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U.S. Abruptly Orders China to Close Consulate; Trump Touts New Coronavirus Strategy; Texas is Only U.S. State with 10K Current Hospitalizations; Study Confirms Individual Behaviors Could Stop Large- Scale Outbreak; Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine Faces Key Test in South Africa; Rwanda Keeps Virus in Check with Testing and Contact Tracing; Australia Reports Worst Day since Pandemic Began; Latin American Hospitals Pushed to Breaking Point; Liverpool Urge Fans to Celebrate Title at Home. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired July 22, 2020 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. FEDERICO VALLEJO, CRITICAL CARE PULMONOLOGIST: I have never had to send as many death certificates that I have been signing in the last couple
of weeks.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Tonight, reality seems to set in for Donald Trump but is it too little, too late?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We take you inside the trials for a vaccine in South Africa, where it's proving tough to find volunteers who aren't infected.
And a fire breaks out at the Chinese consulate in the U.S. state of Texas after America abruptly orders it to close. Details ahead.
It is 10:00 am in D.C., it is 6:00 in the evening here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Becky Anderson. This is CONNECT THE WORLD.
If I had told you six months ago, five, even four, that we'd be on the verge of 15 million COVID cases around the world, would you have hardly
believed me?
But the cold facts are that. We are just a few thousand cases short of that number. And this is why.
There are countries across the world hitting record new numbers of COVID cases. It is not only not slowing down in places, the pace is picking up.
And almost a quarter of those COVID related cases are in the United States.
Now I want to start this hour on the focus on one number: 1,000. That's how many lives COVID-19 claimed in the United States just on Tuesday. That
is roughly the equivalent of three large plane crashes in a single day. And it's the second time that has happened this month.
And these 26 states across the country reporting a rise in new cases. Hospitalization rates are moving close to what they were at the peak of the
pandemic in April.
And when it comes to testing, one expert tells CNN, labs are facing what seems like an infinite demand. Well, for his part a more sober Donald Trump
reflected the worsening trend in today's briefing saying things out loud that we have rarely heard from him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Some areas of our country doing very well. Others are doing less well. It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better.
Something I don't like saying about things but that's the way it is. It's the way -- it's what we have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, this comes after months of saying things are going well, seemingly ignoring the numbers until, well, he couldn't anymore. The U.S.
president also gave clear unequivocal advice on prevention, finally pushing the three things that his health experts have been hammering home now for
months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And we're asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask. Whether you like the mask or not, they
have an impact. They'll have an effect and we need everything we can get.
We're instead asking Americans to use masks, socially distance and employee vigorous hygiene. Wash your hands every chance you get while sheltering
high risk populations.
We are imploring young Americans to avoid packed bars and other crowded indoor gatherings. Be safe and be smart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the question is, will he follow his own advice?
We saw him for the first time this week wearing a mask. That is quite a departure from where he was in April.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Somehow sitting in the Oval Office, behind that beautiful resolute desk, the great resolute desk. I think wearing a face mask as the great
presidents, prime ministers, dictators, Queens, kings, I don't know somehow I don't see it for myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, then he held a crowded rally over the July 4th weekend at Mt. Rushmore, masks optional. Well, that's seemingly in the past now and
he's heading in a new direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We are in the process of developing a strategy that's going to be very, very powerful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:05:00]
ANDERSON: Well, Mr. Trump handled the briefing alone, unlike his past coronavirus briefings. He had no experts with him. That includes his top
infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a man Trump calls a bit of an alarmist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I consider myself more a realist than an alarmist. But you know, people do
have their opinions other than that. I have always thought of myself as a realist when it comes to this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Anthony Fauci, of course, absent from that briefing yesterday. Let's bring in Jeremy Diamond, live at the White House for you.
Jeremy, why the seeming about-face by the U.S. president and his messaging on COVID-19?
And what everybody should do to try and prevent the spread of the disease?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, let's look at what has changed and what has not.
What has not changed is that over the last 1.5 months we have seen these cases of coronavirus cases continue to rise and breaking records with the
total number of new cases in the United States, sometimes multiple times a week.
What has changed certainly is that the president's poll numbers have gotten a whole lot worse over that period of time. And that is that the president
is significantly trailing Joe Biden, approaching a double digit deficit with his Democratic contender in some polls.
And the president is also -- his response to the coronavirus is widely viewed as insufficient by an overwhelming majority of Americans who
disapprove of the president's handling of this pandemic.
So over the last week, what we have seen is, behind the scenes, many of the president's advisers -- and some publicly, including Kellyanne Conway, who
last week said on TV she thinks the president should get in front of this virus and go back to his briefings -- have been urging him to acknowledge
reality and to get in front and show Americans that he is on top of this surge in cases.
And so yesterday, what we saw from the president was certainly an acknowledgment of his political reality and beginning to acknowledge the
reality of what's happening in the United States rather than what we have seen over the last month, which is him repeatedly downplaying, claiming
that this surge is artificial, it's because of additional testing and not because of the real increasing cases.
The president acknowledging the grim reality, saying that things will get worse before they get better. The president also urging people to wear
masks, as you saw in the sound bite that you just played.
The question is, does this hold?
And we know that the president makes these shifts in tone, sometimes at the urging of his political advisers, before reverting to what is more natural
for him, a combative stance, where he's presenting a rosier version of things than what is actually happening because that is the president's
default setting, is to be combative and to be defensive.
So certainly I would expect that that's where the president will be as we watch the weeks going on. But for now, at least, a slight shift in tone.
ANDERSON: While we were on air yesterday, we brought news to our viewers that the White House press secretary had said that the president is the
most tested man in America, maybe several times a day. The president, though, had other thoughts.
What did he say?
DIAMOND: Yes, yesterday, Kayleigh McEnany, as she was trying to defend why the president was not wearing a mask -- and I think that is the important
context here, is the fact that the president does not wear a face mask regularly in public, although we have now seen him do it once in full
public view when he visited Walter Reed Hospital over a week ago -- she said he is tested not only once a day but multiple times a day. And the
president was asked about that and he had a different story. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Mr. President, first, I wanted to get a clarification. Your press secretary said today that you sometimes take more than one test a
day.
Why is that?
TRUMP: Well, I didn't know about more than one. I do take probably on average a test every two days, three days. And I don't know of any time I
have taken two times in one day but I could see that happening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND: So obviously both the president and Kayleigh McEnany have credibility issues of their own, so it's not really clear which one of them
is telling the truth here.
But certainly our reporting has shown that the president is typically tested once a day and that is, you know, safety protocols because he's the
president of the United States.
The question on the masks, though, Becky, is more about the president setting an example for the public, less about his own health. But the
president has had difficulty separating those two issues.
ANDERSON: Jeremy Diamond is at the White House, thank you, sir.
Well, the hospitals in one of America's largest states are being pushed to their limit, with one doctor describing South Texas as "a hot spot in a hot
spot in a hot spot."
[10:10:00]
ANDERSON: The number of COVID patients in the hospital has spiked in the last month and Texas now the only U.S. state with more than 10,000
hospitalizations, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Well, South Texas is facing a long, uphill battle with some of the most dramatic increases in COVID-19 infections in the state. Let's bring in
CNN's Ed Lavandera who is live for us from Dallas.
Ed, tell us what you have been seeing and hearing through the eyes of medical staff there.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Becky. Well, you know, we talk about the medical data, the number of cases, hospitalizations, all of the
technical reporting that we need to do to help convey this story. But sometimes you just need to hear from the people living in the midst of this
pandemic nightmare.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (voice-over): This is the daily routine for Dr. Federico Vallejo, a critical care pulmonologist. When he gets dressed, it looks like
he's getting ready to be launched into another world. That's exactly what it's like to work in the COVID-19 unit of a South Texas hospital.
VALLEJO: It's overwhelming. It's a tsunami, what we're seeing right now.
LAVANDERA: Coronavirus patients have filled the hospital where Dr. Vallejo works. On most days, Dr. Vallejo says he's treating about 70 different
patients, four to five times more than he usually sees in a single day.
VALLEJO: I have never had to sign as many death certificates that I have been signing the last couple of weeks. Talking to these families has been
very, very difficult.
LAVANDERA (on camera): Can you describe the suffering that you've seen among these patients?
VALLEJO: This a disease that affects the lung and they would have trouble with the breathing.
And when it happens, it's heartbreaking. It is so difficult to watch them say good-bye to their relatives by picking up a phone saying , I'm having
more trouble, I'm having more trouble, I don't know what's going to happen next.
I see nurses crying all the time. I see doctors breaking down all the time. But then again, that is what we do.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): South Texas is the COVID-19 hot spot inside the Texas hot spot. Hospital officials are warning that hospital bed and ICU
space are running out, nursing and doctor teams are stretched to the limit.
(on camera): Do you feel when you walk into these COVID units, that it's like a parallel universe?
DR. IVAN MELENDEZ, HIDALGO COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY: It's definitely a parallel universe. If they only knew what lurked behind those walls, if
they can only have x-ray vision and see the pain and the suffering.
LAVANDERA (voice-over): Dr. Ivan Melendez is the Hidalgo County health authority based in McAllen, Texas.
He says the COVID units are filled with the sound of patients gasping for air. Many needing ventilators and gut-wrenching conversations.
MELENDEZ: So, you have people telling you, you know, Doc, please don't put me on that, don't put me on that. And you struggle because that's what they
need. And, finally, they just give up and they say go ahead. But, you know, you may be the last person I ever talk to, so please tell my family, tell
my parents, tell my kids that I love them and that I fought hard.
LAVANDERA: Jessica Ortiz says her twin brother Jubal Ortiz fought the virus for almost two weeks. The 27-year-old worked as a security guard at a
jewelry store.
JESSICA ORTIZ, SISTER OF JUBAL ORTZ: It hurts. (INAUDIBLE) someone, I was here for you. Sorry.
LAVANDERA: Jubal died on July 3rd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He fought long and hard. We all know you.
LAVANDERA: At the funeral, friends and family paid respects through a plastic shield over the casket. There was a fear his body might still be
contagious.
ORTIZ: He meant the world. I just wish it wasn't him. I wish I had him with me because he didn't live his life yet.
LAVANDERA: Jessica is left with this last image of her brother, a screen recording of one of their last conversations, Jubal Ortiz waving good-bye.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: And we should point out that screen over the casket, we have -- medical experts have told CNN there's no evidence that people who have
passed away are still contagious.
But it speaks to the fear and anxiety that people have in those final, most intimate moments. And what we heard from everyone we talked to for this
story, a sense of anger and frustration that more and more people are not taking this seriously enough here in the United States. Becky?
ANDERSON: Ed Lavandera reporting for you, thank you.
Well, a new study puts the control of COVID-19 squarely in the hands of individuals. That's you and me, all of us. It says if 90 percent of people
did just three things -- wash their hands regularly, wore masks and kept the physical distance from others -- there would be no large-scale
outbreak.
Now this study was based on people's interactions in the Netherlands but they say it translates to other Western countries.
[10:15:00]
ANDERSON: And it echoes what the world's top officials have been pushing for all along.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAUCI: There's really some key issues. I mean, things like universal wearing of masks, close the bars, stay physically distant. Outdoors better
than indoors, particularly if you're going to have restaurants sparsely seat people separated from each other. Wash your hands. The really
fundamental things, it's not rocket science.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, this study isn't perfect. No study ever is. It doesn't take demographics into account, that even isolated patients can infect
their caregivers and it doesn't address the possibility of reinfection. But it clearly reinforces the three very simple behaviors that we outlined to
help control the spread.
Well, we just discussed Donald Trump's more somber tone at his COVID briefing and we were discussing that with my colleague, Jeremy Diamond.
What we didn't talk about was an unusual moment at that news conference and it had nothing to do with the pandemic. The president was asked about the
case of Ghislaine Maxwell, the former confidante of accused sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, and a friend to a number of rich and powerful men. Have a
listen to that exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison and so a lot of people want to know if she's going to turn in powerful people. I know you talked about
Prince Andrew and you criticized Bill Clinton's behavior.
Do you feel she'll turn in powerful men?
TRUMP: I don't know, I haven't been following it too much. I just wish her well, frankly. I met her numerous times over the years, especially since I
lived in Palm Beach and I guess they lived in Palm Beach. I wish her well. I don't know the situation about Prince Andrew. I'm not aware of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, there are new questions today about whether President Trump is using his office to help his businesses. "The New York Times"
reporting that he pressured the U.S. ambassador to the U.K. to get golf's British Open moved to the Trump Turnberry resort in Scotland.
"The Times" said Ambassador Woody Johnson spoke about this to several colleagues in 2018. Johnson's deputy reportedly warned him that the whole
thing was unethical. "The Times" said that the deputy who was a long time diplomat was later forced out by Johnson. Ultimately, The Open as it is
actually known, was not moved.
Well, South Africa could use a little hope. It's part of a very encouraging coronavirus vaccine research and there are challenges. And we'll discuss
that.
And the coronavirus numbers might not tell the whole story. A new study is highlighting about how far from reality official case counts could be.
Plus the Pan American Health Organization says the pandemic is showing no sign of slowing down in the Americas. That's coming up. Taking a short
break. Back after this.
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[10:20:00]
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ANDERSON: COVID-19 is accelerating in several parts of Africa. Just ask the World Health Organization. Zimbabwe says it's getting tough on the
pandemic and curfew begins later as part of a full lockdown.
But it is South Africa that remains the hardest hit country on the continent. It currently ranks fifth in the world for confirmed cases of
COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. But now there is some hopeful news. Crucial vaccine trials are underway there.
Now you'll know that the trials are coming from Oxford which we have been reporting on all of this week. I have been speaking with the chair of the
U.K. vaccine task force and as Britain splashed the front pages with word of a vaccine by Christmas, I asked Kate Bingham whether that was really
possible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE BINGHAM, U.K. VACCINE TASK FORCE: It is a possibility but it's no more than a possibility. We have got to have a lot of things that go right
for that to be correct.
And we have to boast -- the wonderful data we have seen from Oxford so far and continue that study to show that that Oxford vaccine can be both safe
and effective at preventing infection or in reducing the symptoms from infection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, trials need volunteers. I want to bring in CNN's David McKenzie for more on that live tonight from Johannesburg. David?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Becky. A few miles away, that trial is ongoing. It's a crucial trial to test this Oxford
developed vaccine, as you have been reporting. But really this is the stage which will prove whether this vaccine will work. And they are testing this
new vaccine in very challenging circumstances.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Oxford vaccine produces a strong immunity response in patients.
MCKENZIE: It was the announcement he was hoping for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't it, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is far from it.
MCKENZIE: But the head of South Africa's arm of the Oxford study is far from comforted.
SHABIR MADHI, VACCINE TRIAL HEAD: That's what keeps me awake at night now. That we're doing to study first on the African continent, but we bring it
in the midst of a pandemic.
MCKENZIE: Madhi's team is testing the same experimental vaccine in the middle of a COVID-19 storm. We are even finding enough negative volunteers
to make up their 2,000 participants study is a challenge.
MADHI: It might be all that we fail, not because the vaccine doesn't work in protecting people, but simply because the force of exposure is so
tremendous, so this is really going to test the mettle of this vaccine.
MCKENZIE: South Africa's number of confirmed cases out ranks among the highest in the world. What happens here over the next few weeks the WHO
warns is a troubling marker of what the rest of the continent could face.
MADHI: We could experience multiple waves of an outbreak for the next two to three years, so to think that it is going to probably break the back of
this pandemic at the end of the day, not just in South Africa but globally is a vaccine.
MCKENZIE: In just the last few weeks, Neliswa Zozi has seen colleagues fall ill, family to.
NELISWA ZOZI, VACCINE TRIAL NURSE: So, by doing this, for me, it means a lot. Because we are not only trying for the community, we are trying for
our lives also, for our families also.
MCKENZIE: Her hours here at the trial site are long, same for the
team inside the lab, working seven days a week, 16 hours a day. But no one is doubting their sense of purpose as cases surge. All the potential payoff
when the South African results are expected to be released in November.
MADHI: If this vaccine works, under these circumstances in South Africa, then those vaccine would work anywhere.
MCKENZIE: Its high risk, high reward.
MADHI: Exactly.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKENZIE: Well, certainly that Christmas deadline that was widely reported in the U.K. seems a bit optimistic in the case of the scientists I have
been speaking to. If everything goes well, that's a big if, you could see it being rolled out in the second, third or fourth quarter of next year.
Becky?
ANDERSON: David, thank you for that.
David is in Johannesburg for you on one of these trials, going on against the odds, it seems.
Rwanda has a grip on infection rates. They have an extensive testing and tracing program.
[10:25:00]
ANDERSON: And they even enlisted high-tech resources like robots to help keep a lid on the virus. Stephanie Busari reports on what Rwanda is doing
right.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN PRODUCER: Although Rwanda is the most densely populated country in mainland Africa, with limited resources as a low
income country, it is emerging as one of the few nations that is effectively managed coronavirus and contact tracing.
Rwanda has implemented randomized testing, enlisting health care workers to ask drivers, cyclists and pedestrians if they would like coronavirus swabs.
The swabs are then sent to a lab immediately where pool sample testing has helped to traumatically boost the country's capacity to identify and
contain coronavirus cases. Anyone who test positive also receives free quarantine and treatment at government run clinics.
But Rwanda's success in dealing with the global pandemic began long before the virus emerged. Over the last decade, the nation has steadily improved
its health care system, making it better prepared than neighboring countries when the virus hits.
Now, Rwanda is also using cutting edge technology to combat coronavirus and keep health care workers safe.
The East African nation enlisted the help of robots donated by the U.N. development program, which are being used to conduct mass temperature test
screenings, keep medical records of coronavirus patients and to limit physical contact between patients and health care workers.
One company in Rwanda is even using drones to deliver medical supplies to clinics in areas that suffer from poor road infrastructure. Officials here
hope that random testing and tracing with strict measures will continue to keep those figures low -- Stephanie Busari, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, despite being two weeks into a renewed lockdown, cases in the Australian state of Victoria, the epicenter of the outbreak there,
continue to surge at alarming rates.
Plus, Trump versus Biden.
Which presidential candidate is more mentally fit?
Well, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta breaks down what we know about each man's cognitive health. That's a little later in the show.
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ANDERSON: You're watching CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Becky Anderson.
[10:30:00]
ANDERSON: It's half past 6:00 in the UAE, this show coming from our Middle East broadcasting hub here in Abu Dhabi.
President Trump adjusted his coronavirus pandemic tone on Tuesday, warning it will only get worse before it gets better. And that, folks, is the big
picture at this hour.
We are nowhere near to the trajectory of the pandemic. The infections are on the up in countries across the globe. U.S. and Brazil, both still in
their first wave, continue to record new cases and those that had contained the original outbreaks now in their second or third waves.
Australia, once applauded for its response, is reporting its worst day since the pandemic began. More than 500 people tested positive in 24 hours,
the majority from the state of Victoria.
Well, Tuesday's high figures come despite tough new restrictions. Melbourne, the epicenter, is two weeks into its renewed lockdown with masks
now mandatory. The outbreak, as you can see, is a huge step backwards after the country's -- was able to flatten its curve in April. That success now
quickly derailed.
Well, the numbers in Japan sadly telling a similar tale; after curbing the cases in late April, its second wave worse than the first. On Tuesday, the
country recorded more than 600 new infections, one of the worst daily counts since the pandemic began.
The numbers as you know can never really tell the full story. We can only report recorded cases and deaths. The reality incomprehensibly worse.
In India, nearly one in four people could have contracted the coronavirus in Delhi. A survey tested over 21,000 people with under a quarter found to
have antibodies. That suggests that up to 4 million people in India's worst hit city could have been infected by early July. That's a long way from
Delhi's official 125,000 total case count.
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ANDERSON: While Asia is seeing a case resurgence, the Americas have been nonstop, it seems, since the start. The Pan American Health Organization
says the pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down. On Tuesday Hardhit Brazil saw a doubling increase in deaths and the president, Jair Bolsonaro,
has tested positive for a third time.
Meanwhile, El Salvador is postponing its plan to reopen the economy after seeing a record number of new cases on Tuesday.
Argentina also reported the highest number of deaths over a 24-hour period; 90 percent of its cases are in and around Buenos Aires.
Cases are surging in Colombia but the health minister defended the country's strategy, not to impose a nationwide lockdown and is trying to
isolate hot spots.
Mexico, a country of about 128 million, has now surpassed 40,000 deaths from COVID-19. Matt Rivers is in Mexico City.
At the wider American briefing last night, I know that we learned a lot from that.
What was said?
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, Becky, each week, we hear the briefing from the regional representatives of the World Health
Organization. And each week we listen and we think, well, maybe this week is the week we're going to hear some sort of good news about outbreaks
slowing down, like we have seen in Asia or Europe.
But consistently, week after week, we continue to hear bad news. And so when we heard from the Pan American Health Organization director yesterday,
was just in the last week alone, throughout the Americas, North, Central and South America, including the Caribbean, there have been roughly 900,000
newly confirmed cases, nearly 22,000 newly confirmed deaths. Most coming from the United States, Mexico and Brazil.
But the director specifically pointed out that Central American countries, many countries there, are experiencing their highest weekly increases of
COVID-19 cases. And in South America there continues to be a major concern about what's called the Amazon basin.
This is countries like Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, countries that see significant increases in newly confirmed cases across the region, Becky.
The one bright spot in terms of countries with a large population in this part of the world would be Chile, which has seen some of the lowest newly
confirmed cases in terms of day to day since mid-May.
[10:35:00]
RIVERS: But really that stands apart from the rest of the region, which continues to see, you know, thousands and thousands of newly confirmed
cases each day.
ANDERSON: Yes. The Brazilian president not a newly confirmed case. He tested positive for coronavirus for a third time. This is a man who can be
described as a virus denier.
RIVERS: Yes. 100 percent. I mean, he's been a skeptic from -- of this virus from the very beginning. The third test he has taken since testing
positive for first time a little over two weeks ago.
It's not really a surprise that he continues to test positive, you know, just given what we hear from medical experts. But it has not stopped
Bolsonaro from continuing to repeat the same sort of things he said from the beginning, that the real threat from this virus is to the economy, it's
not to human life, people are going to die, it's unfortunate.
You know, Becky, we should point out, he's lucky. He has a relatively mild case. There are more than 80,000 Brazilians that have died result of this
virus. And they got the virus at least in part because of inaction, a lack of a coordinated federal response in Brazil, that lies directly at the feet
of Bolsonaro himself.
So while he's lucky that he has a mild case, so many other Brazilians, more than 2.1 million people, have contracted the virus; more than 80,000 people
have died at this point. And yet, the president of Brazil continues to say that the real threat is to the economy and not to human life.
ANDERSON: When you're in Mexico City, I just want to get a sense from you of the story there.
How would you describe the response from authorities?
And are people in Mexico, in Mexico City and around the country, heeding the warnings that this thing can and will spread?
RIVERS: You know, I think we're in a very interesting time right now in Mexico because, you know, specifically here in Mexico City, we're in the
hardest hit area of this country.
And I think what we're seeing now is a time when we have started to reopen here, businesses like restaurants, hotels -- not supermarkets but
department stores have started to reopen.
Are cases going to get worse?
We haven't seen a dramatic decrease in cases but we haven't seen the spike in an increase. I think that's why the government has allowed the
businesses to reopen.
But as we saw, like in the United States, for example, when you reopen too quickly, what happens a few weeks down the road?
Everyone is kind of holding their collective breath, seeing, well, now that more people are out on the street, now there's more traffic, people are
inside restaurants again, is it going to make things worse?
You know, this is a country where the death toll just surpassed 40,000 for the first time last night. It has a high mortality rate compared to other
countries around the world and now we're waiting to see, are things going to get worse now that the majority of the country has started to
substantively reopen?
ANDERSON: Matt Rivers, thank you.
Just ahead on CONNECT THE WORLD with me, Becky Anderson, a Chinese consulate in the United States suddenly ordered to close.
Why is the U.S. saying that was necessary?
What happened?
A live update in a moment on that.
And in a nation where the coronavirus is exploding, there is one place that has it completely under control. How the state of Vermont has beaten the
disease. That is coming up.
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[10:40:00]
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MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: President Trump has said enough. We're not going to allow this to continue to happen, where you have seen
the remarks that national security adviser O'Brien gave and that attorney general Barr has given.
We're setting out clear expectations for how the Chinese Communist Party is going to behave and, when they don't, we'll take actions that protect the
American people, our national security and protect our economy and jobs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that was Mike Pompeo, U.S. secretary of state of course, just a short time ago giving his explanation for a quite astonishing turn
of events in Texas. The State Department is ordering Beijing to close this consulate in Houston, quote, "in order to protect American intellectual
property."
Well, the order came after the U.S. formally indicted two alleged Chinese hackers, accusing them of spying. Under the cover of darkness, there were
reports of small fires inside the consulate courtyard. The Houston fire and police departments said they responded to calls about documents being
burned.
Well, China threatening to retaliate. David Culver in Beijing.
With the Chinese response, what is China saying about what's going on in Houston, Texas, of all places?
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky, they say this is outrageous, this is unjustified and this will sabotage China-U.S. relations. They're not
happy with the closure of the consulate. The diplomats have 72 hours to get out. And they say they'll retaliate in some form.
Now we have to put this in context because they have said this in regard to several different issues between the U.S. and the China. This one is
significant and it stands out. I want you to hear more about what the foreign ministry is saying about this most recent closure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANG WENBIN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): On July 21st, the U.S. abruptly demanded that China's consulate general in
Houston cease all operations and events. It is a political provocation, unilaterally launched by the U.S. side, which seriously violates
international law, basic norms governing international relations and the bilateral consular agreement between China and the U.S.
China strongly condemns such an outrageous and unjustified move which will sabotage China-U.S. relations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CULVER: So they're saying that's political, essentially saying it's political because of the election season within the U.S. And some are now
questioning the timing from the U.S. perspective.
You know, why now would they actually go after and close this consulate?
They're suggesting that it's related to intellectual property theft and cyber attacks, things that have been going on for many years and that have
even factored into the trade war discussions between China and the U.S. under the Trump administration.
What's interesting to see now is where Beijing goes from here. It feels like the rise in nationalism is going to result in something either
reciprocal to what the U.S. has done.
Or will it further escalate the situation?
Initially what we saw, whether it was regards to the issues of Hong Kong and the national security law and the U.S. stripping Hong Kong of its
special trade status or the far western region and the widespread abuses alleged to have taken under place against Uyghur ethnic minorities or the
South China Sea and the pandemic and the allegations of cover-up and mishandling.
A lot of strong rhetoric and a few sanctions on the Chinese part against the U.S. But it's stopped there. And the anticipation was that perhaps
China was waiting until the U.S. elections were coming to fruition and they knew they'd who they deal with in November before taking any substantive
action.
[10:45:00]
CULVER: However, they're pushing for something to be done. And that could be simply closing a U.S. consulate. I mean there are six, including one in
Hong Kong, across China and not including the U.S. embassy. Reuters is suggesting it could be the Wuhan consulate, which, quite frankly, is rather
thin as far as staffing is concerned because a lot of the Americans were evacuated during the outbreak.
ANDERSON: This is fascinating. The State Department says the Chinese -- and I quote them here -- "illegal spying and influence operations in the
United States" have, quote, "increased markedly in scale and scope over the past few years."
What's China's response to comments like that?
CULVER: They have pushed that off as saying it's part of this political game that the U.S. is playing here. It is also interesting because Senator
Marco Rubio, who, by the way, the Chinese government has sanctioned as one of the few U.S. officials who has been sanctioned, is saying that that
consulate was a front.
He says that's where the espionage was carried out on behalf of the Chinese government. However, the question of why now still remains because, as even
the State Department has laid out, it's been an allegation that China has faced for many years here. Here's what the Chinese foreign ministry says
specifically about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANG (through translator): The Chinese government is a staunch defender of cyber security and has always been resolutely opposed an fought against
cyber attacks and crimes. We ask the U.S. to immediately stop slandering China on cyber security issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CULVER: So Pompeo, as he was traveling to U.K. and Denmark, Becky, it was on a trip that, top of the agenda, he stated, was to address the threats
the Chinese Communist Party has made against freedom loving nations, in his words, spoke about this in not too much detail than what was put out in the
State Department's release but only to say that President Trump has had enough, as you heard there.
And they consider this to be a national security and really an American jobs issue.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Well, you're right to point out, thank you, David, that Mike Pompeo is in Denmark. The U.S. secretary of state goes in for a
handshake as he's welcomed by Nordic foreign ministers. And they have to dodge him for it. They chose to, of course, socially distance instead.
Well, let's get you up to speed on the other stories that are on the radar right now. Leaders of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan have agreed to resume talks
on the filling and operation of this controversial dam on the Blue Nile River.
Now the dam has been a major source of tension since Ethiopia started the project back in 2011. Egypt and Sudan are concerned it can lead to water
scarcity downstream.
Qatar is allowing residents and tourists in and out of the country starting August 1st. Those from green countries will be allowed to enter but will be
asked to quarantine for a week. The current list of low-risk of countries includes China and much of Europe but not the United States.
And a hostage standoff in the Ukraine has ended after a bizarre intervention by the country's president. The gunman took 13 hostages and
demanded that President Zelensky publicly recommend "Earthlings," a film about the poor treatment of animals.
After Zelensky posted on Facebook, the gunman released all of the hostages unharmed and he was then arrested.
When you're a football fan, the natural thing to do is celebrate when your club wins a trophy. But in the age of coronavirus, scenes like this one
are strongly discouraged. And this puts Liverpool in a tricky position ahead of the planned festivities. We'll have the details on that up next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson.
Liverpool finally get to celebrate their long-awaited Premier League triumph. But before that, the club has issued a plan to its -- a plan -- a
plea to its fans. These were the scenes last month when the Reds clinched the first title since 1990. The fans took to streets without much social
distancing.
And that's what the club and city officials want to avoid happening again. Don Riddell is in the house.
You have to feel for the Liverpool fans. It has been so long.
What sort of celebrations does the club have in store for the diehard fans?
DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's tough, isn't it but they'll make the best of it in this very, very strange and bizarre situation.
The celebration has been 30 years in the making. That's how long it has been since the Reds last lifted the English League trophy and they have
never had their hands on it in the Premier League era.
Chelsea today marks their final home game of the season. And the Liverpool legend, Kenny Dalglish, will hand it over to captain Jordan Henderson. The
presentation will be made on the stage specially built at the iconic end of the Anfield stadium.
It will be free to air on television because the club is urging fans as you say not to come to the ground or congregate in public to celebrate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JORDAN HENDERSON, LIVERPOOL CAPTAIN: It's really important at the same time that you stay at home, you know, celebrate in your homes. Watch it on
the telly and when we're -- when we can have fans and when we can get people back into the stadiums, we'll certainly have that moment together.
So, yes, gives us something to look forward to in the future. But for Wednesday night, please stay at home and don't undo all the good work that
the NHS has been doing over the last few months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(WORLD SPORTS)
RIDDELL: We can be grateful there's some sport to watch this summer but nothing like the year we were anticipating. The Olympic Games should have
begun in Tokyo this week and the world has changed so much.
And we have been speaking with the 2017 world steeplechase champion who is the new V.P. of a group that tries to ensure that athletes are given an
independent voice in their sport. She talked about how they'll feel if the games next year end up being canceled for good.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COBURN: That will be really heartbreaking. This year was disappointing. But there was progress and momentum and still that light at the end of the
tunnel to work for.
And so if the Olympics do get fully canceled next year, that'll be really disappointing especially because, as an athlete, you only have one or two
or three, you know, Olympic chances in your whole career. So to get that one taken away would be challenging to deal with.
[10:55:00]
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're now looking ahead to Tokyo next year and people talking about the possibility of the Olympics without fans.
What's your view on that in terms of the difference it will make to the event?
COBURN: I happened to race in the 2016 Olympics. Our final was in the middle of the day on a weekday and so the stands were, you know, really,
really empty. And then I have had races like London 2017, world championships, where there was standing room only.
So I have had my experience racing in fairly, you know, sad conditions and fairly exciting conditions. And obviously the packed stadium, the loud
crowds brings an incredible energy. But I'm OK either way. Whatever allows us to be competing in Tokyo, I'll happily accept.
DAVIES: One of the things that the athletics association is pushing for is for the ability for athletes to protest, to allow their feelings to be
known on the podium, to make a stand.
What chance do you think that the rules will be changed by the IOC?
COBURN: I don't think it will be abolished. I don't think rule 50 is going away. But I think there will be reform in some ways. I think there will be
more opportunities for athletes to protest or to, you know, express how they feel.
And I think those -- there will be more opportunities but I think it will be very clearly defined and it will be pretty strict consequences if it's
done outside of that area. But I think there will be some reform in rule 50.
DAVIES: Is it something that's come naturally to you as an athlete, using your platform to take a stand, to make a difference?
COBURN: I came into the sport thinking I'm here to run and to win races and to have fun and go to college.
But as the years have gone on, I think there's moments that come up that just strike you and make you feel moved to speak. And I don't necessarily
think my role as a person in sport is to be a huge vocal advocate on every single topic.
But if there's something that matters to me, there's no way I'm shutting my mouth with it. And I think we, as athletes, can so often be narrow focused
on what our individual goals are and what our individual needs are.
But when you take a step back and you slow down and you look at what's happening around you, you find a lot of athletes that agree and are allies
and want to advocate for change together. And the voice of many is so much better and louder than the voice of one. So it feels special to be a part
of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIDDELL: Emma Coburn there, speaking with Amanda Davies.
Becky, great to see Emma and other athletes using their platform to make a positive change in the world. Back to you.
ANDERSON: Yes, good for them. Thank you, Don.
More up next, including the apparent U-turn California has taken in the fight against the coronavirus. We'll take a look at the drastic measures
that may soon be taken there. This is CONNECT THE WORLD. Another hour of news for you after this.
[11:00:00]
END
