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Aired December 21, 2021 - 02:30:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:37]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (on camera): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM and I'm Rosemary Church.
CHURCH (voice-over): Just ahead, long testing lines, mask mandates and professional sports teams hitting the pause button. Coronavirus deja vu across the United States.
A cold, cold winter for Democrats, Joe Biden's approval rating dips as Capitol Hill prepares for battle over Build Back Better. And jury deliberations begin in the trial over Daunte Wright's death. The defense's strategy for exonerating former police officer Kim Potter.
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH (on camera): Good to have you with us.
More fears of an omicron takeover are becoming a reality in the United States. On Monday, the CDC announced the highly contagious variant now accounts for more than 73 percent of new cases.
CHURCH (voice-over): Omicron has been detected in all but two U.S. states and it's even more prevalent in parts of the Southeast and Northwest. The variants rapid spread comes during the busy holiday season, straining the country's testing capacity.
Some states are now deploying the National Guard to assist and military teams are being sent to support overwhelmed hospitals in hard hit areas.
Meanwhile, the U.S. president Joe Biden will deliver a marks on the Omicron variant in the coming hours. The variant is also leading to a wave of new restrictions across Europe.
On Monday, London became the latest city to cancel its New Year's Eve celebrations. Experts say vaccinations and boosters are the best way to stay protected.
Yet, millions of Americans are still refusing to get the shot. Here is Dr. Anthony Fauci's message for them. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: That might be fine for you because you have confidence that you're not going to get seriously ill, which quite frankly, hospitals are full of people who made that mistake.
And so our graveyards full of people that have made that mistake.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And CNN is covering the pandemic with correspondents and resources positioned around the globe. We have reports this hour from Athena Jones in New York, Nada Bashir and Scott McLean in London, and Selina Wang in Tokyo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FAUCI: It is going to be a tough few weeks to months, as we get deeper into the winter.
ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): America, racing for a tough winter. That's beginning to look a lot like last winter.
FAUCI: This virus is extraordinary. It has a doubling time of anywhere from two to three days. It's going to take over.
DR. FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: We know that it's very contagious. You saw what happened in South Africa, initially, then, in Europe, and now in the U.S. It's doubling about every two to four days. And we're going to see that number of cases go up pretty steeply over the course of the next couple of weeks,
JONES: The U.S. now averaging about 1,200 deaths a day, and 130,000 new COVID-19 cases a day. That figure up 10 percent from a week ago. Hospitalizations nationwide, up 35 percent over last month, and Intensive Care Unit beds nearly 80 percent full. Cases rising much faster in parts of the Midwest, the South and the Northeast.
New York setting a record for new cases for the third day in a row on Sunday. New York City, an early epicenter of the pandemic seeing a spike in cases official sees being driven by Omicron.
BILL DE BLASIO, MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: We have to move faster. That's why we're focusing even more on vaccination. And we do know that vaccination helps address Omicron.
JONES: Still undecided on whether crowds will fill Time Square for New Year's Eve. As new COVID infections have upended the worlds of sports, entertainment, and education in recent days.
Forcing "Saturday Night Live" to cancel its live studio audience. The NBA, NHL, and NFL also postponing games due to COVID issues. And schools like Harvard University, moving graduate and professional schools to online classes for the first three weeks of January.
[02:05:03]
JONES: COVID striking Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and members of Congress. With Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, and Colorado Congressman Jason Crow, all testing positive for the virus. Health workers and government officials increasingly focused on boosters.
BILL MANNS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BRONSON HEALTHCARE: We see that those who are vaccinated, those who received their booster aren't coming into the hospital at the same rates.
JONES: Moderna today announcing preliminary data shows its half dose booster shot, increased antibody levels against Omicron. Noting that a larger size dose, raise them even more. The company says it's working on variant specific boosters as well.
MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AND POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: Right now, you need that third dose. I wish we stopped calling it a booster. It's a three dose vaccine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES (on camera): And with doctors reminding us that basic mitigation measures like masking can help slow the spread of COVID, Washington, D.C.'s mayor is reinstating an indoor citywide mask order after lifting it only a few weeks ago.
The district is to seeing its highest daily coronavirus case count since the pandemic began. This new measure goes into effect Tuesday and lasts until the end of January.
Athena Jones, CNN, New York.
CHURCH: So, let's bring in Dr. Eric Topol. He is a cardiologist and professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research.
CHURCH (on camera): He joins me now from La Jolla, in California. Thank you, doctor, for all that you do and for talking with us.
ERIC TOPOL, PROFESSOR OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE, SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Thank you, Rosemary. Great to be with you again.
CHURCH: Thank you.
Now, the Omicron is now the dominant coronavirus variant in the United States, making up 73 percent of all new cases. What does that tell you about this variant and what lies ahead considering less than 20 percent of Americans have that third COVID shot to protect them?
TOPOL: That's right. So, this shot up exceptionally quickly, you know, is just over 12 percent and in a week, and that, that 73 percent is a couple of days ago. So, it is very dominant stream, it will take over for Delta very shortly.
And the problem is that our vaccines don't work nearly as well for Omicron as they did for Delta. So, without the boost, the effectiveness is down in the 30 percent. It shoots up to about 75 percent to protect against infection with the booster third shot.
So, that's why we really need to get those percentages of third shots up as high as we can.
CHURCH: Right. And, of course, we seem to -- we know that this is more contagious. We don't know for sure if this is more severe or less severe. But how much do you worry that this Omicron variant along with Delta could overwhelm the healthcare system in this country in the next few weeks and months?
TOPOL: Right. Well, it's already overwhelmed in the U.S. in many places. And that's just the Delta side. As you say, Rosemary, we don't know the severity. But overall, the picture around the world where it's hit at South Africa, in the U.K., and Denmark, Norway, it's a more-mild picture.
But the problem is we don't know how more mild or less severe it is. We know there's been deaths. There's been deaths in all those countries, including the U.S. now from Omicron. And many hospitalizations.
So, it's really the unsettled question right now we know why it would be less severe, because we have this immunity wall, and the vaccinations and the boosters and the prior COVID. And there's also some intrinsic activity that are hints about this virus that would make it less severe. But still, there are an untold number of people who will be very severely ill.
CHURCH: And Dr., why do you think it is that it's still a struggle to get tested in this country, particularly, at a time when people plan to be with their family members, some of them vulnerable.
Now, admittedly, that means more people are getting out to get tested. But this country isn't able to keep up with that. And President Biden had promised that, that would be the case. That they would meet that demand.
TOPOL: It is inexcusable, Rosemary that we don't have rapid test distributed everywhere. We have that in Colorado, one state, and then in a couple other places. But it should be everywhere throughout the United States. And the testing other than the rapid testing is also woefully inadequate.
There's just no reason that this should continue two years into the pandemic, and we've had advanced warnings for Delta and Omicron. We just have never taken these with the heat and the aggressiveness that we need to.
CHURCH: And Doctor, the CDC has said that unvaccinated people face 20 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19 than those who've received a booster shot, and still around 30 percent of Americans are refusing to get even the first shot.
[02:10:04] CHURCH: How likely is it that some will, perhaps, wake up and realize -- perhaps Kevin, epiphany, and go out and get their shots. Or will it always be around a third of this country unwilling to vaccinate? Do we have to live with that?
TOPOL: Yes, this is really sad state that we've gone a year. And we still have, as you say, it's actually 39 percent of Americans have not been fully vaccinated. And this is what's holding us back. This is why we've done so poorly, and now are not ready in any way to deal with Omicron. Having going through right now, a second surge with Delta. So, whether that's going to change, it seems remote.
On the other hand, every day we go, where our number of people waning from their vaccination is exceeding the number of new people getting vaccinated. So, we're actually losing ground from where we were, where we are.
And that's why we have to work to protect already the protected ones because we haven't been able to make things happen in the people who largely been unvaccinated.
CHURCH: Dr. Eric Topol, thank you so much for talking with us. We appreciate it and appreciate you.
TOPOL: Thank you. Happy holidays.
CHURCH: Same to you. Thank you, sir.
With Omicron cases spreading quickly in the United Kingdom, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is warning that further restrictions may be necessary. So, let's go live now to London and CNN's Nada Bashir.
Good to see you, Nada. So, what sort of restrictions is the prime minister considering right now, and just how bad are infections and hospitalizations?
NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER (on camera): Well, Rosemary, the alarm bells really are being wrong. The situation seems to be spiraling out of control. 91,000 cases confirmed yesterday, there's a new cases, that's the second highest daily total that the U.K. has recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.
And among those new cases, more than 8,000 of those were confirmed to be the Omicron variant. So, there are serious concerns over the rising number of cases being reported ahead of Christmas. And as you mentioned, calls for further restrictions who brought into force to really stem the spread of that virus.
Now, we heard from the prime minister speaking yesterday after a meeting with his Cabinet ministers in Downing Street to assess the data. What he has said is that they are looking at the figures, they are looking at the trends. And the scientists are advising on the restrictions that need to be brought into force.
But at this stage, no further restrictions on top of the plan B restrictions have been bought into force at this stage. What we are seeing are the original restrictions, mandatory mask wearing in shops and on public transport. The COVID NHS passed to prove that you've had a vaccine or a negative test to access places like theatres and cinemas and pubs and nightclubs.
And also, of course, encouraging people, that all of us ready to work from home, unless absolutely necessary to go into your workplaces. But at this stage, the prime minister hasn't ruled out the potential to bring in tougher measures and the potential for another lockdown. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: We agreed that we should keep the data from now on under constant review, keep following it hour by hour.
And unfortunately, I must say to people, we will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public. And to protect public health, to protect our NHS. And we won't hesitate to take that action.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASHIR: And really protecting the NHS, the country's national health services, the key concern here. We saw it last year the health service come under immense pressure over the surge in COVID cases. And now, with the Omicron variants spreading at a rapid rate, there are serious concerns that the NHS could be put under that intense pressure.
Once again, we heard over the weekend from the government's own scientific advisors, warning that England could be seeing something like 3,000 daily admissions if urgent action isn't taken.
And we heard from the head of the NHS himself, saying that the health authority is now on a war footing. So, immense pressure on the government to take some urgent action. Rosemary?
CHURCH: Yes, that's a real worry.
Nada Bashir, bring us up to date there. Many thanks.
And to -- for more on Omicron and how the U.S. can respond, White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci will join CNN's "NEW DAY" later today. That's 7:00 a.m. in New York, noon in London.
Well, the centerpiece of President Biden's domestic agenda is on life support all due to one critical Senate holdout.
CHURCH: (voice-over): Can Democrats salvage Build Back Better?
Some Trump supporters were less than supportive after the former president admitted he received a COVID-19 booster shot. That exchange just ahead.
[02:15:02]
CHURCH: And then later, magic is in the air as HBO Max drops the official trailer for its Harry Potter reunion special.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It feels like no time is past --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH (on camera): U.S. Democrats are facing a long difficult winter and likely more infighting in the upcoming midterm election year. That's as one new poll shows President Joe Biden's approval rating slipping to 41 percent.
CHURCH (voice-over): But CNN's poll of polls puts it at a relatively stable 45 percent. More than half of those surveyed say they do not approve of his job performance.
The latest numbers come as Democrats scrambled to push through the president's massive Build Back Better plan, despite Senate Democrat Joe Manchin flaunting their efforts.
CNN's Phil Mattingly picks up the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): This you should know on this legislation.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The seven words that shook Washington and put President Biden's cornerstone domestic legislative effort on life support.
Senator Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat and critical holdout on Biden's $1.75 trillion economic and climate package --
[02:20:05]
MANCHIN (via telephone): I have a problem.
MATTINGLY: Making clear, again on Monday, his stunning announcement is firm and deep blue
Hold out on Biden's $1.75 trillion economic and climate package. I have a problem making clear again on Monday, his stunning announcement is firm and deep rooted.
MANCHIN: We're in a 50-50 Senate. You all are approaching legislation as if you have 55 or 60 senators that are Democrats, and you can do whatever you want.
MATTINGLY: And now, in a war of words with Biden's team after White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a scathing statement, calling it a "breach of his commitments to the president." Manchin responding with this:
MANCHIN: This is the staff, and they drove some things and they put some things out that were absolutely inexcusable. They know what it is and that's it.
MATTINGLY: The White House now attempting to take down the temperature.
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He considers Senator Manchin, a longtime friend, and our focus is on moving forward and getting this done.
MATTINGLY: As Democrats seek a pathway to bring things back on track, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pledging to vote on the bill. In a letter to colleagues and, "keep voting on it until we get something done," as the White House considers ways to pare back the proposal to keep it alive.
PSAKI: He's going to work like hell to get it done.
MATTINGLY: But for Biden's agenda, a devastating 24 hours with large scale repercussions. Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs moving immediately, slashing its growth forecast for the U.S. economy in the wake of Manchin's, pronouncement, and Biden's coveted policy initiatives like universal pre-K, child and home care subsidies, the largest investment in combating climate change in history, and the extension of the expanded Child Tax Credit now all at serious risk.
PSAKI: Our objective and our focus now is moving forward.
MATTINGLY: But sky-high ambitions setting the stage for a crushing reality and with significant blowback from progressives.
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I think what Senator Manchin did yesterday represents such an egregious breach of the trust of the president.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY (on camera): And White House officials are already in the midst of phone calls with House and Senate Democratic leadership, trying to figure out what the next steps are, how to maybe restructure the proposal in order to have a shot at 50 votes, including Senator Manchin's votes?
But there are real questions right now about how willing Senator Manchin is to reengage in negotiations to some degree. It's not just a policy issue at this point, it's a personal issue. That's been very clear over the course of the last 24 hours.
And as one, Senate Democrat told me when I asked what the next steps are, take a breath. Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.
CHURCH: So, let's talk more about this with Jessica Levinson. She is a professor of law at Loyola Law School. And she's also the host of her podcast "Passing Judgment".
CHURCH (on camera): Great to have you with us.
JESSICA LEVINSON, LAW PROFESSOR, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL, LOS ANGELES: Good to be here.
CHURCH: So, we have been assured that this presidential speech in the coming hours will not be about lockdowns, but everyone's looking for answers on why this pandemic isn't over yet, and why people are having to stand in long lines for COVID test in the lead up to the holidays?
So, what does the president need to say compared to what he will likely say?
LEVINSON: He needs to say that he's on top of this. He needs to say that he knows what's happening. And frankly, what's happening behind the scenes here. We know that there are so many things that affect a president's approval ratings and our presidents can political capital, and sometimes they are totally outside the president's control.
Think about the economy, think about a raging pandemic. So, he certainly can't say, look, this isn't my fault. He has to say I'm in control, I'm doing something. Case numbers will be worse, but I'm getting vaccines to you, you do your part and get those vaccines, and get those boosters.
And frankly, I think he does have some explaining to do for what is a real failure by the administration, which is we shouldn't be standing in lines for tests. We should have accessible rapid home tests. We know that that's something that's a public health imperative.
And so, I think we're going to hear all of that, but he needs to talk to us and he knows that. He needs to say, I know it's going to get bad, but I'm doing something.
CHURCH: Right. I mean, it is good that people are getting out there and getting tested. Obviously, a lot of people want to do that to protect their vulnerable family members. But this should have been foreseen, right? They should have had that supply.
So, President Biden's approval ratings, they are rock bottom right now. He just had his Bill Back Better Plan, effectively killed off by his buddy, Senator Joe Manchin. And now, he's trying to end the pandemic with this new more contagious Omicron variant, making his task even more difficult. How does he recover from all of this?
LEVINSON: Well, I mean, that's the huge question, right? So, I think he needs to explain to people what we should already understand with respect to the pandemic, which is there's only so much in his control, and he understands that politically, Americans are not in the place where I think they would tolerate lockdowns.
Look at what's happening in the Netherlands. I don't think the American public would be -- would find that acceptable to basically two years into this pandemic.
[02:25:03]
LEVINSON: When it comes to the Build Back Better Plan, he needs to try and salvage that. And Joe Manchin has, you know, the one person in the Senate -- the one Senate Democrat who said, I'm torpedoing this because of our anti majoritarian institutions in America, because we basically allow that to happen, where a senator who represents 8.5 percent of the population can do that.
Joe Biden has to go back and get something done. This is part of his legacy. It's his top priority. And he got that infrastructure bill done. That's great for him, those jobs are going to go primarily to men. And I think he is going to have a problem with female voters. If he doesn't do something to increase the safety net, which we know disproportionately helps women who are poor and the working poor. And that is partly the Bill Back Better Plan.
CHURCH: Yes. And of course, voters they want to back a winner. And right now, President Biden isn't looking like a winner. Why is it all going south for him, do you think? Is that his leadership style, or just bad timing with the pandemic, the economy, inflation? And can he say anything in the coming hours that might change the hearts and minds of Americans?
LEVINSON: I don't know that he can say that much. I think he needs to do that much. And that typically is the case, I think for President Biden, because he's not an amazing orator. He's not going to move us all to tears.
What we need to see from him is action. We need to see action when it comes to the pandemic, we need to know exactly what to expect, what we can do, and what he's going to try and do to help?
Let's also remember that he's fighting in court to try and maintain two different types of federal mandates on vaccines. He may talk about that. Two cases, probably destined for the Supreme Court
And he needs to talk to people about why it is important to increase our safety net? He needs to talk to people about what we're going to do about climate change. And frankly, the moments are just taking away as we get closer to the midterm.
So it's structural things. It's the Senate is the pandemic. Those are out of his control, and it's -- and there also some things that are in his control, but he certainly, you know, he faced an uphill battle for a lot of these issues.
CHURCH: Yes, we shall see, of course. Always great to get your analysis. Jessica Levinson, thanks for joining us.
LEVINSON: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, former U.S. President Donald Trump received an unexpected reaction from some of his supporters during an event with former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly.
Trump who rarely discusses his COVID-19 vaccination status got booed after revealing he's received a booster shot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL O'REILLY, FORMER HOST, FOX NEWS: Both the President and I are vaxxed and do you get the booster?
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes.
O"REILLY: I got it too. OK, so --
TRUMP: Oh, don't, don't, don't! No, I'm not. That's because a very tiny group over there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And when it comes to COVID boosters, the partisan gap is wide. According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation Poll, just 36 percent of Republicans said they would get the booster compared to 77 percent of Democrats.
And just ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, Australia passes a new COVID milestone, while the prime minister says no to lock downs. What we're learning about an emergency Cabinet meeting? That's still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:30:00]
CHURCH: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom, live from CNN headquarters here in Atlanta. I'm Rosemary Church.
The coronavirus is forcing the National Hockey League to put its season on pause until after Christmas. The league had already postponed all four of Wednesdays games as well as 10 games on Thursday. The season is set to resume next Monday.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says more restrictions may be needed to stop the fast-spreading Omicron variant. London is cancelling its New Year's Eve party in Trafalgar Square. The head of the World Health Organization says, other events may need to be called off as well, but that's better than risking people's lives.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: All of us are sick of this pandemic. All of us want to spend time with friends and family. All of us want to get back to normal. The fastest way to do this is for all of us, leaders and individuals, to make the difficult decisions that must be made to protect ourselves and others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Australia's most populous state is reporting a new COVID case record. New South Wales has topped more than 3,000 daily infections for the first time ever. All this as Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he wants to avoid travel restrictions ahead of Christmas.
Meanwhile, New Zealand is pushing back plans for a phase border reopening because of the Omicron variant. It was set to ease restrictions next month, but that's now on hold until at least the end of February.
And for the latest, CNN's Selina Wang joins us live from Tokyo.
Good to see you, Selina.
So, what is the latest on COVID-19 infections in both Australia and New Zealand.
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, for two years, Australia had avoided the worst of the pandemic through the strict border controls as well as long lockdowns. But now, the country is dealing with a surge in COVID-19 cases just when states were starting to relax restrictions, the Omicron variant is complicating those plans.
So, at New South Wales, that surge in cases is being driven by the superspreading events at large venues like pubs and nightclubs, including a Taylor Swift listening party in Sidney held earlier this month. And the Omicron variant is worsening the spread.
Meanwhile, authorities in Queensland said they are seeing a doubling in cases every two days and a growing number of which are from the Omicron variant. But the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said they are not going back to lockdowns. They are going to have to find a way, he said, to go back to living their lives without "shutting down" people's lives. He says, the country has to find a way to live with the virus with "common sense and responsibility."
Meanwhile, over in New Zealand, they are delaying their phased reopening plans after being shut for about two years. New Zealand was, in January, set to finally start this phased reopening, but that is now being delayed. Take a listen to what the nation's COVID-19 response minister have to say.
[02:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS HIPKINS, NEW ZEALAND COVID-19 RESPONSE MINISTER: All evidence so far points to Omicron being the most transmissible variant yet and public health advice suggests that so in every case coming in through our border, into our managed isolation facilities will be the Omicron variant.
Our immediate job right now must be to slow it down and to delay it from entering the New Zealand community for as long as we possibly can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WANG: But, Rosemary, on the bright side, New Zealand, has become one of the most vaccinated countries in the world with about 90 percent of its eligible population fully vaccinated.
CHURCH: And, Selina, elsewhere across Asia, cases are also rising in China and South Korea. What's the latest on that area? WANG: Yes. Well, Rosemary, in China they, they reported 57 new locally transmitted cases, mostly in the City of Xi'an, which is in the province in Northwestern China in Shaanxi province. And in that region, authorities are trying to contain what is a growing cluster. Authorities there have launched mass testing of nearly 13 million residents in the city and they have launched new travel restrictions as well.
And with the Winter Olympics in China now less than two months away, authorities are doubling down on their zero COVID strategy. The Lunar New Year holiday is coming up. This is the most important holiday in China every year. And authorities are urging people from places with confirmed COVID-19 cases not to travel. So, this could mean for yet another year, families could be separated from each other instead of being able to travel and see each other.
And at the same time, in South Korea, they're also dealing with the surge in cases. On Sunday, South Korea reported a record number of patients who are critically ill, more than 1,000 patients. And health authorities there have said that the country's health system is at risk of reaching its limit. So, actually, in the greater Seoul area, new measures will only allow four people in private gatherings. So, we are seeing across the board, Rosemary, Omicron is really complicating these reopening plans, these plans for life to finally go back to normal.
CHURCH: Yes, it really is, isn't it? Selina Wang bringing us the very latest from her vantage point there in Tokyo. Appreciate it.
Well, Denmark was among the first European countries to impose a strict COVID lockdown last year. It was also among the first to begin reopening last spring. But a proactive approach and high vaccination rate may not be enough to stop Omicron, as CNN. Scott Mclean reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The gates of the famous Christmas festival at the Tivoli Amusement Park are closed for the season. The rides are shut down and the staff have all gone home. It's all thanks to a massive surge in COVID infection that has already dwarfed the previous peak.
New modeling published this weekend shows that if left unchecked, infections in Denmark could be 10 times that number, followed by record high hospital admissions by Christmas and well beyond in the New Year.
Troels Lillebaek is the epidemiologist in charge of managing the risk of new variants in Denmark, a country blessed with more than three quarters of its population double vaccinated. But Danes are quickly discovering that two shots are no match for the new more infectious variant. And the booster shot program simply cannot keep up. Denmark has among the highest rates of testing and sequencing in the world, and has reams of data at its fingertips.
And while there are some early indications that the Omicron variant could be less severe than Delta, they don't know how much less severe.
TROELS LILLEBAEK, EPIDEMIOLOGIST, DANISH STATE SERUM INSTITUTE: It doesn't really matter whether Omicron is half as dangerous as Delta or else dangerous as Delta because if many, many- thousand or 10 of thousands are testing positive the same day, then the strain or the hospital system would be high anyway.
MCLEAN (voiceover): Danish lawmakers weren't willing to wait and see. Instead, they've shut elementary schools, museums and theaters, put curfews on bars and restaurants, mandated masked indoors and COVID passports on some public transit. The ghosts of lockdowns pasts now the Christmas present.
But Lillebaek is optimistic that decision has helped avert the worst- case scenario.
MCLEAN (on camera): It sounds to me like without the restrictions it would be absolute chaos.
LILLEBAEK: I think that's a high risk that if we were just, you know, leaving everything open, doing nothing, I think that would be extremely difficult and a situation, yes.
MCLEAN: You wouldn't advise any country to do nothing?
LILLEBAEK: You don't want to end up in a situation where you are too late at doing what's necessary.
MCLEAN (voiceover): And while many European governments are facing protests over tightening restrictions, in Denmark, they've been so broadly accepted that some Danes support even tighter rules according to this researcher.
[02:40:00]
MICHAEL BANG PETERSEN, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, AARHUS UNIVERSITY: When we directly ask citizens whether they cannot cope with any more restrictions, there's only 10 percent who says that they cannot do that. So, there is, there is no real sign of fatigue yet.
MCLEAN (ON CAMERA): It sounds like Danes are rule followers.
PETERSEN: To a large extent, we are rule followers, but it is not set up blind obedience. It is because we feel that we are being explained why we need to do it and what we need to do.
MCLEAN (voiceover): His research found American followed COVID rules to a lesser extent than Danes. But Omicron won't hit the U.S. any less hard.
PETERSEN: I think that we will be facing the very top times across the world with Omicron. And the only thing that we can hope of is then that the severity of the disease will be mild enough that the health systems are not being overwhelmed.
MCLEAN (voiceover): Scott McLean, CNN, London. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And still to come, jury deliberations have begun and Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking trial, the details of the closing arguments just ahead.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, we are following three big trials in the U.S. this week, all of which are now in the jury's hands. There's the sex trafficking cases against Ghislaine Maxwell, the fraud case against Elizabeth Holmes, a former healthcare technology executive and the trial of Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer charged with manslaughter in the April shooting of Daunte Wright. And we will start with the Potter trial and the latest now from CNN's Omar Jimenez.
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ERIN ELDRIDGE, ASSISTANT MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Daunte Wright's parents, Katie and Aubrey Wright, will have an empty seat at their table this holiday season because the defendant shot and killed him.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Daunte Wright's parents were in the courtroom Monday as closing argument in the trial of Former Officer Kim Potter began.
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She's claimed she meant to grab her taser when she believed she needed to protect herself and her fellow officers during an April 2021 traffic stop. But instead, she grabbed her gun.
ELDRIDGE: This case is about the defendant's rash and reckless conduct. It's not about her being a nice person or a good person, carrying a badge and a gun is not a license to kill.
JIMENEZ (voiceover): The defense however claimed there were two absolute reasons Potter is innocent. despite firing her gun.
EARL GRAY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: She didn't cause this and she had the right to use governing force, even though she didn't know she was using it, she had a right to. And that's what the law is.
JIMENEZ (voiceover): Defense attorney, Earl Gray, pushed even further saying Daunte Wright is to blame.
GRAY: She says taser, taser, taser and he said, OK. Stop. I gave up. Daunte Wright caused his own death unfortunately.
JIMENEZ (voiceover): A characterization prosecutors took issue with.
MATTHEW FRANK, ASSISTANT MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL: I want you to consider if we accept that argument that he caused us on death. We have to accept that any time a person was not meticulously follow the commands of a police officer, they can be shot to death. That's absurd.
JIMENEZ (voiceover): Monday's closing arguments came after eight days of testimony and over 30 witnesses, including Kim Potter.
KIM POTTER, FORMER BROOKLYN CENTER, MINNESOTA POLICE OFFICER: I remember yelling, teaser, taser, taser, and nothing happened. And then, he told me I shot him. I'm sorry it happened.
JIMENEZ (voiceover): But prosecutors emphasized Monday, intent isn't what the jury will be deciding.
ELDRIDGE: An accidental killing is still a crime if the defendants' actions are reckless or publicly negligent. This was a colossal screw up, a blunder of epic proportions. It was irreversible and it was fatal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good luck, members of the jury.
JIMENEZ (voiceover): Now, Kim Potter's future lies in the hands of 12 jurors who will decide whether she was justified in her shooting of right or wrong for having pulled the trigger.
JIMENEZ (on camera): And the jury is now broken for the day after deliberating for a little more than five hours over the course of Monday. Now, at one point, during those deliberations, they had a question for the court, specifically, around the timing of an interview Kim Potter did with a forensic psychologist at some point after the shooting.
This was an interview that involved the use of her taser and her weapon and it was an interview she testified she couldn't remember key portions of during this trial. Now, the judge told them all the evidence is in and to rely on their collective memories to move forward and it is going to be their collective memories and examinations of this evidence that are going to drive them when this jury returns for day two on Tuesday as they get this trial ever closer to a verdict.
Omar Jimenez, CNN.
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CHURCH: Jurors in Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking trial have begun considering whether she was Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice or a scapegoat for his abuses. Attorneys made their closing arguments Monday and the jury deliberated briefly before breaking for the day. CNN's Kara Scannell has details.
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KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: Jury deliberations continue this morning in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell. Yesterday, in closing argument, prosecutors described her as a dangerous person. Someone who was crucial to Jeffrey Epstein's game. They say that she targeted vulnerable girls and led them to Epstein who they say sexually assaulted them. Prosecutors recounted in detail the testimony of the four accusers and they also asked the jury to use their common sense, saying that they should ask themselves why two adults would spend their weekends with teenage girls, why were they travelling on private planes with them? And they also pointed to the little black book, that address book, and pointed out that under massage therapists, they often have the names and numbers of moms, dads and parents listed there, something that they said no professional misuse would require.
Now, Maxwell's attorney said that she is innocent, that she is a scapegoat for Jeffrey Epstein. They also attacked the memory of many of these accusers saying that some of them had changed their stories over time. They questioned why the government didn't call other family members to corroborate their stories and why they didn't call additional employees of Jeffrey Epstein if they had such evidence that this was a widespread scheme.
Maxwell's attorney told the jury that Maxwell is being tried here for being with Jeffrey Epstein. Maybe it was the biggest mistake of her life, but it was not a crime. Deliberations will continue today and over the next few days. Jury breaks for the Christmas holiday on Thursday and Friday. If Maxwell is convicted on all accounts, she could face up to 70 years in prison.
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CHURCH: And in the coming hours, a California jury is set to resume deliberations in the fraud trial of Elizabeth Holmes, the entrepreneur, accused of lying to investors, doctors and patients about her blood testing startup company, Theranos. Her trial lasted nearly four months with the jury hearing from a wide range of witnesses.
Winter storms are heading toward North Western United States just in time for the Christmas holiday. Details of the forecast coming your way in just a moment.
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CHURCH: With Christmas just a few days away, the focus is turning to weather for travelers and for people hoping for some snow during the holiday.
CNN's Tyler Mauldin is at the weather center with the latest forecast.
Good to see you, Tyler.
So, for those looking for a white Christmas, where do they need to go?
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TYLER MAULDIN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: So, Rosemary, when the tree tops glistened with snow, just makes it feel like Christmas, right? Unfortunately, only about 30 percent of the country has snow on the ground right now. The vast majority of that though is out West, across the Sierra Nevada, and up towards the Pacific Northwest, the Inner Mountain West and the Rockies.
So, here across the Sierra Nevada, we actually have winter storm alerts up right now all the way through Sunday because an area of low pressure is going to come ashore. And what that's going to do is, yet again, give us an atmospheric river. The winds will come on shore and it will grab a plume of moisture out over the Pacific bringing heavy rain and, yes, snow to the Sierra Nevada.
Now, you can see how this evolved as we go through time, all the snowfall here across the Sierra Nevada. But not just here, it's all the way up to the Pac Northwest and going to the Northern Rockies. So, we're going to add to the snowfall totals that we've already seen here. Some areas of the Sierra Nevada, Rosemary, could see north that 36 inches of snow.
CHURCH: Wow. OK. Well, that'll make those people pretty happy. Tyler Mauldin, many thanks.
MAULDIN: Yes.
CHURCH: Well, magic is in the air as we get our first look at the new "Harry Potter" reunion special. HBO Max, which is part of CNN's parent company, Warner Media, just dropped the official trailer for its upcoming special "Return to Hogwarts." Celebrating 20 years since the first Potter film was released. The trailer features an emotional reunion among some of the stars of the film. Let's take a listen.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) without so many people here.
RUPERT GRIN, ACTOR, "HARRY POTTER": This is a very warming thing because I've watched you grow up and I've seen kind of every stage in real life.
EMMA WATSON, ACTRESS, "HARRY POTTER": When things get really dark and times are really hard, there's something about "Harry Potter" that makes life richer.
GRIN: It's a strong bond that we'll always have. We've family and we will always be part of each other's lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Wow. That is special, isn't it. And this special is set to premier January 1st on HBO Max.
And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be right back at the top of the hour with more news for you. Don't go anywhere.
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