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Experts Urge Vaccines, Boosters as Omicron Spreads in U.S.; Jury Deliberations to Resume in Ex-Officer's Trial. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired December 21, 2021 - 04:00   ET

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

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ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and right around, I'm Isa Soares in London. And just ahead right here on CNN Newsroom.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Omicron variant overtaking Delta even faster than was predicted.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: The common enemy is the virus, not ourselves.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unlike the previous strains, it transmits very readily to the air to large numbers of people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we wait and see them by the time we're seeing it's always too late to act.

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SOARES: It is being called an unpleasant case of deja vu, the U.S. sees another COVID winter surge but this time, it's the Omicron variant taking over. We are just hours away from President Biden's speech on the pandemic. What will he tell Americans as they head into the holidays?

And jury deliberations will begin the trial over the killing of Daunte Wright. We'll have details on the closing arguments against former police officer, Kim Potter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from London, this is CNN Newsroom with Isa Soares.

SOARES: Welcome everyone. It is Tuesday, December 21. And we begin with a staggering really takeover of the Omicron variant in the United States. On Monday, the CDC announced the highly contagious variant now accounts for more than 73% on new COVID cases.

Now, Omicron has been detected in all but two U.S. states as you can see there on your screen. And it's even more prevalent in parts of the southeast, as well as the Northwest.

Now, these numbers really show just how quickly this variant has been spreading the first week of December Omicron made up, as you can see that less than 1% on new cases, three weeks later, and it counts for only three quarters of new infections.

And these numbers here paint a very similar picture Omicron racing past the Delta variant there in blue, to become really the dominant strain in a matter of weeks. And experts warn, it's especially concerning as families of course gather for the holidays.

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FAUCI: You see, case report after case report of people gathering, nobody feels sick. Everybody's having a good time. And 50% of the people get infected just from that gathering because clearly there was one or more person in that gathering, who had no symptoms and had no idea that they were infected.

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SOARES: Well, on Monday, Texas reported the country's first known Omicron death, a man in his 50s who was not vaccinated, and health experts are continuing to watch people to get vaccinated and to get boosted. Have a listen.

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FAUCI: When someone says well, I'm taking my own chances. It is my body. I'll worry about it. Nobody should tell me that I need to get vaccinated or that I should wear a mask in an indoor setting. Well, 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 are graveyards full of people that have made that mistake.

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SOARES: Important message for there from Dr. Anthony Fauci.

While CNN as only CNN can, has correspondence and resources right around the globe to bring you the very latest. We hear about the Biden administration's plan from Washington there. And we've got live reports ahead from London, Berlin, Tokyo, as well as Jerusalem, so stay with us for that.

But first, we are learning President Biden was in close contact with a staffer who was tested positive for COVID. Mr. Biden tested negative on Monday and will receive another test on Wednesday. He plans to address the nation later today on the pandemic. CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: President Biden's scheduled to address the nation on Tuesday afternoon from the White House, specifically talking again about the Omicron variant which has now overtaken Delta and other strains as the most dominant variant of COVID-19 in the U.S.

Now the President is not going to be delivering a "lockdown speech" in the words of White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki but rather are talking about the vast differences between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated saying it's not like 2020 when there were shutdowns and other things of the like because of vaccinations.

[04:05:12]

But there is a strain on the hospital system. There is a strain on the health care system, largely because of the unvaccinated. President Biden trying to get a head of this trying to really point out the administration is on top of it. But the reality is, this is raging out of control. And the next few weeks, perhaps even longer than that will be a dire situation, particularly for the unvaccinated.

Now, the White House has been struggling to get adequate testing here in the U.S. That has been a key problem a shortcoming. So, we're told the President will be addressing testing as well in that speech from the White House, but certainly officials here are alarmed at the spread of Omicron. And that's why the President addressing the nation Tuesday, here at the White House. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, the White House.

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SOARES: Well, that's in Washington. In New York state, a surgeon COVID cases is prompting officials to ask the federal government to invoke the Defense Production Act to increase the supply of COVID test kits, in addition to state plans to distribute millions of masks for people to wear. The governor's office says nearly 24,000 cases were reported yesterday across the state, that is up more than 8900. A week ago, New York City Mayor-elect says more people need to get vaccinated to really help curb the spread. Have a listen.

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ERIC ADAMS, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR-ELECT: Many people on in lines, they have determined to just do testing over and over again, instead of doing the right thing for fellow New Yorkers and that is to get vaccinated. We have over 2 million New Yorkers who have yet to take the booster shots. And so, the goal is to really be aggressive, making accessible the booster shots as well as the vaccinations so that we can get people protected in the right way.

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SOARES: Well, meanwhile, the Pentagon says the U.S. military is now helping out with COVID relief efforts. On Monday, the Defense Department announced military teams will be heading to Indiana, Wisconsin to help staff in hard hit hospitals there.

Military crews are already on the ground in five other states as well. Some areas have also deployed the National Guard to help with testing as well as vaccinations.

And the National Hockey League plans to pause it season until after Christmas due to the rising COVID cases. Two games separate chooses still on as of now otherwise no more games until next Monday. The league is also discussing whether it's safe for players to travel to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, of course.

Now outside of the United States, Omicron is prompting a wave of new restrictions and closures across Europe. London is cancelling his New Year's Eve party in Trafalgar Square. Mayor Sadiq Khan says infections are at record levels and people's health must be protected he says. The U.K. reported more than 91,000 infections on Monday second highest daily total of this pandemic, more than 8000 of those are confirmed to be the Omicron variant.

And next week, Germany plans to limit private gatherings to 10 people who are either fully vaccinated or have recently recovered from COVID. And the European Commission has authorized the Novavax COVID vaccine for use right across the block.

Let's get more on all these strands, CNN's Fred Pleitgen is standing by for us in Berlin. But first, let me go to Nada Bashir in London. Good morning to you, Nada. I look, the Prime Minister, we heard him yesterday, basically not announcing any new measures. But he did say that they were looking at the data, reviewing the data hour by hour, I think were his words. Given the surge in case of that we just pointed out to there, Nada, is he under pressure you think to perhaps consider a plan see here?

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Absolutely, Isa. I mean, the numbers really do speak for themselves that second highest daily total that we saw yesterday, really bringing into focus the pressure that the government is ordered to tackle the spread of the Omicron variant and over the weekend, the alarm bells were rung by the health experts. The government's own scientific advisors, warning that if urgent action isn't taken over the next few weeks, England could be seeing something like 3000 daily hospital admissions, and the head of the National Health Service himself, warning that the Health Authority is now on a war footing owing to the surge in cases. The spread of the Omicron variant and the projections for hospital admission. So, there's a real sense of concern there.

But as you mentioned, we expected to hear further restrictions yesterday from the prime minister after that cabinet meeting at Downing Street. So far, the government has said that it will stick to its Plan B measures and that includes wearing face masks in indoor settings such as public transport and shops, as well as encouraging people to work from home. And, of course, that COVID past to enter places such as cinemas or nightclubs. But at this stage we could be looking at further restrictions and as we heard from the Prime Minister yesterday, they are not ruling out the potential for those tougher measures and indeed a lockdown. Take a listen.

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BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We agreed that we should keep the data from now on under constant review, keep following it hour by hour. And unfortunate 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.

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BASHIR: And really protecting the NHS, the National Health Services. The key concern that we did see the NHS come under overwhelming pressure last winter, but we also have seen a significant uptake in the booster jab over the last few weeks. The government announcing yesterday new data showing that nearly 29 million people have now received that third dose. So, there is some hope there but, of course, people will be waiting to hear whether or not there'll be new restrictions over Christmas. Isa?

SOARES: Indeed. Nada, stay with us. I want to bring in Fred. And Fred, there was some reluctance you have been reporting on this to vaccines in Germany. But we have now a new vaccine, a new shot that's been approved by E.U. regulators. Do you think further this will persuade some of those unvaccinated to get boosted to get a vaccine?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Isa. Well, the new government certainly does hope so. But at the same time, the new German government under the new chancellor Olaf Scholz and his health Minister Karl Lauterbach, who really is one of the most renowned experts here in this country, they say that they're just going to tough on unvaccinated people as well. They've already done that by tightening restrictions for unvaccinated people. But they're also saying, and this is very important right now in this country, that booster shots are extremely important for people. But they also understand that they need to come to terms with the Omicron variant before it actually really takes hold here in this country was quite interesting, because I was listening to the health minister this entire week. And he was saying that he's getting a lot of data from the United Kingdom, and that that's informing the authorities here in Germany. And that's one of the reasons why they're taking these proactive measures to limit public gatherings, especially around New Year's Eve, essentially making larger New Year's Eve celebrations impossible. They've also, by the way, put in place a ban on fireworks for New Year's Eve, to make sure that that there's not too many people getting together and celebrating there.

But they're also saying that they knew need to take these proactive measures, which means a lot of booster shots. But it also means and this is one of the things that we saw with a lot of interest is they are calling on hospital and other critical infrastructure as they call it, to get ready for a massive wave of infections and to check whether or not they have emergency plans in place in case large parts of their own staff get infected by the Omicron variant, so they are really trying to encourage people to get vaccinated, to get boosted. They're certainly making it more difficult for unvaccinated people, but at the same time also putting in place already very proactively measures because they understand that the Omicron variant is going to take hold in Germany fairly soon. Isa.

SOARES: Indeed, it take hold in Germany and much of Europe as the rest of the world as we've been painting out this morning on the show.

Fred Pleitgen, for us in Berlin, Nada Bashir in London, thank you to you both.

Now, Omicron jitters hammered the markets on Monday, all the major Wall Street indices dropping more than a percent. You can see that from the Dow to the NASDAQ, S&P, red hours across the board. The Dow at its worst point plunged nearly 700 points and that was also due to the President's stalled Build Back Better plans, of course, will be bought.

We have a look and what we could expect coming in today. Well look at that. What difference a day may be seen green a lot of U.S. futures really upwards and upwards trend. European markets as you can see also trending higher, the FTSE 100 fairing the best about 1% and the last time I looked commodity travel stocks were leading the gains though fears of Omicron are still persistent. As you can see there Japan, Shanghai is flat, Hong Kong 1%, Nikkei up 2%.

Meanwhile, Moody's Analytics seems likely to downgrade its U.S. economic forecast in the coming days. Moody's currently predicts growth for 4.4% but indicates the outlook could drop by as much as one percentage point. Top economist, Mark Zandi, telling CNN that risks in next year's recovery are not inconsequential and are rising. He cited the one, two punch, from the pandemic and the blocking of course of President Biden's major spending bill.

Well, that cornerstone of his domestic agenda remains, of course, on life support all due to one critical senate hold out. Can Democrats salvage Build Back Better? And the juries deliberating in the trial the former police officer charged with shooting and killing Daunte Wright, the emotional closing arguments next.

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ERIN ELDRIDGE, ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: The defendant told you her sons will be home for the holidays. You know who won't be home for the holidays is Daunte Wright.

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SOARES: Now, the jury in the sex trial -- trafficking trial of Ghislane Maxwell will resume deliberations in a few hours from now. In closing arguments on Monday, the prosecution's focused on Maxwell's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and claim she manipulated vulnerable girls for Epstein to sexual abuse. The Defense insistent Max was association with Epstein was not criminal and attacked the motives of the women who testified about the abuse. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty. She faces up to 70 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Now, jurors are also deliberating in the trial of Kim Potter. The former Minnesota police officer charged in the April shooting death of Daunte Wright, emotional closing arguments took place on Monday, and CNN's Adrienne Broaddus is in Minneapolis with the latest for you.

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ELDRIDGE: This was a colossal screw up, a blunder of epic proportions.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Friday, it's Christmas Eve and Erin Eldridge starting the prosecution's closing argument with the reminder.

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ELDRIDGE: The defendant told you her sons will be home for the holidays. 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.

BROADDUS: Eldridge argued 20-year-old Daunte Wright died at the hands of a highly trained 26-year police veteran. She said former officer Kim Potter was supposed to practice pulling out her taser every day she was on the job. And she also pointed to Potter's own words after the shooting.

KIM POTTER, EX-POLICE OFFICER: I grabbed the wrong f(bleep) gun. I'm going to go to prison.

ELDRIDGE: It was precisely that thing she had been warned about for years, and she was trained to prevent it. It was irreversible and it was fatal.

BROADDUS: According to the prosecution, this shows recklessness or culpable negligence. Potter is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter and has pleaded not guilty.

ELDRIDGE: Now, the defense may refer to this as an unfortunate mistake or a tragic accident or that because the defendant didn't know or didn't realize that she had a gun in her hand, that this is somehow an accident and not a crime. That is simply not the case. It's just plain wrong.

POTTER: Taser, taser, taser.

BROADDUS: But that is precisely what the defense argued during their closing statement.

EARL GRAY, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Everybody makes mistakes. Nobody's Perfect, ladies and gentlemen, and this lady here made a mistake. And my gosh, the mistake is not a crime. How could you recklessly handle it? If you don't know you have it?

BROADDUS: Defense Attorney Earl Grey argued under the law, Potter had a right to use deadly force during the incident since Daunte Wright tried to flee the scene.

GRAY: Tragically, but she didn't know she had a gun either. And then he said, you shot me, and being alone, what does he do? Does he stay there and say hey, help me out. He takes off them and you see the video he goes like a jet.

BROADDUS: Potter testified in her own defense Friday.

POTTER: We are struggling, we're trying to keep him from driving away, it's just went chaotic and then I remember yelling taser, taser, taser.

GRAY: That they prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she causes death no. Daunte Wright causes on death, unfortunately.

BROADDUS: In their rebuttal, the prosecution called the defense's argument stunning and said there was no evidence deadly force was necessary, including Potter's own belief. She was pulling her taser instead of her gun.

GRAY: Her conduct created a risk that she would use the wrong weapon, her conduct going to her gun holster, drying her gun and pointing up and pulling the trigger.

BROADDUS (on camera): And members of the jury will be able to touch and feel the gun Potter used to shoot and kill Daunte Wright. They will also have access to the taser. It's an opportunity to compare and contrast the two weapons. They also have a laptop containing the body camera video, that laptop, the internet on it has been disabled. Adrienne Broaddus, CNN, Minneapolis.

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SOARES: Thanks, Adrienne. Well, in the coming hours, the California juries set resumed 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 a jury hearing from a wide range of witnesses. Holmes is charged, excuse me, with nine counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She has pleaded not guilty.

Now, there are more repercussions for actor Chris Noth after two women accused him of sexual assault. CBS' has dropped in from the show, The Equalizer. Noth denies the charges insisting the encounters were consensual. His talent agency has dropped him, and Peloton has stopped airing an ad that went viral if you remember last week. His co-stars and the spinoff of Sex and the City released a statement saying they were deeply saddened by the allegations, and they support the women who came forward.

Now, with Christmas just a few days away, the focus is turning of course to weather for travelers and for people hoping for some snow during the holidays. CNN's Tyler Mauldin is at the weather center with the latest forecast. And Tyler, what can we expect of course in the coming days as so many of our viewers begin really that holiday travel here?

[04:25:03]

TYLER MAULDIN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, so Isa, you know, when the treetops snow it really gives you the Christmas feel but it's not so great to deal with when you're travelling for the holidays. Good news is that for the majority of the country over the next few days, the weather is fairly tame. I can't say the same though for the West Coast. There's another area of low pressure coming ashore. And what this is going to do is cause snowfall to pile up very quickly, as well as rainfall too.

In fact, across the Sierra Nevada's there are some areas that could see up to eight feet of snow fall through Sunday. That's why we have winter weather alerts up for this region. What's happening here is that as this area of low pressure comes ashore, Isa, it's causing another atmospheric river to set up and atmospheric river is just a wide swath of moisture coming in off of the Pacific. And it makes landfall basically, across the West Coast when it does so, creates a lot of rainfall. And it also sparks a lot of snowfall across the high elevations out west, which is exactly what we're going to see.

And we've seen multiple atmospheric rivers over the last month or so. In fact, a recent atmospheric river led to the Sierra Nevada seeing snowpack increase from 19% to 98%, in the matter of just seven days. So, that's how quickly things can escalate with these atmospheric rivers.

You can see as this area of low pressure does come ashore, we'll see snowfall pile up not only across the Sierra Nevada, but all the way up here into the Pacific Northwest, the intermountain west, the Northern Rockies and the central Rockies too. So pretty much all the west coast, the mountainous regions, we'll be seeing a white Christmas this year.

Across the coastline, we're going to see just about three to six inches of rainfall in some areas. As you can see here with the rainfall accumulation and snowfall accumulation map. Pretty much on the West Coast. We'll be picking up some precipitation in the next week or so. This is great news though because that added rainfall and that added snowpack, Isa, is helping with the ongoing drought across the West Coast of the U.S. and that drought is fierce so we need all the precipitation we can get.

SOARES: Indeed. Tyler Mauldin, great to see you, thanks very much, Tyler.

Now, President Joe Biden is getting tested for COVID after being contact with someone who tested positive.

Coming up, why the White House and the president isn't in quarantine? Plus, Omicron is forcing New Zealand to rethink its reopening strategy. What this means for foreign travelers? Just ahead.

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