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U.S. State Leaders Try To Avoid Shutdowns In Case Counts Soar; Virus Spreads At Unprecedented Pace In U.S.; World Health Organization Envoy On COVID-19 Speaks To CNN; UK Fishermen Caught In Net Of EU Politics; Bahrain Approves Emergency Use For Pfizer/BioNTech Coronavirus Vaccine; Warner Brothers To Debut Films In Theaters & HBO Max On Same Day. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired December 04, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Abu Dhabi this is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.
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BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, a fresh approach. You could call it a Churchillian moment. Some political observers are doing just that. Here is
President-Elect Joe Biden offering his fellow Americans his plan to fight COVID-19, and he's calling them to collective action, a shared purpose that
looking out for one another is the most patriotic thing you can do.
Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris talked about that in an exclusive joint interview with CNN's Jake Tapper. Now, this comes as
America suffers its worst day of the pandemic. If it feels like I say that a lot, it is because I do. It's happening again and again and again.
More than 2,800 new deaths reported on Thursday alone. That is the highest level so far and more than 100,000 Americans are now receiving hospital
treatment, but the president-elect told CNN people should not lose heart, that there is a way to control this virus. It doesn't hurt. It won't add to
many families' terrible financial burden, and the plan's got an end date so Americans won't feel their sense of political control is being eroded. Take
a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: When the first day I'm inaugurated I'm going to ask the public for 100 days to mask, just 100 days
to mask, not forever. 100 days and I think we'll see a significant reduction and that occurs with vaccination and masking to drive down the
numbers considerably.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the president-elect is enlisting the help of the country's most trusted doctor, infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci. Here's more
of what Biden told CNN about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: I ask them to stay on the exact same role he's had for the past several presidents, and I asked him to be a chief medical adviser for me as
well and be part of the COVID team.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, right now American authorities working around the clock to approve a vaccine. The FDA, the Food and Drug Administration's Advisory
Committee won't consider Pfizer's vaccine until next week and Moderna's the week after but distribution efforts are well under way and top executives
from both of those companies say they will be getting the vaccines into people's hands within hours after that authorization happens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERT BOURLA, CEO, PFIZER: We are aiming hours after the approval to be able to distribute.
DR. STEPHEN HOGE, PRESIDENT, MODERNA: So, like the others, we're partnered with the general and his team at Operation Warp Speed. I've been told they
want trucks rolling within an hour, if not a day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All these vaccines are crucial not only in saving lives but also to save the economy, and today Friday is the deadline for U.S. states to
commit plans for how they are going to distribute these vaccines. Despite record-breaking positivity late many state leaders are trying to avoid
shutdowns, and that includes the Governor of Connecticut.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. NED LAMONT (D-CT): I want to do things that make a difference, and by far what make the biggest difference are people wearing their masks,
limiting their social gatherings, staying with closest friends and family, and we've got a positivity rate that's creeping up, but it's at 5 percent,
still one of the lowest in the country. This is no time to be talking begun a shutdown.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that was the Governor of Connecticut Ned Lamont. He joins me now from the state's capital city Hartford. Your state just reported a
high positivity rate of I think I'm right in saying over 7 percent sir. But you're though against a complete shutdown as we've just heard. I want you
to have a listen of the Governor of California.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): The bottom line is if we don't act now, our hospital system will be overwhelmed. If we don't act now, we'll continue to
see a death rate climb. More lives lost. Today we're announcing a regional stay-at-home order in the State of California.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Governor, I realize, and we have been reporting on this now for months, the dilemma that leaderships face, not just where you are but
around the world. It is so tough to make these decisions, but when had you listen to the Governor of California, what do you say to him about his
decision and just plain your own if you will?
[11:05:00]
LAMONT: Yes, Becky, for every action there's a react so let's say we shut down restaurants and say that does not mean everybody goes home, sits with
a TV dinner on a tray by themselves. It means a lot of those social interactions move to a place like the home or maybe they drive across the
border to another state.
And we're finding right now that the biggest cause of infection in our state and in this country are those informal social interactions. So when
President-Elect Biden says it's your patriotic duty, not necessarily do everything by fiat but do thing by persuasion. Get people to do the right
thing. That's how you can make a big difference.
ANDERSON: But people aren't doing the right thing with respect, sir, are they, which is why these positivity rates, of course, are rising. What do
you make of Joe Biden saying that he will enforce a 100-day mask mandate when he takes office?
LAMONT: Look, I think it's great. Look, for the last, you know, eight months the president has been saying, you know, masks are for wimps or it's
up to you. I like the fact that Joe Biden is now echo is 50 Governors in the United States of America saying the mask is the most important thing
you can do if we're going to bend the curve on this pandemic.
ANDERSON: Your state, as I understand it, is set to receive just over 30,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, about ten days from today, and 63,000
doses of the Moderna vaccine in a little over two weeks which, of course, is a great thing, and we've been applauding, you know, not just again in
the states but around the world the speed at which these vaccines are now getting to people. How are you going to distribute the vaccine and who gets
it first, sir?
LAMONT: CNN anchors. No, what we're going to do is the federal government is going to drop ship of the Pfizer vaccine first of all to our hospitals
and then Pfizer and Moderna to our nursing homes and there we're going to get prioritized health care workers, nurses, doctors, make sure they can
stay on the battlefield and also the elderly in our nursing homes.
They are the ones most likely to suffer, you know, complications and they're the ones most likely that will have to go to the hospital. So that
will start to free up capacity at our hospitals as well Becky.
ANDERSON: And just explain the challenges, the logistical challenges that your state is facing?
LAMONT: Yes. It's - look, Moderna is every four weeks and Pfizer is every three weeks. Pfizer is negative 100 degrees, Moderna has a different
protocol. We've got to roll that out to our case 3.5 million people over to say six to eight months and due two doses we've got to track that, make
sure that people come back.
I've got to convince a lot of people to get the vaccine. There are a lot of people that are "Vaccine hesitant". They don't want to do and for all this
work in Operation Warp Speed it doesn't work unless you take the vaccine, does it?
ANDERSON: In that exclusive interview that we've been paying with my colleague Jake Tapper both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris say they will take a
vaccine once it is ready. Just for our viewers sake have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: When Dr. Fauci says we have a vaccine that is safe, that's the moment in which I will stand before the public.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We want to make sure that the people who need to get it first are going to be
there, but, of course, we'll take it and I'll take it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Governor, will you take it once your state receives it?
LAMONT: I will. I'm with Fauci. I'm with Biden and we've got to lead by example and show people it's safe. It's effective and it will make a
difference for your family and your state and your country.
ANDERSON: Just describe to me what your constituents as it was have been telling you, just describe what you've been through in Connecticut, let's
just talk about the last two or three months since we've seen a real surge? It's almost as if the sort of first wave didn't happen because these
numbers are so much higher. Just describe the impact it's had in day-to-day life, if you will.
LAMONT: If I can turn it back to the spring, first of all, we were hit really hard; remember that New York metro area. We suffered a lot of
fatalities. That was a really cold shower for the people of Connecticut. So when things started to close down in April and May, they were closing down
before I had to do anything by fiat. People were scared and they had to stay at home.
[11:10:00]
LAMONT: And then Becky we had had the lowest infection rate in the country for five months and relaxed a little bit and thought perhaps we were out of
the woods although we knew intuitively that there's going to be a second wave.
So now there's a little bit of exhaustion, right? Oh, my God. Here we go again. Is this going to go on? And I think the vaccine gives people hope.
As Joe Biden said, you know, another 5,100 days we'll be start turning the corner, wear the mask, get the vaccine and hang with us a little bit
longer.
ANDERSON: Governor, you make a lot of sense. You announced today that your state of Connecticut will receive a federal extension to the National
Guard's COVID-19 support up until March of 2021 so are you saying that you think that the situation is going to be as bad as it is now until that
point?
I know that you've just sounded, you know, rightly optimist hopefully we can all cross our fingers and say that we're right about this kind of sort
of spring end to it, but just how bad are things going to be to that point, sir?
LAMONT: Becky, we're going to get the most vulnerable and our essential workers all vaccinated within three or four months. That takes us say to
mid-spring. That doesn't mean we're out of the woods, but it does mean we're beginning to turn the corner, and then we can more broadly get
vaccine out there, so, look, it's hard. You know, this has taken a lot longer than we're used to, but we're going to get through it.
ANDERSON: Finally, sir, can I just ask you what your report card on Donald Trump is?
LAMONT: Look, when it came to COVID, he was at best a distraction and more likely sending the wrong messages out there when it came to testing, don't
take this seriously, and don't worry about the mask. There was no national stockpile, so that was a really bad start for this country, and that starts
with the presidential leadership.
The last few months we've had the COVID task force they are building up the task force and they are getting us the vaccines so we're getting better in
coordinating it our strategy federal and state a lot better, hurry up, President Biden, we need you.
ANDERSON: Thank you, sir. The Governor of Connecticut speaking to you live. Thank you, sir. Still ahead, COVID vaccines may be coming down the pike but
how soon. Well, we're going to ask the World Health Organization's Special Envoy about the timeline for vaccine distribution and I'm not talking about
in it the states, but I'm talking around the world wherever you're watching.
Plus, the harsh reality of that second wave in Turkey means harsh new restrictions for that country. And--
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Again it's - any sort the exit. And I thought we - I'm getting out and taking a lot of chips off the table and then negotiating
from a position of strength.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, those Brexit talks are coming down to what is a very crucial wire. Now fishing remains a sticking point in the ongoing
negotiates. Fishermen for that they will lose out when it comes to a deal more on that after this.
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[11:15:00]
ANDERSON: I want to connect you now with some really scary numbers about the Coronavirus pandemic. Bear with me and a glimmer of hope that there is
a fighting chance. Well, the scary part is the 65 million infections that the world has seen so far, plus more than 1.5 million deaths.
And eight months into the pandemic the U.S. is seeing its worst outbreak since the start while U.S. experts are warning that the worst could yet to
be come. But the hopeful part is that vaccines are on the way. The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine has been approved for emergency use in the UK and the U.S.
will begin the same process for the Pfizer and Moderna's vaccine in the coming days.
Well, I'm joined now by David Nabarro who is the Special Envoy of the World Health Organization for COVID-19. He is Geneva in Switzerland. A regular
guest on this show over those past eight months since the pandemic was called. David, your thoughts and your headline thought on vaccines at this
point? Are we in a good space?
DAVID NABARRO, W.H.O. SPECIAL ENVOY ON COVID-19: Oh, well, first of all, it's great to be with you and great to be with the viewers. Thanks for
inviting me back. We are in a promising space but goodness me we've got a lot of work still to do.
And so I have to say particularly to those of you watching inside the U.S. there is no alternative but to take this pandemic really seriously. It is
racing ahead all over your country causing enormous suffering and death.
And so we have to deal with the problem now because if we don't, there's going to is much, much more suffering in coming weeks and months. Basically
this pandemic spreads like wildfire in an exponential way, and if you don't put your defenses in place, it just goes on spreading. Of course it's
wonderful that vaccines have become available.
ANDERSON: Let me just stop you there for one sec because I want to deal with the U.S. Are these estimates of half a million deaths by the spring
realistic at this point in the states?
NABARRO: They could be. I hate giving estimates, Becky, because you're almost always wrong, but what I do know is that the death rates per day and
per week are really increasing what we call exponentially. That means you get numbers of deaths just doubling every say perhaps two weeks or three
weeks.
We're not quite sure what the interval, is so we could be facing a very large amount of suffering in the coming months unless there is widespread
adoption of measures to stop this virus from spreading. I'm really serious about this.
We've talked about it before, but now it's real, and we are very concerned indeed, so if I could just get that point across, then I would like to
shift to vaccines. We are in a very exciting situation.
ANDERSON: Go on.
NABARRO: We're in a very exciting situation with vaccines. New vaccines have been developed in record time. Some of them look extremely effective,
but we will not have the volume of vaccine necessary to stop the pandemic for some months to come.
And we will not have the volume of vaccines necessary to cover the whole world until well into 2022, and I, therefore, ask everybody to be positive
about the vaccines but not to assume that vaccines means that we stop doing everything we can to deal with the problem as it is now.
The vaccines will become available soon but the amounts will not be enough to really tame this ferocious pandemic for foreseeable future. We must keep
going trying to fight it with all means at our disposal now.
ANDERSON: OK. Let's talk about those vaccines that are available and the challenges with distribution. The UK, the first western country to approve
the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine in emergency approval, you know that you know that's good news and I'm sure you'll applaud with that.
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: Are you confident with the plan that the UK has in place for distribution?
NABARRO: I've worked before with one of these vaccines that have to be kept really cold, minus 90 degrees Fahrenheit, I believe. And to actually get
rollout and distribute it into places where people are living, for example, in residential care or nursing homes or to get it to other places where
people need to be protected like hospitals all over the place.
This is a massive operation because working with something that needs to be kept so cold is really hard, so there will be challenges with the
logistics, and we are only going to find them out by putting the programs into place.
ANDERSON: I just want to pause for a moment and discuss the safety and efficacy of the vaccines now being approved under emergency use
authorization, both in the UK and in the U.S. Look, in the U.S. the top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci was a little skeptical about
the UK news. He walked back those comments though. Just have a listen to what Anthony Fauci said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: There really has been a misunderstanding, and for that I'm sorry
and I apologize for that. I do have great faith in both the scientific community and regulatory community at the UK. We do things a certain way in
the United States, you know, probably a little different, not necessarily better or worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Are you sufficiently confident with the way these regulatory bodies, particularly that of the UK, have acted in approving emergency
authorization for this vaccine?
NABARRO: Each country has a slightly different authorization process, and the big question is what you authorizing the use of this new vaccine for?
In the UK they have authorized it for emergency use in specific population groups. It's an emergency use authorization.
In Europe they are going to use a different process, a conditional marketing authorization, and each of these authorizations requires the data
to be looked at in a slightly different year. But an emergency use authorization, they are planning to give it in the UK to people at very
high risk, and that requires a slightly different approach to giving a conditional marking authorization which is for wider population use.
ANDERSON: Hence the difference in the time frames of these approvals which, of course, because of the era that we live in that is all of this is
becoming politicized. So I wanted you to sort of cut through the politics here and give us the facts as you understand them which are good.
And you said in an interview recently that you're predicting a third wave of the pandemic in Europe in early 2021 if governments repeat what you call
a failure to do what was needed to do to prevent that second wave. What would you like to see European countries do right now, sir?
NABARRO: Becky, I think we all have to look at the countries that are actually managing to keep this virus at bay. They are all putting in place
systems that can deal with cases of the virus as soon as they appear and that can suppress outbreaks immediately.
It's been quick. It's been robust, and it's been rigorous. If you look at how New Zealand works, anybody who has got the virus that starts immediate
action in the area. Contact tracing is done very carefully, and there is a lot of attention put into isolating people and isolating them properly if
they are at risk of disease.
It's a much more diligent and hands on and wholehearted approach than we're seeing in other countries that have tended to wait around and not be so
vigorous in dealing with it. The lesson we've had from all over the world is you must do without breaks at the very earliest stage.
[11:25:00]
NABARRO: If the European countries can setup their systems so they can do that, then they can avoid the third wave. If they cannot do that, the third
wave will build up, and they will end up having to go back into a third lockdown. It's as simple as that.
ANDERSON: Well, I think people now that they are going to hear this news about vaccines, sort of genuinely believing that they can see the light at
the end of this tunnel and that everything will be all right by sort of the end of this spring next year.
Your organization has stressed that community acceptance for the vaccine will be crucial to the success of health programs, so what do you say to
the thousands of people, maybe those who are watching this show today, who are still hesitant to take a vaccine wherever they are watching and
whatever country they are in once it becomes available.
NABARRO: I want to say to everybody that I know very well that there are many, many people who are hesitant about taking a vaccine against the new
Coronavirus and I understand that. There are people in my family who are hesitant.
And what I want to say is you decide what to do in your own time, in your own way. Don't feel you're being pushed by anyone to accept a vaccine that
you don't want. If you don't feel ready to accept the vaccine when you're offered it say give me time to think and perhaps I'll come back in a
month's time and ask for it then.
Basically make the decision when you're ready to make it. Do not feel pressurized because you have to be the one who decides when you're ready.
Nobody else should make that decision for you.
ANDERSON: Caveat that you are though confident that the regulatory bodies around the world will be authorizing safe and effective vaccines, correct?
For those out there who have sort of bought into the anti-vac conspiracy theories, you're not concerned, you're asking people to consider but that
are vaccines aren't about their safety or efficacy at this point?
NABARRO: I'm confident that the regulators are doing things super carefully. They are not going to make any shortcuts, but I'm also aware
that I believe there are millions of people who themselves are not sure, and I understand that it's a personal decision whether you allow somebody
to give you a shot so that you're protected against this virus.
And what I'm trying to say to people is please remember that it is your decision and don't feel pressurized by anybody. If you don't want to do it,
don't do it. This matters to me that everybody should feel that they can make the choice when they are ready. I'm happy to give advice, but I
obviously do not have the right to instruct anybody to do anything, Becky.
ANDERSON: David Nabarro in the house, the Special Envoy on COVID-19. Sir at some point you and I will not have to speak anymore, but, unfortunately,
I'm pretty sure that we will continue to have these conversations for weeks and possibly months to come. Thank you, sir.
Well, here in this region it does seem every day brings a new Coronavirus record for Turkey. This week we sought tenth consecutive day of record
deaths, new cases also hitting new highs to get things better under control. Turkey has decided to impose tight restrictions limiting those who
can take public transport, when people can go outside and how to go about shopping?
CNN's Arwa Damon is based in Turkey. She took a walk-through streets of Istanbul to get a firsthand look of how these new restrictions are playing
out in real time?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This in normal times is one of Istanbul's busiest pedestrian and shopping thoroughfares. Right now
the authorities are trying to manage the people traffic, spending quite a bit of their time telling individuals that they are going the wrong way,
all part of these new measures that Turkey is putting into place.
Restaurants, for example, cafes, they are still allowed to remain open, but you can no longer dine inside. It is takeout and delivery only. Now to get
into malls you have to get your QR code scanned like this. It's part of Turkey's contact tracing app, and this is a country that had relatively
speaking done fairly well earlier on in the year when it comes to at least trying to ease the below.
[11:30:00]
DAMON: The economy below of the Coronavirus, bring it under control and try to salvage its tourism season, but by all counts right now this second wave
is proving to be much worse than the first.
ICU numbers are up. Positive cases are up, and deaths are going up as well. Barring a few exceptions schools are now closed for students of all ages.
During the week there is a curfew that starts at 9:00 pm and ending at 5:00 am, and on the weekend, well, everybody has to stay home. It is a complete
lockdown. Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.
ANDERSON: Well, still ahead, with less than four weeks until the UK leaves the European Union, possibly with no deal, the EU Chief negotiators says
it's now or never. We'll speak to a member of Europe's parliament about what is at stake coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, for years now well it almost feels like millennia, "Connect the World" has been bringing you the very latest news concerning Brexit and
we're counting down to the very last second of the do-or-die talks.
The United Kingdom has less than a month to secure a trade deal before crashing out of the EU at the end of the year. Well, how is it going? Well,
it depends on and you ask and we will get more on that in a moment when we get you to Brussels.
First up though as far back as I can remember things between the UK and Continental Europe have been caught up in the nets of the fishermen around
the UK and the North of France, believe it or not, so we asked my colleague Anna Stewart to find out, to get her sea legs and head out to untangle this
for us.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fresh fish straight off the boat caught in British waters but currently subject to EU rules that could change in the
UK's post-Brexit future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART: Did you vote in the Brexit referendum?
TONY EARP, DECKHAND: Definitely.
STEWART: What did you vote for?
EARP: To leave. To leave, definitely to leave--
STEWART: Why?
EARP: --for the fishing industry. Why should we supply about 78 percent of the work and take back 20 percent of the cash.
STEWART (voice over): Down the dock Ike Grantham isn't sure Brexit will make any difference.
IKE GRANTHAM, RELIEF SKIPPER: I voted to - but now the government has decided to leave, with the countries decided to leave and we're happy with
that. Let's leave but let's get the best deal out of it that we can. The trouble is I don't think you're going to get the best deal as fishermen.
[11:35:00]
STEWART (voice over): This is Brixham England's most valuable port and it voted overwhelmingly for Brexit. The fishermen here want to see fewer
European boats in their waters and they also want to catch more fish. Many species are currently restricted under the EU's quota system.
The fishing sector accounts for a tiny fraction of the UK economy, contributing just 0.028 percent to GDP and yet the issue of fishing rights
has become one of the biggest hurdles when this comes to the UK and the EU reaching a trade agreement.
It's not just about economics though. Sovereignty is an emotive issue. These fishermen are out at sea for days or weeks at a time. It can be
grueling, dangerous work. The problem, of course, is speaking to fishermen while they are actually fishing. They are incredibly busy pulling up a big
pool of fish so we're going to try to get hold of them through the wheelhouse captain here and see whether we can put some questions across.
This is Anna Stewart from CNN, hello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello there, yes Gerry here, skipper of the Carhelmar. I think it's sort of become a symbol of our independence, taking back control
of our territories and the dreaded Common Fisheries policy. I've seen the decline of our industry.
STEWART: A symbol you say, a symbolic of Brexit, is it going to become symbolic of Brexit's failure to take back control?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've always had my doubts about any sort of dealing Brexit and I thought we were better off with no deal and getting out,
taking all our chips off the table and then negotiating from a position of strength.
STEWART: You sound Brexit weary like many people across the UK. Tell me, I've seen you voted for Brexit. Would you do so again?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Definitely, yes.
STEWART (voice over): The Brexit ship has sailed, but trade negotiations are still in play. These fishermen so far removed from the politics of
Westminster and Brussels hope they are not forgotten. Anna Stewart CNN, Brixham, England.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, let's bring in Philippe Lamberts via Skype from Brussels. He is a member of the EU's parliament's UK co-ordination group which
monitors these Brexit negotiations. Good to have you on sir, EU negotiator or chief negotiator Michel Barnier in London for talks. Have a listen to
what he said earlier to reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHEL BARNIER, EUROPEAN UNION'S CHIEF NEGOTIATOR: Good morning, important day, determination.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Important day, determination with less than four weeks until the UK is set to leave the EU's orbit, officials have been saying a deal is
imminent. Does that sound right to you?
PHILIPPE LAMBERTS, MEMBER, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S UK COORDINATION GROUP: Well, we are so close yet so far away. In the sense that I think that 98
percent of the treaty has been written down, but the 2 percent that remains are the most difficult issues to solve and you mentioned fish which is not
the biggest one of them.
The biggest one of them about level playing field, making sure that if we open the - the EU internal markets to the United Kingdom we will basically
not be faced with a fair competition, and this is what we want to avoid and this is the most difficult part of the discussion and there's been no
progress at all on that one over last few weeks so this is ultimately for prime minister to decide.
ANDERSON: You've once said that the EU will need to move as well.
LAMBERTS: Absolutely, and I think that it's of use that on the fisheries issue we cannot claim to have the same situation after Brexit than we are
before. Most of the fish in the UK waters are fished by EU fishermen, and, well, there will be a difference.
I mean, it's quite a reason I've been saying that also to the fishing communities in - in my country. You cannot expect to have the same degree
of access after then before, and that is something that we will need to accept. Yet, the UK cannot expect European Union to open its market while
having no guarantees about fair competition and that is a crucial issue.
ANDERSON: That's fascinating. Last month when Dominic Cummings left Downing Street, he of course, was the Chief of Staff, Chief Spokesman, call it what
you will for Boris Johnson, he was - you said that he was the main reason behind what you described is a the UK's tough negotiating stance.
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: And you told the BBC and I quote you here, it's probably a sign that Johnson has begun his u-turn and will in the end accept EU conditions.
Now have you seen a change in Boris Johnson's negotiating strategy since Dominic Cummings' departure?
LAMBERTS: Dominic Cummings was a necessary but not sufficient condition. I mean, I think that Dominic Cummings didn't want the deal and that his line
was set OK, the UK will endure the - following no deal Brexit but it's going to be for the better down the road.
Now, he has been fired. It's being set an obstacle has been removed. Yes, it's still for the prime minister to decide whether he wants a deal or not
because anyway whichever way he goes, he'll make people including in his own camp unhappy.
I mean no deal means severe disruptions of supply chains for the UK industry and that will have a reverse economic but a deal will displace
significantly - Brexiteers. So he will make people unhappy and you know Boris Johnson would love to make everyone happy but that's not possible.
And now decision time has come is for the prime minister to decide whether market access is worth a degree of alignment with EU rules and if that is
not worth it, then there will be no deal.
ANDERSON: A bad deal is worse than a no deal said the conservative government in the UK has said since this Brexit vote back in 2016. Sir
what, chance of an extension, is December 31st it? I know we're in negotiation at this point and it's tough times and it's tough talk.
But can you imagine a scenario where this - this deadline would be extended given what's been going on with COVID, for example, last year, making it so
much more difficult to get these negotiations done?
LAMBERTS: Well, ask the British Prime Minister because it's he who asked his parliament to vote a law that forbids an extension. So we've been all
for it since from the outset and I would assume that United Kingdom would want a form of extension.
We would be amenable to it, but at some point in time a decision is to be taken now. If we look at the current legal deadline, it's the 31st of
December but by then a potential treaty would need to be ratified by then, by the house, by the British parliament and the European parliament.
Now, time is becoming scarce and, therefore, if there's no agreement ratified by then we might have a period, a limited period of no deal
happening, that is the EU and the UK would trade on WTO rules and that would make a massive difference from the current state of play.
Only then to move over to whatever deal would be concluded in between, but there would be chaos in between and, well, I think it's something that we
can avoid, but if we can't we can't. But one thing is certain; it's that the European parliament has refused to a provisional application of the
treaty.
So just imagine that the UK and European Union would come to an agreement on the 29th of December, of course there, would be no time for ratification
between that date and the 1st of January. And one method would be to provisionally apply all the provisions of the treaty as of January 1st even
though it would not have been ratified by then.
But this is an option that has been excluded by the European parliament and, therefore, the alternative if talks drag on, would be a period of no
deal before we get to the future relationship.
ANDERSON: Philippe Lamberts sitting in Brussels, thank you. Well, speaking of breakthroughs or the probably of breakthroughs, Saudi Arabia's Foreign
Minister announcing there has been significant progress made on resolving the gulf crisis.
Now this comes just hours after Qatar's Foreign Minister said there are movements going on right now to, "Put an end" to the gulf crisis. You will,
of course, remember that Jared Kushner has been in both countries just this past week, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates where
we are broke off relations with Qatar more than three years ago now.
And in the last few moments CNN learning that Bahrain has approved emergency use of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine becoming the second country to
do so after the UK did earlier this week. We'll get more developments on the vaccine rollout across this region of course as it happens.
[11:45:00]
ANDERSON: Well, the Global Teacher Prize winner for 2020 has been announced, and it's safe to say he is thrilled. Ranjit Disale will join us
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: 12,000 nominees from 140 countries around the world and one winner. 2020s Global Teacher Prize winner revealed on Thursday and a
deserving round of applause, Ranjit Disale was honored for his work educating and helping girls in India. Here's the announcement from the
British Actor Stephen Fry and Ranjit's reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN FRY, BRITISH ACTOR: The winner of the Global Teacher Prize 2020 is Ranjit Disale from India. Oh, look. There's your whole extended family now.
It's wonderful. Oh, my dear fellow, I can see how moved you are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The top teacher on the globe, Ranjit joining us right now. What a wonderful, wonderful reaction. Was that mom and dad that you are there?
RANJIT DISALE, WINNER, 2020 GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE: Yes, I was there with my mom and dad.
ANDERSON: Fantastic. Congratulations on this. You decided to share half of the prize money with others. Who and why?
DISALE: Yes. Let me just thank the Walker Foundation and UNESCO for recognizing teachers in such a great manner. And I decided to share half of
the prize money or 50 percent of the prize money because I believe teachers work for the outcomes, not for the incomes, so teachers always working for
their students and community to change their lives and their status.
I've decided to share that prize money because I feel I'm the first among the equals. We all top ten teachers are doing incredible work, so I wanted
to help them as well, the community and the students. They need money as well, so I don't want their education to be underestimated.
Together we can make a better - we can make this world a better place. So our united efforts we'll be making some new changes in education phase, and
that's why I decided to share that prize money with my incredible top ten fellow teachers.
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: Well, that's wonderful, and good for you. When you first arrived at the primary school that you are at now, as I understand it school
attendance was as low as 2 percent, and for those that did make it to school the curriculum wasn't in their first language.
You've turned this around. Not only did you translate the textbooks into your pupils' mother's tongue but you also embedded them with unique QR
codes to give students access to lectures, to poems, to assignments and to stories.
Look, Ranjit, this is nothing short of a revolution, and I'm sure that's exactly what the judges in this competition agreed on. How did you come up
with all of these ideas? Where did this all start for you?
DISALE: The school where I'm working right now, in 2009 it was used as a cattle stage and I turn that cattle stage room into the global classrooms.
When you face the challenges you deliver you do your best, and I believe that. And that circumstances, you know, the problems that posed me were too
many so I decided to fight with the problems.
Whatever the solutions I provided and whatever innovations I did there are all are benefitting to my students and the girls especially. As of now I
can see their attendance in the classrooms is now 100 percent, and dropout rate is zero, just because of all the innovative projects I did in the
classroom and that's resulted in the betterment of the girls education. Even the teenagers, teenage marriages is also now is completely banned in
my village.
ANDERSON: COVID-19 had a real impact on students learning. Very briefly, just what have you seen about the impact that it's caused, and will we get
out of this OK as far as kids are concerned?
DISALE: Yes. We actually - we are being using those QR coded textbooks. So my students are not that much affected as the entire world or entire
teaching community is affected because we are use - we have been using QR- coded textbooks where students just scan the QR codes and they can continue their teaching/learning process.
So I think the world should be ready for such a pandemic. It was first experience for all of us how to fight against this pandemic and this type
of situation? But this is an opportunity as well world and teachers especially should look at these crises as an opportunity so that in the
future if same things occur again so that we - our response should be different then as of now.
ANDERSON: Sure. Ranjit with, we're going to leave it there. We wish you the best, good luck. I hope I know that that money will be put to good use and
we applaud your efforts, sir. Keep going we're going to take a very short break.
DISALE: Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: We'll be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:55:00]
ANDERSON: Well, Disney may have started with a mouse but Warner Brothers began with family and a dream. This is what the company's West Coast Studio
looked like in 1923. Who back then would have imagined the life-changing onscreen narratives of Harry Potter, Batman or even Yours Truly, CNN,
another subsidiary of the Warner Media brand?
Well, Warner Brothers says all of its movies will come out next year in cinemas and on the streaming service HBO Max at the same time. The lineup
includes everything from sci-fi epics like "Dune" to the "Musical in the Heights" from the creator of "Hamilton" with so many theater or cinemas as
they're known elsewhere in the world closed studios are focusing on how to capitalize on streaming.
Now both Warner Brothers and CNN are part of the Warner Media family. Well, our Chief Media Correspondent Brian Stelter is in New York. A post-pandemic
world then, Brian--
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
ANDERSON: --where subscription cash it seems is more important than box office, correct?
STELTER: This is the rebalancing of Hollywood, yes, and certainly everybody - in the entertainment industry says theaters are still important and
Warnermedia CEO Jason Kilar predicts people will be going to theaters decades from now.
If you think about it just from common sense there is nothing like a Friday or Saturday night date night going to the movies, having dinner and a
movie. That's always going to be a tradition. However, people want options. People want flexibility.
The streaming - the incredible progress of streaming has proven that in recent years so I think what HBO is doing here and Warner Brothers they are
accepting reality. People want to be able to watch online.
ANDERSON: So you are not ringing the death knell on cinemas and theaters as of yet, but there is significant competition. That's what we're seeing
briefly.
STELTER: Significant pressure yes. I mean, look these theater owners have seen their stock suffer in the past day because of the Warner Brother news,
and it is not just our parent company, I think Disney and other major studios are going to make the same moves in the next few weeks and months.
They are bowing to reality of what customers want.
ANDERSON: Brian Stelter is in the house, and thank you, folks. Thank you, Brian, for joining us. Just ahead, CNN's exclusive interview with Joe Biden
and Kamala Harris. Stay tuned for that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
