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Experts Warn Omicron Could Overwhelm Hospitals, Germany Restricting Entry From U.K.; Capitol Insurrection Rioter Gets Five- Plus Years In Prison, Longest Sentence Yet; Former Police Officer Kim Potter Takes The Stand In Her Own Defense; Omicron Now Dominant In England; Hong Kong Votes Under China's "Patriots" Only Security Law; Chile To Hold Presidential Runoff; Spreading Holiday Cheer Despite Another Tough Year. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired December 19, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

Whether it's Delta or Omicron, COVID cases are surging across the globe, bringing restrictions and often protests. We'll have the latest from New York and London and Rome.

Voters in Hong Kong head to the polls for their first election under a new system but their options are pretty limited. We'll explain.

And despite 2021 being a tough year in many ways, we'll share stories from around the world about people determined to spread holiday cheer.

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

BRUNHUBER: We begin with the growing threat of the Omicron variant. Cases are rising quickly around the globe less than a month after it was first detected.

In the U.S., experts are warning that Americans could be facing a dark winter, as Omicron collides with the surge of the Delta variant. The country is now averaging more than 125,000 new infections a day. Cases are rising, especially fast in the Northeast, Midwest and South.

But experts say that's mostly being fueled by the Delta variant, not Omicron. That's expected to become the dominant strain in the coming weeks. But CDC numbers show that Omicron accounts for just around 3 percent of new cases.

U.S. hospitals are already feeling the impact. Around 69,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with the virus. And experts say Omicron is only likely to make things worse, putting more strain on an already overwhelmed health care system.

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DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: The sheer number of patients that it will still generate for hospitals will overwhelm our hospitals and our hospitals will no longer be able to care for the things we do every day, like taking care of heart attacks or strokes or people with appendicitis.

So we need to protect our health care system and that's why every American needs to mask up and vax up right now because our health care infrastructure is at stake right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: New York just broke a troubling COVID-19 record for the second consecutive day. The state is reporting more new cases than it did at the start of the Pacific. CNN's Polo Sandoval explains.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: New York state reported its highest COVID-19 case count so far. Earlier this week, about 21,000 cases. In New York City, the health commissioner saying they've seen a tripling of new COVID-19 cases just in the last month alone.

They're calling on people to take steps to protect not only themselves but others, because they've noticed two key indicators, the seven-day average that topped about 120,000 cases across the country and also the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations across the country, exceeding 68,000.

That's really why authorities are hoping that people take those steps like getting vaccinated, boosted and tested to lighten the load on so many health care workers. They have been at it already for quite some time.

When it comes to getting tested, we've seen a high interest of people, long lines at facilities throughout the city. In fact early Saturday morning, outside this urgent care clinic, people hoping to get an appointment to come in and get tested to make sure it's safe to gather with loved ones for Christmas.

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RAISSA DORFF, NEW YORK CITY RESIDENT: Because I've been potentially exposed, I've had friends -- or I had a niece that was going to come up here to visit. And we canceled that.

I had friends that were like, oh, let's have a little gathering. And I already got texts saying, maybe next year.

BRIAN MOSLEY, NEW YORK CITY RESIDENT: I'm not too worried because I got the booster shot. I'm just about to travel, so it's a requirement to get the test.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: There are also the disruptions. Here in New York City alone, with Broadway already canceling several of their performances, those were sporadic cancellations that were announced after several of the cast and crew experienced those breakthrough cases.

And then, of course, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular that is obviously extremely popular, they canceled the rest of their performances for the rest of the season.

You hear from many New Yorkers there's a sense of deja vu with these kinds of closures and cancellations, only this time people counting on the additional protection of the vaccines -- Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And in a possible sign of what may be in store for the U.S., a short time ago, the British health secretary reported that Omicron is now the dominant strain in England.

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BRUNHUBER: That came after the U.K. reported more than 90,000 new COVID cases for the second day in a row.

And now Germany is adding the United Kingdom to its list of area with variants of concern. Only German citizens or residents will be allowed to enter Germany from the U.K. For more on all of this, I'm joined by Scott McLean in London.

Scott, the situation in the U.K. seems to be getting worse even quicker than many expected.

What's the latest?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Kim, you mentioned the health secretary speaking this morning. And that 90,000 number, he made clear, that is likely only the tip of the iceberg, because many people likely won't get tested.

And because of lags in reporting the actual data, health officials in this country believe that the true number of people infected is likely much, much higher than that 90,000 number, possibly in the hundreds of thousands per day.

The health secretary also called on the 5 million, 6 million or so British people, who have refused to get any kind of vaccination, saying that, look, you are putting your fellow citizens in danger by taking up hospital beds, badly needed hospital beds.

He said that about nine out of 10 of the sickest people in hospital right now are currently unvaccinated. Yesterday, we know that the prime minister, Boris Johnson, met with his top cabinet secretaries and top civil servants to decide on what to do next. There has been some talk in this country about a two-week circuit

breaker lockdown. This morning, the health secretary seemed to dismiss that but said that, look, obviously, the health authorities are recommending that something more be done beyond what's in place right now, if the U.K. wants to avoid getting near-peak levels of daily hospitalizations.

That would involve really cutting down on social contacts and closing the places where those contacts are most likely to occur. We're talking places presumably like night clubs, restaurants, bars, that kind of a thing.

It seems, though, Kim, that the prime minister is taking this more wait-and-see approach, because, at least on paper, we haven't seen hospitalizations, people on ventilators, really changing significantly over the last couple of days.

But in places where Omicron is most present, we know, for instance, London is one of those places, they have seen a spike in hospitalizations, up about 30 percent over the last week, according to the London mayor.

And that is why he just yesterday declared this a major incident, allowing emergency services to access greater resources to deal with their staffing challenges of people calling in sick.

This major incident status, Kim, is the kind of thing that's usually, under normal circumstances, reserved for the aftermath of terror attacks or other kind of large-scale disasters.

BRUNHUBER: That shows you how serious they're taking this. Scott McLean, thanks so much.

And the rapid surge in Omicron cases in the U.K. is also putting a strain on the country's health care system.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Joining us now is Dr. Simon Walsh, who's the deputy chair of the British Medical Association Consultants' Committee. He's also an emergency medicine doctor in London.

Thank you so much, Doctor, for joining us. The predictions and modeling from the government scientists about the number of cases and deaths due to Omicron are pretty sobering.

But already, I mean, I was reading about ambulances stuck, waiting in lineups, hospital patients waiting for hours and hours on gurneys. So paint me a picture of what you're seeing now across your hospitals.

DR. SIMON WALSH, DEPUTY CHAIR, CONSULTANTS COMMITTEE, BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: Good morning, Kim.

So, yes, that description is a pretty accurate one of the situation. The problem is, we are just at the beginning of this anticipated, really large surge in Omicron cases, of the pandemic. But we're starting from a point where the NHS is already under massive

pressure. You're seeing queues of ambulances outside of hospitals at the peak times of activity. So the system itself is overpressurized.

Staff have been working really hard to try to free up capacity but also to continue doing the non-emergency work, because, of course, the waiting lists for that work are longer than ever.

But it's really worrying, what we're hearing from the experts, the scientists who have modeled the spread of the pandemic. And what we're seeing now, in London, which is the beginning of that, is that the rise in cases is massive.

It's doubling every two days, as we've heard. And those cases are now already in London, leading to a rise in hospitalizations, which we expect will continue across the U.K.

And it's difficult to see how, without further measures from the government at this point, to reduce the spread, how the system is -- and the staff are working their best and being able to manage that.

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BRUNHUBER: Yes, I do want to get to what the government can do about this. But you touched on the staff and issued a fairly dire warning. You said this winter is going to be the most difficult those working on the front line have ever faced.

Why is that?

Is that because so many are getting sick?

WALSH: Yes, that's one of the aspects of it, is that the rate of sickness, due to COVID-19, of course, is increasing. And health care workers, you know, like the rest of the population, are susceptible to the spread through the population.

Obviously, it's really important that health care workers are protected in the workplace from being infected by the patients that they're caring for.

And that's one of the things that we at BMA have been really pushing for improvements on, in terms of more widespread use of respiratory protective equipment, the high-grade masks, which offer protection from the virus, as it's spread through aerosol particles in the air.

So there's a -- the staffing crisis is part of the pandemic itself. Of course, staff are also, at this time of year, it's a difficult time of year for a staff anyway, because we have all of the normal, other winter viruses and illnesses that tend to increase sickness at any time of the year.

So the sort of staffing is one aspect of it. The other aspect is the fact that our hospitals are already flat-out at full capacity, trying to catch up with the waiting lists, which are bigger than ever. And now we've got the additional impact of the rising cases coming into hospital in London already, which will be continuing throughout the U.K.

BRUNHUBER: So let's get to what can be done to mitigate this. We've seen some countries now, like the Netherlands, locking down again. Boris Johnson has promised that that won't happen.

Is that a mistake?

WALSH: Well, unfortunately, when we've looked back at previous waves, what we've seen is that the interventions to limit spread have come too late to have their best effect.

And what all the scientific experts are saying, very clearly, even the SAGE committee advising the government, they are indicating that we need to limit the spread now. And it's difficult to get away the fact if this wasn't happening around Christmas, then it would seem very surprising that that weren't measures that were put in place right now to stop that spread.

If we do put in what people call a circuit breaker, too late to stage, which is likely to be the case from what we're hearing, then it doesn't have the effect that it needs to have, which is to stop that massive spike in cases all at one time, which has the potential to overwhelm the health care system.

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BRUNHUBER: We only have -- sorry, we only have one minute left. But I just want to get to this. What happens in the U.K. usually ends up happening here in the U.S. We tend to be a few weeks behind.

So what you're seeing now in U.K., do you think that we're getting a preview of things to come here?

WALSH: Yes, I mean, it's difficult to take modeling from one nation to another, because there are so many differences. But clearly, what we do know about this virus, it spreads very rapidly. We're seeing indicators that it does increase hospitalizations, which we expect it to do.

We don't know how many of those turn into intensive care admissions. But it would be very surprising if the same pattern wasn't followed in other nations. It's just the timing of that, that's difficult to be clear about.

BRUNHUBER: Very ominous indeed. Thank you so much for talking to us, Dr. Simon Walsh, really appreciate your time.

All right. Coming up next, the harshest sentence yet in last January's Capitol riot could signal the fate awaiting more than 100 other people facing similar charges.

Plus, jurors will soon get to decide the fate of a former Minnesota police officer, charged in the death of a Black man during a traffic stop. We'll revisit some of the emotional testimony, coming up.

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BRUNHUBER: A rioter who attacked Capitol Police on January 6th has been given the longest prison sentence yet, more than five years. Robert Scott Palmer, wearing a stars and stripes jacket, was seen attacking officers with a fire extinguisher, a wooden plank and a pole.

The tough sentence could become a benchmark for over 140 other people, who have also been charged with assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon.

The House committee investigating the insurrection is compiling a picture of what was happening at the Trump White House, both before and during the riot, including text messages from then Trump chief of staff, Mark Meadows.

CNN spoke with one Capitol Hill officer about private texts, urging Trump to call off his supporters, while those same people were publicly downplaying the riot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OFFICER HARRY DUNN, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: You know, while we were going through that day, I really wasn't thinking about, where is the backup?

My concern was survive and make it home to my family. I was -- it never occurred to me that it would be an issue with getting help to officers that needed it. And seeing those text messages, I wish I could say I was surprised. But I'm not.

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BRUNHUBER: Closing arguments are set to begin Monday in the trial of the former police officer charged in the killing of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop earlier this year. The defense rested its case on Friday after Kim Potter took the stand in a day of emotional testimony. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus has more.

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KIM POTTER, DEFENDANT: I'm sorry it happened.

ERIN ELDRIDGE, MINNESOTA ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: You didn't plan to use deadly force that day, did you?

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POTTER: No.

ELDRIDGE: Because you knew that deadly force was unreasonable and unwarranted in those circumstances? POTTER: I don't want to hurt anybody.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under cross examination by the prosecution, former Minnesota police officer, Kim Potter, wept.

ELDRIDGE: You stopped doing your job completely. You didn't communicate what happened over the radio, right?

POTTER: No.

ELDRIDGE: You didn't make sure any officers knew what you had just done right?

POTTER: No.

ELDRIDGE: You didn't run down the street and try to save Daunte Wright's life, did you?

POTTER: No.

ELDRIDGE: You didn't check on the other car that had been hit, did you?

POTTER: No.

ELDRIDGE: You were focused on what you had done because you had just killed somebody.

POTTER: I'm sorry it happened.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Breaking down on the stand while testifying in her own defense about the day she shot and killed Daunte Wright?

POTTER: We're struggling. We're trying to keep him from driving away. It's just, it just went chaotic. And then I remember yelling, Taser, Taser, Taser and nothing happened. And then he told me, I shot him.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Back in April, life shifted in seconds.

POTTER: I just shot him.

EARL GRAY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Do you actually remember what you said, I guess is my question not withheld from a video.

POTTER: I don't remember what I said.

BROADDUS (voice-over): But in officer's body camera capturing her response.

POTTER: No, just let me kill myself, please.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Potter testifying today she never fired her gun or Taser in the field before this incident.

ELDRIDGE: You have drawn your Taser and not fired it in your 26-year career.

POTTER: Yes.

BROADDUS (voice-over): The prosecution continuing to challenge.

ELDRIDGE: You never saw a weapon on Mr. Wright, did you?

POTTER: No.

ELDRIDGE: Never saw gun.

POTTER: No.

ELDRIDGE: He never threw a punch.

POTTER: No.

BROADDUS (voice-over): The prosecutor also focusing in on her Taser training and decades of experience.

ELDRIDGE: These items look different, don't they?

POTTER: Yes.

ELDRIDGE: The Taser is yellow, right?

POTTER: Yes.

ELDRIDGE: The firearm is Black, correct?

POTTER: Yes.

ELDRIDGE: And you've been trained on Taser since 2002, correct?

BROADDUS (voice-over): Potter's defense attorney asking about the aftermath of the shooting. Potter testified she sold her family home and moved out of the state.

GRAY: Have you been in therapy?

POTTER: Yes.

GRAY: You still work as a police officer there?

POTTER: No.

GRAY: Why did you quit?

POTTER: There was so much bad things happening. I didn't want my coworkers and I didn't want anything bad to happen to the city.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Potter is facing first and second degree manslaughter charges. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Just ahead on CNN, the U.S. vice president is coming under

scrutiny over remarks she made about the Delta and Omicron variants. We'll look at what she said and how the White House is responding.

And Hong Kong holds its first election under strict new laws that gives the government greater power to vet candidates. Now some pro- democracy activists are calling for a boycott. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

Back to our top story. In the U.S., the Omicron variant threatens to send an already dangerous surge into overdrive. The country is already seeing spikes in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. But experts say it's the Delta variant, not Omicron, that's driving the current surge.

Omicron is expected to become the dominant strain in the coming weeks. Hospitals are stretched thin and one expert warns there's a tsunami coming for unvaccinated people.

Meanwhile, some countries have already reached the tipping point less than a month after Omicron was first identified. A short time ago, the U.K. health secretary reported that Omicron is now the dominant strain in England.

Now the U.K. isn't alone in battling surging COVID infections. The countries across Europe are taking distraction action in an attempt to control the spread and some of those measures are being met with anger in the streets. So for more on this, let's turn to CNN contributor, Barbie Nadeau.

And Barbie, let's start with the Netherlands, going into lockdown yet again.

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. You know, just less than a week before Christmas, now everyone in the Netherlands told that they cannot have more than four people over to their homes during the holidays and limited to two people when it's not actually the Christmas Day or New Year's Day.

And that's very dreadful for those people. People had plans made. Now it's just back to where it was last year at this time. And people are angry about it, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: You know, do you get a sense that there's more and more backlash to these restrictions?

We seem to be seeing more protests.

NADEAU: That's right, there are protests. And right now, the protests have been mainly the anti-vaccination people, because they're the people who have been targeted. Those that have a vaccine across Europe are now very limited to what they can do.

But when you look at a case like the Netherlands, too, everyone's locked down. It's not just those people that aren't vaccinated. So the anger, of course, spreads. When these people gather, they're spreading the virus, especially those people who haven't been vaccinated yet.

And we are expecting, as people clamp down, governments clamp down, that the anger is just going to rise ahead of this second Christmas season, very much like last year's, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: But it's not just anger, right?

It's sadness, because, one by one, the holiday festivities and New Year's events all seem to be getting canceled, including where you are, right, in Rome?

NADEAU: That's right. They've canceled a big concert here in the center of Rome, fireworks in Paris. Last Christmas was supposed to be one of -- you know, a one-off, a Christmas like no other, a holiday season like no other.

And this year is just the same. Despite the fact that there are vaccines and despite the fact that a lot of people are vaccinated, it just doesn't seem to be getting better. And people are not looking forward to another holiday season like last year's.

BRUNHUBER: Understandably. Barbie Nadeau, thanks so much.

Earlier, I spoke with Dr. James Lawler, an infectious disease specialist, about the Omicron variant. He says the U.S. has just a short period of time to stem a wave of new infections.

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BRUNHUBER: I asked him what specific actions have to be taken now to curb the spread. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. JAMES LAWLER, CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GLOBAL CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY, UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER: Well, I think there are a number of things that can be done and need to be done. First of all, obviously pulling out all stops on vaccinations, especially trying to get folks who have not yet been vaccinated to at least get a primary series.

Getting boosters into folks who have not yet been boosted. But we need to do more to step up non-pharmaceutical interventions, those things we had and we effectively used before we had access to vaccines.

That's things like wearing face masks indoors. In the U.S., certainly mandatory face mask ordinances and a number of state and local areas had a significant impact. Also limiting large indoor gatherings and attempting to contain and control spread in congregate environments, such as schools.

Fortunately, schools are now getting out for the holiday break. But certainly we need to plan for what's going to happen in January, when schools go back in session.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Many of those decisions are made at the -- you know, at the local or state level.

But I want to look, you know, nationally here. The White House press secretary tweeted that we are prepared for the rising case levels and POTUS will detail how we will respond to this challenge. So President Biden will be giving an Omicron-focused speech this Tuesday.

What are you hoping to hear from him?

And what concrete steps are you hoping he will take at a national level?

LAWLER: Right. Well, I don't share that optimism that we're prepared. But I think there are some steps that we can take.

And again, first of all, doing everything we can to increase vaccination, ramping up non-pharmaceutical interventions, including using all of the levers that we have, to create mandatory wearing of face masks indoors, reducing large gatherings.

One thing that the federal government can do is to provide significant support for testing, to be able to get testing resources where we need them. That's going to be hard to do in a matter of weeks. Some of it will take longer.

But the old saying, when's the best time to plant a tree?

Twenty years ago. But the second best time is today. And the second best time to get testing improved is starting today. And I think there are a number of things that can be done with financial incentives to help businesses and other parts of our community that would be impacted by ramping up non-pharmaceutical interventions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And our thanks to Dr. James Lawler for his insights there.

U.S. President Joe Biden will address public concerns about the Omicron variant in a speech on Tuesday. And the White House is clarifying remarks made by Vice President Kamala Harris about mutations like the Omicron and Delta variants. CNN's Joe Johns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: In a departure from a continuing message from the White House on COVID, Vice President Kamala Harris conceding in a wide ranging interview with the "Los Angeles Times," that the administration did not anticipate the Omicron and Delta variants.

Here's a quote, "We didn't see Delta coming and I think most scientists did not, upon whose advice and direction we have relied, didn't see Delta coming. We didn't see Omicron coming. And that's the nature of what this awful virus has been, which, as it turns out, has mutations and variants."

A White House official also clarifying to CNN that the administration was aware of variants in general and that's the reason for masking as well as encouraging the public to get vaccinated.

On Saturday, the White House press secretary announced on Twitter that President Biden will give a COVID speech on Tuesday that will include a stark warning to Americans who have not gotten vaccinated -- Joe Johns, CNN, at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Voters in Hong Kong are casting their ballots in the first city-wide election since China imposed a sweeping national security law last year. Under the new rules, a committee has to vet all candidates to make sure that only so-called "patriots" are running for office, a move that further tightens China's grasp on Hong Kong.

CNN's Will Ripley reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Election Day Hong Kong: what a difference two years makes. In 2019, voter lines around the block. A landslide victory for pro-democracy parties. In 2021, those parties and most of their candidates absent, just like many Hong Kong voters.

The crowds at this polling site Sunday, mainly media covering Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, arriving early to cast her vote.

[05:35:00]

RIPLEY (voice-over): Lam telling Chinese state media, "Low voter turnout could be a sign the government is doing a good job."

This is Hong Kong's first general election since China imposed major voting reforms, new mechanisms to vet candidates, making sure only so- called "patriots," those loyal to Beijing, can run.

Those reforms and a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing in the wake of 2019's pro-democracy protests, erasing many of Hong Kong's freedoms, promised for 50 years under "One Country, Two Systems."

Pro-democracy activist and former Hong Kong legislator Nathan Law now living in exile in London. He calls this weekend's vote, "a selection," not an election. NATHAN LAW, ACTIVIST AND FORMER HONG KONG LAWMAKER: It's impossible

for us to get into the race. So I think it's really clear for all of us that this is just not an ordinary or not a free and fair election. It's just a selection process by Beijing. And they're putting on a show.

RIPLEY (voice-over): A show, Law says, is part of Beijing's bigger plan: to make Hong Kong just like any other Chinese city, ruled by an authoritarian government, dissenting voices silenced, either in exile or in jail.

LAW: We've lost our autonomy, freedom.

RIPLEY (voice-over): City leaders condemning activist calls to boycott the election or cast blank votes in protest. Pro-Beijing legislator Michael Tien says Hong Kong's election is legitimate.

MICHAEL TIEN, PRO-BEIJING LEGISLATOR: The competition is keen understand that everybody wants to have the highest number of votes.

RIPLEY (voice-over): He echoes China's criticism of American democracy.

TIEN: Chinese think that the Western system is blind democracy, it leads to people who, at the end, defy election result anyway, like Donald Trump.

So they say, what's the difference?

RIPLEY (voice-over): The difference at these polling stations is clear: democracy on China's terms means many Hong Kong voters simply don't show up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: In the coming hours, voters in Chile face a stark choice between far-right conservative Jose Antonio Kast and leftist Gabriel Boric in a presidential runoff election. CNN's Rafael Romo is following the race and shows us how the two men are at odds over gay marriage and other big issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SR. LATIN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): It's a signature that would have been unthinkable only a decade ago. Conservative president Sebastian Pinera, who for many years opposed it, signed the law earlier this month that allows same-sex couples to marry and adopt.

"True freedom," he said, "is built by acknowledging that we are all equal when it comes to dignity and that it should include the freedom to love."

The new law gives spousal benefits to couples who are part of civil unions, like Evelyn Morales (ph) and Jacqueline Bies (ph).

What does the law mean to you?

"If anything happens to me, I know my baby will be taken care of," Morales (ph) says.

Bies (ph) can now legally adopt the couple's child and get parental rights. But Chile's national debate about same-sex couples is far from over. It's one of several contentious issues driving voters, as the South American country gets ready to hold a runoff election on Sunday.

"Love shouldn't have borders or restrictions," says Gabriel Boric, a 35-year-old leftist presidential candidate, who says, if he wins, he'll fight to preserve the rights of the LGBTQ community.

His right-wing rival, Jose Antonio Kast, says that while he respects the rule of law, he believes marriage should be between a man and woman.

Chile is still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed nearly 40,000 people in the country of 19 million. And in the fall of 2019, the country was also rocked by a series of deadly protests over economic inequality.

ROBERT FUNK, UNIVERSITY OF CHILE: What we've seen in this election campaign is that one of the main factors has been fear. On the one hand, we have fear of violence, fear of crime, fear of more violent protests. And on the other hand, on the side of Boric and his voters, there's fear of a kind of authoritarian regression.

ROMO (voice-over): The country, Funk says, is as polarized as it's ever been, which explains why, out of a field of seven, voters chose two candidates from the extreme right and left to advance to the runoff election.

ROMO: Regardless of who wins the election, this will be the first time since Chile's return to democracy in 1990 that the next president won't come from the traditional parties.

[05:40:00]

ROMO: The winner of Sunday's runoff election will take office in March, replacing current president Sebastian Pinera here at the presidential palace for a four-year term.

ROMO (voice-over): The choice is between freedom and communism, says right-wing candidate Kast. Boric, his leftist rival, says voting for Kast is like asking to return to the 1970s' repressive dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Chilean voters will face a tough choice at the polls between two extremes on Sunday -- Rafael Romo, CNN, Santiago.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: People on opposite sides of the U.S. have more rain and snow coming their way. We'll have the weather forecast for today.

And Tiger Woods is back. The sports legend is returning to the competitive golf world alongside a very special teammate. We'll have details after the break. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: These are some of the latest images from the Philippines a day after Typhoon Rai moved out of the area. Local officials say the storm left at least 75 people dead, even though the National Emergency Agency still keeps the death toll at 31.

Rai pummeled the Philippines for three days, bringing winds of more than 180 miles an hour at one point. The storm forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and left widespread damage.

The U.S. Senate minority leader is vowing to stand by his home state of Kentucky, following deadly storms that devastated the region. Mitch McConnell surveyed the damage from last week's historic tornadoes, while visiting a series of disaster zones on Saturday.

More than 70 people died in Kentucky. McConnell says he plans to be there for his state, no matter how long the recovery takes.

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SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: We want to stay with you for the long haul, because I know there's always a lot of attention in the beginning and then it begins to subside, as people forget and move on.

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MCCONNELL: We're going to stick with this until we completely recover. It's going to take a while with a devastating tornado like this. What we say to everybody, we're not going to lose interest in this in the next few weeks.

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BRUNHUBER: From homes to theaters and churches, more than 1,000 properties were destroyed statewide. The cost of the damage is yet to be determined but it could easily end up being the most expensive tornado outbreak that the U.S. has ever seen.

Mother Nature will wrap up the weekend with rain and snow on two opposite sides of the U.S.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, 'tis the holiday season. After the break, we'll go around the world, meeting people who are determined to spread holiday cheer, despite a really tough 2021. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The rapid rise of COVID cases in the U.S. prompted another New York institution to shut down most of its production.

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KEENAN THOMPSON, COMEDIAN AND ACTOR: Where's everybody?

PAUL RUDD, COMEDIAN AND ACTOR: Keenan, haven't you heard?

THOMPSON: Heard what?

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Just hours before airtime, "Saturday Night Live" announced it was closing the studio to a live audience. Most of the team were sent home, although actors Tom Hanks, Tina Fey, Paul Rudd and a few others carried on in the empty studio. The show consisted of best-of clips and new sketches taped earlier this week.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, 2021 will be remembered for lots of things: the never-ending pandemic, the angry volcano, deadly tornadoes, Afghanistan. Yet around the world, people are showing their inner strength, doing their best to recover and spread a little bit of holiday cheer. CNN's Al Goodman has more.

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AL GOODMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the end of another hard year, the festive lights in New York City are a soothing sight. The gift many of us wanted, a return to our normal lives and the vanquishing of COVID-19 is still elusive.

And even though it may be a struggle for some to see, there's something to celebrate this year: our resilience. Traditions may be altered but, in many places, go on, like taking the children to see Santa Claus.

In this winter wonderland in Finland, there is no sitting on Santa's lap and no whispering in his ear. Mom and Dad will just have to be in on that little secret. But Santa has a wish, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been hearing varying news around the globe about well-being and coping of children and young people.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now it's time to turn this virus into plenty of goodwill. GOODMAN (voice-over): People around the world are finding ways to make

the season a little brighter, like this Santa in Peru, visiting children infected with COVID-19. Wearing a mask, Santa didn't come down the chimney but delivered presents instead through open windows, with the help of a fire truck.

Migrant children strike a pinata at a shelter in Tijuana, a little holiday cheer as families gather together for a religious festival to commemorate Mary and Joseph's search for shelter before the birth of Jesus, a quest close to the heart of many people here, who have been stuck in this border town for months, while they wait for their permits to enter the U.S.

A volcano blotted out the livelihoods of many residents of Spain's La Palma island. Thousands were forced to evacuate as rivers of lava incinerated houses, buildings and farms. One church said it will rise above the ashes and has even incorporated them into its nativity scene.

RUBEN LOPEZ, VULCANOLOGIST: To the church closers (ph), to the volcano, we wanted to make them have a smile.

GOODMAN (voice-over): People in Kentucky are still trying to come to terms with the devastation caused by tornadoes that obliterated entire neighborhoods and killed dozens. One woman says she may have lost her house but will keep a promise made to her daughter.

GINNY WATTS, TORNADO SURVIVOR: I tell her, baby, we're going to have Santa Claus wherever we're at. You know, he's coming to visit. And we'll do the best we can.

GOODMAN (voice-over): Doing the best we can when things seem to be at their worse, maybe that's the true spirit of the season -- Al Goodman, CNN.

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BRUNHUBER: That's all for CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. If you're in the U.S. or Canada, CNN "NEW DAY WEEKEND" is next. For everyone else, it's "LIVING GOLF."