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United Kingdom Prime Minister Announces Further Easing Of COVID-19 Restrictions; Boris Johnson Lifting More Virus Measures In England Beginning July 4; Mexico Says Reopening Economy Is Risky But Necessary; NASCAR Drivers Rally Around Bubba Wallace After Noose Found; Burnley Condemn "White Lives Matter" Banner. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired June 23, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Hala Gorani. Coming up this hour in CNN as COVID-19 cases rise around the world,
governments are struggling to manage the virus as public support for restrictions wanes. We're live in London where the rules are being relaxed
today.
And also in Germany where a new regional lockdown has been announced following an outbreak at a meat plant plus this hour President Trump moves
to curtail visas for foreign workers saying, he wants to protect American job. What does this mean for international travelers and people wishing to
live in the U.S., details ahead?
Lockdowns are ending and coronavirus cases are rising in some places of the world. They are rising dramatically. In the U.S., half of the 50 states are
now reporting a jump in cases. Two of the hardest hit states, Florida and Texas, started relaxing restrictions weeks ago.
Florida has now topped 100,000 cases with many of the new infections in the younger people. We'll head live to Miami in a few minutes. Next hour, Dr.
Anthony Fauci and other medical experts are testifying on Capitol Hill. We will bring you that live.
Also in Germany, the district that is home to a meat processing plant is back on lockdown after a massive outbreak at that plant. More than 1,500
workers have tested positive. 1,500 residents face the same stringent measures that were first imposed back in March. We're live in Germany this
hour.
In the U.K. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has announced a further easing of restrictions to start early next month. British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson unveiled those changes in parliament just a few hours ago. He says the arts, culture and hospitality sectors can reopen, but with some
restrictions.
Entertainment venues like restaurants, pubs, movie theaters and museums are included in the plan. They have been closed for months since the pandemic
spread to the UK and now where review of social distancing is prompting Mr. Johnson to roll back some of the restrictions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: While the experts cannot give a precise assessment of how much the risk is reduced, they judge these
mitigations would make one meter plus broadly equivalent to the risk at two meters if those mitigations are fully implemented. So either will be
acceptable and our guidance will change accordingly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, CNN International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson joins me from 10 Downing Street in London. This comes on the heels of some really
awful numbers reported for the UK, almost 50,000 deaths. I mean, the per capita death rate in this country is appalling, but there is a lot of
pressure on the government to really start relaxing these rules.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Sure I mean, this is the biggest feature for Boris Johnson, these change is due to take effect
on what's being called here super Saturday, July 4th.
The Prime Minister described it as the nation coming out of a long hibernation, he said. The cautious optimism was palpable on the streets and
in the shops in Britain. I think perhaps that cautious optimism might be more palpable inside Downing Street, because there is a lot of pressure on
the Prime Minister.
This is the long awaited forward looking strategy that he has been pressed to provide. And of course, whether or not the country can manage to do what
he hopes to do which is kick start the economy again on the basis of what is laid out, his future career will depend on that and how he'll be judged
on it?
And as you say, big mistakes have been made in this country already. But the changes that are offering here are significant. They're significant to
people's lives. It means that we had to go on holiday around the country. They'll be able to go out to pubs and restaurants, although the conditions
there will be changed.
There sort of two meters to one meter plus with mitigation, mitigation might be screens between tables, tables doesn't further apart, additional
ventilation put in perhaps people wearing face masks.
Barbers will be able to work again, and hair salons if they have visors on. So all of these changes, but the point that you made about the appalling
statistics and numbers, I think the Prime Minister really tried to paint a very positive picture at the beginning of his speech.
The first week of May, the first half of May he said 69,000 people in the UK testing positive. He gave the first half of June saying, look, it's only
22,000 tested positive four weeks ago. He said, one in 400 people were positive, now he said it's a case that one in 1,700 people are positive. So
he laid out all of the statistics to make the case for why this can happen.
[10:05:00]
ROBERTSON: But he did says all conditional and that if the conditions change, if the virus shows that it's coming back, then obviously there are
other restrictions that will be put in place. A lot rides on the Prime Minister, a lot of pressure to get to this moment and he will be judged by
the success or failure of it, Hala.
GORANI: All right. Nic Robertson at 10 Downing Street thanks very much. You know, is our future local lockdowns, if we start to see spikes in certain
areas rather than nationwide lockdowns? Well, if we look at Germany perhaps it does give us an idea of what our future might look like.
The R-rate in Germany, the virus transmission rate we've heard so much about has soared in that country after the outbreak at a meat processing
plant a single outbreak. In the area around the plant is now backing on lockdown. I want to bring in Fred Pleitgen from Berlin. And this really the
spike in cases has forced authorities to implement a really pretty strict local lockdown.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIOANL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think you're right, Hala. This is a local lockdown, but it's a large lockdown.
Nonetheless, if we look at the numbers, I was just checking at it a second ago, 370,000 people in the area around that town of Futures Low which in
the west of Germany are now under lockdown.
That means they face the same measures that everybody else in Germany faced on early March when the strict lockdowns were in place. Only two people
allowed to be outside together, not allowed to get into the indoor places with people from other families, for instance, bars, cafes restaurants,
everything is closed, because of one outbreak in one company.
And needless to say, there are a lot of people who are extremely angry about that. And I heard before you saying that in that company, there are
more than 1,500 people. I think its 1,553 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus. That's of 7,000 employees that is a large part of the
work force that's in that plant that had tested positive for the coronavirus.
And essentially what the authorities are saying, they have not put this big lockdown in place, because they fear that the virus could spread from being
contained within the sort of the employees and the family members of that company, many of which are workers who come from Romania, some of them from
Bulgaria and some of them live in corporate housing could spread to the general population. That's something that they're trying to prevent.
There are other measures that they're also putting in place. They're really expanding mobile testing teams. They want to test as much of the population
in that area of futures low as they can to try and really contain all of this and to try to make sure that they can also keep tracing back all of
the folks that may have been in contact with people who may have had the virus. It's a giant undertaking there by the authorities in that part of
Germany.
And certainly something that has really put this country on notice that this pandemic in Germany which of course as we know has been seen as very
successful, by no means is over and certainly is still extremely devastating or can be extremely devastating and dangerous as well, Hala.
GORANI: All right. Fred Pleitgen thanks very much. Live in Berlin. It just really shows you how infectious this virus is and these disease 1,553
positive cases in a meat plant out of 7,000. That just gives you a sense on how easily this virus transmits from one person to another if people are
close together.
Florida is one of the states in America seeing a sharp spike in cases. Correspondent Rosa Flores is in Miami where hospitals have seen 88 percent
increase in COVID-19 patients in the past 14 days, Rosa?
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Hala, you're absolutely right, and that's why officials here locally are requiring everyone who is out in
public to wear a mask or some sort of facial covering. This as Florida and 24 other states in the United States are seeing upticks in the case - in
the number of coronavirus cases in the past two weeks.
But despite the staggering number of cases here in the State of Florida, the Governor, Ron DeSantis, is not requiring masks to be worn statewide.
Florida was one of the first states to reopen and now it's the seventh to surpass 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. Here in Miami, masks are now
required at all times while in public.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCIS SUAREZ (R), MIAMI, FLORIDA MAYOR: When we see the elevating numbers and new cases in hospitalizations, in ICUs and in ventilations, we have a
duty to inform the public of that. We have to tell the public what we think is the best way to combat implementing this rule, wearing masks in public
is the best thing that we can do as a group of Mayors to help again reduce the number and the spread of COVID in our community.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: And in Arizona, the Department of Health Services reported over 2,000 new cases for fifth straight day as President Trump heads there for a
series of events including a students for Trump rally in Phoenix where a mandatory mask policy will not be enforced.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm not worried about it. No, not at all. We watch it very carefully.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: The County requires masks inside all public spaces and outdoors when 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained. Arizona Governor
Doug Ducey blaming the increase partly on increased testing but also saying his state had expected a summer peak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. DOUG DUCEY (R-AZ): We knew that when we lifted the stay at home order we would have been an increase in cases. The objective is always bad so
that we could slow the virus. The virus is not going away anytime soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: In Texas daily coronavirus cases in hospitalizations have nearly doubled over the past month and Governor Greg Abbott says he's ready to
take tougher actions if needed to slow the spread.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): The way that hospitalizations are spiking, the way that daily new cases are spiking. Surely the public can understand that if
those spikes continue additional measures are going to be necessary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: California Governor Gavin Newsom says the state recorded 35 percent of its total cases over the past 2 weeks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Wear your masks practice physical distancing we still need to work through the first wave of this virus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: And with half the states in the country now seeing coronavirus cases on the rise health experts worry about what could be around the
corner for hospitals needing to care for new patients?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We should be having a new discussion which is bring this down to near zero is they were talking about how to keep the hospitals from
redlining once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: Yes Hala, just to give you a sense one doctor telling CNN - one doctor from one hospital here in Miami telling CNN that a week ago that
they had 8 COVID-19 patients now they have 40 patients. They started off with one floor with one ward with patients in that particular hospital now
they're looking for a third one. So that just gives you a sense of what doctors are going through and what hospitals are having to do it because of
the increasing number of patients, Hala.
GORANI: Thank you Rosa Flores live in Miami. It's one thing seeing the numbers on paper but when you see the real life of facts and hospital ICU
that's a whole other matter putting pressure on the hospitals.
The State of Arizona has become a hot spot for coronavirus and President Trump is headed there to visit the U. S./Mexico border. He spoke just a few
minutes ago a reporter asked Donald Trump whether he was joking or not at a political rally in Oklahoma when he admitted he had told his administration
that he wanted to slow down testing?
And we'll listen we'll hear that sound from the President a little bit later once we have it ready for you. And once again Americans are becoming
divided on their divided on pretty much everything these days and they're divided on the issue of testing. They're divided also on whether or not
masks are necessary and how much social distancing to put in place?
Joining me now is Larry Sabato Director for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. So Larry it seems people have lost their appetite
for this pandemic and for respecting social distancing rules.
And it looks as though across the country local and state officials are under so much pressure to ease lockdown rules that it truly is leading to
worrying spikes in coronavirus cases. What's the mood generally speaking in the U. S. because it's a very different picture from Europe for instance
that has more or less a similar number a similar population?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR FOR CENTER FOR POLITICS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well that's exactly right. Europe has been doing a good job in
combating COVID and places like New Zealand the United States of course is not doing a very good job at all. I mean, with 4 percent of the world's
population and has 25 percent of the COVID cases and 25 percent of the deaths.
[10:15:00]
SABATO: And unfortunately most of the experts think that's going to increase because so many states and President Trump are so determined to
reopen the economy that they're exposing more and more people to the virus.
Why is that happening because you put your finger on it? This is political, it's polarized, it's partisan everything in the United States becomes
partisan sooner or later and unfortunately this is sooner. So Republicans don't like the idea of wearing masks.
And notice that President Trump doesn't wear a mask he sends that signal to Republicans. Democrats on the other hand will wear masks and they will
social distance.
GORANI: But what I don't understand is if you have real life evidence that not wearing a mask and not respecting basic social distancing is leading to
a spike in cases and an increase in the number of deaths.
How is that not a convincing - how is that not convincing enough evidence for people who are questioning whether or not this is a big liberal hoax or
whether masks impede on their basic freedoms? That I don't understand.
SABATO: Well, I don't fully understand it either. But Hala, essentially we live in a post factual era. You've been citing facts they used to convince
people. Now half of the people are convinced and half of the people aren't.
So that's part of the problem and this particular administration, the Trump Administration has really by consensus of political people at least been
the most anti science administration in modern American history. You put all that together and you understand what's happening?
GORANI: The President is holding a rally in a Mega Church in Phoenix called the Dream City Church. And the church leaders actually put out a video on
Facebook claiming that one of their parishioners had invented a machine that kills 99.9 percent of COVID in 10 minutes and essentially the clearing
and announcing with confidence to their followers that therefore it was safe to attend this event. That I found that absolutely remarkable because
obviously it is nonsense.
SABATO: Absolute nonsense, complete nonsense. And that should again tell people, I have a large segment of the American population treats facts or
non-facts. If you want to believe this you'll believe it. We used to be entitled to our opinions but not our own set of facts.
Now we're entitled to our opinions and our own set of facts and that's at the base of the problem with the spike in COVID right now.
GORANI: Yes. I lost you Larry. So I want to make sure I can still hear you.
SABATO: Hala, I'm back now?
GORANI: All right, there you are. You're back. You know the opponents of Donald Trump after the Tulsa rally, they were basically doing a happy
dance. I mean they were gloating about how his rally was poorly attended and that this was the beginning of the end for the President?
That his own supporters can now see that he's not going to that - he doesn't embody the kind of winning Presidential figure that he would like
his supporters to see in him. Are they celebrating a bit too soon here?
SABATO: They're over confident and definitely celebrating early. It's mid June the election is November 3rd and it's important to remember that in
the next 4.5 months we could have as many incredible developments in black swans as we did in the last 4.5 months.
Nobody predicted at least in America the pandemic until this year. Nobody predicted the economic collapse. Nobody saw the racial protests coming. All
these things were unknown and yet they have a major effect on the Presidential Campaign. There will be more between now and November.
GORANI: All right, Larry Sabato as always, joining us from the University of Virginia. I really appreciate your time. Coming up next U. S. President
Trump's latest Executive Order could stop thousands of people from going to work in the U. S. We'll take a look at those details next and whether the
impact you watching us from around the world? We'll be right back.
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[10:20:00]
GORANI: All right. In April, the American President put a 60-day ban on temporary visas for people going to the U.S. blaming the international
spread of coronavirus. Now, he's not only extending the ban in time, but expanding it in its breadth.
Under a new Executive Order international company transfers, special fee occupations, spouses and even some international students will be barred
from entering the United States until 2021. The restrictions will not apply to people already living in the U.S. or people who work in the food supply
chain, on COVID-19 efforts, or have a job in the national interest and that - you know, is hazily defined.
The order will take effect on Wednesday and will last at least until the end of 2020. Amazon has called the move shortsighted with Google, Twitter
and Facebook coming out against it as well. Richard Quest joins me now from New York with more.
So we're talking here about visas that affect for instance, specialty workers like software engineers or people who work in the tech industry
work for big multinational American corporations.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Yes. It's a very broad spectrum. Those areas that are making the most noise about it, Hala, at the moment
are the tech companies, mainly because of the H1B visas which a lot of them use to bring particularly from India workers - say that simply isn't the
skill set in the United States. But it is much broader than that. Excuse me.
The L1 visa which many companies including our own use to bring people across the Atlantic into the United States, that will no longer be allowed
until the end of the year or new applicants will no longer be allowed. And the J1 which is used in many - academia for research and to get people jobs
afterwards, that is also going to be.
But here's the real issue, Hala. It's only going - excuse me, it's only going to affect about half a million people and there's an argument that
says those jobs would not have gone to those who are unemployed as a result of COVID.
So it's a political point the President is making that will have relatively little if any practical benefit, but will in the process cause great
disruption in not only the technology industries but manufacturing too. Manufacturing is very much against this as well.
GORANI: Yes. Also, it's unclear whether or not people who are already in the United States, holders of some of these visas who need to renew their
visa, do they have to leave the country or can they renew?
QUEST: A very good question, Hala. My own partner is in exactly in that position. And the L1 expires before the end of the year and, now, everybody
is wondering just what does that mean? Do you - do you apply for an extension?
If you're already here, you probably - since it specifically says, it does not affect those people who are here, there's a general understanding that
you don't have to leave.
GORANI: Yes.
QUEST: But do you apply for an extension and if you do what are the new rules related to that? Or for example, do you actually - this is at the
margins of immigration and compared to most other immigration issues. But the effect it will have on the companies involved is outsized.
And although this is going to make a lot of noise from various companies, the President will trumpet this as being, you know, I'm saving these jobs
for U.S. displaced workers, that's what he said. There is little if any evidence that, that is indeed the case. They will get the jobs.
GORANI: All right. Well, and also the companies will probably end up hiring people in other countries as well, that they don't have to worry about
having to send home.
QUEST: No.
[10:25:00]
GORANI: Thanks very much, Richard Quest. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump is threatening some Washington demonstrators with prison time. You can see
here protestors trying to take down the statue of Former President and Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park on Monday night.
Now the President later tweeted this warning that anyone vandalizing federal property could face ten years in prison. During the protest some
demonstrators clashed with police briefly, and you can see some sort of chemical irritant being used to disperse the crowd.
Senior Washington Correspondent, Joe Johns joins me now live from the White House. How big are these crowds at this point, Joe?
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: You're talking about 100 people or so nothing like last week. Nonetheless, probably the most
important part is that it was the Statue of Andrew Jackson.
They had their sights set on. And that's important because, he's not only a former United States President, he also happens to be a slave owner and the
Black Lives Matter protesters and others have been interested in taking down statues all over the country of slave owners and such that they deem
offensive and anachronistic and here for too long.
So, you saw what the President said in his tweet, also in departure he's headed out to Arizona. And on the south lawn he stopped and said, among
other things, we stopped an attack on Andrew Jackson's statue. So that tells you a little bit about the President's state of mind, Hala?
GORANI: And speaking of the President, he was asked whether or not he was joking when he said he asked his administration to slow down testing so the
number of cases, COVID cases, wouldn't rise. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I don't think - let me just tell you, let me make it clear. We have got the greatest testing program anywhere in the world. We test better than
anybody in the world. Our tests are the best in the world and we have the most of them. By having more tests, we find more cases.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right. They don't test more than anyone in the world, so that's factually incorrect. But what are we to make of his answer?
JOHNS: Right. Well, I don't kid line is problematic, not necessarily for the President who can say anything he wants. But for his own people who
have been trying to give him a bit of plausible deniability, if you will, that he really meant that when he said it at the Tulsa rally talking about
testing and whatever.
So people here at the White House including the President's Press Secretary and others have said the President was kidding. He was saying it in jest.
He was making a joke. And now the President says, no, I'm not making a joke.
It also causes problems for the coronavirus Task Force. A number of members of that team including the Top Infectious Disease Expert of the United
States, Dr. Anthony Fauci, appearing on Capitol Hill.
They are sure to get questions from House Democrats about that and the President's view on testing, because House Democrats view is that it's very
important. All around the President causes a bunch of problems for people when he says what he says at the rally, and that leaves it up to the people
around him to clean up the act, if you will, Hala.
GORANI: All right. Joe Johns, thanks very much, live at the White House. Coming up here in London, eating out and grabbing drinks will be a lot
easier well, it will be possible full stop less than two weeks from now, as England lifts even more coronavirus restrictions. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:00]
GORANI: Well, health experts are worried that this coronavirus pandemic is not getting better, that in fact, around the world it will get worse before
it eases. More than 9.1 million people have been infected with the virus worldwide and more than 472,000 people have died from the disease almost
half a million.
The U.S. remains a global hot spot with cases rising in 25 states as the nation continues to reopen. And Latin America has seen the biggest recent
increase Brazil is reporting an average of 1,000 deaths a day over the past week.
Mexico has recorded even more deaths than Brazil over the last two days and its death toll has more than doubled over the last three weeks. That's as
the country continues to reopen its economy. CNN's Matt Rivers is outside Mexico City.
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Once he gears up, one callers Gonzalez doesn't take off his equipment at the crematorium where he works, housed in
a public cemetery, there's no downtime between bodies.
Honestly this epidemic hasn't ended he says. It's still going on every day. The ovens didn't stop firing in the hours that we were there, but they
couldn't keep up. Some families who got loved ones had to wait for hours for them to be cremated. It's a morbid illustration that Mexico's epidemic
is far from over.
And the numbers back it up. This chart shows the daily trend of new cases of the coronavirus in Mexico, it's not hard to see that things are only
getting worse. So was reopening the economy dangerous, we asked.
Yes, one caller says, it is still too early to go back to normal, but Mexico's President disagrees. He says we have to go back out, little by
little, carefully to exercise our freedom. Mexico's economy is in dire straits, and Lopez Obrador knows it.
So he has backed a faced reopening plan that for most of the country started June 1st, sending hundreds of thousands back to work across
different industries and he has plenty of support. And Mexico City's massive Central De Abasto wholesale market, vendor - also much of her sales
have dropped 70 percent since the outbreak began.
We want everyone to go back to normal he says, months of quarantine it's too much. It's a very common sentiment here and amongst the millions of
Mexicans who've lost their jobs recently. If I don't go out to work who will feed my family?
That's why we have to come here. But the market itself reinforces the high cost of reopening. Officials say more than 600 people that work here have
tested positive for the coronavirus since April. 30 percent that he wants to reopen and 70 percent doesn't say this vendor it's necessary, but people
aren't being safe enough.
Mexico's death toll has more than doubled in just the last three weeks. A model from MIT predicts it could pass 50 percent by early August, and back
inside the crematorium that death toll becomes real. Of the five bodies we saw brought in, four were likely COVID-19 related deaths. Those that work
here see it, he says.
We know this is not over. In the end the government's decision is both straightforward and painful. Reopen the economy and allow people to go out
and earn a living with the knowledge that by doing so, there's every chance that cemeteries like this one will become more full. Matt Rivers, CNN
outside Mexico City.
GORANI: And England, people who have more freedom to go to pubs, restaurants and hair salons starting July 4th really our British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson announced the next step in easing restrictions as the government enters the third and final phase of lifting lockdown
measures well, to help boost the economy.
Anna Stewart joins me live from London. So this hospitality industry is really on its news right now. And they really, really need some business to
come their way or we're going to start seeing major economic problems. Talk to us about how restrictions will ease, even though the total death toll in
this country is very high?
[10:35:00]
ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Yes. There is a gradual easing from July 4th and this is only in England not in the whole of the UK. Businesses lodging
hospitality sector have been listed today that include pubs, restaurants, hotels hair salons and cinemas they will be allowed to slowly reopen.
The government is giving them guidance though the publishing guidance on what measures they need to take particularly inside to keep customers, to
keep stuff safe. So that will include Plexiglas we've seen politicians in various industries that have already reopened face coverings and so on.
The interesting thing will be though even if they are allowed to reopen will the demand be there? Will there be consumer appetite? This is a really
big concern for the sector. And I've been ask about, this the pop up my local in fact in London and they all open for - takeaway so they're always
a few people milling around.
But I put to them, your happy come outside for a plane to bear. Would you go to the cinema? Would you go and sit inside a restaurant? Here's what
they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know whether I have this thing or not? Never been tested and I don't know whether the person next to me actually you
know he's been tested he doesn't so he could? But I wouldn't want to sit next to people I'm just not sure about. And then I really miss the cinema.
I really miss that and I imagine the way it's going to work is that you're going to be you know a couple seats away from your neighbor and so on but
it's just not a risk why would I take that risk?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I personally feel safe because I think like being young I don't feel like I'm as much of a risk. And my company is actually
making us go back to the office from next week's. So if I can go back to work I feel like I can go to the other things--
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well same as well. I think I'd be happy to go probably not for cinema but certainly to the pub and where we live is a pub nearby.
And I think I'll be in a restaurant. I think so. Yes I'm fine with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: So mixed feelings there from the public on whether they'd use all of the businesses that can reopen from July 4th in England. Crucially for
those businesses by the way the social distance rule of two meters is being reduced to one meets a plus. So that will help many of them but this is the
issue of customer demand as well they can reopen will they get enough business?
U. K. hospitality has warned that even with many of these measures being lifted and relaxed they think demand in August it really key month will
still be down some 65 percent at least that many businesses in this sector.
And all the analysis today Hala, it came with a huge warning from the government they can re-impose lockdown locally or nationally if they're off
there if that transmission rate the virus goes to high, Hala.
GORANI: All right. Thanks very much Anna Stewart and hair salons July 4th. Now on to more serious matters I want to stay in the UK for a moment
because of Burnley Football Club is distancing itself from an incident at Monday's match in Manchester.
Take a look even as the English Premier League has embraced the Black Lives Matter movement, the White Lives Matter Burnley banner that you see here
White Lives Matter Burnley flew over the stadium. And by the way just yesterday the CNN poll revealed stark divisions on racial issues in the UK
black people a lot more likely to think they're being treated poorly by police and by other institutions as opposed to white people.
Generally speaking fewer than half of white people pulled in the CNN a survey. I believe there is institutional racism and certainly a much, much
larger proportion of black people believe that there is institutional racism.
Historian Professor David Olusoga joins me now live from Bristol, England with more. What was your first reaction when you saw that that banner
flying over the stadium yesterday?
DAVID OLUSOGA, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HISTORY AT UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER: Well, I think it was the reaction of many people which is sadness. I'm very
sad that people have done this. I'm very sad that people have decided that the phrase Black Lives Matter which is what this is reaction to is somehow
a threat to them?
Black Lives Matter is about improving the conditions and undermining the racism that affects the lives of black people. It's not a zero sum game it
doesn't therefore undermine the rights of white people. It clearly there are people who have decided that that is the case.
GORANI: It seems there is quite a divide between big cities and other parts of the country. I mean we see it in the U.S. as well big urban centers New
York, Washington elsewhere. And opinion is very different once you leave those big urban centers? It seems as though we're seeing a similar pattern
in some parts of this country? Is that fair to say?
OLUSOGA: Well, one of the strange things about the United Kingdom is that what those numbers reveal is that in the parts of the country whether all
lots of black and brown people the levels of racism the gap between how white people and brown people and black people see the world is smaller
than in the parts of the world where there are very few non white people.
[10:40:00]
OLUSOGA: So contacts living alongside people of different colors seems to have an effect of lowering levels of racism. So a lot of the people who
decided that Black Lives Matter as a threat to them or we don't believe the Briton structurally racist. Don't spend very much time with non white
people.
GORANI: One of the things you wrote is for about your country is for 2 centuries we have deployed American racism as a distraction. It's as if we
find it easier to recognize American forms of racism but then we do our own home grown varieties convenient as pointing fingers is always more
comforting than looking in the mirror. Has the UK started looking it at itself in the mirror do you think on matters of race?
OLUSOGA: I'm not sure but I think what is happening is that people around the world are looking at the headlines from United Kingdom? And they're
getting a new image of the country. I think Britain's problems with race. I think the difficulties the Britain's black populations have faced
historically haven't been global news.
To me the brain reaction I see when I read the global press about for example the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston, the slave trade here
in Bristol. Most people were more shocked of that statue was standing in the 21 century. And then that it was toppled 2 weekends ago.
People are learning all around the world in the headline shows this that Britain has a real problem. And what happens with this banner White Lives
Matter really doesn't help. This is a really unpleasant image of Britain that is being projected around the world.
GORANI: And speaking of those statues being toppled and we're having the same debate people are having the same debate in the United States. I mean
protesters in Lafayette Park in Washington trying to take down a statue of Andrew Jackson there's that Theodore Roosevelt statue outside the Natural
History Museum in New York.
I mean it has issues obviously because it has a Native American and an African-American flanking Theodore Roosevelt was up on her so that that's
kind of a separate issue. But where do you as a historian draw the line on what's - how do we decide? What statues come down? Which ones don't come
down? Which ones we keep contextualize? How do we have that discussion? Where do we start?
OLUSOGA: Well, I have to say I think the statue of Theodore Roosevelt is particularly egregious and I think Theodore Roosevelt views on both Native
Americans and Africans are something which needs to be brought to a much wider recognition.
But I think the general issues are that we have to look at each statute on its own merits. But we also have to draw a distinction between people who
just told horrible things and people who did terrible things. I didn't really care that Edward Colson regarded people what my ancestors in Nigeria
as inferior or sub human.
What I care about is that the enslaved 80000 people and was responsible for the deaths of we think around 20000 of them. It's much more important
people did?
GORANI: Yes.
OLUSOGA: And it's also a question about now all be comfortable in the 21st century to uncritically memorialize people do terrible things in past
centuries? Or do we think that we want to reflect on what they did and put the statues in a place where we could better frame them and understand them
and these place are called museums.
GORANI: Yes. All right, David Olusoga it is always it's such a pleasure talking to you. Thanks so much for joining us from Bristol.
OLUSOGA: Thank you very much.
GORANI: And still ahead NASCAR stands shoulder to shoulder with Bubba Wallace after racist act was committed against the sport's lone black top
tier driver a strong and moving show of solidarity, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:00]
GORANI: Well, it was really a moving show of solidarity for NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace. And even people who don't follow NASCAR will have seen some
of these images. Dozens of drivers and pit crew members rallied around Wallace and escorted his car to the starting lineup ahead of Monday's race
in Talladega, Alabama.
Just a day before a noose was found in the garage style of NASCAR's only blacktop circuit driver and even though he didn't win the race Wallace was
all smiles over the sports is a sports show of support.
CNN's Dianne Gallagher is live in Talladega, Alabama. So it really wasn't moving and I do wonder how did spectators this is a very white sport and
some of NASCAR fans weren't necessarily happy that for instance the confederate flag is now banned from these races? How did spectators react
to all of this?
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORESPONDENT: So remember we have a limited number of spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was actually the first
race where fans could purchase a ticket to come to a race and they limited it to 5000. And so a lot of the people who were here this was a postponed
race.
It was originally supposed to be run on Sunday when they did find that news in Bubba Wallace's garage stall. But the weather made it happen on Monday
instead. So a limited number of people but I want to draw attention to what happened after that race because you see spectators that maybe you wouldn't
have initially seen in the stands here in the grandstands at NASCAR.
Bubba Wallace the sports only top black driver walks over to fans who are diverse of many different ethnicities wearing some of the Black Lives
Matter shirts, a day after a Confederate flag rally had happened outside of Talladega to protest the sport getting rid of the flag on its grounds and
added the vents at the urging of Bubba Wallace.
And so we're seeing very quick change happen in the sport of NASCAR including the other drivers the predominantly white drivers stepping up and
supporting Bubba Wallace in his quest for the sport to recognize what is going on and the way that black people in the country are treated. Now I
want you to listen to what he said after the race about how what that meant to him?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUBBA WALLACE, NASCAR DRIVER: This sport is changing. The deal that happened yesterday so I'm not wearing my masks but I wanted to show whoever
it was you're not going to take away my smile. And I'm going to keep on going. All in all we won today. The pre race still was probably one of the
hardest things I've ever had to witness in my life. This is truly incredible and I'm proud to be a part of this sport.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Now Hala, I will tell you that the sport is still investigating who put that news in the garage stall? That was a restricted area so the
likelihood is it was somebody on the inside essential personnel who are credentialed were allowed in that area only. The FBI is also investigating.
GORANI: All right. Let's hope we get some answers on that. Diane Gallagher in Talladega thanks very much. Well, sport has been returning across the
globe despite the pandemic and now one superstar athletes is criticized after contracting it. We'll tell you why just ahead?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:00]
GORANI: After months of lockdown sport is starting to return but the action is being overshadowed by other events notably a positive coronavirus test
for one of the world's most famous athletes. Here's Don Riddell, Don?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Hala, thanks very much. Within the last couple of hours the world number one male tennis player Novak Djokovic
has revealed that he has contracted the coronavirus COVID-19.
The news comes off the he'd organized and played in a highly controversial tournament series in the Balkans. Sunday's final in Croatia actually was
canceled because another player Grigor Dimitrov have got caught the virus and Djokovic is now the third player from the Adriatic Tour Event Series to
test positive.
In a statement Djokovic said we organize the tournament at the moments when the virus had weakened believing that the conditions for hosting the tour
had been met. Unfortunately this virus is still present and it is a new reality that we are still learning to cope and live with. I'm extremely
sorry for each individual case of infection.
World Sports Christina Macfarlane has been following these events closely. Christina, this is obviously a really serious development but those who've
been following this tennis series won't be totally surprised. Why was it so controversial?
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes I mean Don this is an extraordinary development that has really spiraled into a disaster events
to know about Djokovic. The reason we're not surprised in many ways is because this is a disaster of his own making. You mentioned the Adriatic
Tour.
Let me just explain now this is an event that was hosted by Djokovic and his brother is a full leg events in the Balkans it's been playing out for
the last 2 weeks is one of a number of exhibition events that have been taking place in tennis.
But this was the only event that did not observe social distancing as far as we can tell. Now Djokovic and the event's been saying throughout that
they have been following government guidelines with regard to social distancing and they've done everything by the book.
But in the last 2 weeks onlookers and even top tennis players around the world to become increasingly uncomfortable by what they have been seeing
and that is of course frequent physical contact between players in those matches. We've seen players fist bumping each other, high fiving each other
on the court.
We've seen them playing football and basketball in between matches and even dancing together in a night club. So Djokovic here of course is being
called incredibly irresponsible and even tone deaf at a time when many other countries around the world of course is still in lockdown and he
should be showing more leadership.
And honestly Don, Djokovic really hasn't helped himself even in the last 2 days because when these positive test were announced on Sunday instead of
choosing to remain in place Djokovic decided to travel back from Croatia to Belgrade therefore removing himself from the tournament to take the test
back home which he did yesterday.
So at the very worst this is looking incredibly tone deaf but is going to have serious ramifications for his reputation and of course the all of
tennis that is looking to get back after COVID-19.
RIDDELL: Yes. I'm guessing we don't have access to some of the footage of that event because what was really stock about it was to see that the
stands were absolutely packed full of fans. I mean it just looked like a normal sports event not happening during this coronavirus period.
Christina, obviously we Djokovic the best and a speedy recovery but this isn't the first time that he's caught in controversy since this lockdown
began in the last few weeks. What else did he say?
MACFARLANE: Yes. I mean, it's a good point. Not only I just say that he is the world number one but he is the President of the ATP Players Council. So
he governs all players has the biggest say in many ways on the ATP. But you're right in recent months you know he has shown himself to be tone deaf
a few times.
You remember a couple of months ago he said he was fundamentally opposed to taking a COVID vaccine in order to get back to tennis which was highly
controversial. Many people of course pay attention to what he says.
And in Spain last month he was criticized for breaking lockdown rules to take part in a practice session and more recently Don you'll notice that he
was criticizing the U. S. Open for what he called extreme measures around the U. S. Open.
[10:55:00]
MACFARLANE: The U.S. Open of course announced last week that they're hoping to get back to play in 2 months time and he criticized what he called with
extreme restrictions around some of the numbers of entourage that players will be allowed to have at the U.S. Open.
So it hasn't covered himself in glory throughout this period but now of course is very much becoming distinctly uncomfortable for him now that he
and his wife have tested positive.
RIDDELL: Yes. And what do you think this means for the U. S. Open as you say they've just announced it's going to be happening in September? Is it
still going to happen? Who's going to be playing in it?
MACFARLANE: Well I mean, there's no doubt is that it undermines exactly what the U. S. Open have been working towards which is a sensible safe and
considerate way to get back to tennis.
I spoke to the President of the WTA on Friday and she told me the entire process for getting the U. S. Open back on the road has been 3 months of
painstaking work which let's face it could now be undermined by the pure fact that they are trying to get top players to take part in this event not
all top players have actually committed to this yet Don.
And we know that Djokovic the most high profiled player in tennis now playing out in the White House whether or not he will be out in that
tournament. Well, there is still a question mark? We'll have to wait to see on his recovery?
RIDDELL: It is just an incredible series of events. Christina Macfarlane thanks very much. In other news the Premier League Football Club Burnley
has strongly condemned those who flew a banner over Manchester City's Etihad Stadium on Monday night. The banner said White Lives Matter.
The game began with players from both sides taking a knee in solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement and those 3 words were clearly visible on
every player's shirt. But then the plane appeared in the sky above them. Afterwards Burnley's Captain Ben Mee told Sky Sports of the players
discussed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN MEE, BURNLEY CAPTAIN: I am ashamed to embarrass that small number of our fans have decides to pull around the stadium. I'm completely missed the
point - are embraced to see that and it's not what we're at all missed the point in the whole thing that we're trying to achieve trying to do. I think
these people need to come into 21 century and then educate themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: Ben Mee, he didn't discuss the game at all. That is all he spoke to the media about afterwards. For the record Man City won the match 5-0
meaning Liverpool won't now have the chance to clinch their first Premier League Title on Wednesday.
Hala, the banner stunt is an indication of just how far some people will go to try to change the narrative or minimize the Black Lives Matter movement,
back to you?
GORANI: All right. Indeed thanks very much Don Riddell. I'm Hala Gorani. Another hour is coming up next with Kim Brunhuber.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
