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CNN 10

Controversy Surrounding Vaccine Passports; Shortage in Ketchup Packets; Record-Breaking Roller Coaster

Aired April 09, 2021 - 04:00   ET

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


CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Welcome to CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz, and the controversial issue of vaccine passports is our first subject this Friday.

What are they? Vaccine passports are a form of proof that someone has received a corona virus vaccine. They could be digital on a phone or

issued through a paper certificate. If they become a requirement, people may need to show vaccine passports to get into concerts, ballgames,

businesses and other countries. The first nation in the world to introduce these was China. It did that earlier this year. People there use a QR

code on their phones to prove they`ve been vaccinated and show their corona virus test results and history.

The European Union is working on a certificate that would show people have been vaccinated or fully recovered from COVID-19 or recently tested

negative for the virus in order for them to travel across the 27 EU member countries. In the United States, the Biden Administration says it does not

support vaccine passports and that the Federal government will not require every American to carry one, but different states have different

approaches. New York, for instance, recently became the first state to launch vaccine passports. Florida, on the other hand, recently became the

first state to ban them. And while supporters say they`re necessary for American`s safety, opponents say they infringe on American`s freedom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Customers are returning and with them talk of so- called vaccine passports. Owner Rocco Mangel has been vaccinated and would like others to do the same but he`s not in favor of requiring it in his

restaurants for staff and customers. For him, it`s about freedom of choice.

ROCCO MANGEL, OWNER OF ROCCO`S TACOS: Requiring people to have a vaccination card to come into the restaurant or vaccination app or

passport, I think it infringes on their rights.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That tracks with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis` view. It`s part of why he issued an executive order banning vaccine passports in

the state of Florida. DeSantis has dismissed vaccine passports in the same way he did many other measures during the pandemic like mask mandates and

lockdowns. All in the name of protecting rights and in this case, privacy. Do you think you`d get more business or see more business if a vaccine was

required here?

MANGEL: I think quite the opposite. If -- if we required it, that would be a perception of that we`re trying to govern them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: DeSantis argues that vaccine passports reduce individual freedom and would create two classes of citizens based on

vaccination. According to the executive order, businesses here in Florida are prohibited from requiring customers to provide documentation certifying

a COVID-19 vaccination or post-transmission recovery in order to gain access to that business. DeSantis` order puts him at odds of those who

believe they`re included in the order and are planning for or at least considering requiring a vaccine passport, like the Straz Center for the

Performing Arts in Tampa.

JUDY LISI, CEO OF STRAZ CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: It`s really critical to our reopening and eventually to get us to 100 percent capacity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: CEO Judy Lisi says she`s surprised by and disappointed with the governor`s decision.

LISI: If you think about mass gathering places like theaters and stadiums and arenas, they -- we`re sitting right next to each other. So it becomes

really important to have a vaccine program as an option for our -- for our guests and for our artists.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale proof of COVID-19 vaccination was going to be mandatory for staff and

students come the fall semester. But when I alerted the university`s CEO to the governor`s executive order banning vaccine passports --

GEORGE L. HANBURY II, CEO OF NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FORT LAUDERDALE: I will change whatever is necessary to comply with the law and to the

governor`s executive order.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Back at Rocco`s Tacos, Rocco Mangel says he doesn`t think a vaccine passport would make his restaurant any safer than it

already is.

MANGEL: People make a choice and people need to make, hopefully a choice that they`re not going to put other people at risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. What was invented in 1812 by American scientist Dr. James Mease? Ketchup, toothpaste, tin can, or Atlanta cable. Dr.

Mease came up with the first known recipe for tomato based ketchup.

Might seem like a random topic to top our next segment but some of the ripple effects of the corona virus era are pretty random. Who could have

predicted a toilet paper shortage, a bicycle shortage, a computer chip shortage and now a ketchup packet shortage. Restaurants and consumers can

still find these online but they`re getting harder and harder to come by.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every day, across the country, restaurants are looking for customers in the midst of COVID and at the Blake Street Tavern in

Denver, Chris Fuselier is also looking for ketchup.

CHRIS FUSELIER, OWNER OF BLAKE STREET TAVERN: You know, my chef came up to me one day and said Chris, I -- I got a problem here. I hate to tell you

this but we`re out of Heinz. And I go, wait a minute, what -- what are you talking about?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ketchup shortage began with new health guidelines last year discouraging traditional dining room service and pushing drive-

thru, delivery, take-out and curbside pick-up. In response, out went the big bottles and in came those cute little packs perfect for take-out.

Soon, demand was outpacing supplies so badly the Wall Street Journal says the seafood chain Long John Silvers spent an extra $500,000 dealing with

the shortage. That`s a lot of clams.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of the restaurants we talked to got these five gallon tubs of ketchup, you know, bulk ketchup and they filled little

souffle cups with them. They looked at alternate dispensers, and again, this takes time and money to do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heinz which makes more ketchup than anybody else says this month it will launch a 25 percent increase in production totaling 12

billion ketchup packets a year. End to end, that`s almost enough to go to the moon and back and that`s appropriate since yes, astronauts have ketchup

in space. Still, with summer cookouts, camping trips and whatever this is coming around, condiment connoisseurs could be squeezed for a while.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: According to Guinness World Records, the fastest roller-coaster on the planet reaches the speed of 149 miles per hour. The longest one

stretches more than one and a half miles. The one with the most inversions, turns you upside down 14 times and the oldest coaster that`s

still running was built in 1912. Why are we bringing all of this up right now?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS JAMES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey Carl. In the midst of this global pandemic, we`ve talked a lot about how tough life has been for so many of

us. I know we`re all looking forward to getting back to normal after a year of ups and downs. So in the spirit of getting back to fun, today I`m

going to tell you about a new roller-coaster under construction that could make history. It`s called the "Falcon Flight". The ride will be the main

attraction of Six Flags Qiddiya which is due to open in Saudi Arabia outside the capital of Riyadh in 2023.

It`s set to smash all existing records for roller-coaster speed, height, and track length. The coaster will travel across 2.5 miles of track. Wow.

With the use of magnetic motor acceleration, riders will get to experience the sensation of diving over a vertical cliff into a 525 foot deep valley

achieving unprecedented speeds of up to 155 miles per hour. According to their press release, the "Falcon Flight" will take up to 20 passengers on a

three minute long ride. Offering panoramic views at the top of what will be the world`s tallest freestanding coaster structure.

This roller-coaster is being built by the company Intamin which just so happens to be the creators of the world`s current, tallest coaster made of

steel. The "Kingda Ka" which can be found at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey. Now if you happen to be like me and just the thought of

plunging hundreds of feet makes your stomach turn, well, there`s always the "Lazy River". Back to you Carl.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: As long as there are thrill seekers, they`ll be different "inversions" of thrill rides. Projecting people into motion "in bella

cities" worldwide is "centrifugal" to their very existence. Some say they`re "frenetic" but the truth is their "kinetic" and what people can

stomach is really the only "gravilimitation" in harnessing all the potential energy they can in keeping riders on the "hook" for the "rising

and falling action". Fridays are awesome. Ponaganset High School, what`s happening Ponaganset? It is located in North Scituate, Rhode Island and

gets today`s shout out. Have a great weekend everyone. I`m Carl Azuz for CNN.

END