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New York Tops Single-Day Case Record for Third Straight Day; Cases Triple in L.A. County Within a Week; Major Sports Teams Postpone or Cancel Games; Netherlands Goes Into Lockdown to Curb COVID Spread; White House, Democrats Outraged by Manchin's Decision on Build Back Better Bill; Study: 'U.S. Closer to Civil War' than Many Believe; Gabriel Boric, 35, Wins Chilean Presidency; Chinese Tennis Star Denies She Made Sex Assault Accusation; Israel Adds U.S., Canada, 8 Others to No-Fly List; COVID-19 Has Taken a Toll on Americans' Mental Health. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired December 20, 2021 - 00:00   ET

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

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.

[00:00:31]

And coming up here on CNN NEWSROOM, just days before Christmas and the new year, sobering warnings in the fight against the coronavirus. We have reporters fanned out across the U.S. and abroad.

Plus, we'll examine how close the U.S. is to Civil War. My guess is we're closer than you might think.

And we're live in Chile, where voters have chosen a young leftist to lead the country through challenging times.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: And we begin with the continued threat of the Omicron variant in the U.S. and urgent pleas from top health experts for Americans to get vaccinated and boosted.

And new numbers show why that's important. According to data from the CDC, unvaccinated people are 20 times more likely to die from COVID than people who have been fully vaccinated and boosted.

And yet, only around 30 percent of fully vaccinated Americans, around 60 million people, have gotten a booster dose. Now this comes as the U.S. is heading into what will likely be a brutal winter surge as the new variant spreads across the country.

The Delta variant already driving a surge at COVID cases and hospitalizations, and Omicron will only add fuel to that fire. We're already seeing impact in some areas. Long lines for COVID tests have been forming across New York City as Americans try to balance their holiday plans with COVID safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We need to flood the system with testing. We need to have tests available for anyone who wants them. Particularly, we're in a situation right now where people are going to be gathering even though they are vaccinated and boosted. It is going to be a tough few weeks to months as we get deeper into the winter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: We're also seeing the impact of the later surge in other ways. On Sunday, U.S. senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker both announcing they've tested positive for the virus. Both say they're experiencing only mild symptoms.

We have a team of reporters spread out across the U.S. CNN's Natasha Chen is in Los Angeles, where officials say they've seen COVID cases starting to go up.

Nadia Romero reports from Atlanta on the COVID outbreaks in sports, including the NFL, NBA and NHL. But first to New York, where CNN's Polo Sandoval reports on another record case count for the state.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For three days now, New York state has seen a significant increase in the number of new COVID cases now. In fact, record number of COVID cases confirmed throughout the state here.

We have heard some optimism coming from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday, saying that the bringing back of several of these mitigation efforts, also this increase in numbers, that yes, it is happening right now. It's a new reality. But it is a temporary one.

But when you speak to New Yorkers, there is a concern and fear that things are possibly going to get worse before they get better.

And so we have seen just massive crowds at COVID testing sites throughout New York City, people who are trying to at least secure an appointment to actually get those tests. Some, it is a requirement, as they're going to be traveling soon.

But for many, almost everybody, they want to be tested. They want that extra peace of mind, even though a majority of them are vaccinated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel that a couple of friends that I have that have been vaccinated, did also, like, catch COVID, and I'm scared. So just kind of trying to play it safe for the family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To be safe, you never know. Even if you're vaccinated, you could still get it. So it's better to make sure than be sorry later.

SANDOVAL: As recent as last week, New York City announced a multi- point approach that is going to try to slow the spread. That includes increasing the number of locations where people could get vaccinated and also where people can get tested, and even making those home kits available for those who are not able to actually stand in line for hours at a time.

But the big, big advice, obviously, coming from officials not just here in New York City but throughout the country is for the segment of the population that's not vaccinated to get the shot; if they already did, get boosted; and if you got boosted, get tested.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Los Angeles County Public Health reported quite a rise in number of daily confirmed cases just in the past week.

[00:05:03]

For example, on Tuesday there were about 1,100 positive test cases. But by the weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, both seeing more than 3,500 positive COVID cases.

And on Sunday, that number may even be a bit low because of the lag in weekend reporting. So within just a week's timeframe, we're seeing the tripling of numbers.

In California, overall, the positivity rate is still under 3 percent, which is relatively low compared to some other states. But California health officials did notice a rise in COVID positive cases in the days following the Thanksgiving holiday into early December.

And that's why the state implemented new policies beginning December 15 to last for about a month before those policies are revisited.

There are three important things there. One is that everyone is required to wear a mask indoors across the state. Two is that people are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter a megaevent. Megaevents are defined as either a thousand people indoors or 10,000 people outdoors.

Finally, people traveling into California are recommended to get a COVID test three to five days after they arrive in the state. Already, there are some events being cancelled, just like there are across the country due to positive cases. For example, a UCLA basketball game; even a production "The Christmas Carol" downtown in Los Angeles, because of positive cases in those groups.

Schools, including Stanford, are also transitioning to virtual classes after the winter break is over. Here in Southern California, UCLA, the U.C. system, the Cal State system are saying they will monitor the situation for students after they come back from the winter break.

Back to you.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, normally this time of year would be a great time for sports fans. You've got college hoops, college football, NFL, NHL, NBA. So many things to watch and enjoy. But instead, it feels a lot like the very beginning of COVID-19

pandemic, with so many of those games being postponed and cancelled.

Let's start with basketball. The NBA on Sunday cancelling some of its games Sunday and Monday, postponing those games for a later date because of COVID-19.

And we're talking about big-name superstars in the Brooklyn Nets like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant out.

We're even seeing that when it comes to college basketball, that is. Twenty men's basketball games and 36 women's basketball games cancelled or postponed so far this year.

From the basketball court to the gridiron now. An NFL Saturday double header turned into a single showdown between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.

Three games postponed week 15 of the NFL, because so many players are out on the COVID-19 reserve list. More than 20 players for the Cleveland Browns, for the Rams and the Washington football team.

And the NFL even saying this past weekend that the -- they're having new protocols for asymptomatic fully vaccinated players. They're not going to test them on a regular basis but, instead, moving to a more targeted approach. A big change coming from the NFL.

Now, the NHL made a big announcement on Sunday, saying they'll postpone 30 games between December 18 and December 23. And that includes cross-border games.

So remember, the NHL has teams in Canada and the U.S. And they're citing the concerns over federal restrictions and travel concerns over the border, and that's the news coming out of the NHL this weekend.

Nadia Romero, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now, the surge of the Omicron and Delta variants is forcing European governments to take drastic measures. England's National Health Service has approved plans to treat 15 percent of COVID patients at home in what they're calling virtual wards.

This comes as medical experts warned almost 50,000 healthcare workers in England could be sick with COVID by Christmas day.

Irish health officials say nearly 52 percent of new COVID infections there are the Omicron variant. It's taken less than two weeks for Omicron to become dominant in Ireland.

Germany now requiring its citizens and residents returning from the U.K. to quarantine for two weeks. Germany adding the U.K. to its travel red list on Saturday.

And thousands gathered in Brussels to protest the government's COVID restrictions there. In October, Belgium imposed rules requiring people to show COVID passes to enter bars and restaurants.

Now, while these types of protests continue in parts of Europe, the Netherlands has just imposed one of the toughest lockdowns on the continent. And many of its neighbors may tighten their own measures even further.

CNN's Barbie Nadeau takes a look.

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BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voice-over): A collective sigh in the Netherlands as some of the strictest new COVID-19 measures went into effect on Sunday to try to contain the highly contagious Omicron variant.

[00:10:06]

Acknowledging it's not the Christmas many people wanted, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte urged people to stay at home as much as possible and said non-essential shops will be closed until January 14 and schools shut until at least January 9.

For many it was a frustrating announcement that dashed many holiday plans just days away from Christmas.

This man says, "We've done everything we could. We're fully vaccinated. And in the end, it all goes in the wrong direction."

Before the lockdown went into effect, long lines of shoppers rushed to the stores for some last-minute Christmas shopping. The government also cracking down on how many can attend holiday gatherings.

Only two guests will be allowed in private homes, with the exception of Christmas eve, Christmas day, the day after Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, when four are permitted.

Previous coronavirus measures have been unpopular in the country, with violent protests erupting in November.

This weekend, police clashed with small groups of protesters as thousands of people demonstrated in Brussels. And there were also protests in London, Paris, and in cities in Germany.

But despite the public pressure, many European countries are considering reimposing new COVID-19 restrictions. The threat of Omicron much greater than the pockets of discontent.

Italian media reporting that the government could soon make masks mandatory outdoors and require negative tests for vaccinated people to enter crowded public venues.

Denmark is set to close cinemas, theaters and museums and to limit the amount of people in stores and shops.

One resident said it's a bleak way to end the year. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seeing all the countries, Denmark among them,

slowly starting to shut down -- some of them are even completely shut down -- it's a -- yes, a little bit depressing.

NADEAU: No country wanting a lockdown before Christmas, but Omicron may make further restrictions unavoidable.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Still to come here on the program, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin says he won't vote for the Build Back Better plan, the president's top legislative priority. Details of the swift and angry reaction from Democrats in Washington, that's coming up.

And also, why one American expert on foreign civil wars believes the U.S. might be closer to its own such war, closer than you would like to think. We'll be right back.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can't. I've tried everything humanly possible. I can't get there.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You're done. This is -- this is a no?

MANCHIN: This is a no on this legislation. I have tried everything I know to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: U.S. Senator Manchin there, saying he will not be voting for President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan that would expand the nation's social safety net.

Manchin has long been a key holdout on the legislation, despite months of talks and a sense of optimism from Mr. Biden just last week. His decision has sparked outrage from the White House and other Democrats. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux with the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Senate and the House on recess for the holiday, but the reaction was fast and furious.

Democrats, moderates as well as progressives, are angry, frustrated, disappointed, all tweeting out statements over the weekend regarding this -- this bombshell announcement that was made.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California tweeting that she was infuriated and disappointed that those who would be losing out would be the caregivers. And she said primarily black and brown women, children, the poor, the homeless, not to mention the climate. Many provisions to protect the climate also in that bill.

And at the same time, we heard from Republicans uniformly. Senator John Cornyn describing it as an early Christmas gift, that this was a bill that is reckless and costly.

We have seen this play out for months and months and months now. Senator Manchin at the center of all this, as his colleagues -- progressives and moderates -- have tried to bring him over and convince him -- he is the lone stand-out that they need to pass this legislation -- to in fact, vote for it and see what he would find acceptable.

They started off as a $6 trillion price tag to this. They cut it down to $3 trillion and then about $1.75 trillion. The latest complaint from Manchin was that the child tax credit extended for one year. He said, well, if you extend it for ten years, it will be a lot costlier. And the CBO, the Congressional Budget Office actually scored it as such.

But his Democratic colleagues came back and said, first, the bill you have before you is a one-year extension, not ten. That is a hypothetical.

And secondly, the CBO didn't take into account any kind of revenue- generating mechanisms that might also be proposed and kick in during that period. And so really, they said it really wasn't a valid complaint.

There are some of his colleagues, those who are most angry, most frustrated, who are announcing they don't even believe that Manchin negotiated in good faith.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): I hope that we will bring a strong bill to the floor of the Senate as soon as we can and let Mr. Manchin explain to the people of West Virginia why he doesn't have the guts to stand up to powerful special interest.

If he doesn't have the courage to do the right thing for the working families of West Virginia and America, let him vote no in front of the whole world.

MALVEAUX (voice-over): I spoke with Senator Dick Durbin before they went on recess, and he said -- he joked that, if they went home to eggnog and fruitcake, maybe they'd come back with better attitudes. They'd be able to negotiate.

But he was optimistic that they would strike a deal sometime early next year. And I asked him why, and he said, Well, this is because the American people need this legislation. That they are in desperate need of this.

But clearly, that argument did not hold up for Senator Manchin. And the question now becomes whether or not there is a piece of this bill that could be taken out, a stand-alone portion that perhaps Manchin and even some Republicans would support.

[00:20:12]

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, at the Capitol.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now, the rigid refusal by lawmakers to compromise underscores the disturbing findings of one study on democracy in the U.S. According to a "Washington Post" editorial, data from the Center for Systematic Peace finds the U.S. no longer technically qualifies as a democracy after the Trump administration years. It's somewhere between a democracy and an autocratic state.

Barbara Walter is a professor of international relations at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. She joins me now, and I'm delighted.

I mean, when we look at the research, it's frankly frightening. And you conclude that the U.S. is, quote, "closer to civil war than any of us would like to believe." How close?

BARBARA WALTER, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, SCHOOL OF GLOBAL POLICY AND STRATEGY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO: Well, I've been studying civil wars for the last 30 years across the globe. And in fact, the last four years, I've been on a task force run by the CIA that tries to predict where, outside the United States, a civil war, political violence and instability is like -- likely to break out.

And we actual know now that the two best predictors of whether violence is likely to happen are whether a country is an anocracy, and that's a fancy term for a partial democracy; and whether ethnic entrepreneurs have emerged in a country that are using racial, religious or ethnic divisions to try to gain political power.

And the amazing thing about the United States is that both of these factors currently exist, and they have emerged at a surprisingly fast rate.

HOLMES: What's remarkable is the research isn't based on sentiment. It's based on metrics and markers and signs and facts that the U.S. uses to determine the state of other countries' democracies and proximity to upheaval. So if the U.S. were looking at another country and saw these signs, what would be the U.S. evaluation of that country?

WALTER: The U.S. would look at that country, and we would put that country, likely at risk. The quote unquote, "risk of civil war." The United States is pretty close to being at high risk of civil war.

And once a country is at high risk, the task force puts it on what we call a watch list. Countries that the agency wants to watch very closely, because they believe sometime in the next few years, that country is at high risk of descending into instability or political violence. HOLMES: Wow. You know, I think most Americans automatically assume,

truly believe that democracy is sacrosanct in this country, that the system is solid and safe and impervious. What do you say to them? How do you punch through complacency?

WALTER: What I say to them is we all wish that the United States was a strong democracy. We all see it that way. But the reality is just not true.

The United States has been declining as a democracy for the last five years on every measure. There are multiple different data sets that measure democracy in various different ways. And all of them have showed America in decline.

And in fact, the main measure that the task force uses to predict political violence comes from a data set called the Polity dataset. They have actually classified the United States for the very first time as an anocracy, not a full democracy. Not a partial democracy. Some people call it a hybrid democracy.

Fareed Zakaria has called it an illiberal democracy. But it is certainly not considered on par with countries like Switzerland or Canada or Denmark or Japan.

We are considered -- we are no longer considered the world's longest democracy. That ended in January of 2021.

HOLMES: Can such shifts be easily turned around? I mean, is there a threshold countries cross where you can't go back? And how close is the U.S. to that threshold?

WALTER: One of the things that we know is that countries that experienced one civil war are significantly more likely to experience a second and third civil war.

Political scientists call that the conflict trap. We've done a lot of research on the conflict trap to try to figure out how countries can escape that. The United States has already had one civil war. How can we ensure that it doesn't have a second one?

And we know that the countries that escaped this trap invest in good governance. They double down on democracy. And if they don't do that, those are the countries that tend to experience repeat violence over time.

[00:25:04]

HOLMES: Yes. Yes, as -- as someone I was talking to the other day said, the French probably didn't expect their French Revolution until it happened either.

I'm curious. And we should make clear, I mean, when you've talked about, you know, a civil war, you're not meaning like the old one, where you know, battlefields and things like that. What would it look like? WALTER: Yes. One of the reasons why most Americans can't conceive in

another civil war here in the United States is because they're thinking about the old type of civil war. They're thinking about large armies in gray and blue uniforms meeting each other on battlefields. And that's the 19th Century civil war.

Twenty-first Century civil wars do not look at all like that. They tend to be decentralized. They tend to be fought by lots of small factions, militias, paramilitary groups who use different types of tactics. Insurgency, guerrilla warfare, terrorism.

So if a second civil war happens here in the United States, it's going to look very different from the first. And it's going to look more like a siege of terror. Think about Northern Ireland. Think about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. That's the type of violence we're like to see here in the United States. And that violence can last for decades and be almost equally as destructive.

HOLMES: It's a hard genie to put back in the bottle. It's -- it's scary, but it is a conversation that needs to be had. Because as you say, the ingredients are pretty obvious.

Professor Barbara Walter, I wish we had more time. We do not. Thanks so much.

WALTER: It's my pleasure. Thank you very much.

HOLMES: At 35 years of age, Gabriel Boric will become the youngest president of Chile in modern history. Ahead, reaction for his big win over the far-right candidate, Jose Kast. That's when we come back.

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[00:30:28]

HOLMES: And welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Michael Holmes. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Turning our attention to Chile, where Gabriel Boric's supporters are celebrating his presidential election victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BEEPING HORNS)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: At 35 years of age, the former student activist turned legislator will become the youngest president of Chile since the country's return to democracy in 1990.

Far-right presidential candidate Jose Kast conceded on Sunday evening.

Now Boric will replace the outgoing president, Sebastian Pinera, who is set to leave office in March. The election one of the most polarized in decades and comes amid social unrest in Chile over inequality and political discontent.

CNN's Rafael Romo joins me now live from San Diego, where he's been covering this election. And in the end, Rafael, it was a pretty clear win for the left.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Michael, how are you?

It was clear, and it was quick. And well, less than two hours after polls closed, the losing candidate, Jose Antonio Kast, had already conceded. And shortly thereafter, current President Sebastian Pinera, had reached out to Gabriel Boric, not calling him on the phone, so old-fashioned now, but through a video conference, a video conference call that was televised nationally.

Pinero congratulated Boric and also said he was very proud of the election itself, which had a massive turnout. The challenge now, Michael, is that Boric made a lot of promises that may prove hard to keep, as international analyst Robert Funk told me earlier. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: He made a lot of promises during the campaign. Is he going to be able to deliver?

ROBERT FUNK, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF CHILE: He's going to have a very hard time. You know, he's confronting a deadlocked Congress. He's got a constitutional convention. He's got a very fractious coalition. It's not clear whether the Communist Party is going to play in his coalition, whether the Socialist Party will join or not.

And he's got a difficult economic situation. We're coming out of the pandemic and the economic effects of that. And he's -- as you say, he's made a lot of promises that cost a lot of money. Many of the things coming out of the constitutional convention are, you know, social and political rights are likely to, you know, have an effect on -- on fiscal spending. And so he's going to have a hard time meeting all of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: Well, Michael, more than 8 million people cast their votes Sunday. Boric won with 55 percent of the vote.

But let's not forget that Jose Kast obtained 44 percent and that there are many unhappy people. Boric will face a divided Congress. And legislators on the right who were supporting Kast during the campaign may make Boric's life very difficult once he takes office in March for a four-year term -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right. Great coverage. Rafael Romo there in San Diego. A big day for Chile. Thanks, Rafi.

Well, the Chinese tennis player, Peng Shuai, is walking back allegations about sexual assault in a new interview. We'll have the response from the Women's Tennis Association in a live report from Tokyo, coming up.

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[00:36:55]

HOLMES: The Chinese star Peng Shuai says she never accused anyone of sexual assault. This was in a video to a Singapore newspaper, and it's despite a post on her social media account about being coerced into sex by a former senior Chinese official.

In a video of the interview, she says she's always been free and that there may have been a misunderstanding. There's been global concerns for Peng's well-being and about whether she's being silenced by Chinese authorities.

Selina Wang joins me now live from Tokyo with the latest. Selina, what did she say?

SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Michael, this marks the first time that Peng Shuai has publicly spoken to international media about those sexual assault allegations. And in the interview, she denied the claims.

She was speaking on the sideline of a cross-country skiing even in Shanghai to a Singaporean Chinese-language news outlet called "Lianhe Zaobao."

She said in the video of the interview, quote, "I want to emphasize one thing that is very important -- that I have never spoken or written about anyone sexually assaulting me. This point is very important to be emphasized clearly. In terms of the Weibo post, first of all, it's my personal privacy. There possibly has been a lot of misunderstanding."

And Michael, photos of her at this event were also posted by Chinese state media reporters, including this video of her talking with former Chinese NBA star Yao Ming, talking and smiling there.

Now, in the interview, she also said that she's been living at home in Beijing, and she denied that she's under any kind of surveillance.

But despite this appearance and others, global concern for her safety and wellbeing persist.

This controversy all started after she alleged, in a 1,600-word Weibo post dated November 2 that, in the past, she had been sexually assaulted -- she had experienced sexual assault by a former Chinese vice premier.

That post was quickly censored, and the topic of this allegation, that topic of discussion has been blocked in China's heavily-censored Internet.

After that she disappeared from public view for nearly three weeks. She later appeared in posts and videos and photos from Chinese state media reporters. And the IOC also said that it had two video calls with Peng Shuai, although the video calls have not been made publicly available.

But even after disappearing, the WTA continues to press for an investigation. The WTA said in a statement, quote, "As we have consistently stated, these appearances do not alleviate or address the WTA's significant concerns about her wellbeing and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion. We remain steadfast in our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern."

And Michael, of course, the WTA had said earlier in the month that it would suspend all tournaments in China because of concerns over the treatment of Peng Shuai.

Now, with the winter Olympics in Beijing less than two months away, China has not directly commented on Peng Shuai's initial post. The Chinese foreign ministry has said that it, quote, "opposes the politicization of sport."

[00:40:03]

Chinese authorities have also not acknowledged Peng Shuai's allegations, and there is no indication that an investigation is underway -- Michael.

HOLMES: All right. Selina, thanks. Selina Wang there in Tokyo with the very latest. Appreciate it.

Now a Russian and European space probe may have discovered a surprise permafrost on Mars.

The XO Mars trace gas orbiter found that ground in the central Valles Marineris, the Martian equivalent of the Grand Canyon, was emitting a high level of neutrons. That's something that's typically seen in wetter soil.

The finding suggests that up to 40 percent of the near-surface material in the area could be water. That amounts to an enormous quantity, because Valles Marineris is ten times longer and 20 times wider than the earth's Grand Canyon.

Pretty sure I said that wrong.

Thanks for watching. I appreciate your company. I'm Michael Holmes. WORLD SPORT is coming up next for international viewers. For everyone else here in the United States, I'll be back with more news after the break.

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HOLMES: Returning now to our top story, health experts say the Omicron variant is preparing to rip through the U.S. like wildfire. The Delta variant already fueling a surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations. Experts say Omicron will likely overtake Delta in the coming weeks. That's likely to drive numbers even higher, straining an already overwhelmed healthcare system.

And that's why experts say it's more important than ever for Americans to get vaccinated and boosted.

And new numbers underscore that message. According to data from the CDC, unvaccinated people are 20 times more likely to die from COVID than people who have been fully vaccinated and boosted.

Despite all of that, only 60 million people in the U.S. have gotten a booster shot, and around a quarter of eligible Americans still haven't gotten their first shot.

The U.S. is seeing a jump in air travel, despite increasing COVID cases. The TSA screened more than two million passengers at U.S. airports on Saturday for the third day in a row.

The number of travelers over the past few days is nearly the same as pre-pandemic levels, suggesting Americans aren't canceling holiday travel plans, despite the threat of Omicron.

Israel taking strong measures to slow the spread of the variant as officials warn a fifth wave of COVID has arrived. The U.S., Canada, and eight other countries are being added to Israel's red no-fly list. Journalist Elliott Gotkine with more.

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ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Ten more countries have been added to Israel's red no-fly list. Foremost among them, the United States and Canada but also Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland, and Turkey.

That means Israelis are now barred, or will be barred, once it's fully approved, from flying to those countries. And any Israelis returning from them will have to go into seven days' quarantine, including the first of those in a designated quarantine hotel. They will be released to home isolation after they get a negative PCR test and sign an agreement promising to allow the authorities to track their movements.

Now, the reason that more countries are being added to this red list is to reduce the number of imported cases of Omicron. They account for the majority of the now 175 Omicron cases identified in Israel. The country has a further 380 cases that are highly suspicious of being Omicron.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a news conference on Sunday evening, saying the fifth wave is here and imploring Israelis to get vaccinated, to wear masks, asking them to go back to working from home if they're in the private sector and able to do so. And most importantly, it seems, from the government's perspective, to get children vaccinated. Only about 10 percent of children have been vaccinated since that campaign began a few weeks ago. That's about 140,000 kids.

The government planning to increase ten-fold the number of schools where vaccinations will be able to take place. But I think a sense now of resignation in Israel that the fifth wave

is here, that cases will spike and that the best it can hope for is try to mitigate the number of cases to try to reduce the impact so the country and the economy can remain as open as possible.

Elliott Gotkine, CNN, Tel Aviv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: The pandemic taking more than a physical toll on Americans. A Harris poll survey for the American Psychological Association found more than a third of adults are finding it more stressful to make day- to-day and major life decisions now, compared to before the pandemic.

As U.S. heads into a third year of pandemic living, therapists across the country can't keep up with demand for psychological help. Many are turning away potential patients, including children, who want mental health support. They just don't have the space for the appointments.

"The New York Times" spoke with more than 1,300 mental health professionals who said anxiety and depression were the most common reasons patients sought support.

One in four providers said suicidal thoughts were among the top reasons clients were seeking therapy.

Lakeasha Sullivan is a clinical psychologist. She joins me now from here in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also one of the healthcare professionals that "The New York Times" -- took part in "The New York Times"/"Psychology Today" survey.

Thanks so much for being with us. It was interesting. One of your replies to the survey quotes you saying -- and I'll just read it for people -- "I regularly wished aloud for a mental health version of Dr. Fauci to give daily briefings."

Has enough attention, nearly enough attention been paid to this aspect of the pandemic, the mental health aspect?

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LAKEASHA SULLIVAN, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely not, Michael. You know, at the very beginning of the pandemic, I could see clear trends in terms of emotional functioning, you know, among my patient population.

And it was unfortunate that they -- honestly, I wish they could talk to one another, because at the beginning of the week, you know, there was a theme as if, like, anger for the week or depression, or people were sad and people were exhausted, and they felt so isolated.

And so, you know, at the beginning, it was -- I really, truly wished that there was like a forecast of some sort to let people know, you know, basic emotional, like, processes, like depression often follows anger and things of that nature, to kind of get yourself ready. If you're feeling this, then this may come next. And so -- HOLMES: Preparation, yes. No, I can understand that. One of the worrying aspects -- and there are many -- of this survey is that nearly 1 in 3 clinicians said it could take at least three months to get an appointment, or they didn't have room for any new patients at all. Have you seen that level of demand?

SULLIVAN: Absolutely. Everyone I know in my network is either at capacity or near capacity. And so, you know, it's really unfortunate.

And, you know, my take on it is that, you know, in the short term, of course, we need more clinicians, and we need more mental health services and to have people be able to access those mental health services in affordable ways.

But the long-term solution, I believe, is not necessarily more clinicians. It's really focusing on teaching people -- students would be the great, children on up -- basic emotional -- you know, emotional -- information about emotions.

HOLMES: Yes.

SULLIVAN: So, you know, that people -- so people know what emotion -- like, so people can normalize emotions for themselves.

HOLMES: Right.

SULLIVAN: And so -- yeah.

HOLMES: I was -- as I was reading the study, the survey, it struck me how are therapists coping? Because you all seem to be under it. I mean, you have the workload, the sort of things you're hearing. Who counsels the therapists?

SULLIVAN: Right. Well, you know, most therapists are in therapy, or they have had robust therapy in the past. And so that's a major source of support for therapists.

We also have consultation groups we're part of, and therapists are notorious for saying yes to requests. And so therapists have to -- I think this pandemic really highlighted the -- the need to set boundaries and to engage in self-care and to -- and to be -- to, you know, basically try to protect our careers and ourselves from burnout.

HOLMES: Right. What would be your advice for someone who's watching right now, perhaps feeling overwhelmed, depressed, or whatever, and can't get in to see someone like you? I mean, what would you say to them?

SULLIVAN: Right. Well, you know, I would say that -- so barring really significant symptoms that indicate serious mental illnesses, like that needs -- you know, if someone is experiencing that, they need attention, and they should go to, you know, their private care doctor or urgent care or something like that.

Barring that kind of situation, I would say that people -- it would be very useful if people don't pathologize themselves, that they allow themselves to feel grief and to feel anxious and to feel angry and to feel all those things, as opposed to engaging in behaviors or mental behaviors, even that suppress those emotions because they -- it just makes it worse.

HOLMES: And I want to ask you this, too. I mean, has at least discussion of mental health because of the pandemic at least had the benefit of perhaps destigmatizing the issue a little?

SULLIVAN: Absolutely. Most of my patients are first-timers, and it's a really wonderful thing. And so, you know, the phones are ringing off the hook, you know, so yes.

HOLMES: And also, are you treating people who you may not have seen if not for the pandemic? I guess, has the pandemic exposed underlying issues for people, magnified them, brought them to the surface? Relationships, too much of the kids and so on?

SULLIVAN: Mm-hmm. Absolutely. So one way to think about the, you know, symptoms that people have is that they -- it's called the disaphosous (ph) stress model. I won't really get into it too much, but basically someone could be predisposed to a condition and, faced with a certain environmental stressor, that condition may manifest.

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And so I do believe that some people, because of the stress of the pandemic, are now manifesting issues that they were predisposed to manifest. And so that is a subset.

But I also believe that there are a lot of people who, one, they pathologize their own emotions, normal emotions that humans experience under unnatural and stressful dramatic situations. So they may be pathologizing themselves, so then they're coming to therapy for these reasons.

HOLMES: Yes.

SULLIVAN: And so for that group of people, I don't necessarily think they would have sought therapy. But then again, it's a biased sample. People who seek help are people who tend to seek help when they reach a certain point.

HOLMES: Yes. Such an important issue. Needs to be talked about. And thanks for the work you do. Clinical psychologist Lakeasha Sullivan, thanks so much.

SULLIVAN: Thank you so much, Michael.

HOLMES: Now, if you're thinking about suicide, you're worried about a friend or a loved one, or you would like emotional support, the U.S. National Suicide Hotline is 1-800-273-TALK. Again, that number is 1- 800-273-8255 in the U.S.

And for international resources, head to SAVE.org.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, @HolmesCNN. Do stick around. I'll be back with another hour of news in just a moment.

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