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India Confronts A Record Number Of New COVID Cases; Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Released In Florida Keys; CNN Hero Helps Children In Chicago. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired May 03, 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: Thank you for starting off a new week and a new month. It`s the first weekday of it with CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz. We`re
bringing you up to speed on what`s happening in the nation of India. The world`s second most populated country has seen a record setting surge in
its number of coronavirus cases.
It reported more than 400,000 new positive tests on Saturday alone. That`s also when India recorded several thousand deaths linked to COVID-19. Many
of the cases there are new variants or versions of the disease. These crop up when viruses naturally mutate and scientists don`t know yet how
effective existing vaccines are in protecting people against these variants.
A prominent U.S. medical official says India should consider a nationwide shutdown to try to slow the spread of COVID-19. At least two Indian states
have done that, meaning the only places that are open there are ones that are considered essential like grocery stores, pharmacies and emergency
services.
An ongoing lockdown in the capital of New Delhi has been extended until at least May 10th. That`s also where there`s been a shortage of oxygen
supplies which can help dangerously sick people breathe. Trains carrying tons of liquid oxygen from Singapore have recently arrived in New Delhi.
Other nations are sending help as well, medical aid from France and Germany, tens of thousands of Sputnik 5 vaccines from Russia. The United
States has sent medical supplies, the first shipment arriving last Friday and starting tomorrow a U.S. travel ban goes into effect.
People from India will not be allowed into the U.S. unless they`re American citizens or lawful permanent residents. New COVID cases in the United
States have been on the decline. Medical officials say in the past two weeks, they`re down by almost 28 percent with doctors recording roughly
50,000 to 60,000 positive tests per day.
At one point during America`s peak in January, there were more than 300,000 new daily infections. A former official with the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration says these declines are likely to continue for two reasons. One is that about 28 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated.
The other is that people who`ve already had coronavirus have developed natural immunities to it. Many businesses have already reopened. Now larger
venues are allowing crowds again.
On Saturday almost 52,000 people watched, in person, when a horse named "Medina Spirit" won the Kentucky Derby. That`s about a third the number
that`s usually allowed at the Churchill Downs Racetrack but the mayor of Louisville says it`s nice to feel things coming back. After being closed
for more than a year, California`s Disneyland Theme Park has also reopened but only people who live in California are allowed inside.
Their numbers are limited and they have to wear masks, get their temperatures taken and avoid using cash.
10 Second Trivia. Saltmarsh, Culex and Asian Tiger are all types of what? Ferns, wasps, mosses or mosquitoes. These are all mosquitoes in addition to
the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads a number of diseases.
For the first time ever, genetically modified mosquitoes are being released in the U.S. The project`s taking place in the Florida Keys. It was approved
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last May and the state of Florida issued an experimental use permit last June. It allows the release
of up to 750 million genetically altered mosquitoes and next.
The targeted mosquito can spread yellow fever, dengue fever and the Zika virus. There`ve been at least two small outbreaks of dengue in the Keys
over the last 12 years. The project will release genetically altered male mosquitoes with the idea that they`ll mate with the females and pass along
a deadly gene that kills female mosquito larvae.
Only female mosquitoes bite. So the intent is to wipe out biting mosquito populations in the Keys. The company that produces the GMO mosquitoes says
a different type of it has been used in Brazil, the Cayman Islands and Panama and that it`s been widely successful. But critics, including the
Florida Keys Environmental Coalition, say the project`s being forced on them. That they`re being treated as guinea pigs.
They`re concerned that the newer GMO mosquitoes being released haven`t been tested as long and they question what could happen to people or animals
health of genetically modified females survive and then bite. Critics are considering legal action but the trial has begun.
"Future Ties" is a non-profit, after school and summer program that gives a safe space to children in Chicago, Illinois. It was started by a Chicago
police officer who`d had enough of the violence and shootings that threatened the city`s kids and she had to pivot when coronavirus hit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Amid the violence in Chicago South Side, Police Officer Jennifer Maddox gives young people a safe haven to learn, grow and
succeed. Since 2011 her non-profit has provided after school mentoring and tutoring for more than 100 children living in the Parkway Gardens
Apartments.
She was honored as a top 10 CNN Hero in 2017 for her efforts. Now during the pandemic, Jennifer and her team transformed their center into a hub for
students doing remote learning received the support in technology they need.
OFFICER JENNIFER MADDOX, CNN HERO: Many of the families here was hit very hard with COVID and it really just turned their lives upside down. A lot of
people lost their jobs and now they`re gradually starting to go back to work. Many of the parents can`t really afford to stay at home to supervise
their kids while they`re on remote learning.
Good morning. And so families had to pick and choose if they were going to be able to still continue to work or did they have to stay home and make
sure that they`re children still was able to get an education.
The kids normally arrive one by one. We take their temperature. If they don`t have a mask, we provide a mask for them. They`ll get a squirt of hand
sanitizer in their hand and then they`ll go to their assigned desk. We were able to step in like being a surrogate parent. M -Y, my. We were there
onsite for them so the kids didn`t really have to travel far.
They knew our staff, our team. They were comfortable with their kids coming here. So it was, kind of, like a win, win, you know, for everybody. We are
working with high school kids and students who`s parents have opted for them to do remote learning.
Many of the students didn`t have laptops and they didn`t know how to navigate through the remote learning system. We were able to provide the
laptops that they needed. On a daily basis we have around 15 to 20 kids that come in, that we can support safely because of COVID. We provide them
with a safe space.
We go around making sure the kids are online, on track, on task and able to complete their assignments and progress. They really need that in-person,
one on one instruction, hands on because you have kids that learn in different ways. We`ll take them outside to the playground and we`ll let
them just run around and just jump and just get some of that energy, you know, moving around with them.
Because they`ve been sitting down for so long. The kids in the community have been struggling with socialization. They are social beings. They want
to be with their friends. They look to us for support and guidance and sometimes they just may need a listening ear. So we`re all of that.
We make sure that they know that we are here for them. These are difficult times and if there is anything that we can do to help them navigate through
some of the challenges and struggles that they are experiencing. We want them to reach out to us. We want to make sure that they are getting the
support that they need so that they continue to grow and move forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: A lot of folks in Florida have their swimming pools screened in to keep animals out, but not this bear. It recently busted through a woman`s
screen so it could take a dip. The owner says she regularly sees the animal in her neighborhood but that this is the first damage the bear has really
caused and that it`s a little too close for comfort.
Yes, you really can`t just grin and "bear" it. Even if it is "brown" with envy over your pool. It`s a "polarizing" guest, a "grizzly" discovery and
you don`t want to be "slothful" about taking "kodiaction" to "beranish" it.
I`m Carl Azuz. Thanks to the American International School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It`s great to have you watching on You Tube. CNN 10 returns
tomorrow.
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