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Global Push For Independent Probe At WHO Annual Assembly; E.U. Outlines Efforts To Gradually Get Europe Moving Again; CNN Speaks To The Expert Called The Dr. Anthony Fauci Of China; Brazil's Case Count Becomes World's Fourth-Largest; Moderna: Vaccine Trial Participants Developed Antibodies; U.K. Could Be Missing Up To 70,000 COVID-19 Cases; Nearly All U.S. States Reopening As Death Toll Nears 90,000. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired May 18, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:21]
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, it is Monday the 18th of May. I'm Hala Gorani. We continue our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
China is claiming transparency, while Europe is calling for unity. Today's World Health Assembly puts the spotlight firmly on China as the world
staggers out of coronavirus lockdown.
Well, should China be scrutinized and held accountable for how it reported the coronavirus pandemic in the early days of the disease? The World Health
Assembly is kicking off in Geneva, Switzerland. More than a hundred countries are pushing for an independent investigation into the global
response to the COVID-19 pandemic led by the WHO, the World Health Organization.
Now, China's President Xi Jinping addressed the assembly by video conference. He says his country acted transparently throughout the
outbreak.
Joining us now is CNN's Ivan Watson live in Hong Kong. What are world leaders saying needs to be done now to get to the bottom of how this
pandemic -- you know, spread like wildfire across the globe?
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're calling for solidarity and unity, and they're having to do it virtually, because
this annual meeting of course because of the pandemic, nobody can actually go to Geneva or very few people, so everybody's been video conferencing in.
Everybody from the leaders of France and Germany to Xi Jinping, the leader of China. And there been some snafus. You know, the South African president
wasn't able quite to connect the first two times to give his opening remarks to this annual gathering.
You mentioned that the draft resolution signed by more than a hundred countries calls for a quote, impartial, independent and comprehensive
evaluation of this terrible pandemic.
Now initially, Australia had called for an investigation in to China, because of course the coronavirus was first discovered in the Chinese city
of Wuhan back in December, the original epidemic outbreak city for what became a global pandemic. China has rejected calls for an investigation,
but the Director General of the World Health Organization did concede that it was time for an independent evaluation at the earliest appropriate
moment.
In the meantime, Xi Jinping, he offered his take on China's record. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (through translator): All along we have acted with openness, transparency and the responsibility. We have provided
the information to WHO and the relevant countries in the most timely fashion.
We have released the genome sequence at the earliest possible time. We have shared control and treatment experience with the world without reservation.
We have done everything in our power to support and assist countries in need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Xi Jinping pledged $2 billion over two years to help in the global response to coronavirus. He applauded the World Health Organization for its
role in fighting against the pandemic. A notable absence among all these heads of states who gave opening remarks was the U.S. president, who was
nowhere to be seen and who has withdrawn funding from the WHO, Hala?
GORANI: All right. So, I mean, obviously it's now it's the world is still dealing with the pandemic itself. What kind of time line would we be
looking at in terms of some sort of inquiry or an investigation into how the World Health Organization or independently other countries have dealt
with the pandemic?
WATSON: Again, the Director General of the WHO, he said at the earliest appropriate moment for that review. The Chinese leader said that it should
take place after the battle against the pandemic has been won.
There's another wrinkle to this story, and that is the absence of Taiwan, with the population of some 23 million people, as even an observer at this
important gathering in this time when a global health crisis is at the top of everybody's agenda. The Taiwanese wanted an invitation. They didn't get
it. They had been enjoying observer status up until 2016. China objects to Taiwan being able to be in these multilateral institutions, part of the
U.N. system, because it, of course insists that Taiwan is not an independent country, but a part of China.
[10:05:17]
WATSON: So the Taiwanese government expressed regret about this and in the last hour, the U.S. State Department has issued while not really being
present in the opening of this annual assembly, in this really important time of a global health crisis, Secretary of State Pompeo issued a
statement blasting the World Health Organization's Director General arguing that he lacks independence to allow Taiwan to attend this important
gathering, so a controversy on the sidelines in the midst of a pandemic, Hala?
GORANI: Thank you for that, Ivan Watson.
Now here in Europe, Europeans are enjoying some of life's simple pleasures. Restrictions are easing across the E.U. In Paris, for instance, people have
been soaking up the sun on the first weekend of reopening, although at least to two new virus clusters have been discovered in France in recent
days. Authorities staying very vigilant obviously.
Hundreds of sites in Greece are reopening for visitors including at the Acropolis in Athens. Italians are also back in newly reopened shops,
restaurants and churches, after a very long and very strict lockdown.
Europe obviously is not fighting COVID-19 in a vacuum. The E.U.'s economic recovery will depend on many other things, how the recovery takes place in
the United States, how things go with China, including the relationship of the E.U. with China.
And also, there is some pressure put on the WHO to try to figure out how this pandemic spread so quickly. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel,
stressed this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY (through translator): Virtually no country has been spared by this pandemic, so no country can solve this
problem alone. We must work together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, we're joined by Sweden's Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs. Thank you, Commissioner, for being with us.
I want to get your take first on -- you know, this desire to get to the bottom of how the pandemic was handled by the World Health Organization,
and perhaps even China's role. You know, some had been critical of China with regards to whether or not it was fully transparent from the beginning.
What is your take on that, as the E.U. Commissioner for Home Affairs?
YLVA JOHANSSON, EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER, HOME AFFAIRS: I think of course it's important to figure out after the crisis how everything has been done. But
right now we are in the middle of the crisis and now we have to focus to on saving lives, saving people's health, and coming back to economic recovery
as soon as possible.
GORANI: Yes, you have new guidance on how the E.U. should start lifting restrictions country by country, perhaps even region by region. What is
that new guidance for Europeans watching us?
JOHANSSON: It's a -- luckily the situation is increasing in all member states, but still it's a severe situation, but now member states are in the
face of slowly step by step lifting restrictions and also lifting border controls been inside the European Union and the Schengen Area. And that's
why we have produced guidelines to help member states to do that in a coordinated way.
GORANI: And what are they?
JOHANSSON: It's a -- (INAUDIBLE) when it comes to border, I think the most important thing is that we have to always to look at the epidemiological
situation and to be aware that we should do things step by step, but it's also very important to make sure that all measures are non-discriminatory,
so that all citizens in European Union are being treated the same way.
GORANI: Are you in favor of having so-called travel corridors, travel bubbles where one or two or three countries like the Baltic states get
together, decide that their case levels are similar, and so they would not restrict travel within that bubble, but restrict it from outside of that
corridor? Do you think that's a good idea?
JOHANSSON: Yes, that's actually what we proposed. Is that when there are similar epidemiological situation on both side of the border, then the
border should be open. But what is important is that when a border is open, it's open for all E.U. citizen, not only for those that are citizens in a
specific member state.
[10:10:00]
JOHANSSON: So all men -- citizens can pass through that border when it's open, but I think it's a wise idea to step by step starting opening borders
between areas or countries where the situation is similar according to the pandemic and the virus.
GORANI: But how concerned are you -- and some have expressed concern, that this could in fact turn into some sort of existential threat to the
Schengen Area, to the European Union, where these borders are coming up just like we're in the '80s again and you have border controls. I mean, and
it's going to not take weeks, it potentially could take months, maybe even years for all the members of the European Union to have the same caseload
and case numbers. Are you worried that this could be an existential threat for the E.U.?
JOHANSSON: No, I'm not. I saw that when member states introduced this travel restriction and border checks they did in an uncoordinated manner
and that caused a lot of chaos. It was a little bit like when individuals rushed to their grocery store and bought a lot of toilet paper and pastas
and get home and locked their doors, this is not a way forward.
And very soon they realize that we need each other, we need to cooperate and that's why member states have asked the commission to produce these
guidelines and we have done it together with the member states.
So I see a very strong willingness now to open up and coming back to fuller functioning Schengen Area and free movements again. I think sometimes
people do not realize what they miss before it's gone, and I think that Europeans really like the free movement.
GORANI: And I know obviously it's going to be based on infection rates and curves from country to country but I think people are -- you know, people
in Europe and the E.U. have gotten used to traveling border free without having to worry about where one border, one country ends and the other
begins. Can you give a time line, even if it's very rough, about when you anticipate we could get back to normal here?
JOHANSSON: Well, of course I can't give that, because our first recommendation is to follow the epidemiological situation. But I will guess
that it would be quite go quite quick, because it also depends on how good people are at respecting social distancing, and how good companies, travel
companies are at setting up measures so that we can keep the social distancing while traveling, and my impression is that this is going quite
quick right now, so I think that we will see a lot of new steps the coming weeks.
GORANI: Yes, people still have questions about how that's going to be achievable.
Schools, some countries like Denmark have reopened schools. They're maintaining social distancing as well as they can inside the classroom.
Others are considering doing so. What is safe and what isn't safe? Because not every country is like a Scandinavian country where there might be --
you know, more of an ability in terms of resources to allow for smaller classrooms and that type of thing.
JOHANSSON: Well, I think -- I think from the health authority's perspective, it's -- schools are not the worst cases when it comes to the
virus. It seems like children are not spreading the virus as much as adults do. So I think that step by step we're coming back to normal also in
schools and it's not all member state that have closed down schools.
GORANI: Right, we're going to talk about China in just a moment on the program, so I want to get your position, the European Union's position on
whether or not you believe China has been fully transparent with the numbers, and was transparent at the beginning of the pandemic. What is the
E.U.'s position?
JOHANSSON: Well, I think it's very important that we continue to investigate what have happened and of course we -- it's very important that
China will be transparent with all their figures and take part in that kind of investigations.
GORANI: But do you think from the beginning that there were or that -- do you have questions about that?
JOHANSSON: Well, I think in the country like China, you can never be sure about that tem -- whether the figures are right or not but I'm not -- maybe
not in a position to have a strong view on that.
GORANI: But you're eager to get to the bottom of it, and also eager I'm sure in the E.U. to get to the bottom of how the entire pandemic was
managed early on?
JOHANSSON: Yes, I think this is important to do, but I also think it's important that we manage -- the crisis is not over yet, so we still have a
lot of lives to save, and we still have a lot of people to protect, and we still have health care to protect.
[10:15:15]
JOHANSSON: So I think that now we should have the focus on how we should manage, because we are in the middle of the crisis. But afterwards, of
course, it's important that we find out correctly how things have been handled and to learn lessons.
GORANI: All right, thank you Commissioner Ylva Johansson, she is the Commissioner for Home Affairs, E.U. Home Affairs.
More on China now. The nation is preparing for a second wave of the coronavirus potentially after new cases emerged last week. In a CNN
exclusive, our David Culver spoke to China's leading medical expert known as the Dr. Fauci of the country, about the challenges ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In our exclusive interview with China's Dr. Fauci equivalent if you will, their leading health expert, he stressed
two things in particular that stand out, one is he was highly critical of the initial response to the outbreak, though now he fully supports the
central government and their containment effort. And he also warns that while things may be opening up again here in China, that the threat is far
from over.
DR. ZHONG NANSHAN, CHINA'S LEADING MEDICAL EXPERT: We are facing a big challenge. It's not better than the foreign countries I think.
CULVER: A warning against complacency coming from a man who's gained the respect and admiration of both China's leaders and its citizens.
Pulmonologist and China's go-to health expert Dr. Zhong Nanshan speaking exclusively with CNN.
NANSHAN: We should reopen all things gradually. On the other side, we still have the very strong control so the containment of the -- of the situation.
CULVER: Zhong first gained international praise for his work on SARS 17 years ago. His recent focus COVID-19. He's gained the celebrities status
here. Many captivated by his physical drive as much as his scientific knowledge.
What is it that you have been doing during this period to stay mentally sane, physically fit?
NANSHAN: I still keep exercising and sport and so all the things I keep an open up mind and eat not too much every time. So that's why I seems to be
still can do something in my age of 84.
CULVER: Some have likened him to the Dr. Fauci of China, referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S.'s top infectious disease expert. But within China,
they call Fauci the Zhong Nanshan of the U.S.
NANSHAN: I cannot compare with Fauci, he's the adviser of the president. Always been standing in beside the president.
CULVER: Perhaps he does not physically stand next to President Xi Jinping but Zhong has the trust of China's central government. His advice sparks
near immediate action. Take for example, Wuhan's unprecedented lockdown.
On January 18th, five days before the city was shutdown, Zhong traveled to the original epicenter of the outbreak. He questioned the local health
officials on the number of cases.
NANSHAN: I suppose they are very reluctant to answer my question. The local authorities didn't like to tell the truth at that time.
CULVER: Publicly Wuhan Health Officials as late as January 19th labeled the virus as preventable and controllable. And later, the city's mayor even
acknowledged not acting in a timely fashion.
Zhong pressed harder for the actual numbers. And when he got them, he headed to Beijing on January 20th. He briefed the central government and
within hours, he was addressing the nation in this live interview on state- run CCTV.
Zhong revealed that human-to-human transmission was likely. And as proof of that, he said the virus had already infected multiple medical personnel.
NANSHAN: That's very dangerous signal, showing this kind of a disease, very contagious.
CULVER: Within three days, Wuhan went to a harsh lockdown that lasted 76 days. Yet even with China's central government now taking the lead, there
is still skepticism over the official numbers. Zhong says the Chinese government would not benefit from underreporting.
NANSHAN: They have announced one (INAUDIBLE) that all the cities should report the true number of diseases. So if you do not do that, you will be
punished.
CULVER: Zhong's focus is now on preparing China for a second wave of the outbreak. Over the past few weeks, new clusters of cases have serviced in
several cities including Wuhan.
Do you think a vaccine is going to be a reality in the near future? Where are we with progress here?
NANSHAN: I totally believe (INAUDIBLE) it's most important to establish this herd immunity.
[10:20:03]
CULVER: He cited three different vaccine trials underway in China. They will in to their next phases of testing by late summer. But he warns --
NANSHAN: If you are going to make, to work out a perfect vaccine, it would take years and years.
CULVER: We talk so often about the disagreements between the government and the politics at this. But can people find hope in knowing that at least the
medical community is able to push past boundaries and that they're discussing this globally?
NANSHAN: It's really true, in my -- in my group as well as Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health and Harvard Medical School.
I'm very happy to have this opportunity o contact the top hospitals in the world for have some collaboration and then we can make a great progress and
also we have experienced some disease. So three months earlier than the U.S. colleagues, so we can tell them some our experience and our lessons.
CULVER: Dr. Zhong's advice to his own country's leaders is that while it is important to start the reopening process, which we have seen under way
here, it's also to be prepared for again isolating certain situations that may be hot spots that pop up like we've seen already in the northeast of
China in particular, to continue the contact tracing. And he stresses face masks should be a part of the culture going forward at least for the near
future.
David Culver, CNN, Hainan Island.
GORANI: Well, that's the view from China. The mayors of Brazil's -- the mayor of Brazil's largest city is raising a red flag as coronavirus cases
there skyrocket.
Still ahead, why hospitals in Sao Paulo may not be able to keep up for too much longer. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well, if you want to know how quickly the virus can spread, consider this, in South Korea, researchers have linked more than a hundred
cases of coronavirus to a single fitness workshop. They found eight instructors who took part in the workshop back in February that later
tested positive. But by that time, they'd infected dozens of their students.
Now, researchers believe the warm, moist atmosphere of the sport facilities may have led to the dense transmission.
And from there, let's take you to Brazil, quote, on the brink of collapse, unquote, that's how Sao Paulo's mayor is describing the health system in
his city. He says 90 percent of ICU beds are occupied, that's nine, zero as the number of coronavirus cases continues to shoot up. The warning came
after Brazil's case count became the fourth largest in the world.
For more, Shasta Darlington joins us now from Sao Paulo. And we know the Brazilian President Bolsonaro has been very reluctant to admit that the
scientific evidence very much points to the need to keep social distancing between individuals to limit the spread of the pandemic. And here you have
-- you know, in stark numbers a rising caseload in the country.
[10:25:18]
SHASTA DARLINGTON, JOURNALIST: That's right, Hala. We're getting complete mixed messages here, so while the number of confirmed cases in Brazil has
shot up past 240,000, surpassing both Spain and Italy, you have the mayor of Sao Paulo --
GORANI: All right, we lost Shasta Darlington there joining us live from Brazil. We'll try to reconnect with Shasta but essentially she was
commenting on this graphic that we're showing you there that clearly shows a very rapidly rising seven-day moving average for Brazil. These are the
new confirmed cases, the fourth highest case number in the world, and this is a country of course that is grappling as the mayor of Sao Paulo has
said. Shasta, I believe you're back with us. A country that is grappling with the health care system potentially that is really, really stretched to
the limit already.
DARLINGTON: Yes, that's right. I mean, as I was saying that part of this problem is the mixed message. So that while you have the mayor of Sao Paulo
urging residents to stay home and respect the social isolation guidelines in place, less than half of the population of the city is doing that, and
then you have President Jair Bolsonaro attending yet another anti-lockdown rally in Brazil on Sunday where he posed for photos with supporters, where
he even did pushups with a group of men in red berets and camouflage.
And the problem is there are a lot of guidelines in place across the country, after weeks and weeks of this though people are not respecting
them the way they were at the beginning. So now there is a lot of discussion about whether cities like Sao Paulo, like Rio should really
enter much stricter lockdown where residents aren't allowed on the street if they can't prove they're going to the supermarket for example, Hala.
GORANI: All right, Shasta, thanks very much.
India and Bangladesh are already suffering with the coronavirus. Now, a super cyclone is heading their way. The tropical cyclone Amphan formed in
the Bay of Bengal. It's now as strong as a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane. Meteorologists expect the storm to weaken as it approaches land but is set
to hit poor and densely populated areas. Certainly the last thing they need in that part of the world.
Still to come, restaurants, gyms, barber shops, beaches, all open in Texas, even as the state sees its biggest daily increase in COVID cases so far.
We're live in Texas.
And the U.K. has announced another $101 million for vaccine research but is a September date for widespread vaccine distribution a realistic goal?
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:36]
GORANI: There is encouraging news today about the quest for coronavirus vaccine, drug manufacturer Moderna says eight people in its phase one
vaccine trials successfully developed coronavirus antibodies. And it says the level of antibodies in their -- in their system was the same or more
than what is found in people who have recovered from COVID-19 and then when you recover from COVID-19 is when your body develops those antibodies.
Sanjay Gupta has more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: -- very early, but if it holds up very encouraging as well. There's two major points here, when
you're doing these vaccine trials, the first phase is really to look for safety. And so far, the safety data does look pretty good. Again, they got
to analyze that.
But they also looked into trying to figure out in response to these vaccines, were people developing antibodies, a term that people have come
to know, but basically, it's the body's response to a virus, and they want to make sure the antibodies which could fight the virus later on, were in
fact being produced when given this vaccine. And the answer is yes, at least in this early -- in these early results, and not only were antibodies
being produced, but as you increase the dose of the vaccine, you were producing more antibodies, and these are the type of antibodies that are
known as neutralizing antibodies. OK.
So that was -- that means is you take some virus, you take some of the antibodies, you put them in a test tube together, do the antibodies,
actually, neutralize the virus. And the answer again was yes.
So, again, this is -- this is encouraging, very early data. We knew they were going to phase two, there still has to be a phase three after this. So
there's a process here that still needs to unfold.
But, you know, we didn't get bad news at this point. We didn't get the answer that this doesn't work, it's not actually eliciting a response. The
news so far is good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, Moderna has been cleared to begin phase two of testing. The company hopes to be in phase three, with tens of thousands of people taking
the vaccine in July, so not too far off. Hopefully, that timeline will hold.
Here in the U.K., the government has pledged an additional hundred million dollars for vaccine research hoping to make 30 million doses of available
by September. The country has recorded nearly 245,000 confirmed infections and more than 34,000 deaths. This is the highest death toll in all of
Europe.
But officials tracking the virus say they could be missing up to 70,000 cases, mainly due to a lag in listing symptoms associated with COVID. The
U.K. has been behind many countries and considering what is and is not a symptom, it just added a loss of smell, for instance, to the list of
symptoms. Months after British doctors originally alerted to it.
Joining me now from Wales is Chris Bryant, who's on the U.K. Foreign Affairs Committee and as a member of the Labour Party. Thanks for being
with us. I'm sure you're very happy and satisfied to -- Hi.
I'm sure you're very happy and satisfied to see with the number of case -- oh, well, well done. Was that a self-inflicted haircut or were you able to
go to a hairdresser?
CHRIS BRYANT, BRITISH LABOUR MP: You're saying what do you say? It's that bad. That was my husband that did it this morning? Yes.
GORANI: No, it looks great. It does. It looks great. Listen, men are very privileged when it comes to haircuts because I certainly couldn't take a
hair clip for to my head.
Let me ask you about the numbers, your reaction to the U.K. numbers because they are down. And I know that there has been a lot of criticism directed
at the Johnson government, especially in the early weeks of the pandemic, when it spread through the U.K.
Are you now satisfied that the country is going in the right direction?
BRYANT: I'm not satisfied? Well, I think they -- the prime minister was asleep on the job at the beginning. And he was absent from all the Cobra
meetings at the beginning of the year when he should have been focusing on this. We have had an absolute crisis in our care homes in particular, which
has meant that thousands of people have died who need never have died.
We should have done a lockdown there much earlier. Where we're nowhere near testing enough people and we've got the highest excess death rate of
anywhere in the world. And I think when all the judgments are done at the end of this whole saga, I think people will be quite unhappy.
[10:35:16]
GORANI: What would you do differently now that isn't being done then? Because it does appear as though it would make sense to move on to phase
two of reopening in a week or so.
What would you do differently than currently what the -- what the strategy and the approaches now?
BRYANT: Well, so one thing I think is important is that you have to have one set of messages across the whole of the United Kingdom. I live in
Wales. Wales has not gone to the stage that the U.K. government announced last week for England with people being able to travel and to exercise and
being able to travel hundreds of miles to exercise as they want to.
We've stuck with the messages stay at home. Because the hour rate in Wales is still quite high as it is across the whole of the U.K. And, yes, it's
true that the number of additional infections and deaths has gone down. And this weekend in particular, you've noted it, but that happens every weekend
because there's a delay in the number of statistics coming through.
And so my anxiety is I think we should still be sticking for at least the next two weeks with the -- with the strongest possible lockdown. I don't
think the message should be alert. I don't know what that means. It doesn't mean anything. And it should be stay at home.
GORANI: Right and that's "Be Alert" is the new slogan from certainly rolled out across England, not all parts of the United Kingdom.
There is an immigration bill as well that is being considered in the House of Commons aimed at introducing a points based immigration system. You
believe that COVID has made it clear who is essential to the functioning of the U.K. economy, right? And that, therefore, the immigration proposals
that predated COVID don't make sense anymore. Could you explain why you believe that?
BRYANT: Well, look, what we've discovered over the last few weeks or months is that the key workers, the people who keep this country going, and are
not just the people in the health service and the care workers, but the cleaners and the people who run the trains and the buses, and the people
who work in retail in the shops and the people who pick the vegetables and the fruit in the summer months.
And all of those have relied for a very long time in the U.K. on migrant labor coming here from elsewhere in the European Union. Now, I was
passionately opposed to our league in Union and that's happening, all right, but I think it would be absolutely crazy for us to try and make it
more difficult for people to come and work in those jobs in this country.
Some of these people are facing 2,000 pound visas and just to be able to stay out working in the care sector in the U.K., there's no way that they
can afford that. And I think this is some prejudice on stilts and it's done.
GORANI: But do you think public opinion has changed in this country? Do you think public opinion has changed in this country as a result of the
pandemic?
BRYANT: I think so. You know, there was a time when in the debate about Brexit, everybody in the U.K. or a lot of people in the U.K. used to talk
about people using the NHS who weren't from here. I always used to say, actually, you're far more likely be treated by a migrant and as a doctor or
a nurse than to be standing in a queue behind somebody who's a migrant.
So I hope that that message has finally got through because night after night after night, we've seen doctors from all over the world and nurses
and care and people working in care homes, and who have contracted coronavirus, they've been working in our hospitals in the air system and I
think -- we clap them every Thursday evening, it's absolutely preposterous that we should try to limit them coming to the U.K.
GORANI: All right. Chris Bryant, a member of Parliament from Wales, a member of the Labour Party. Actually, I got a better look at your haircut
and it looks just fine. So hope you're staying safe.
All right. In the U.S -- thank you -- 48 states are reopening and some form of warmer weather brought many people out to beaches and other forms of
recreation over the weekend, especially in Florida.
Rosa Flores has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At parks and beaches --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've been pretty cooped up like everybody and to get out here and get in the water, the water is really nice.
FLORES: Restaurants and even casinos --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a while so it's like time to just finally get out somewhere else.
FLORES: -- from coast to coast, scenes of relaxed social distancing.
Here in Florida, near the 800 new coronavirus cases were announced Sunday right before the state fully enters phase one of reopening.
[10:40:04]
MAYOR FRANCIS SUAREZ (R), MIAMI, FLORIDA: We've seen some of the statistics about states throughout the United States that have reopened and started to
see some level of resurgence, and that's obviously a big concern for us.
FLORES: In Ocean City, a practice run for New Jersey's beaches before they open statewide to limited numbers for Memorial Day weekend.
Beach goers in Los Angeles must remain six feet apart and wear masks when they aren't in the water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now everything is spaced out how it should be, so we don't feel that much at risk.
FLORES: Outdoor dining spaces and bars are allowed to welcome back customers in Ohio, sending patrons to jam pack this bar in Columbus, the
governor admitting the risk of reopening the economy and asking residents to take more responsibility.
GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): People have to add that extra layer, we're asking them to put the mask on. Do all the things that, you know, everyone now
knows that you have to do to keep that separated and to slow this down.
FLORES: Texas experienced its largest reported single day increase of confirmed cases Saturday, according to the State Department of Health
Services. It's unclear if the spike is due to more testing availability or the virus spreading quickly.
As much of New York State opens up, Governor Andrew Cuomo urged residents to get tested even getting one himself.
But in New York City, the mayor warned people about getting too relaxed too soon.
MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY: If you don't follow these rules, unfortunately, there's a danger of that boomerang and even more
restrictions.
FLORES: Meanwhile, in Washington, harsh words between a top Trump administration official and the CDC. White House trade advisor, Peter
Navarro says the agency let the country down on testing.
PETER NAVARRO, WHITE HOUSE TRADE ADVISER: Not only did they keep the testing within the bureaucracy, they had a bad test and that did set us
back.
FLORES: One senior CDC officials speaking on condition of anonymity fired back at Navarro, telling CNN if there is criticism of the CDC, ultimately,
Mr. Navarro is being critical of the President and the men who President Trump placed to lead the agency.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, that was Rosa Flores reporting. I want to talk more about the White House criticism of the CDC and that scathing response from a CDC
official with John Harwood.
I mean, here you have in the middle of a pandemic, the White House, essentially, attacking its main center for controlling diseases.
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Hala, and what you've got is a couple things going on here. First of all, the President
wants to move from attacking the coronavirus itself to economic revival, leaving the coronavirus fight in the hands of governors and agencies like
the CDC and others at the federal level who are assisting states.
But while he makes that turn, he's also running for reelection and trying to affix blame for the difficulty so far on others on China, and Peter
Navarro has been very vocal about that. And on the CDC, the President himself has faltered the CDC for its initial response on testing, the test
that didn't work.
Now, it's not at all clear that the failure of the very first CDC test is the reason that the pandemic spread the United States. Scott Gottlieb, the
former FDA Commissioner appointed by President Trump said that was just one small piece of the issue. The administration should have been more
aggressive in enlisting private sector labs, but it's certainly an ugly fight in the pandemic, but it's one in which the White House has a much
bigger megaphone than the CDC does.
GORANI: John Harwood, thanks very much, live in Washington.
As we heard a few minutes ago, in that report from Rosa Flores, Texas saw a surge in new coronavirus cases over the weekend. And this is a state that's
been one of the most aggressive in terms of reopening.
Ed Lavandera is in Dallas with more. What are the latest numbers and will this change how authorities approach their reopening strategy?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all on that last question, Hala, it doesn't appear that they're any barring any kind of
jarring medical data that the way the path that Texas is on right now into opening up the economy. It's hard to imagine that given what state leaders
have been doing and saying over the last few weeks, that it's going to change anything about the path that this date is on for now.
But there were some disturbing numbers coming out over the weekend. More than 1,800 new coronavirus cases were reported on Saturday here in Texas.
That is by far, the biggest jump in the number of single day cases have reported since this pandemic started and has been tracked here in the state
of Texas.
But that also comes with some of the highest testing that has been done so far here in this state of three of the last four days. We've seen tests of
more than 30,000 per day, so I should put in that caveat as well.
But there is a great deal of concern especially from big city leaders here in the state of Texas, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, where they
talk about the concern about this rush to reopen and they're concerned that things are opening up too soon, and they're hoping that this doesn't get
out of control again or cause a second wave of this coronavirus, but that is the concern that many state leaders hear.
[10:45:21]
The governor says that the plan for opening up the economy here is great in his words, that he is looking at more than just the data of the daily
coronavirus cases being reported. He's looking at hospitalization rates, positivity rates.
But the fact of the matter is much of that medical data, even though it might not be spiking as high as the daily coronavirus cases, that has
remained kind of plateaued, hasn't really gone dramatically up or down in any way since the phased reopening of the economy here started in Texas
back on May 1. Hala?
GORANI: Thank you, Ed Lavandera.
Coming up, we take you inside an intensive care unit in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, where life-saving ventilators are in short supply. We'll be right
back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well as a whole Africa is seeing some hotspots of coronavirus cases, some leaders have downplayed the threat of COVID and ignored social
distancing guidelines, the New York Times is reporting some doctors in Nigeria are begging for personal protective equipment, and only have looser
fitting surgical masks to wear while treating patients who are ill, and many healthcare workers don't have the training needed to operate
ventilators.
The Times reports that in Nigeria, doctors and nurses have become so infected that hospitals are rarely accepting new patients. South Africa
reported a record number of new cases on Sunday, more than 1,100 in a single day. The country has 15,000 confirmed cases and more than 260
deaths.
Kenya has closed its border with Tanzania and Somalia and extended a dawn to dusk curfew, another three weeks.
And while Kenya has closed its borders, new cases are still on the rise there. Doctors are warning that they risk running out of life-saving
ventilators, and that's just part of the wider problem. As Farai Sevenzo reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Doc says that Kenyatta University Hospital, Nairobi's largest COVID-19 dedicated
intensive care ward are grateful for a nearly empty ICU, with less than 1,000 confirmed cases in Kenya.
Head doctor Dr. Isaac Adembesa says the admissions have been few, so far, roughly 200 COVID-19 patients have been treated here. Seven of them needed
intensive care. But the numbers are rising.
DR. ISAAC ADEMBESA, KENYATTA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: We have a 25-bed capacity. That is not enough. If we get more than 24 patients requiring
mechanical ventilation, then we are definitely going to have a problem.
SEVENZO: A chronic shortage of life-saving equipment in the region, as doctors like Adembesa are bracing themselves, while the World Health
Organization and private entities race to deliver much needed equipment across Africa.
[10:50:10]
ADEMBESA: As a hospital, we had requested 400 more ventilators. We are yet to receive any so far.
SEVENZO: But there's one thing he says he's thankful the hospital does have.
ADEMBESA: We are lucky we have an oxygen plant which generate oxygen. I know quite a number of hospitals rely on oxygen cylinders, and that can
really be a challenge, especially if you get huge numbers of patients at once.
I can imagine maybe the far flung areas of Kenya, you know, they have to travel several kilometers to get access to this equipment.
SEVENZO: Kenya's government has vowed to mass manufacture ventilators to meet the demand. But Dr. Wangari Siika, an intensive care specialists at
Aga Khan University Hospital says sourcing equipment is only part of the problem.
DR. WANGARI SIIKA, INTENSIVE CARE SPECIALIST: The bigger problem is the human resource, the technical know-how to operate the machines and operate
them safely to guide the care on a day to day basis hour to hour basis.
SEVENZO: Critical care as a form of specialty is fairly new in Kenya. Kenya has about 20 intensive care specialists countrywide, most of them in the
capital, Nairobi.
Much of the country's critical care needs have fallen in the hands of anesthesiologist of which they are less than 200 in the country of about 15
million people.
SIIKA: But we could do as we say is to network and introduce what we call tele ICU, telemedicine for intensive care units. Where I'm in Nairobi and I
can have a number of ICUs that are contact me, tell me we received such a patient, we've done this, I say, oh, hide this, give me feedback in an hour
and we keep doing that.
And until ultimately they are able to do what we are able to do.
SEVENZO: And that team is hopeful, but they are spread thin.
SIIKA: If we have a situation where one person can take three or even five ICUs around the country, amongst the 20 of us. I think that will give us
some good results.
SEVENZO: Around the world, COVID-19 has revealed absences in health system as hospitals struggled to cope with the outbreak. In Kenya, it has shown
the gap in critical care.
SIIKA: There is a role for the intensivist not just with COVID-19, but COVID-19 has brought it to the forth. And I think at the end of this, as a
nation, we will realize how important it is to train critical care specialists.
SEVENZO: Farai Sevenzo, CNN, Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, coming up, a new tourism push invites Australians to explore Australia, how they're doing it in the age of COVID. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Well in the age of COVID, if you're lucky enough to live in Australia, authorities are hoping you might choose to vacation in
Australia. The government called on crocodile wranglers, chefs, and celebrities to livestream the best of Down Under.
Lynda Kinkade has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST (voice-over): From a stunning Sunset over Uluru, to Finding Nemo in the Great Barrier Reef, Australians ticked
off their travel bucket list this weekend without leaving home. The virtual event hosted by tourism Australia aims to inspire people to plan a trip
once restrictions are lifted.
MATT WRIGHT, CROCODILE WRANGLER: Come on. Happy, come.
KINKADE: Crocodile Wrangler, Matt Wright, put his body on the line to lure people out of their homes.
WRIGHT: I worked with crocodiles my whole life and wildlife my whole life. What do I do is very risky job.
[10:55:02]
KINKADE: And in the coming months, many will weigh the risks on whether to travel.
PHILLIPA HARRISON, TOURISM AUSTRALIA MANAGING DIRECTOR: Australians took six and a half million outbound trips last year. So there is a real
opportunity to encourage those people taking those trips to discover their own backyard.
KINKADE: The push to holiday at home is being ad as a potential coronavirus recovery model for other countries.
HARRISON: Yes, I do think it is a big opportunity for the U.S. market.
KINKADE: But we know Chinese visitors are typically the biggest travelers to Australia, they still can't come. How much is that going to affect
business?
MATT STONE, CO-EXECUTIVE CHEF, OAKRIDGE RESTAURANT: Well kind of scale up as you know the laws and the restrictions scale up and stuff. So it's just
a matter of adapting.
KINKADE: 2020 has delivered Australia a double blow. First came the worst bushfire season on record.
CHAD STAPLES, ZOOKEEPER, FEATHERDALE WILDLIFE PARK: There was a lot of habitat loss, a lot of damage, you know, potential extinction events
really.
KINKADE: A Kylie Minogue tourism ad to convince Brits to come to Oz was quickly derail as the fires took hold. Tourism Australia urge people to
holiday locally.
CHRIS HEMSWORTH, AUSTRALIAN ACTOR: Spread the word. Australia is -- for tourists and for business.
KINKADE: Less than two weeks later, Australia was closed again. The coronavirus forcing a lockdown.
KINKADE (on-camera): Australia has had a pretty tough run.
HARRISON: We have faced the most challenging period in the history of Australia and tourism over the last six months.
KINKADE: With restrictions starting to ease, this whole business will be back, and so to the tourists.
STAPLES: I have no doubt that there is some animals that are desperate for people to come back.
KINKADE (voice-over): Lynda Kinkade, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Well, New Zealand has been firm from the beginning about keeping coronavirus restrictions in place, and it seems even the Prime Minister can
get around the rules of her own government, Jacinda Ardern and her partner, Clarke Gayford, tried to go out to a restaurant practicing social
distancing on Saturday, but they were turned away because it was too full.
Gayford admitted he didn't book a reservation. The cafe later offered the couple of table when one opened up. Gayford says their service was worthy
of an A plus. How refreshing, how refreshing.
We'll take a quick break. I'm Hala Gorani, I'll see you on the other side with a lot more coverage on CNN. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Hello and welcome to our continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I'm Hala Gorani, this hour, today's World Health Assembly puts
the spotlight on China.
END
