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Arizona Reports Highest Single-Day Spikes In Cases; U.S. Supreme Court Blocks Controversial Abortion Law; Houston Hospital Struggles For Resources As Admissions Soar; Dr. Anthony Fauci: U.S. May Never Gain Herd Immunity; FA Cup Semi Finals Set After Three Matches Sunday. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired June 29, 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]
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Kim Brunhuber in Atlanta. More than 500,000 people around the
world have died from Coronavirus. Now, governments are working to contain localized outbreaks.
Then breaking news out of the U.S., the Supreme Court blocks a controversial abortion law. It's a win for abortion rights activists, even
after President Trump appointed two conservative justices. And later, a growing list of companies pull advertising from Facebook. Will they
pressure the social media giant to handle hate speech differently?
The world has passed two grim milestones in the Coronavirus pandemic. There are now more than 10 million cases globally and 500,000 deaths based on
numbers from Johns Hopkins University.
Much of the United States is heading in the wrong direction. 31 states are now reporting an increase in new cases from the week before. The upward
trends started after the Memorial Day holiday in late May, as states reopened and people resumed normal activities.
And case counts are rising dramatically in some of the most populous U.S. states. We have reporters fanned out across the country starting in Texas.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Alexandra Field in Houston, Texas, where the case count is soaring Governor Greg Abbott trying to get control
of the surge here by shutting down bars.
He says the majority of cases are now affecting younger people. Still ICUs hit their capacity in Houston last week. Hospitals across Houston are now
moving to their surge capacity plans and local health officials are warning it could be just a matter of weeks before hospitals are entirely
overwhelmed.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Paul Vercammen in Los Angeles where a 27-year-old man says that 28 of his family members contracted COVID-19.
That includes his father, 60-year-old Vidal, who died the day before Father's Day.
Richard Guri, the son wants everyone to know about the story. They were extremely cautious. He says, they used hand sanitizer, they were socially
distanced. They were also wearing their masks. They don't know how their father got it? But they say if it can happen to their family, it can happen
to anyone.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Natasha Chen in Pensacola Beach, Florida. Less than two months from the Republican National Convention being
held in Jacksonville, Florida.
Governor Ran DeSantis visited this area Sunday to address the rising cases of COVID-19 across the state, reminding people to socially distance, wear a
mask in public and not be around crowded spaces with a lot of other people, all things that would be happening at a convention of that size.
We asked whether he could assure President Trump he could hold such a large gathering indoors, with no mask requirement. DeSantis said that it's a
dynamic situation one that he hopes would improve two months from now.
BRUNHUBER: Another hard hit state is Arizona. It reported its highest single day increase in new cases Sunday. So, you can see the spike here on
the charts. Hospital beds in the state are filling up fast.
Stephanie Elam joins me live from Phoenix. Stephanie record after record continues to fall in Arizona. I think it's the 8th time in this month the
state has broken records with its daily case count, so what's the latest there?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the belief, Kim, is that this state is opened up too quickly after the stay-at-home order expired at the
end of May. And you could take a look at the charts you can see that in June, you start to see this uptick happen a lot more quickly.
And where we are now with this new daily record? We're talking about more than 3,800 cases announced in one day, and that's a 5 percent increase from
the day before.
[11:05:00]
ELAM: But what's really concerning to health officials here is the number of patients in ICU beds. Almost 90 percent of the ICU beds dedicated to
COVID are filled. That is obviously concerning. Hospitals are now extending how much space they have going to surge capacities so that they have more
beds available.
But obviously when you have this number of people coming in and they're expecting these numbers to continue to rise over the next couple of weeks,
it's concerning. We know some hospitals are looking to contract with vendors to bring in extra registered nurses, some who have been working in
New York, which you remember a couple of months ago was the hard hit area in the country.
Well, they are bringing some of those registered nurses here to help out with this uptick in the numbers. But it continues to be a problem. Now, the
Governor here, Doug Ducey is saying that people should wear a mask. There has been a progression.
First he wasn't wearing a mask and then he does say now you should wear a mask. And the signage here is we drove into Arizona yesterday, I can tell
you they definitely have signs up saying, where a mask is going to mask it up AZ. But this has been a progression that has not been consistent, and
what we're seeing now is how it's playing out?
He's not mandating that the state as a whole wear masks, that the people here wear a mask, but leaving it up to the individual counties and towns to
do that and make that decision. So, here in Maricopa County, which is the most populated county in the state, it is mandatory that you wear a mask
when you're out and about going into stores and what have you.
But the Governor not making that case, and so, you can see that playing out in different parts. And that's part of the reason why they think that these
numbers are going up, because people are not staying far enough apart, and they're not wearing those masks. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Alright, very disturbing, thanks so much, Stephanie Elam in Phoenix. Well, right now, 400,000 people in a rural area near Beijing are
under a new lock down. Health officials in Hubei Province ordered them to stay home after a cluster of Coronavirus cases was discovered there. So
let's bring in David Culver from Beijing. David, what's the latest?
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Kim, good to be with you. Well, this is an area about 90 miles from where we are here in the capital city.
And as you mentioned, 400,000 people, sparsely populated. But nonetheless, they have been shut off from their neighbors. I mean, this is all villages,
all communities, all buildings closed.
It's reminiscent of what we saw more than five months ago in Wuhan, similar extreme and as described by some brutal lock down conditions. So,
essentially they are going to keep folks inside their homes. One person each day can leave a house, and go do some basic necessities shopping.
And they are blocking the entire perimeter of this Anxin County which is in as you mentioned Hubei Province, from any outside vehicles from going in.
So they're trying to keep it as contained as possible. Here's what's interesting? We're only talking about 18 cases and so, why such an extreme
reaction?
Well, part of it may because of what we have seen in recent months with local officials being punished for either covering up or not doing quickly
enough with regards to some of the early cluster outbreaks that actually are still continuing. Even here in Beijing, just a couple of weeks ago, we
saw a similar cluster outbreak at a market.
They say that is now under control. However, they have compartmentalized certain lock downs. People are still within those lock down zones and
sealed from their neighbors. But outside of that, Kim, what they have done is allowed life to resume in somewhat of a normal fashion, and that's
because of the realities of needing to keep the economy going and life continuing.
BRUNHUBER: But, okay, so these are small clusters, admittedly, but the fact that there are hot spots, does that mean authorities are fearing a possible
second wave here?
CULVER: It is a major concern here, and it's something that has been echoed by leading health officials. I mean, we spoke exclusively with the man
who's the Dr. Fauci equivalent of China back in May. And he was telling us at that time, look, this is not over.
Even if we feel like we've got a good grip on this, it could resurge in any location. And proof of that is Beijing, I mean, Beijing, throughout much of
this outbreak, Kim, was a fortress, it was impregnable. And so, when we saw that outbreak here little over two weeks ago, it was shocking to many. But
that shows that they don't want complacency to kick in.
And what we're starting to see even as we've come back into the capital city and try to make our way around is that they are becoming increasingly
strict about those QR codes, essentially the green passes that are on your Smartphone that say that, you have not been in contact with anybody who has
had the virus, you've not been in a high risk area.
And they want to see those pretty much everywhere you go now to make sure that you're safe and that you're somebody that can be in close vicinity
with others.
BRUNHUBER: Interesting. Alright, thanks so much, David Culver in Beijing. The EU is preparing to reopen for international travel as pandemic
restrictions ease, but countries with high COVID-19 infection rates will be blocked from entry.
[11:10:00]
BRUNHUBER: The U.S. is expected to be one of the barred nations. Ambassadors have been compiling a list of countries approved for entry, and
once that list gets final approval from member states, people from countries that made the cuts will be allowed in starting Wednesday.
So, our Fred Pleitgen is standing by from Brussels, Belgium, just outside the EU Ambassador's meeting. So, people of many nations are on tension
hooks here waiting to find out who's in and who's out? What's happening?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you're absolutely right. I think a lot of people are definitely looking at this
very closely. Of course we know that normally the EU is a massive place for tourism. It's a large part of the confidence economy, and of course many
people simply like to go to places here in the European Union.
You're also absolutely right, Kim, to point out that right now it is on the level of the European member states. That means that the European Council
has agreed to the 15 states where people are going to be allowed to come back to Europe from.
However, the member states all now have to see whether or not that list is okay for them, whether or not they want to do it in their own way? One of
the things that we always have to point out is that the European Union cannot decide for the member states whom they are going to let in and whom
they are not going to let in?
Those are decisions that Sovereign Nations make themselves, but of course all of these states being part of the European Union, they want to have a
common way forward on this. And so, they are all to check that list and see whether or not it's okay for them.
Now, the big elephant in the room or maybe out of the room, to put it that way is the United States, indeed. And right now really is very, very
unlikely that the United States would be on that list of nations whose citizens are going to be allowed back in here. And European officials
always said, in the end, this isn't a political decision. It all comes down to science. It all comes down to the situation of the Coronavirus.
And right now, with those outbreaks going on in the United States with the surge in cases in the United States, really doesn't look as though
Americans are going to be able to travel here to the European Continent come July 1st when folks from other countries are indeed going to be
allowed to come back, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: So for those presumed off the list like the U.S., when will they get a second bite at the apple here? When will the decision be reassessed?
PLEITGEN: Well, I think it's very important to say that all of this is constantly going to be a reassess and then a couple of weeks, couple of
months from now, they are going to reassess whether or not the situation in the United States will have changed?
Conversely of course also with the nations that right now will make that list, of course it's always going to be reassessed whether or not the
situation there might continue to deteriorate.
Again the European officials have said to them, all this comes down to the Coronavirus situations in the countries of origin where people want to come
from. And I think one of the things that European officials have made clear, and pretty much also the officials of all the member states
themselves is of course tourism is a big thing.
Of course business travel is a big thing here for the European continent, but just like almost everywhere else, officials here, citizens here of
course are very afraid that there could be a big second wave of infections. It's definitely something that they want to prevent.
And so, therefore, letting people back into the European Union is, of course, something that's very important, but of course does not take center
stage when it comes to public health and when it comes to preventing additional lock downs from having to take place, Kim.
BRUNHUBER Alright, we'll be waiting for the news. Thanks so much Fred Pleitgen in Brussels. Well, no doubt it will be changing some vacation
plans for the summer.
Ahead on "Connect the World" a surprised ruling on abortion by the U.S. Supreme Court as the Conservative Chief Justice sides once again with his
liberal counter parts. And Starbucks, Unilever, the list of companies boycotting Facebook keeps growing. We'll take a look at why, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:15:00]
BRUNHUBER: We have breaking news from the U.S. Supreme Court. Chief Justice John Roberts has sided with liberal judges on a controversial abortion ban.
A 5-4 vote struck down a law critics say would have closed nearly every abortion clinic in the State of Louisiana.
Now, this ruling is a win for supporters of abortion rights who argue that the law was not medically necessary and is a veiled attempt to restrict
abortion.
Let's go now to CNN's Jessica Schneider who's outside the Supreme Court. So, before we shift to the political implications of all of this, take us
through the decision itself and its importance for abortion rights.
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kim, this is a big win for abortion rights advocates. This is a law out of Louisiana that would
have required doctors at abortion clinics to gain admitting privileges at area hospitals, hospitals within 30 miles.
The challengers to this case say that if this law had gone into effect, it would have effectively left one doctor in the entire State of Louisiana
able to perform abortions. They say it would have shut down two of the three remaining clinics.
So now with this 5-4 decision from the Supreme Court, this Louisiana Law will not go into effect. And as you mentioned, this is all at the hands of
the Chief Justice. He was the one who sided with the liberals, giving them this 5-4 majority.
What's crucial here is that before this morning, the Chief Justice had never actually voted to strike down any abortion restriction. In fact, it
was just four years ago when there was a very similar Texas Law that would have also restricted abortion providers that the Chief Justice issued a
dissent in that case.
But the Chief Justice saying here and siding with the liberals for the third time in two weeks, saying that because the Supreme Court already
knocked down a similar Texas Law back in 2016, is he had to respect precedent, that this Louisiana Law was just too similar to the Texas Law
here, and that it had to be struck. But this is very notable Kim, and also a big win for those abortion rights advocates.
BRUNHUBER: But a big loss for the President after two recent Supreme Court losses. We saw President Trump tweet. We need more justices in a message
that ended vote Trump 2020. So you can imagine this decision will come as a huge rallying cry for conservatives going into the election.
SCHNEIDER: Absolutely. The conservative base was the base that the President could count on going into reelection. It's something he won them
over in the 2016 election, and in particular, he was able to nominate two justices to this court Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, now.
While those two justices were in the minority for this case, it was notable that Neil Gorsuch actually also sided with the liberals along with the
Chief Justice last week when it came to that ruling on transgender and gay rights, and that they could not be discriminated against under federal law
in the workplace.
So definitely, the Supreme Court was the one thing that the President consistently hung his hat on. It's something that his base looked to him to
really change it over to a conservative majority, something that the President effectively did.
But now that conservative majority seems to be crumbling in a sense, and the Chief Justice here has really turned into the swing vote, really
talking over for Anthony Kennedy who retired and now it's the Chief Justice who seems to be in that middle position, today siding with the liberals to
strike down this restrictive abortion law out of Louisiana. Kim?
BRUNHUBER: Fascinating implications. Jessica Schneider in a windy Washington, thank you very much. Well, the White House says, Donald Trump
was unaware of the racist white power chant in a video he tweeted on Sunday.
The President re-tweeted this video of anti and pro-Trump protesters argued with each other in a retirement community in Florida. A man in a Golf cart
is heard yelling white power as he drives by.
[11:20:00]
BRUNHUBER: In the tweet, Mr. Trump also thanked the great people shown in the video before deleting the post.
Starbucks and Diageo are joining a growing list of companies, boycotting social media pausing all advertisements in definitely, because of concerns
about how platforms are managing hateful content?
Both stopped short of joining the #StopHateForProfit campaign run by civil rights groups and are committing to a broader boycott than that campaign.
Starbucks is the 6th largest advertiser for Facebook, and spent almost $95 million on the platform last year.
So, joining us now is CNN's Richard Quest from New York. So, Facebook has millions of advertisers, of course, so is this, you know, just a drop in
the bucket? I mean, it must be hard to quantify exactly because we don't know the precise numbers that they're withholding. But any sense of how,
you know, what kind of affect this is going to have on Facebook?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Well, there are two affects the first is the PR effect. And that is significant, because the more big
companies like Unilever, Bank of America, Verizon, Starbucks, the more the big companies sign on, therefore the umbrella gets bigger for other
companies to be a - just look at that list there that you've got.
Lending club, Hershey's, Diageo, so that's the PR side of it, and that forces or can force Facebook to make some fairly serious changes. On the
financial front, most of Facebook's money does not come from these big companies.
It comes from thousands, tens of thousands of small and medium sized advertisers, banner advertisers and the like that use the analytics and
that use the site. Therefore, on a purely financial basis, a boycott like this will not force Facebook to make changes, and that's what Facebook said
in its memo that it sent to advertisers last week that basically you're making a big mistake.
It was someone would say it was an arrogant, someone say, overconfident statement that we don't give in to boycott pressure. I think what will
happen is they will fudge it and do exactly that.
BRUNHUBER: Interesting. Well, I want to sort of flip it and talk about the companies that are doing these boycotts. You know, is this good PR for
them? Is it, you know, cynical to suggest that during a pandemic in which, you know, advertising budgets are shrinking that this kind of, you know,
they're spending less on advertising anyway?
QUEST: That is a cynical view, probably a true view, they are spending less. But I don't think - I mean, I can imagine somebody in a meeting at
the end of it saying, well, at least we don't have to spend that money that we didn't want to spend anyway.
Yes, I can certainly imagine that. I can certainly imagine PR marketing executives saying, well, that's a few dollars less we don't have to spend.
But do I think that would be the cause of the meeting? Do I think that would be the raise on death - of doing this particular action?
No, I think that they have felt the force of this movement from black lives matter. They now are linking it into the economy and how, of course, stop
profits and bringing the two together saying this makes sense for our values.
But I'm sure there is a little chuckle afterwards when they realize they can get some good PR from money they didn't want to spend anyway.
BRUNHUBER: Alright, always appreciate your perspective. Thanks so much, Richard Quest, in New York. Coming up just ahead on "Connect the World," a
third of Americans say they wouldn't get a vaccine for COVID-19 when it becomes available. We'll explain the huge impact that would have on herd
immunity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:00]
BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. In Texas, the Mayor of Houston is warning the rise in Coronavirus cases is real and serious. He announced an increase in
hospitalizations, intensive care cases and the number of young people testing positive at a news conference on Friday. CNN's Miguel Marquez goes
inside one Houston hospital struggling with the surge.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Houston, Texas, now home to a major Coronavirus outbreak a procedure all too common when treating the most
seriously ill with the virus this patient on a ventilator the breathing tube being replaced to improve oxygen flow to the lungs.
The tube pulled out, caked with dried secretions from the lungs rife with the Coronavirus. The new tube immediately improves oxygen flow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSEPH VARON, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, UNITED MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER: That's the first one for today. We have to change a tube on somebody that has no
oxygen. He could have died. His tube was not functioning. It has a little balloon on the end. It was ruptured. He was not getting enough oxygen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ : United Memorial Medical Center, a 117 bed hospital serving a mostly working class community in North Houston, some things we have seen
elsewhere, on a ventilator, a patient's chance for survival goes down, way down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARON: The problem is once you incubate them, the chances of them leaving the hospital are less than 20 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Unlike other hospitals we've seen, this facility is transforming itself into a sort of COVID Specialty Center.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARON: In the last three weeks, I have seen more admissions and sicker patients than on the previous ten weeks. So it's been an exponential
increase on the severity of illness and the number of cases that were admitted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: its COVID unit expanding way beyond its intensive care unit by turning whole sections of the hospital into temporary airtight chambers,
creating negative pressure zones to keep the airborne virus moving up and out.
And strict protocols are in place for moving in and out of these zones. Everyone must have a test for Coronavirus before entering, even journalists
and protective gear, now so abundant that everyone triples up some employees getting through eight sets or more of PPE in a single shift.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is for the people that you're treating. So they know what you look like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: In the hundred days they've been treating patients with Coronavirus only one nurse has developed the sickness. She's now being
treated by her own colleagues. You are the front line worker in the battle against COVID, and you now have it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TANNA INGRAHAM, ICU NURSE, UNITED MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER: Yes. And I wouldn't wish this on my own enemy because I hurt from here all the way
down the base of my neck, and getting any sleep is almost like it's impossible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: She's not sure how she got it, but thinks it may have been a patient who had stopped breathing and despite multiple layers of PPE, the
physical effort to save his life may have put her own at risk.
[11:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: I was coding him. And as that was pushing down air was coming in but that's the only position that could be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: The isolation of the disease difficult to deal with even for someone who knows what to expect her thoughts now with her 9 and 10 year
old daughters. What would you say to Madeline and Abigail right now?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INGRAHAM: Baby mommy loves you and misses you I hope you're having a great time in California. Okay then.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: The lone star state now in a full blown surge with Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations rising at alarming rates in Travis County.
Austin's convention center is preparing to host a Coronavirus emergency care facility.
Bear County home to San Antonio saw a more than 600 percent increase in hospitalizations in June and in Houston hospitals are nearing capacity and
preparations are under way to turn an RG park where the Houston Texans play back into an emergency medical facility it was taken down in April.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R), TEXAS: If I can go back and redo anything it probably would have been too slow down the opening of bars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Texas now reversing parts of its aggressive effort to re open its economy. Bars now closed again throughout the state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMED ALAM, OWNER, THE ORIGINAL RED ROOSTER: Well, it is very difficult.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Mohamed Alam two night clubs in Houston both now closed until further notice. He's now fighting for his life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: How do you think you've got COVID?
ALAM: When the club open and I have news they like to give me a hug and everything so they tried to give me a hug or shake hands or maybe there was
paying the money counting their money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Today United Memorial Medical Center is at about 80 percent capacity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARON: Please understand these patients are very sick. These are patients that are about to die. So we have to admit them and once they're here
despite of everything that we do I mean they have to stay in the hospital anywhere between 5 and 10 days at a minimum. So those beds will be occupied
for a period of 5 to 10 days. So sooner or later within the next two weeks we're going to be a full house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Dr. Varon, who is now worked for more than 100 days without stop has become a sort of Coronavirus Specialist for now it appears to be paying
off 96 percent of patients admitted to the hospital he says beat the disease.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARON: COVID is a very fluid illness. It's an illness that changes and what I knew four months ago it's completely different than what I do now. The
way I treated patients two months ago it's 100 percent different than what I'm doing.
MARQUEZ: And does this still surprise you? Does the disease still do things that make you scratch your head?
VARON: Every single day I get surprised every day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Dr. Varon now aggressively attacking inflammation and blood clotting using everything from vitamins, physically rotating patients,
antibiotics, Hydroxychloroquine for some even stem cells soon anything from having to put patients on a ventilator the virus still confounding doctors
in surprising those trying to avoid getting it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: This husband wife who did not want their names used now share a room in the Coronavirus unit here. They say they did everything staying
home, wearing masks and keeping their distance from others.
COVID-19 PATIENT, UNITED MEDICAL CENTER: It's a little bit scary. I wish that people would take it more seriously they should take it more seriously
you can't. You can't trust people just because they look healthy because a lot of people walking around looking healthy and they're not healthy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: It's the biggest challenge those that don't know they have it or giving it to others making them sick and possibly killing them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARON: There are types of patients those that have to COVID and those who will get COVID. My concern as healthcare providers is that when they get
sick they don't all come to me at the same time which is what's happening at the present time. And that's what's going to kill patients because we
won't have enough resources.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Leicester England may become the first city in the UK to enter a so called local lockdown that's following a concentrated flare up of COVID-
19 in the area. 29 percent of the city's nearly 3000 cases emerged in the two weeks leading up to June 23rd.
So joining me now is Professor Maggie Rae Presidents of the U. K. Based Professional Association and Charity Faculty of Public Health. She's also
Head of the School of Public Health Transformation and Health Education England which is part of the NHS.
So this localized lockdown obviously the U.K.'s into a totalitarian you know state like China which can snap strict restrictions on and off with
authority. So how would a local lockdown like this work in Leicester anywhere else in the U.K.?
[11:35:00]
MAGGIE RAE, PRESIDENT, FACULTY OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Well, this is a really interesting question. So thank you very much for asking it. And I think
we've got to remember in the U. K. we haven't had the full freedoms of our current lockdown lifted. So it is rather concerning that already before the
big party on July 4th we do have this very rapidly growing outbreak and Leicester City as you described.
So I'm very happy to describe a little bit more about how this little time might actually be managed?
BRUNHUBER: Okay. Okay, how can you can you tell us a bit more about that?
RAE: Well, I hope your listeners have had information about the U.K.'s design of a new test and trace system. And this system is free to everyone
to use and to trying to apply very rigorous testing and then the cost of cases which actually be asked to isolate themselves away from society
protect everyone in the public.
And we need to rapidly get this wraparound system happening in the area of Leicester where this outbreak is currently beginning to rise. I then think
we need to start and be asking the governments about what kind of additional measures they can put in place?
And so obviously we do have a number of key workers that have to go to work. We were just starting to get some school children back into school.
So I think what will be very interesting to see is to what explicit measures are used?
Are we going to stop people going to public places where they can spread the virus? And we have been allowing people outside currently in the whole
of the year in England. So perhaps this is one of the measures will be brought into place.
BRUNHUBER: People of - you know fought against monitoring and you know how would you actually enforce this?
RAE: Well, again this is a million-dollar question because as you say our usual methods in England are to persuade the public were usually very well
behaved society here in England. And to take people with us in terms of sensible measures and just to support the public health messages.
And I think it will really be very much done to local leaders, the leaders of communities in that city to actually persuade the public for the safety
of everyone to be a little bit more patience. We have had a number of people meeting in large gatherings.
And I think those are the kind of gatherings that will be dispelled and our people will be asked to go home and they'll be asked not to meet in such
large numbers. And to continue to follow the government advice which of course is that we should be keeping a distance from one another to be
wearing face coverings if we're out in public transport.
And of course and the very sensible measure of continue to wash our hands. But I think this is just one of the first times that we're beginning to see
the real dangers of this virus coming back into our society. And the whole and every measure of public health is to be brought to bear to suppress
this virus.
BRUNHUBER: Well, so other than those you know public health measures which are just sort of - you know continuing you signed a letter calling for an
urgent review of the U. K.'s readiness for that second wave. So what specifically would you like reviewed? What do you think is lacking
specifically?
RAE: But I think what we wanted to make sure that was in place was some really excellent early warning system because I think we've seen all over
the world. Even just the smallest number of cases we maybe - we've got cases as you describe up to 100 cases in the last two weeks compared to the
start of the virus that's not a huge number.
So this virus rapidly reproduces, people get infected very quickly. And we wanted to make sure that the measures that could be brought to bear to stop
people traveling to city centers, to stop them meeting for parties and to stop them gathering at festivals and other illegal events.
The local systems which have the power to stop these things and not just the suppressed the virus because is good - we need the public with us that
is very important.
[11:40:00]
RAE: And people in the U. K. like the rest of the world have been absolutely excellent. You know for three months people have been very well
behaved and clearly we're not trying to the lockdown measures yet. But we do need to know what government powers are going to be given to the local
areas so they really count suppress this virus.
There is also the issue of our news bio security center, that's going to be setup. I think this would be an excellent move too much to be able to
monitor and survey the population to really see rapidly. This is being affected across the country and then put the measures in place.
But as far as I know that bio security center is not fully up and running it yet and so you can understand the cautious way that we have to approach
until we get all the virus suppression measures in place.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Well listen, thank you so much for speaking with us Professor Maggie Rae. Well, Russia calls it a lie and now the U.S.
President weighs in saying he wasn't even told about the bounty placed on the heads of U. S. troops in Afghanistan, the details coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: One of America's top disease experts leading the fight against COVID-19, Dr. Anthony Fauci has shared his concerns about a possible
vaccine with CNN. He spoke with CNN's Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. So what specifically did he tell you back about vaccines?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kim, what Dr. Fauci told me is that A, this is not going to be a perfect vaccine which we already
knew that. And that it may be much less than perfect actually. That combined with people not wanting to get the vaccine could be a recipe for
disaster.
CNN polling has shown that about a third of Americans say they are not going to try to get a COVID vaccine when it comes out. So you combine an
imperfect vaccine with people not wanting to get it that means that things might not turn out so well. Let's take a look a listen rather to the
conversation I had with Dr. Fauci.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I doubt seriously that any vaccine will ever be 100 percent
protected. The best we've ever done is Measles which is 97 to 98 percent effective that would be wonderful if we get there. I don't think we will. I
would settle for a 70, 75 percent effective vaccine because that would bring you to that level of would be herd immunity level.
COHEN: If only say 70, 75 percent of Americans are willing to get the vaccine and it's only saying I think you just said 70, 75 percent effective
is that going to get us to herd immunity?
DR. FAUCI: No unlikely and that's one of the reasons why we have to make sure we engage the community as we're doing now to get community people to
help us for people to understand that we are doing everything we can to show that it's safe and that is effective and it's for the good of them as
individuals and in society to take the vaccine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:45:00]
COHEN: So right now until we get a vaccine Dr. Fauci says the only things we can do really are where - you know as a person what you can do is you
can social distance and you can also wear a mask. He said even if you don't think you're sick this is important because so many people are a
symptomatic let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. FAUI: There are crowds. They're not physical distancing and they're not wearing masks that's a recipe for disaster. What you're seeing is community
based spread where 20 to 40 percent of the people who are infected don't have any symptoms?
So the standard classic paradigm of identification, isolation and contact tracing doesn't work no matter how good you are because you don't know who
you're tracing? They're out there they don't even know that they are infected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: I asked Dr. Fauci how you think we're doing with contact tracing and he said I don't think it's going very well, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Very troubling indeed. All right thanks so much Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Well, in the coming hours U. S. lawmakers
will be briefed on allegations that Russia offered a bounty for the killing of U. S. and British soldiers.
In a tweet Mr. Trump insists he was never briefed about the threat because it wasn't credible and suggested it was a hoax. "The Washington Post"
reports U. S. troops are believed to have been killed through this bounty program.
Earlier the White House Press Secretary called the reports dead wrong. So let's bring in the Nick Paton Walsh from London with a closer look. So
still a lot we don't know but what are your sources telling?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Breaking news to some degree Kim. I've just been speaking to a U. S. official that had
knowledge early this year of some of this intelligence about the Russian scheme to pay Taliban militants to kill American soldiers all coalition
forces in Afghanistan.
And this U. S. official said that at the time they saw the intelligence, links were being examined possibly between this Russian scheme and U.S.
fatalities but they were unclear quite whether or not conclusions or confirmation that the Russian scheme the results in U. S. deaths had in
fact being drawn.
A European intelligence official I spoke to over the weekend was clear that this Russian scheme had resulted in coalition casualties but they were
unclear that was dead or injured so increasing details emerging here to some degree.
The European intelligence official calling this scheme shocking callous over the weekend and U. S. officials now giving me a bit more detail about
how the reports seem to come around more in February and March and that more verification was being done?
What's startling to see though is the White House's reaction to some degree not focusing on the possibility that Russian military intelligence paid
possibly thousands of dollars to Taliban to kill Americans in Afghanistan but more perhaps focused on their internal processes both President Trump
briefed by his own security officials about this.
"The New York Times" who first reported this story said he was but that was what his Press Secretary first took issue with. And indeed now even still
Donald Trump has been tweeting the suggestion that the intelligence wasn't firm enough for him to be bold as to it being briefed about it.
So interesting reaction from Washington, the House tells us a little bit about how the Trump Administration views malfeasance by Russia always
perhaps more interested in the portrayal of it by their own officials rather than by the malfeasance itself.
The Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has come forward and call the whole thing a hoax and aligned pointed to Donald Trump's uncertainty about it as
reason why people shouldn't be paying too much attention to it in the first place.
But make no mistake Kim; this is a startling claim frankly from multiple intelligence sources now about Russian military intelligence. The same unit
that tried to kill the souls be father and daughter insoles free here in the U. K. in 2018 trying to so this extraordinary catalyst inside America's
longest war.
It may have indeed killed American soldiers and these details are slowly coming out it seems day by day Kim.
BRUNHUBER: And I mean this startling that the Commander in Chief wouldn't be briefed on this. Now what effects might this have on the ongoing peace
talks with the Taliban? Will the State Department you know still go full steam ahead undeterred?
WALSH: This is one possible motivation as to why the White House has not seized upon Russian malfeasance has slightly more aggressively? They have
desperately been trying to get this be still off the grounds.
Donald Trump first talked about Afghanistan as a warning. He would win but that swiftly changed when I think like many of his predecessors he realized
the enormity of the task ahead in trying to get some kind of finished settlement.
[11:50:00]
WALSH: The U. S. could think their sacrifice of blood and treasure was essentially where a feed. Trump Administration has pushed ahead with the
peace deal directly with the Taliban at times angering their Afghan allies and the Afghan government in Kabul by not bringing them so much into the
fold.
Those peace talks went very well with a sort of signing of documents in Doha, and then it sold over a prisoner exchange as Afghan officials got
more involved. Now there are other moves again to try and get that going yet again.
But the broader question of course would be if the Russians were behind this scheme as is alleged by multiple sources now were they trying to get
the United States to receive more casualties and perhaps expedites its withdrawal?
Quite what the motivation was a European intelligence officials said to me was them bewildering. But it does mark a remarkable turn here. The U. S.
frankly running for the exits it's fair to say under the Trump Administration and this Russian scheme drawing attention to the casualties
that's not even increasing their number inside Afghanistan, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Excellent reporting there. Thanks so much Nick Paton Walsh in London. Well, Liverpool are finally Champions of England again but their
Manager has some strong words after supporters took to the streets and ignored Coronavirus restrictions, that's coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRUNHUBER: For fans across Liverpool are ecstatic after their beloved reds finally clinched the Premier League Title but their Manager is not exactly
pleased. Don Riddell joins us live to tell us why so you know Liverpool won the league but you know the Manager doesn't want this - the fans to lose
something even more valuable?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Yes, that's right. You have to remember the time that we're living in Kim. Obviously these are heady times
in Liverpool where the fans are spent the last few days celebrating their first ever Premier League Title despite the threat of the Coronavirus.
Many supporters have been making merry in public places. At times though the finest got out of hand notably here on Friday night when fans were
filmed irresponsibly launching fireworks. And the club is now actively discouraging such scenes.
Liverpool's Manager Jurgen Klopp has written an open letter to the fans in the "Liverpool Echo Newspaper" explaining why that cannot be parades in the
city and urging them to now put their community first.
He wrote what I did not love and I have to say this was the scenes that took place at the pair had on Friday. I'm a human being and your passion is
also my passion but right now the most important thing is that we do not have these kinds of public gatherings that we owe it to the most vulnerable
in our community to the health workers who have given so much.
And whom we've uploaded and to the police and local authorities who help us as a club not to do this please. Celebrate but celebrate in a safe way and
in private settings whereby we do not risk spreading this awful disease further in our community.
What many domestic titles have now been wrapped up around Europe? There is still plenty of action to look forward to over the coming weeks. The German
Bundesliga was the first to return after the lockdown Bayern Munich clinched the title and their season is now complete.
In France the league never returned Paris Saint-Germain were declared Champions. In Spain LaLiga has been running since June 11th Real Madrid are
now top of the table. The Premier League didn't return until June 17th the reason Liverpool are already champions is because they have such a big lead
over their rivals.
[11:55:00]
RIDDELL: And Italy, Serie A came back on June 20th Juventus remain top there. Let's show you an incredible piece of action from Sunday it's Real
Madrid won at Espanyol it was crucial to making the most of Barcelona's defeat on Saturday meaning Real are now 2 points clear of their most bitter
rivals.
Kathy Merritt scored the only goal but it was carrying Banzema took the applause with his audacious back-heeled assist. Football pundits quickly
described it as one of the best assists that you'll ever see. Banzema definitely has not make his marker in the most unusual way pass was served
up to - on a platter.
England's FA Cup resumed over the weekend that's one of the oldest competitions in the world but in recent years it has lost some of its
allure. But the organizers I think will be thrilled with the semi final lineup is 4 of the biggest things in the country.
Manchester City quickly made up for their disappointment in surrounding the Premier League Title on Thursday beating New Castle 2-0 in that
quarterfinal match. Kevin with the opener and then a second half strike from Raheem Sterling carried them into the semis. Man City on course to
defend the trophy they won last season.
It's been a really good week for Chelsea they're through with a win against Leicester City at just the 1 goal in it coming from Ross Barkley just after
the hour mark. There blues hoping to win the trophy they lost that claimed in 2018.
By the way it was Chelsea's win against Man City during the week that handed that Premier League Title to Liverpool. Always been a disappointing
season for Arsenal. They could still end up with a trophy in the dying seconds at Sheffield United with the game tied at 1-1 kind of counter
attack.
I mean it was Dani Ceballos who scored a dramatic winner against Sheffield United. Arsenal play Man City next while Chelsea plays Man U both
semifinals will take place at Wembley in London on mutual turf next month. That's it for you Kim hopefully you enjoyed that lost rare win for Arsenal.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, rooting for some tasty matchups there. Thanks so much Don. And that is it for "CONNECT THE WORLD." Thanks for watching. I'm Kim
Brunhuber please stay with CNN.
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