties at Number 10 during last year's lockdown.

Yes, Boris Johnson, who was photographed appearing to hold a Christmas quiz night last year at Downing Street while he insists he broke no rules. This scandal and others appear to be dragging his approval numbers to record lows.

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz has details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Prime Minister Boris Johnson is trying to save his credibility and office after a week of scandal that set off public fury.

JOHNSON: Good afternoon, everybody. ABDELAZIZ: The latest hit coming from British tabloid The Mirror. A newly leaked photo showed Johnson at a Christmas party quiz inside Downing Street December last year, at a time when indoor social gatherings were banned in London.

Downing Street admits Johnson took part in the virtual event briefly, but added those participating in person were already working in their offices.

It adds to mounting information that multiple parties took place at the prime minister's office and residents last year, a brazen violation of lockdown.

CNN has confirmed that two social gatherings were indeed held. One on November 27th and another on December 18th. And that Johnson himself gave an impromptu speech at the first one.

Days earlier, a leaked video of a mock press conference showed officials laughing about the alleged December 18th Christmas party.

Allegra Stratton, the Prime Minister's spokesperson seen in the video--

ALLEGRA STRATTON, BORIS JOHNSON'S FORMER PRESS SECRETARY: I'm truly sorry.

ABDELAZIZ: --apologized and resigned shortly after.

Last week, Johnson launched an investigation into the social gatherings. Still, he has continuously denied that any party's took place or any restrictions were broken.

JOHNSON: I can tell you that I've certainly break no rules. The whole thing will be looked into by the cabinet secretary and what I'm focused on, frankly, is the vaccine rollout.

ABDELAZIZ: It comes as health officials warned Omicron cases in the U.K. are doubling every two to three days.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister pled for compliance with new COVID rules and urged everyone eligible to get boosted.

[00:10:07]

JOHNSON: There is a tidal wave of Omicron coming.

ABDELAZIZ: But the country's opposition leader Keir Starmer said Johnson is a threat to public health and no longer fit for office.

KEIR STARMER, U.K. OPPOSITION LEADER: Now that trust is broken. And many people are now saying well, if the Prime Minister is going to allow breaking the rules, parties, quizzes, going on in Downing Street when we're being asked not to see our loved ones. Well, why should I follow the rules?

ABDELAZIZ: Johnson is set to be back in Parliament this week to push new COVID measures. He is expected to face a rebellion from his own party appearing to lose faith even among his own circle.

Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And to Los Angeles now, CNN European Affairs commentator, Dominic Thomas. Dominic, welcome back.

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Hi, good evening, John.

VAUSE: So, Boris Johnson, he was touring a vaccination center on Monday, he was asked about this photograph, which shows him hosting this quiz night at Downing Street at Christmas time last year and he's asked would it be included in an already underway internal review? Here's his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNSON: I can tell you once again that I certainly broke no rules. All that is being looked into.

But if I may respectfully say to you, that I do think that when you look at -- and of course, all that must be properly done into and you'll be hearing from the cabinet secretary about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK, just how bad is this political crisis for Johnson when talking about a looming tsunami of COVID patients, overwhelming a healthcare system is easier compared to answering questions about that quiz night.

THOMAS: Yes, I mean, what is this pure (PH) strategy of diversion and distraction. And you've got these two crises working side by side, and of course, feeding one another, the complete crisis of trust in Boris Johnson, and his strategy is really quite extraordinary, because everybody knows he's lying. And the evidence keeps coming out. And what is it long standing sort of relationship of dishonesty with the general public that goes all the way back to Brexit.

And on the other hand, you have this real health crisis unfolding here. And the problem with this is that you need trust in the authorities for this system to work.

So, you see him yet again, kind of unpacking this flowery rhetoric around the tidal wave and before that it was war time as a way to try to sort of unite people but the rule makers here are also the rule breakers and this is the real problem. And I think that what unfolds in Parliament, tomorrow (PH) is going to give us a real indication as to just how upset people are in the ruling ranks with the current prime minister.

VAUSE: I'm glad you mentioned that because Johnson is facing a revolt from within his own party over these restrictions. In particular, this requirement for a health pass, which now you need this booster shot for entry into these large public gatherings. Here's the Health Secretary announcing the changes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAVID: You'll need to show a negative -- a negative lateral flow test to get into nightclubs and large events with an exemption for the double vaccinated.

Once all adults have had a reasonable chance to get their booster jab, we intend to change this exemption to require a booster dose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, in other words, you need the two vaccines and a booster now, not just the two vaccine shots.

Fortunately, for Boris Johnson, this is supported by the Labour opposition, which means it should get through Parliament. But you know, is this the beginning of the -- of an internal revolt within the Tories against Johnson? We've sort of been here before but it seems more serious.

THOMAS: We have been here before not just with him, but with Theresa May. We got a real lesson in how the Parliament can go about weighing in on particular parliamentary options and so on, and actually get distracted by the policy issues and be weighing in more on the personality of the -- of the individual. And I think that it is highly likely tomorrow that the parliament will make a health-conscious decision.

But that in making that decision will send a very clear message to Boris Johnson that he serves not only at the will of the British people, but in fact even more so currently under policy at the pleasure of his own Conservative Party who at any moment and could get rid of him.

I'm not sure there's the appetite for him to do that right now. But the message will be very clear. Yes, you delivered a massive majority for our Parliament, but currently, you're undermining our reputation, our credibility, our ability to govern, and I think it is likely that particularly around the vote on the issue of COVID passes, that you're going to see rebellion and you're going to see a very clear message sent to Boris Johnson. And he'd better change course or else come the new year, there may be a change of Prime Minister.

VAUSE: A very clear message coming from the latest Ipsos ITV poll, which has some troubling numbers for Boris Johnson.

The leader of the Labour opposition is up 13 points in a month on the question of who would make the most capable Prime Minister. First time a Labour leader has topped that poll in 13 years, not since Gordon Brown. Johnson's numbers are at an all-time low.

[00:15:04]

VAUSE: And here's the former Speaker of the House, Sir John Bercow, explaining why in his opinion. Here he is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERCOW, FORMER SPEAKER, HOUSE OF COMMONS: I'm sorry to say it, but I have known 12 prime ministers in my lifetime, and, by a country mile, Boris Johnson is the worst.

His natural instinct is not to be open, not to be transparent, not to be accountable, but narcissistically to think, what suits me? How can I extricate myself from this awkward situation? By what means can I arrogate blame somewhere else?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Bercow is the number of Conservative MPs who fled the Tory party joined Labour over Boris Johnson's, but how much of what he says rings true?

THOMAS: I think a lot of it does ring true, there is no doubt about it, that sort of Boris Johnson sort of general reputation and corresponds exactly to what Bercow is saying. The problem is, I think, twofold.

First of all, we saw going into the last election that the division in the opposition, and I'm not just talking about divisions within the Labour Party, but across the spectrum from the Lib Dem, has essentially paved the way for Conservative Party rule.

Having said that, this is of course, providing an opportunity for them to come together.

What we do see there around Boris Johnson now is essentially a cabinet of which many of those members themselves ran in the 2019, an internal, an election to replace Theresa May, many of them withdrew from the race or were voted down and ended up in the cabinet.

So, Boris Johnson has around him a whole group of people who I think also share responsibility in this because they have essentially been enabling him. And the time will come when they will realize that their lack of policies, and that their lack of credibility is going to force them to skip share.

But it's going to be interesting to see as that future and subsequent leadership unfolds, just how quickly Boris Johnson's demise does come about.

But for the time being, his party structure and the majority that the Conservative Party holds in Parliament is is that the gel essentially, that is allowing him to behave in this way. And that is keeping him in place until they finally feel that the actual tidal shift comes from within their own party.

VAUSE: Dominic, thank you. Dominic Thomas there for us with the very latest insights into what's happening with Boris Johnson and the politics. Appreciate it, Dominic. Thank you.

THOMAS: Thanks, John. VAUSE: Well, COVID infections are pushing South Korean hospitals to the brink and claiming more lives than ever before.

On Monday, more than 900 people were in critical condition with at least 94 new deaths.

On Friday, greater Seoul was said to be running out of ICU beds as the virus spread among the elderly.

More than 80 percent of South Koreans are fully vaccinated, but fewer than 15 percent have been received booster shots.

Mainland China reporting its first case of the Omicron variant, state media reports it was found in the northern city of Tianjin in a traveler from overseas on Thursday.

For the very latest, CNN's Kristie Lu Stout live in Hong Kong this hour.

I guess the Chinese officials were looking not just at the rate of vaccination, which is fairly high, but also the efficacy of those vaccines.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): -- as the Omicron variant has been detected for the first time inside the Mainland over the weekend, we heard this statistic from Chinese authorities, over 80 percent of a population of 1.4 billion people have been vaccinated. It seems like a high number, but the vaccine coverage for the elderly, a very vulnerable group that remains patchy and a lot of concern about the efficacy of these vaccines.

You know, months ago, authorities in China said that they were ready to approve the more effective Western made messenger RNA vaccines like the one manufactured by Pfizer BioNTech but months later, China has yet to approve it even though Omicron is now inside Mainland China.

But it was detected at the border. It was detected at the border in an overseas traveler who had arrived from overseas touchdown in Tianjin last week on December the 9th.

Meanwhile, the epicenter of the current flare up of infection continues to be the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang on Monday, China reported 51 new locally transmitted cases of the virus including 44 from Zhejiang province.

Zhejiang is a manufacturing powerhouse. It's also a major shipping hub as well. This is where Alibaba the tech giant is located. This is where you see one of the world's busiest ports Ningbo-Zhoushan is located, the third busiest container port in the world.

In fact, it was in this container port where earlier this year in August a single case of COVID-19 shut down the port, leading to shipping congestion and wreaking havoc on the global supply chain.

Already, there are reports of tens of thousands of people in mandatory quarantine across Zhejiang province. Not only that, more than a dozen Chinese listed companies have been

forced to suspend production because of COVID-19 rules.

Now, as China tries to stamp out these infections, and again, these are low numbers, you know, locally transmitted cases, but 51 reported on Monday, you got the Beijing Olympics coming up.

[00:20:04]

STOUT: The final version of the Beijing Winter Olympics playbook was just released and in this era of the Omicron variant, it offered some much needed clarity about booster shots.

And in this playbook, it says that athletes are "strongly encouraged to take a booster shot but are not mandated to do so." Back to you.

VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout live for us in Hong Kong.

STOUT: You got it.

VAUSE: Developing story now from Indonesia, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake has struck off in Indonesia's Coast, strong shaking was felt at the city close to the quake's epicenter. But so far, no reports of damages to any buildings.

CNN's Pedram Javaheri following the very latest for us now. OK, so what are we looking at here? 7.3, it's a very strong earthquake.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is. magnitude that certainly feels shaking for about 20, maybe 25 seconds. And fortunately, you know, we often talk about earthquakes, that they don't necessarily cause fatalities, it's the structures that cause fatalities. And this quake happened a little after 10:00 a.m., so people are awake, people are able to get the safety.

But again, a 7.3 certainly will get your attention and go in for a closer look. It's about 100 kilometers north of Maumere, which is a town with a population of about 85,000 people, and just about everyone in that town felt at least moderate shaking.

In fact, in total, 350,000 people felt moderate shaking across this region of the (INAUDIBLE) islands on the eastern periphery of Indonesia. And the good news with this is that you kind of take a look at the global breakdown of quakes by magnitude, we do see quakes of this magnitude somewhat frequently, generally, once every month or so around the world. And often they happen right across portions of the Ring of Fire where the most active volcanoes in the most seismically active region of our planet is which includes Indonesia.

Now, John, we do expect aftershocks with this quake. 6.3 is the next one historically speaking that we should expect the strongest right in that range and then about 10 or so in the 5.3 magnitude. So, a lot of shaking still to be had across this region.

VAUSE: Pedram, thank you, appreciate the update. Pedram Javaheri there at the CNN Center. JAVAHERI: Thank you.

VAUSE: We're taking a short break, when we come back, a first for any Israeli Prime Minister, an official visit to the UAE and face-to-face talks with the Crown Prince. Details of Naftali Bennett's trip to Abu Dhabi when we come back.

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VAUSE: The conversation was said to be meaningful in-depth and straightforward. The focus was on trade and defense. But most significant of all was the fact this meeting between the Israeli prime minister and Crown Prince of the UAE actually happened.

On Monday, Naftali Bennett became the first Israeli prime minister to visit the United Arab Emirates. It comes more than a year after the two countries normalized relationships.

CNN's Sam Kiley has details reporting in from Abu Dhabi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made history here when he met for the first time ever for an Israeli prime minister with any Emirati official here on Emirati soil. He met for four hours, that's two hours longer than was scheduled with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. And then, left, leaving this message behind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[00:25:13]

NAFTALI BENNETT, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: I'm finishing up good visit here in the United Arab Emirates. I want to thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed for a very warm hospitality throughout this visit.

Throughout the day, we had meaningful in depth and straightforward talks about our two nations, about the region and about our economy and technology and what we can do together. I'm flying back to Israel, very optimistic that this relationship can set an example of how we can make peace here in the Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KILEY: Now, what's notable about that message is that there's no mention of Iran, nor indeed, of the Palestinians. The two red letter issues of the day top of the list, though, really is Iran with the Emiratis being severely out of step with, certainly with the Israelis, and even the United States, in their view that no longer is it worthwhile putting any serious pressure on the Iranians trying to get them to return to the nuclear deal that was effectively torn up by Donald Trump, which was a deal intended to reduce their capability to produce a nuclear weapon.

Now, there have been efforts under the Biden administration to re- vivify that agreement, which lately the Iranians have walked away from, the Americans wanted greater sanctions indicated this and the Emiratis were very swift to say they're not interested in any further sanctions.

Indeed, they have been reaching out to Tehran, they have been planning to have a major solar farm being built in Iran. They've sent high level diplomatic delegations.

And of course, the Israelis in the background have been threatening military action if there's no diplomatic solution to ending Iran's alleged nuclear program.

But at the same time, this has also been a triumph for Naftali Bennett, who had been his predecessor who had effectively negotiated what are called the Abraham Accords that normalize the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and several other Arab countries and Israel led by the Emirates, that was a famous breakthrough in diplomacy of the many years of isolation.

These two countries have never been at war together against one another, but they have certainly been extremely frosty. It was impossible until 15 months ago for an Israeli citizen to set foot here.

Now, there are some seven flights a day, backwards and forwards between Israel and Dubai, many more other tourist operations being planned and what both sides said coming out of this meeting is that they were hoping to deepen the economic relationship, already worth some $600 million a year and above all, an invitation offered by the Israeli prime minister to Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince to visit at some future date Israel was made and was accepted.

Sam Kiley, CNN in Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Well, Russia has warned of new confrontations if NATO and the U.S. do not respond to its demand for security guarantees.

According to Russian state media, the Deputy Foreign Minister calling for an agreement that would prevent the use of intermediate range nuclear weapons. The comments come amid heightened tensions over Russia's military buildup along Ukraine's border.

European Union's chief diplomat says E.U. foreign ministers have made it clear, Russian aggression against Ukraine will come at a high economic cost.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GABRIELIUS LANDSBERGIS, LITHUANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: I think that we are convinced that Russia is actually preparing for the all-out war against Ukraine and it's an unprecedented event probably since the Second World War, and we have to be very precise and very ready for what's coming in our messaging as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The White House says President Joe Biden spoke with Finland's president about their shared concerns over Russia's military buildup and the need to de-escalate the crisis.

Still ahead, the weekend, tornado outbreak in the U.S. could go down as one of the deadliest on record. Many experts believe it's our new normal.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: In the United States, they're still trying to assess the devastation caused by at least 50 powerful tornadoes, which touched down in eight states.

[00:31:56]

The death toll now stands at 88, with many more still unaccounted for. Kentucky had the worst of it, at least 74 dead. Fears that toll will rise with more than 100 people missing.

Exact numbers have been hard to pin down, mostly because of this. Entire communities reduced to rubble, unrecognizable to the people who live there, as they begin sifting through debris, picking up pieces of the lives they left behind.

CNN's Brynn Gingras reports from Mayfield, Kentucky.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This was her house?

CARILLA SMITH, MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY, RESIDENT: Right.

GINGRAS (voice-over): It's taken three days for Carilla Smith to return to this home. The emotion of what happened here Friday, still too raw. This pile of rubble and debris is where a family with young children once lived.

(on camera): What did you see that night?

SMITH: I mean, it was so black, you couldn't it was so dark. You really couldn't see anything.

GINGRAS (voice-over): She says after the storms, she and her son raced toward the cries of the family trapped inside.

SMITH: And that's when I brought the little 3-year-old out, and we passed him along, and then another lady and I were doing CPR on him and trying to save him.

As a mom, to know that my son is safe, and I can't help save the life of that baby. I just kept on trying to breathe life into him. But --

GINGRAS: The heartbreaking stories of loss and devastation are sadly plenty in the streets of Mayfield, Kentucky, a landscape no longer recognizable to the people who live here. SAMANTHA BURNS, MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY RESIDENT: I feel glad to be alive.

I hurt for this, but I hurt more for the others that are -- the houses around that are nothing.

GINGRAS: Many residents focusing on the search for survivors at a candle factory, where more than 100 people were working when the powerful storms tore through.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Too many casualties, too many people gone. We don't need anymore.

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): I know like the folks in western Kentucky, I'm not doing so well today. And I'm not sure how many of us are.

GINGRAS: Rescue and recovery efforts are underway across eight states, and FEMA is helping open shelters, providing food and water to those in need. More than 100 people are feared dead in Kentucky alone. Governor Andy Beshear struggling to keep his composure Monday.

BESHEAR: Just a few more facts about those we've -- we've lost, 18 are still unidentified. Of the ones that we know -- the age -- the age range is 5 months to 86 years. And six are younger than 18.

GINGRAS: So much loss, yet there are harrowing stories of survival.

DE'AMONTE WILLIAMS, MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY, RESIDENT: The building was also -- This building was gone. And all this stuff was in the street. I was running, full sprint.

GINGRAS: De'Amonte Williams was racing toward his aunt's house. It was crumbled on the ground. She was pinned inside.

(on camera): And you said there was actually a chimney on top of her.

WILLIAMS: Yes. Her chimney collapsed on her, and a couch got thrown on top of her while she was in her closet. I started yelling her name, and once I ran up on her steps, I could see her head poking up, just a tiny little bit. And as soon as she -- we looked at each other, she started crying.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[00:35:14]

VAUSE: The weekend storms are now the deadliest tornado outbreak on record for December. Could be among the deadliest ever. If this toll continues to rise -- and there are expectations it will -- experts believe one storm cell alone may have touched down in four states, lasting more than 250 miles or 400 kilometers, which could make it the longest continuous tornado in history.

While the disaster was exceptional, experts say, it could also be a sign of what is yet to come in the not-too-distant future. For more, let's bring in meteorologist Pedram Javaheri once more.

Pedram, you know, tornadoes in December, not unheard of. But this many twisters across a total of eight states, causing this much damage. That's unprecedented, right? So what is surprising here, though, is there's no definitive proof that climate change is a direct cause. Why is that?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, it is fascinating. When you take a look at the data, there's very limited data when it comes to tornadoes in particular, John. And of course, we kind of looked at the data set before when it comes to the most likely outcomes and the strongest link associated with the human-induced climate change.

And we know heat waves, coastal flooding, heavy rain events, droughts and, in recent years, there was even less evidence for hurricanes and tornadoes. But by hurricane and cyclones and typhoons in general, but we've seen stronger evidence kind of suggesting the link between human-induced climate change, a warmer planet, additional water vapor in the atmosphere. Supporting these, the heat in the ocean, supporting these systems, stays strong.

But with tornadoes, there's significant difference with them. These are small-scale, localized events. Data, again, far less hard -- far less common to come by. Less widespread when it comes to these localized events, than these broad large-scale events that impact region sometimes for months, sometimes for years, sometimes for weeks.

Like, hurricanes are concerned across an expansive area of, say, multiple states. But again, when it comes to tornadoes, it typically impacts, say, one community goes downstream to another community, into another community. But it becomes generally a very narrow band of impact. So it's that localized small impacts that generally has led to less data to kind of link all of this together.

We know these short-scale events, sometimes they last just, say, three to four minutes, versus droughts that can last decades, or hurricanes, again, that can last several days leading up to an event.

But you take a look at the unreliable historical data, really, is the main linkage that has kind of disconnected between all of this.

And kind of something worth noting, John, is when you take a look at all of this, we know with a warmer planet, certainly, water vapor in the atmosphere has increased. The temperature, of course, have increased.

These are all very much primary ingredients that support a tornadic storm, a system to spawn tornadoes.

But one element that, with a warmer climate, we've seen data that doesn't really go with this, is that wind shear, or winds going at different speeds, at different altitudes, that's actually decreasing with a warmer planet.

So when you put this together, you see some of the boxes checked, but unlike when you look at droughts, when you look at flooding, when you look at excessive rain events, all of these, just about every single box is checked off, and every single scientist agrees with that. So, it really comes down to kind of getting everything checked off when it comes to these small-scale events that is leading that small disconnect.

But it doesn't mean that it is not related. Certainly, the warmth can exacerbate it, can make these storms stronger. We've seen it with other events. But again, we're just kind of waiting to see more data come in, and certainly, unfortunately, it looks like more storms, and we're seeing more data coming in as a result, very quickly.

VAUSE: And more storms, and like we've seen with hurricanes and cyclones, more destructive power in these storms. What was notable is that debris during these tornadoes was thrown 30,000 feet up into the air. That's the altitude that commercial airlines fly.

And if this is what experts are now saying is a glimpse of the future, this is our new normal, of extreme weather?

JAVAHERI: It's a scary sight. Absolutely. You know, we've seen that with other storms. More radar data is available, more satellite imagery is available. We can dissect these storms and see how high this debris gets within storms.

And of course, it tells a chilling tale when it comes to kind of the widespread coverage of an event that took place just a couple of days ago. And just how expansive that one event was.

But John, there is actually data showing one thing here that's been prevalent over the past 40 years. And it's not necessarily with the number of tornadoes or the intensity of tornadoes, but it's the placement of them. And we've actually seen a shift a little farther towards the east.

The classic area, what is known as Tornado Alley across the plains and the central United States, that has actually gradually shifted towards the east. And we're seeing the results of less moisture, drought centers across that region of the U.S.

And more moisture, essentially, muggier weather across the eastern portion of the U.S. All of this allowing these storms to migrate a little farther towards the east, and unfortunately, we know east of the Mississippi, in the United States, population density is greater. Of course, we see more fatalities as a result of it.

The terrain also a lot more hilly landscapes here, a lot more vegetation. So these storms essentially become skewered, as these systems come across the area.

And you know, basements are less common than in the plain states. So all of this makes this region that much dangerous, John.

VAUSE: Pedram, thank you. We appreciate the update. Pedram Javaheri there, once again at CNN Weather Center. Thank you.

Coming up, Peloton spinning at P.R. problem into a stock-saving solution with a new ad after a shocking death in the "Sex and the City" movie.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) VAUSE: A spoiler alert. Spoiler alert for fans of "Sex and the City."

OK.

Many of you were shocked when the long-awaited reboot killed off the big character, Mr. Big, in the series premiere. But not as shocked as Peloton, whose stock tumbled once the episode was released.

Moments into that first episode, Mr. Big suffers a fatal heart attack after riding a Peloton bike. The surprise twist sent the company's stock plunging down 11 percent, but Peloton quickly reclaimed the narrative, and just like that, he's alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You look great.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE I feel great. Should we take another ride? Life is too short not to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Turning lemons into lemonade, the commercial goes on to explain the health benefits of cycling. Peloton has since recovered some of its losses.

"Sex and the City's" long-awaited reboot airs on HBO Max, which just like CNN, is owned by Warner Media.

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. Please stay with us. WORLD SPORT is up after a short break. I'll see you again at the top of the hour.

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