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Christmas during COVID-19; More Restrictions across Europe as Omicron Spreads; Not-So-Jolly Christmas in Latin America; James Webb Telescope Launch. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired December 25, 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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RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: And a good Christmas morning to you, wherever you're joining us today. I'm Richard Quest. It's a Christmas CNN NEWSROOM. Much more for you. The Christmas for the faithful around the world.

The pope presiding over midnight mass, showing determination and now preparing for mass in Rome. We'll show you the pictures and have the details.

Omicron is proving to be a real Grinch this Christmas, especially for those traveling, thousands of flights canceled.

And the number of new cases reaches record levels. Health officials are fighting the curve; hospital numbers remain thankfully low.

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QUEST: A very good Christmas morning to you wherever you are or whether you're just opening presents and gifts or getting ready for friends and family and lunch. Whatever it is, Christmas celebrations are now underway around the world.

And the pandemic may be putting a damper on festivities but let's be clear, it's not stopping the celebrations. Pope Francis attending midnight mass last night and attending mass at the Vatican at this hour.

Today, he will deliver his annual Urbi et Orbi address and restrictions have severely limited the number of people who can attend, as indeed last night at midnight mass, which you're seeing now. It is considerably more people than there were last year despite Omicron.

This is the scene at Bethlehem's Manger Square, the tradition where Jesus was born, more than 2,000 years ago. Crowds are gathering ahead of mass services, more than last year but not as many before the pandemic. Despite the celebration restriction, visitors were thrilled to be back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're right there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, what a better place to come celebrate.

It's wonderful. The tree. Everything is so wonderful. Very joyful. Joy to the world.

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QUEST: Joy to the world. Bethlehem's scene, visitors; few foreigners were allowed to travel there because of the virus.

And the virus driven travel difficulties keep on coming. More flights canceled around the world and thousands lost across Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, mainly because airlines and workers are calling in sick and amid surging Omicron cases.

The infections is bringing restrictions throughout much of Europe. And Greece has canceled Christmas and New Year's festivities. And cases have hit record numbers. Italy, France, U.K., all reporting new daily highs. The third day in a row the numbers were over 100,000.

Nada Bashir has more here from London.

Seasons greetings to you. And good to have you with us. So, the U.K., well over 100,000 but hospital numbers remain low.

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: Well, that is the trend that we're seeing at this stage. And although we're seeing the record-breaking figures, more than 120,000 reporting on Friday, many might have expected to see tougher restrictions ahead of Christmas or certainly what we saw last year, Richard.

But the government says it won't bring in those restrictions and many people will be gathering with family members today, although the prime minister has cautioned for people to really take care and to adhere to the guidance that the government has put out.

As was mentioned, the U.K., like many in Europe will be bracing perhaps for further restrictions to come.

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BORIS JOHNSON, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: People can go ahead with their Christmas plans, but the situation remains finely balanced. And I would urge everyone to exercise caution.

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BASHIR (voice-over): Boris Johnson giving the British public some rare positive news that, this year, Christmas isn't canceled. But the joy is short-lived as this week the U.K. reached all-time highs in the number of new daily cases of coronavirus, putting pressure on the government to curb the spread of Omicron. [04:05:00]

JOHNSON: I've got to say to the British public and everyone, we will not exclude going further if we have to do things to protect the public.

BASHIR (voice-over): But as Johnson urges the public to get boosted, as quickly as possible, his reputation has been mired in recent scandals.

JOHNSON: All guidance was followed completely during Number 10.

BASHIR (voice-over): Amid allegations he violated his own lockdown rules last year and he insists he did not. But the public's willingness to observe strict measures is waning.

Neighboring Scotland, Wales and some European countries have already announced measures to try to curb the spread of the virus during the festive period.

Last week, France tightened its travel restrictions, banning British tourists from entering the country. Greece and Italy have now introduced outdoor mask mandates as the virus continues to spread.

Portugal is also ordering schools and night clubs to close for more than two weeks after Christmas to deal with the surge in infections sweeping the country.

On Tuesday, German chancellor Olaf Scholz stopped short of a lockdown, banning gatherings of more than 10 people, putting an end to many New Year's Eve parties.

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): I can understand every one of you who doesn't want to hear any more about coronavirus and mutations and the new virus variants. But we cannot and must not close our eyes to the next wave that is beginning to loom over us.

BASHIR (voice-over): And while this Netherlands high street is usually bursting with Christmas shoppers over the festive period, since Sunday, it has been empty, the shops left deserted and no cheer in sight.

As the Omicron surge forced the Dutch prime minister to put the country under lockdown, casting an early chill on the Christmas spirit.

For now, England may have spared Christmas gatherings. But as Omicron continues to surge at an alarming rate, plans for the new year are as elusive as Santa himself.

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QUEST: Nada, we have two views now, don't we, those like the U.K. or England, to be more precise, which is waiting and seeing. And then as your report says, the Dutch, the Greeks, those who are already putting restrictions, is there a feeling there will be more restrictions in England, once Christmas is over?

BASHIR: Well, Richard, we did hear from prime minister Boris Johnson last week, saying that while he isn't considering tougher measures ahead of Christmas Day, the government reserves the right to implement tougher measures after Christmas Day.

And there does seem to be a feeling that the government may look at the tougher measures ahead of New Year's Eve but certainly what we've seen across Europe, many governments implementing the tougher measures around the New Year's celebrations and of course, into January.

Now as the U.K. continues to report those high figures, we haven't seen that translate into higher rates of hospitalization, particularly here in England. But with London reporting one in 20 households now getting coronavirus, there is pressure on Boris Johnson to really tighten up the measures like the European partners have done.

But of course, many people will have at least the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with their loved ones. Tougher measures last year certainly here, in England but across Europe, there is really a sense we're getting tougher measures as the weeks go by. Richard?

QUEST: We'll see you next hour. Thank you.

It is still Christmas Eve in Honolulu, in Hawaii. And it's probably just about the only place where it is still yesterday, as the clock continues.

Emergency physician Dr. Darragh O'Carroll is with me.

And I suspect you would wish for emptier beds and to be out of business at Christmas. But what I need to focus on with you, Doctor, is, from the cases you are seeing, how does it break down on Omicron, between vaccinated and unvaccinated, serious and not?

DR. DARRAGH O'CARROLL, EMERGENCY MEDICINE SPECIALIST: Merry Christmas, Richard and to all of your viewers.

Yes, we're not quite there yet, in Honolulu, we have about an hour left until Santa arrives. But a very good question and its early days yet for the entire world to experience this variant other than South Africa.

This was really just discovered about a month ago, probably originated sometime in October. So, this is really, really early for us to get our hands on.

We are seeing more breakthrough cases, even in people who are fully vaccinated and those who are triple vaccinated or triple jabbed. Still holding up well but we're seeing more than we saw with Delta.

Predominantly we're seeing mostly unvaccinated, who are getting really sick. And we are seeing a bit more of those who are fully vaccinated. But it seems to be the same sort of proportions thus far.

But again, it is really early days and we're keeping a very, very close eye on everything.

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QUEST: Is there reason for optimism in the sense that there will be more vaccinated people, because more people are vaccinated. Therefore, they will make up a proportion of cases seen.

But for those of us who are double, triple, wear masks, might get a breakthrough case, the expectation is a bad cold, although we should still be careful, because it could infect somebody who will have a bad reaction.

O'CARROLL: Yes, very good point, Richard, the vaccine, decreasing the vaccine efficacy that we're seeing at this time is not decreasing, keeping you out of the hospital or decrease in the disease severity.

What we're seeing is a decrease in the ability to contract the virus. About 10 weeks after the third jab, we're seeing a decrease in about 10 percent to 25 percent efficacy in contracting the virus and having symptoms. Predominantly those symptoms, what I'm seeing anecdotally -- and again, the plural of anecdotals is not science.

But what I'm saying is very mild illnesses; you know, kind of colds, sore throats, a little bit of congestion, less of the lack of smell and less of the lack of taste but still there.

But these are all really, really important aspects of public health. We don't know the long COVID effects of Omicron -- is it more, is it less?

And so, hospitalizations, severe disease and even deaths are very, very low bars for public health. So, everything that we just mentioned is important to take into context.

QUEST: How are you holding up, you and your colleagues?

It seems each time you just about catch a break, where you might be able to rest somewhat, you get hit on the head again.

O'CARROLL: You mentioned I think at the top of your show about the massive flight cuts from really just decreased amount of staff. We're seeing that exactly the same way in our hospital systems across the globe. Even here in Hawaii, we're seeing that.

And we can't just shut down the hospitals and we can't just -- you know, we have to keep going. So, it has been a long two years. And when we hear that, you know, governmental regulations are not helping us in any way or not giving us a little bit of reprieve, it hurts.

And it hurts that people aren't trusting the science to wear masks and to get the jabs and to get the vaccines. And so that hurts us a lot but we're going to keep going and that's all we can do.

QUEST: Doctor, I wish you and your colleagues the best of Christmas when it arrives. I have one thought, though, as we're looking at the order, you're expecting a high, in paradise, since you're in the United States, you're expecting an 80-degree high in Honolulu, with a moderate amount of rain.

So, I'm afraid sympathy is in short supply on the weather front, even though we may be wishing you all the very best on all of the fronts. Thank you very much. Good to see you; 45 minutes before Santa arrives.

This is CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Richard Quest in London. An hour ahead, quarter past 10:00 in Rome, at the Vatican, there you are. Pope Francis is attending Christmas mass. Later of course, Urbi et Orbi. We will have more still to come.

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QUEST: Pope Francis will be giving his Christmas Day mass soon at the Vatican and this is from Christmas Eve last night, midnight mass. The pope is expected to deliver his annual address to the cities of the world and give a blessing around two hours from now. Senior Vatican analyst, John Allen, is with me from Rome.

And again, seasons greetings to you.

Do we get any form of preview of the oratory?

JOHN ALLEN, CNN SR. VATICAN ANALYST: Richard, very happy Christmas to you. We don't get a preview in the sense that the Vatican spokespersons do not hold off-the-record briefings with journalists to give them a sense of highlights.

However, we certainly can look at past performances as a guide. It is typically a 180-degree review of the global situation through the lens of a given pope's priorities. And we certainly know what this pope's priorities are.

He's very concerned for the poor, he's concerned for climate change, he's concerned for war and peace, he's concerned for migrants and refugees. He's concerned for the little guy.

And I think it would be entirely realistic to expect that most of those things, in one way or another, will show up. This is also a very diplomatic speech in the sense that the pope typically reviews different global hot spots and expresses his hopes for those places.

So, it would not surprise me a bit, Richard, if there was a treatment of the Middle East in this; Myanmar; perhaps a shout-out to the Ukraine, other places that have been very much objects of global concern.

QUEST: If it's just the migrants -- we pray for them or whatever and we look for peace in the Middle East, it's just essentially expecting what you you'd expect him to say -- does it have any force?

Doesn't he actually need to say, hang on, deal with this and get it done?

ALLEN: Well, look, I mean the pope is a pastor, not a politician. This is not a policy speech, so he's not going to be riffing on the two- state solution and how it ought to be applied to the current circumstances.

But your point is well taken; that is, the pope expresses pious wishes all the time. You sometimes wonder what difference they make. All I can tell you is that, through the course of history, there have been plenty of instances in which popes have tried to get involved in resolving a conflict or untying a political knot and failed spectacularly.

There have been other instances in which they have made a real difference. I mean think about the role the late saint Pope John Paul II played in the collapse of the European communism.

So will anything Francis says today make a difference?

All I can tell you is wait and see.

QUEST: Oh, teasing as always, on Christmas Day, John Allen, great to have you with us. Thank you, sir.

The holiday season comes with a grim outlook on the future for many people in Latin America, as the pandemic takes its toll on economies across the region. Prices are high; millions of families are struggling to put food on the table. Stefano Pozzebon saw that on the streets of Bogota, in Colombia.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With about a week until Christmas in one of Bogota's poorest neighborhoods, missionaries are handing out meals to the homeless and everyone that needs it.

The numbers they serve have grown steadily since COVID-19 hit. Before COVID, most of the people they would attend were drug addicts. But things have changed.

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CAMILO DEVIA, FUNDACION AMIGOS MISSION COLOMBIA: Right now there are more -- there is a need between the people that are addicted to drugs here and the people that lost everything. There are too many old people here.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Millions in Colombia lost their job as a result of COVID-19. While the country is recovering, more than 40 percent live in poverty. Among them are people like Edwin, who used to work as a mechanic and now lives on the street. More than a health emergency, COVID has taken jobs away, he says.

POZZEBON: The pandemic has a devastating impact for informal workers in particular. They didn't have any social safety nets when the lockdowns were imposed. POZZEBON (voice-over): Distressingly, just as more people found

themselves in need, prices have shot up across the board, from gasoline to food supplies.

The price of meat increased almost 30 percent in 2021 in Colombia. That is the tip of the iceberg. Poultry is up over 20 percent. Fresh fruits and vegetables, everything you want for a good Christmas meal is more expensive.

POZZEBON (voice-over): As a result, while this would likely not be a lockdown Christmas, the economic outlook is bleak. Colombia's situation is far from unique. Inflation hit the entire region hard.

In South America, 2021 has been a year of rising prices and waning meals. According to UNICEF, 50 percent of Argentinian children under 6 eat less that before COVID-19 hit. In Brazil, 90 million people are going hungry.

SANDRA CHAVES, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF BAHIA (through translator): They've never been in a situation as serious as it is now.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Tapping into international capital markets is not an option for most South American governments, making it hard to finance the large public support projects common in the U.S. and Europe. As a result, the immediate future looks just as dreary.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development expects it will take at least two years to return to pre-COVID levels of wealth in Latin America. The food charity in Bogota has finished their deliveries for today but the job is far from over. Tomorrow, somebody else will be hungry and wanting comfort -- Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.

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QUEST: In terms of making history, seeing into the future, all the while looking up into the skies, this telescope that cost billions is about to make history. It will help our understanding of the universe, once it gets to where it's going. It takes off in about six hours; in fact, exactly six hours. We'll explain what and where, in a moment. CNN.

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QUEST: So, there you see the European Space Agency's launch site in French Guiana, where, in a few hours, the much delayed James Webb telescope, the launch, will blast off and take a month to reach the orbit around the sun and 1.5 million kilometers away, so far away it won't have service if it goes wrong.

James Webb will be able to observe the atmosphere of planets outside of our solar system that has never been done before. [04:25:00]

QUEST: And hopefully that finds something that might contain life.

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KNICOLE COLON, NASA ASTROPHYSICIST: We know that planets of all sizes are out there. And we want to find ones that have similar temperatures and sizes, as Earth, to see if they could possibly be anything like Earth.

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QUEST: For decades, jet packs have been the stuff of science fiction. I tried one once. It ended badly. A British company has been working to turn this fiction into a science fact. Our Anna Stewart got a chance to give the company's jet pack a trial run.

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ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Once only seen in superhero movies, jet pack technology is ready to take off, thanks to the U.K.-based company Gravity Industries. The mobility may not require any vehicle at all, time for (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't be tempted to like bend your knees. Try and dangle them together. Always keep some straight legs. And just a little hop.

STEWART: Straight legs, little hop.

What can go wrong?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go, just like that.

Tip forward a bit more. There you go. And you got (INAUDIBLE) and that one on your back. So, on this one, you have a trigger here, that will control the engine speed.

STEWART: Feeling a little bit like a Transformer.

My arms are heavy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It gets easier once you are kind of leaning. Pull the trigger and hold it. Now let go.

STEWART (voice-over): It's harder than it looks.

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QUEST: That looks enormously good fun. Now obviously social distancing means we can't do our normal Christmas Day tradition of pulling Christmas crackers with colleagues. So, I will pull one myself because some traditions are too good not to continue.

There we go. I won. What a surprise. I won anyway, regardless. And the joke, which, of course, is not on here, there we go. Well, cheap crackers.

Who bought them?

Here we go.

How does good King Wenceslas like his pizzas?

One that is cheap and crisp and even.

You get the idea. Ritual humiliation is for me this year. Thank you. I'm Richard Quest. Wherever you may be celebrating, some traditions are just too good not to keep going. I'll see you back here in 30 minutes or so. "The Forgotten Forest: Deforestation of the Deep" is next. This is CNN.