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Biden: Testing Has Not Kept Pace with Omicron Threat; Pediatric Hospitalization Across U.S. Are Rising; European Countries Impose New Rules Amid Covid Surge; Week of Mourning Begins for Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Russia: Training Over, Troops Back at Permanent Bases; Parts of U.S. Seeing Record-Breaking Temperatures This Week. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired December 28, 2021 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster. If you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour.

Authorities in China are trying to contain a COVID outbreak in the city of Xi'an. 150 military medics have been deployed to help local hospitals. Xi'an recorded the highest number of daily cases in any Chinese city since March 2020.

And the CDC has updated its recommended COVID isolation time. People who test positive can stop isolating after five days instead of ten if they don't have symptoms, they should still wear a mask another five days. The decision comes as COVID cases in the U.S. are nearing 200,000 a day but testing across the country is falling well short of demand, especially during this busy holiday travel season. President Joe Biden is coming under criticism for not doing enough to address the problem even though he's been talking about it for months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Every school, every worker, every American should have easy access to regular reliable free testing.

After ten months of the pandemic, we still don't have enough testing.

We're going to put the full force of the federal government behind expanding testing by launching a COVID-19 pandemic testing board. We continue to work on making at-home testing available.

From the start, America has failed to do enough COVID-19 testing.

Seeing how tough it was for some folks to get a test this weekend, shows we have more work to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Well, president and his administration have plans to ramp up testing. CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: With coronavirus cases skyrocketing across the country and only expected to rise further after the holiday season, President Biden on Monday huddling with the nation's governors to get on the same page about this coronavirus pandemic and the spread of the Omicron variant. The president making clear to governors that he will get them all the support that they need, and he also acknowledged what has become an obvious failure on the testing front to meet the enormous demand that we have seen over the holiday season, propelled by this Omicron variant.

The president, in fact, citing those long lines over Christmas weekend that were apparent for all to see, saying that that makes clear that there is still a lot more work to do. At the same time, the president trying to talk about the progress that his administration has made with the response to the pandemic, particularly as it relates to testing. Talking about the fact that when he came into office, there were no at-home rapid coronavirus tests approved for use. There are now nine nearly a year into President Biden's term in office.

Ultimately, though, President Biden is set to send those 500 million rapid at-home COVID tests, those won't hit until early next month. But in the meantime, the president signing a memorandum authorizing emergency funding to help the Department of Health and Human Services set up more testing centers across the country in partnership with state and local governments.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, traveling with the president in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:35:00]

FOSTER: As the highly contagious Omicron variant fuels a surge COVID cases, we're seeing a rise in the number of children hospitalized across the U.S. In New York City, pediatric hospital admissions have jumped nearly five-fold over a three-week period. In Washington, D.C., nearly half of COVID-19 tests at Children's National Hospital are coming back positive. In Chicago, hospitalizations at one facility have quadrupled over the past week. In Houston, pediatric hospitals are now bracing for more cases than they've ever seen before. And in Cleveland, one pediatric doctor says her hospital system is, quote, waiting on the edge as it prepares for an influx of cases.

With the Omicron variant spreading and cases surging, health experts warn Americans should brace themselves for a tough start to the new year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ROB DAVIDSON, WEST MICHIGAN EMERGENCY ROOM PHYSICIAN: People with COVID stay in the hospital an extremely long time. So as cases around here are starting to trend down just a little bit, as we are seeing those test positive rates down in the mid-teens rather than up around 30 where they were a couple weeks ago. You know, the hospital numbers are very slowly coming down and it still crunch. We're still scrambling for beds every shift, and we're somewhat terrified about what could happen with Omicron.

DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: People should just brace themselves for a month where lots of people are going to get infected. Unfortunately, unvaccinated people, people who have not gotten the vaccine are going to end up getting pretty sick. And it's going to be pretty disruptive. My hope is as we get into February and certainly by the time we get into March, infection numbers will come way down, and it will also start hitting spring, the weather will start getting better and that will also help. That combination means to me late winter, early spring should be much, much better.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Things aren't looking up much here in Europe either. Countries are imposing new restrictions amid a staggering wave of infections. In Italy, officials are battling some of the highest numbers of the pandemic so far, with nearly 55,000 cases reported on Christmas alone. For more let's go to CNN contributor Barbie Nadeau. She's live at a testing site for us in Rome. A similar sort of pressure on testing there that we've seen in other parts of the world.

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, actually, testing is fairly easy to do here in Italy. You've got these sort of pop-up tents outside of pharmacies in large cities like Rome and small villages. And people getting tested not because they feel symptomatic. A lot of people are getting tested, the tell us, because they want to gather with friends on New Year's Eve or they want to travel and that's sort of driving the testing. It cost 20 euros to get a test here. They have free testing if you have a prescription from your doctor as well.

So, we're not seeing that sort of pressure whatsoever. We are seeing, though, a lot of new restrictions across continental Europe. In Italy it is mandatory to wear a mask eating outdoors now, and we've seen so many cancellations, Max, from New Year's Eve. There will be no fireworks in Paris. There'll be no concert in Rome, and we've seen resistance to some of that. In Germany there were violent protests against restrictions there with 12 police officers being injured in clashes overnight.

So, it's just really across the board. Every country is handling it a little differently as they go into this holiday -- the next phase of the holiday season with New Year's coming up -- Max.

FOSTER: It could be, couldn't it, because so many people are testing but the numbers are going up. So that might be skewing the Omicron variant numbers slightly. Is that a theory?

NADEAU: Well, you know, you look at the number of positives against the number of swabs. In Italy over the weekend, they didn't do very many tests and the positivity rate was over 11 percent. Positivity rate yesterday was around 9 percent. So that's what they're really looking at. A lot of times on the holiday, you know, people were getting tested before they met for Christmas and got together with friends. So, you had a lot of tests. Christmas day there weren't many tests.

Now we're seeing a lot of tests again ahead of New Year's because people want to know if they're positive or not, or maybe they came into contact with someone who was positive. Maybe their kids can come home sick with coronavirus. So, you know, the reasons for testing are very different. And you're right, the more tests you do, the more cases you find. But the health authorities all agree that's the way to go. It's better to over test than not test enough -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, Barbie, thank you.

South Africans are honoring the late Desmond Tutu, with memorials, glowing tributes and cathedral bells. They will be ringing all week, in fact, in this former Cape Town Parish. Details on his funeral next.

Plus, Russia says some of the troops have ended their training at the Ukraine border. But Western countries are still concerned about tensions in the region. Details on that ahead.

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: The travel chaos brought on by the Omicron variant just keeps growing. More than 2,000 flights canceled today globally, including around 600 in or out of the U.S. That's according to tracking website FlightsAware. More than 6,000 flights have been canceled globally since Christmas Eve.

Now, Cape Town's city hall awash in purple light in honor of late Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He was well known for his purple clerical robes. A week of mourning is underway across South Africa. Tutu who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his campaign against apartheid will be laid to rest New Year's Day. CNN's Larry Madowo explains why his funeral won't be a large and elaborate affair.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The late Archbishop Desmond Tutu will not get a big stadium funeral service like that of Nelson Mandela. His contemporary in the anti-apartheid struggle. That is because of current restrictions, because of the pandemic in South Africa. Only 100 people will be allowed for the funeral service at St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town. After that Anglican Requiem mass, his ashes will be interred behind the high altar in the church that was once called the people's cathedral during the apartheid struggle. This is in respect of his wishes and in consultation with his widow Blair Tutu. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited with his family in Cape Town and afterwards this is what he had to say.

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT: And if there ever was one person who really promoted social cohesion, it was Archbishop Desmond Tutu. A lot of great things can be said about him. His global status, the love that he was and is being showered with across the various countries in the world just speaks volumes of what he stood for. MADOWO: Because of that love that president Ramaphosa talked about,

South Africans are asked not to travel across Cape Town for the funeral service. Instead, Memorial services are being held this week all across the nation in parishes and cathedrals.

[04:45:00]

The body of Archbishop Desmond Tutu will also lie in state at St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town on Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow people to pay their respects. Beyond the tributes from kings and queens and royalty and leaders from around the world, ordinary people are also remembering him on social media.

And one of the quotes really coming through is, if you're neutral in situations of in justice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. That is why this South African national treasure, African hero and global icon has touched so many lives and will be remembered by so many.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Nairobi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: The White House is tracking reports that Russian troops have ended training near the Ukraine border and are back at their permanent bases. Russia's defense ministry said more than 10,000 military personnel have finished combat training as part of their regular winter military drills. But the troop movement had raised Western concerns Moscow might be preparing to invade Ukraine. For more on this, CNN's Nic Robertson joins us now from Moscow. Is it panic over then, Nic?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think with a new face of the assessment, Max, and that is, have these troops actually gone back to base. These are sort of mobilized infantry units, combat units, special forces units that have been on their sort of routine winter training according to the Kremlin.

So, the U.S. hasn't said yet in their assessment whether these troops have gone back to base. So, then I think that leaves the question in the minds of many European leaders at the moment, what about the remaining estimated 70 to 100,000 Russian troops that are relatively close to the border of Ukraine, the sort of root of this recent concern.

What's going to happen to them? Are they going to phase down and return to base? Is their standard winter training coming to an end as well? So that's sort of on the military side.

But on the diplomatic front, we do seem to be headed towards a period of discussions and talks. Russian officials are now saying that they are expecting talks with the United States to happen on the 10th of January, and it appears as if talks between Russia and NATO officials will happen soon after that, a couple of days after that.

So, you know, the assessment has to be made. Is Russia contributing to an air of open and free and forward-moving discussion in these talks that it's been pressing for to make sure that NATO doesn't allow Ukraine to join it. To make sure that NATO doesn't expand any further eastward. To make sure NATO doesn't base any military equipment and personnel inside Ukraine. All of these are the main issues of concern for Russia at the moment.

I think it's just too soon to say. And I think that's one of the reasons why we have heard very little comment so far from the White House. But this trajectory of serious military concerns about that buildup remain, but it now has augmented onto it a period of potential diplomacy -- Max.

FOSTER: OK, Nic in Moscow, thank you.

Talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal resumed on Monday in Austria. Tehran is focused on having sanctions lifted before any steps are taken to restrict its nuclear program. Western powers say there are only weeks, not months left before the original 2015 deal becomes meaningless. After former U.S. president Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the deal, Tehran breached the agreement's restrictions and has pushed beyond them.

Coming up, the U.S. is seeing record high and low temperatures from coast to coast. This week's forecasts just ahead.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Amazing video out of Brazil where rescue crews saved 16 people from their homes amid deadly floods. You can see a hole in the roof where this man was pulled to safety. Elsewhere, crews used rafts to rescue families from isolated homes as the muddy waters crept higher and higher. Two dams in the northeastern state of Bahia have burst due to the flooding which has left at least 18 people dead and hundreds more injured. Officials warn more rain could be possible in the coming days, too.

Now, from extreme cold in the West to unusually warm weather in the Southeast, parts of the U.S. are seeing record breaking temperatures this week. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the details for us.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Max, what a way to wrap up 2021 across the United States. The eastern half of the U.S. under excessive warmth that has been in place while the western half of the U.S. the opposite end of the spectrum where record cold temperatures in place. And notice that cold air does want to eventually shift farther and farther toward the East by Saturday, that's New Year's Day. The eastern third of the U.S. remains above average. So, we do see a gradual shift here towards much colder temperatures.

And my goodness, the cold temperatures have been supporting an incredible amount of snowfall. Not only across the Rockies, across the Wasatch or the Sierra, but even into the Siskiyou, the Olympics, those are the Cascade Mountains, all of which have seen an incredible amount of snow come down. And yes, winter weather alerts in parts of 11 states to support all of this.

And in the Sierra Nevada, we often talk about this mountain range because we know with the drought situation in California, we know about 40 percent of the state's drinking water comes from Sierra snow melt. And there's been little of it here to go around in recent decades, of course. But this year, in the month of December, 194 feet of it has been observed where 179 feet is actually the record there for the month of December, from 1970. So, an historic amount to be had across the area. And this round of weather comes in with extremely cold temperatures.

Look at parts of Montana. Temperatures running 10 to 20 degrees below zero, best in previous records held from the 1940s and 1960s. Even in eastern Washington, temperatures dropping off to 11 degrees. And incredibly Seattle is running well below average as well after a run of snow showers and going to transition to New Year's Day there with a potential for some flakes are going to fly.

[04:55:00]

But Seattle you might recall back in June set an all-time record of 108 or 42 Celsius. Now, a 91-degree difference from what happened just in the past 24 hours, dropping off to 17 degrees, the widest spread of temperatures for the city in one calendar year in recorded history.

Notice the Eastern U.S. though, this will be excessive warmth with seen, 70s and 80s observed. This is running some 20 degrees above average, Max. And, yes, upwards of almost 200 records could be set across the Eastern U.S. before all this warmth is done with. Maybe severe weather later in the week as well -- Max.

FOSTER: Thanks to you, Pedram.

Now, a Los Angeles woman is facing a federal assault charge after allegedly hitting and spitting on another passenger. The incident occurred on a Delta flight two days before Christmas. Court documents say Patricia Cornwell was returning from the rest room when she found the aisle was blocked by flight attendants conducting beverage service. When Cornwell was requested to find another open seat, she and another passenger exchanged words before she allegedly punched him and spat on his face. Delta has put Cornwall on the no-fly list. If she's found guilty, she could face up to a one year in prison and up to $100,000 worth of fines.

Now, a mystery that is lasted for 134 years might almost be solved. Officials in Richmond, Virginia, believe they've discovered a time capsule buried beneath the confederate statue from 1887. It's the one they were expecting to find whilst removing a pedestal that supported the statue of Robert E. Lee. Another time capsule was recovered earlier this month, but officials say it was likely buried by the men who constructed the pedestal. Now Conservators are planning to open the newly discovered capsule on Tuesday. They expect to find confederate memorabilia inside if that is the capsule is authentic.

Thanks for joining us on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. "EARLY START" with Laura Jarrett and Paula Reid is up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)