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Connect the World
COVID-19 Cases Surge Through Europe; Kirill Dmitriev: The West Is Politicizing Race For Vaccine; Wisconsin Opens Field Hospital On State Fairgrounds Amid Surge; Israel Cleans Up Environment During Second Lockdown; Anti-Government Demonstrations Hold Mass Rally In Bangkok; PGA Tour Asian Swing Moves To U.S. Due To Pandemic. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired October 14, 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]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: I'm going to take you around the world this hour to look at how countries are attempting to get it under
control because this hour COVID-19 is slamming the world with Europe fast becoming an epicenter.
Nearly the entire continent enduring a second wave of the virus and the trend is especially troubling because in much of Europe daily new case
counts are now high than they were during the worst days of the start of the pandemic which was months ago in Italy and in France, two of Europe's
richest countries' intensive care beds for those who are critically ill are running out.
We've seen this all play out before. It is happening again as country after country has loosened restrictions, now leaders face tough decisions about
just how to reverse course? Well, some are imposing new measures to stop the spread as they grapple with the idea of potential national lockdowns
once again.
We are where it counts for you. We're going to start in the UK. You just saw that video of young people partying in Liverpool in England. I want to
show you more of that. Scenes like this have the leader of the opposition Labor Party demanding a circuit breaker lockdown.
What does that mean? Well, that would basically shut down all non-essential activity nationwide for two to three weeks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson
rejects that move as too extreme.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Let's try to avoid the misery of another national lockdown in which he would want to impose as I say in a
headlong way and let's work together. Let's work together as he was prepared to do to keep kids in school, who he will now yank out, yank out
of school in a panettiere way, keep our economy going and keep jobs and livelihoods supported in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's Boris Johnson in the chamber. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is in Liverpool which, of course, now is in the highest risk category in
England. Salma, I spoke to the Mayor of Liverpool just a few days ago. Just have a listen to some of what he told me?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE ANDERSON, LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND MAYOR: I'm disappointed and angry because we've still got people they say people who don't think that this virus is a
concern. It's disappointing that people in the City of Liverpool that the residents that elected me have been, you know, ignored and my message and
other people's messages.
You're right. It is about personal responsibility. It is about, you know, taking responsibility for your actions, because if you cared about your
community, cared about your family, cared about your city, then you should help us try to bring this virus under control.
My clear message to those people is to those people, you know, the law will come down on you really hard if you don't follow the restriction measures
that are put in place because this is about trying to save people's lives and livelihoods.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Salma, you've been out and about on the streets of Liverpool. Does what the Mayor told me reflect what you are seeing and hearing?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: It absolutely does, Becky. We've spoken to business owners, university students, average people on the street, local
officials. Everyone took issue with how the government has handled this crisis? Nobody is disagreeing that there's an issue that there is a rise in
Coronavirus cases.
It's what to do and how to tackle it that's the controversy and so these numerous restrictions which Liverpool - go into effect in Liverpool today
rather have been a matter of debate. This is a university city. Closing bars and pubs, shutting down the night life of the city has been met with a
great deal of resistance. Take a look at what the last hours of the pub looked like last night here in Liverpool.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Last call in Liverpool, pubs must shut their doors for at least a month.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why isn't London shut down?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Tougher restrictions were ordered after a surge in COVID-19 cases. But there is no socially distant farewell here. The proud port city,
birthplace of the Beatles, home to a championship football team is the first to be classified as very high risk under England's new three-tier
COVID alert system.
The government says the decision was driven by the data. The city has the highest number of Coronavirus patients in the entire country. Local City
Councilman Paul Brant agrees the rapid rise in infections is a problem, but his consensus with London ends there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL BRANT, LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL CABINET MEMBER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE: A rather toxic mix of arrogance and ignorance at central
government level has led us to the sorry state that we're in now. I think the evidence is clear now that a short sharp intervention three, four weeks
ago would have avoid the mess that we're in now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: The country's top scientists agree.
[11:05:00]
ABDELAZIZ: Three weeks ago a government advisory body suggested a circuit breaker, a short but complete lockdown to reduce case numbers. Their advice
went unheeded by Downing Street. After months of controversy over government's handling of Coronavirus, many people here say they are running
out of patience and they are running low on trust.
There are always tensions between the north of the country and the central government in London but under the pandemic the mistrust is growing. For
now the city's iconic Beatles tours are still running but tour guide Jay Johnson says the country's ruling elite is failing its working class.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY JOHNSON, BEATLES MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR GUIDE: Because there's no faith in them at all. They keep changing their mind, constant u-turns one after
another. I personally feel that the government isn't doing enough and the prime minister is not doing enough for us. The prime minister has never
done enough for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: And while public confidence dwindles by the day, the government is calling for immediate compliance to avoid a second wave of the pandemic
that may be even deadlier than the first. As you saw in your interview with the Mayor and as I've experienced here, local officials are outspoken in
their criticism of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Their criticism comes down to two points. They say the government failed to communicate what the plan was. One local official spoke to said I found out
via Twitter, rather, and the other criticism is that they failed to coordinate it to work properly with local authorities to ensure safety.
So all of this now happening as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is trying to get this Coronavirus surge under control, and we're seeing a true gulf
between those who are ruling and those who are ruled. Becky?
ANDERSON: Salma is in Liverpool for you. Salma thank you. France reporting some of the highest infection rates in Europe with the Paris region
particularly hard hit. Intensive care capacity has been pushed to the limit, we're told, with more than 1,500 COVID patients in the ICU across
the country.
The last time there were that many COVID patients in ICU was back in May, and in Paris more than 44 percent of intensive care beds were taken by
COVID patients forcing the region into the maximum alert category.
Let's bring in Melissa Bell who is reporting to you from Bordeaux back in France. Back in Paris of course sources close to the president are calling
this a pivotal moment. I mean, decisions will need to be taken as we understand it. We may hear from the president tonight. What should we
expect to happen next?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: I think, Becky, what we can exact when Emmanuel Macron takes the airwaves tonight is everything short of a
lockdown. Essentially the French government has been clear on this over the course of the last few days as those numbers have risen and with those
critical problems in certain regions that you mentioned with that localized phenomenon.
Of course, once a city like Paris gets really high numbers, you then have the problems of ICUs, more than 44 percent now of ICU beds are taken up by
COVID-19 patients in the greater Paris region Becky and that's extremely worrying.
Because according to current projections, if it continues like this, the local authorities and hospitals say that by the end of the month we'll be
well above the 60 percent which would take us into a whole new category.
It would take us into what the French call the sanitary emergency category and that, of course, would bring lockdown measures. But the government has
made it very clear it wants to avoid that at all costs so essentially what we expect Emmanuel Macron to announce later today will be a series of
measures that stop short of an economically catastrophic lockdown which is what it would be.
Things like curfews, we understand, are being considered anything that will allow them some hope that they can get those figures down.
ANDERSON: Melissa Bell is in Bordeaux for you this evening. So you've been in Liverpool. We've take you to Bordeaux in France. Let's get you to Russia
where the COVID situation remains tense, and that's according to the country's top health official.
The Kremlin's got a big problem. Russia is seeing new daily records in cases even worse than during the spring peak than when the pandemic was
first raging. We're live from Moscow with Fred Pleitgen.
Two questions for you, really. Is it clear what the Kremlin is likely to decide to do next, and I also want to talk to you about a country that
suffers from a surge in cases which is also, of course, cutting deals with other countries to buy their Sputnik Vaccine? I spoke to the man working on
those deals and he told me something really interesting. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRILL DMITRIEV, CEO, RUSSIAN DIRECT INVESTMENT FUND: The key point there is based on human adenovirus vector which is very different than some of
the western approaches that involved more normal approaches. And human adenovirus vector have been tested for decades.
[11:10:00]
DMITRIEV: Actually U.S. army from 1971, all of the conscripts received human adenovirus vaccines. So we decided to do something already existing
something already safe and something already proven, and many people in the West failed to think about this.
It's very fascinating that West rather than trying to fight COVID is really fighting Russian vaccine all the time with different accusations, and they
are self-contradictory. With the accusations that all the Russian billionaires get vaccinate and now we hear that people are being forced.
So West needs to make up their mind, is it billionaires who get vaccinated - vaccine is sort of good, or is it people who are being forced?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Dmitriev Kirill there. So two questions, really first is what are likely to be the - the decisions made by the Kremlin about trying to get
these numbers down, and, you know, just how safe and effective is that vaccine that's now being flogged around the world?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Becky, to that first question. The officials here in Moscow have said
that right now they don't believe that a nationwide lockdown or even a lockdown in Moscow, a complete lockdown, is going to be necessary once
again at least for time being.
I mean, you'll recall that earlier this year there was a very strict lockdown here in Moscow and in other cities as well where people quite
frankly had to essentially stay in their apartments or in their houses for around two months. It was very tough on the people even going outside.
They essentially had to go on an app to get themselves permission to go outside so it's not something that the Russian authorities want to do once
again or that would obviously be viewed very favorably here.
They say because of the fact that they have expanded a lot of the hospital capacities, the ICU capacities that they are going to be able to prevent
that for at least the time being. But of course, you noted that the numbers are going up, and they seem to be going up fast.
This is the first day where it's gone over 14,000 in a span of 24 hours and that certainly the Moscow authorities especially are saying may prompt them
to conduct additional measures. They say that this week is going to be key to see what they might have to do?
They are already saying that older people should not come to work. They are saying that for instance some grades in school will do long distance
learning rather than going back to school. So right now they are sort of playing it by ear but they do say that additional measures might have to
become necessary.
And, of course, as far as the - as far as the vaccine is concerned, it's really still very much up in the air. We heard there the sound bite from
Mr. Dmitriev. One of the things that I really haven't heard is a lot of these criticisms that he says or coming from the west.
I haven't heard any western vaccine-makers, for instance, criticize the Russian vaccine or even foreign officials criticize the vaccine itself. I
think one of the things that were criticized in the West was the fact that the Russians obviously approved this vaccine without going through the key
Phase III trials which are the most important trials to talk about the efficacy and the - and the safety of a vaccine, and that was basically it
so far.
And if you look at the trials that are going on so far, I think it was also you, Becky, that he told that they have about 12,000 people that are
currently have already received the vaccine in their Phase III trial.
If you look at companies like BioNTech or Moderna they have around 22,000 to 28,000 people they have already given both doses to, and I don't think
that the western nations necessarily see this as a race against other countries.
Also, of course, by the fact that the FDA, for instance, has made the criteria more difficult, but Russians continue to say obviously that they
believe their vaccine is safe. They obviously have their tests, their Phase III trials ongoing.
But they also very much realize, and I think this is really important, that for the time being right now the vaccine that they have, the Sputnik V
Vaccine. They have actually also approved a second vaccine today, that's not going to get them out of their situation right now.
They say it is going to be couple of months before this is widely available on an industrial scale they say, and until then people are going to have to
abide by the measures that have been put in place, mask-wearing and physical distancing.
You know, obviously, Moscow is a hot spot here in Russia and going through this city, living in this city you do see that's a discipline is actually
pretty high among folks. If you go into buildings and you go into malls, for instance and you go on the subway, you do see a lot of people who are
wearing those masks.
You also see a lot of stores that, for instance, are offering people who come there gloves and also sanitizing as well. Becky?
ANDERSON: Fred Pleitgen is in Moscow. We're taking you to as many parts of the world as we can to give you a sense of what's going on with regard to
COVID, life in Europe and much of the world, of course anything but normal at present?
In china though, things do resemble a more normal sort of lifestyle perhaps in most places except for one. The Eastern City of Chengdu detected twelve
cases over the weekend and this is now in the middle of a testing blitz.
[11:15:00]
ANDERSON: Trying to test all 9 million people who live there and they have nearly done that. CNN's David Culver joins me live from Beijing where most
Chengdu residents are not allowed to go right now. The scale of the outbreak there doesn't seem to be particularly big, the response though
extremely robust. Why and how?
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A massive scale, Becky, no question. You're talking about a city that's larger than New York City. The biggest
reason behind this and you're right. It's about a dozen or so cases, six of which are deemed asymptomatic and the other six are confirmed cases,
according to the Chinese government.
This is their official numbers, but the concern is what this is timed out around, and that is the Golden Week Holiday. So we just came off this
massive travel holiday, arguably the largest travel holiday going back to the Chinese New Year which was in January which was when this outbreak
started.
So obviously there was a lot of concern thinking that you have hundreds of millions of people moving around this country which we saw over the last
couple of weeks or so. That is why they were particularly concerned with seeing a few cases starting to surface in Chengdu.
Now when you're looking at how they are doing this mass testing? It is a rather organized feat. I've seen it done here in Beijing firsthand when we
had a cluster outbreak back in June. Wuhan had one with 12 million people, all of whom were tested.
And so the way that they are going forward with this is through pool sampling and so they will take essentially up to five individual swabs from
that they have to take from their mouths or their nose. They'll put them in a batch to then run that. They will process it.
And if they determine that that batch is positive, they will then go one by one for those ten individuals to figure out who actually has the virus? So
they are doing this in the large scale. More than 8 million have already been tested. Of that 4 million have been processed and they say no new
confirmed cases.
However, there's skepticism here, Becky, as we've seen with numbers coming from China and one Hong Kong Virologist told my colleague Kristie Lu Stout
that he considers this to be a waste of resources is, this batch and pool testing. He thinks it's inefficient. The Chinese government looks at it
differently. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WU ZUNYOU, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGY EXPERT, CHINESE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL: Large-scale nucleic acid testing provides a key technical way to note scale
an epidemic. Chengdu expanded the testing from close contacts to high risk communities. Current testing results show the scale of the epidemic this
time has unlikely to be large.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CULVER: Becky, so one of the biggest questions is how can we fully believe the information that we're hearing as far as this just being a handful of
confirmed cases? We look at some of the anecdotal experiences that we're seeing on Chinese social media as well as with folks that we're talking to
the folks on the ground in Chengdu.
As of now, it doesn't seem like there's a big panic. There doesn't seem like there is a lot of anxiety and the reason I say that is because going
back to Wuhan which we were there just before the lockdown and we went back even in April.
We saw a lot of concern rising on social media and even though it was censored pretty quickly, we still were able to see it with a good amount of
time. None of that is happening within Chengdu right now.
There are no lockdowns in place, and there is no rush at the hospitals either, so it seems as though right now they do have this contained. The
question is going to be, Becky, given what we just saw over the past two weeks with the travel holiday, when people start to settle down, perhaps
people start to develop symptoms. Will the numbers rise? It remains to be seen.
ANDERSON: David Culver is in Beijing for you. And you are watching "Connect the World" with me Becky Anderson. I'm here in the UAE. Come cup, a new
hospital is usually a welcome site but this facility in the U.S. Midwest is a reminder that COVID-19 numbers are going in the wrong direction.
Also, rain couldn't dampen their enthusiasm. Protesters in Thailand take to the streets once again. We'll tell you why they are demonstrating in a live
report from Bangkok which is just ahead? And football officials say Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for Coronavirus we'll discuss the
implications for other players with whom he's been in close contact?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: Well, the U.S., like everywhere else that we've been discussing this hour, is battling a new COVID-19 surge. In fact, we've said everywhere
that we've been discussing this how China it seems. Public health officials warn that these new outbreaks could overwhelm hospitals and kill thousands
of Americans a day by January.
Well, look at this dangerous sea of orange and red. These are the states with Coronavirus cases going up, not down. Dr. Anthony Fauci says the
Midwest has been especially hard hit. The State of Wisconsin has opened a field hospital to admit patients who still need hospital-level care for
COVID-19 but are not yet seriously ill with the virus.
Well, we remember seeing these field hospitals early on in the pandemic in New York City, for example. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus joins us from suburban
Milwaukee with the return there. Adrienne, as I understand it, the situation is so bad in Wisconsin the state opening that field hospital to
handle what they are anticipating will be a crush, correct?
ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That field hospital opened about two hours ago to help accommodate patients. Listen, the bottom line is this
is a scenario the Governor here in Wisconsin hoped would not become reality, but he and other state leaders planned for this.
This field hospital or alternative care facility as they call it was created or built back in April and now Wisconsin is preparing to end a
streak it wants badly to be over. Wisconsin bracing for a false surge in Coronavirus cases, this field hospital at the State Fair Park is ready to
accept new patients as hospital beds become increasingly scarce. The state recorded at least 3,279 new cases Sunday, a record high.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY EVERS, WISCONSIN GOVERNOR: We have to get this virus under control and help flatten the curve to prevent our health care systems from being
overwhelmed. Over the last month our hospitalizations have nearly tripled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROADDUS: And with President Donald Trump scheduled to hold an event here on Saturday, likely without social distancing and few masks, health experts
and local officials fear it will only contribute to the surge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: If you think about unmasked people in mass gatherings, it's like dry, you know, brush in a forest fire.
The president is making it easier for the virus to spread in those states. It's very damaging to the public health.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROADDUS: Former Vice President Joe Biden continuing to chastise what he calls Trump's reckless behavior.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I prayed for his recovery when he got COVID. I hoped he would come out of it at least somewhat chastened but
what has he done? He's just doubled down on the misinformation he did before and making it worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROADDUS: Wisconsin is one of 36 states seeing an increase in new Coronavirus cases over the last seven days, and it's one of at least 13
with a daily positivity rate above 10 percent over the past week. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, that's a massive red flag.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: What's called test positivity, which is often and in fact
invariably highly predictive of resurgence of cases which historically we know leads to an increase in hospitalizations and then ultimately an
increase in deaths.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROADDUS: This as "The New York Times" reports that the White House may be embracing a call for, "Herd Immunity" from some scientists who argue that
lockdowns should end and the virus should be allowed to spread among young people.
[11:25:00]
BROADDUS: Other scientists warn this theory is extremely dangerous and unrealistic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a strategy it simply means doing nothing and letting the virus run through the population, but that's - that's a recipe for just
an awful lot of deaths.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROADDUS: And here in Wisconsin a record for new highs for both confirmed cases and deaths. Yesterday more than 3,000 new confirmed COVID cases as
well as 34 people died in 24 hours. Here's a little bit more information about that field hospital that we told you about in the story.
It has the potential to house more than 500 patients, but it's not your traditional hospital. If someone is experiencing COVID-like symptoms they
can't just show up and walk in. They must be referred by a health care provider or transferred from another local hospital. The primary goal of
this facility is to relieve and take the pressure off of local hospitals throughout the State of Wisconsin. Becky?
ANDERSON: Adrienne thank you for that. Well, that's the story in one state in the U.S. I want to get you around the region and have a look at some of
these stories that are on our radar right now. And Israel and Lebanon have wrapped up their first day of historic indirect talks over disputed
maritime borders involving potential gas fields in the Mediterranean.
Both sides however are limiting expectations and insist this is not a step that will lead to normalization of relations or a peace process between the
two governments. Well, Jordan has a new government sworn in this week. It wants to accelerate IMF-backed reforms to try to revive growth. Jordan's
economy needs that. It faces its sharpest contraction in decades, primarily because of the COVID crisis.
Saudi Arabia has lost a bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council. It was the only nation not elected. Both China and Russia were
successful and faced the only competitive vote with five countries vying for four seats. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with the Saudi
Foreign Minister today delivering bilateral remarks.
Well, up next, they are taking to the streets, calling for change. Thousands gathered to protest in Thailand as their King returns to the
country. We'll get a live report for you from Bangkok after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: In the last hour of "Connect the World" I spoke with the Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization and I asked her whether
lockdowns were the answer to the spread of this virus? That, of course, is what a lot of governments around the world not least those in Europe and
the UK are grappling with at present. Here's what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOUMYA SWAMINATHAN, CHIEF SCIENTIST, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: It's a question that I think all governments are really struggling with and it's
really - it shouldn't be health versus the economy. You know, we have to maintain health. We have keep COVID under check and we still need to let
people earn a living and go about their normal lives.
I think it's a question of understanding where, how and when this virus spreads. So if we look at when it spreads, that is a person is most
infectious one or two days before they become symptomatic to about five days after they are symptomatic.
So the key here is that people could be transmitting before they know they are infectious and that's why contact tracing is so important and
quarantining is so important.
ANDERSON: Lockdowns are not the solution. You're suggesting that - that - that what you just laid out is the answer to these restrictions?
SWAMINATHAN: I think what we have to look at is a comprehensive set of interventions, and this is what the W.H.O. has said from the beginning. Do
it all. No one thing is going to work. A lockdown is a temporary measure. It is done when things are out of control, and it's done to buy time for
health systems to put in place the systems, but what we do know is we know where it spreads now.
We know the three Cs, the crowded settings, the closed poorly ventilated settings and the close contact. We have to avoid these amplifying events
which occur in these indoor settings. We need to empower and engage communities and encourage people to follow physical distancing, mask-
wearing and hygiene, et cetera.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That's the position of the Chief Scientist at the W.H.O. Well, in Europe and elsewhere, countries setting up new restrictions has COVID-19
cases spike but none have gone as far as Israel. It was the first to enter a second nationwide lockdown.
The country closed schools, businesses and parks you'll remember last month to help slow the renewed outbreak. Well, meanwhile, people have been using
what has been the shutdown as a rare chance to try and clean up the environment. Oren Liebermann has more.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On days when the Hasbani River slows to a trickle it's the other stream that doesn't stop the one Ofer Sivan is
trying to hold back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OFER SIVAN, UPPER GALILEE: There is a quiet day with little going on, and the current flow is very slow. It's possible to gather a lot of junk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN: Junk, trash, garbage. Call it whatever you want. It's all here piling up just under the surface from picnics held on the river banks and
then thrown into the river.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIVAN: We call them people on bank. They come here, they like to drink alcohol, and when they finish drinking they throw the bottle in the water.
They throw away cans and they sit in the water on their tables with the food, everything that you can imagine. At some stage they get up and put
stuff in the stream and leave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN: In the midst of Israel's second general lockdown the parks around the river are closed to tourists. During this rare period of quiet,
Sivan and a small group who have special permission to work on the river are trying to make a difference on this important tributary of the Jordan
River. Piece by piece they bring up trash from months and years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REA SOFER, GOSHRIM KAYAKS: The level of trash is constant, more or less. Every year people come to the banks to sleep, cook out and throw their
trash into the water. It's the same amount every year. In 30 minutes of cleaning they filled two boats with clash and they are close to filling a
third. The there is so much trash this river that you have to only go under for a few seconds to come up with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN: Coronavirus has also contributed to the trash, discarded masks, collect on the riverside adding to the mess.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOFER: This is our home. I would not throw trash in your backyard and for me this is my backyard. It's not nice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIEBERMANN: This is a struggle they say they cannot win. It's not just a cleanup that's needed. It's a complete change in the public's attitude, but
they insist they owe it to each other and the river to make sure it's Hasbani that keeps flowing and not the trash.
ANDERSON: Well, thousands of people are flooding the streets of Bangkok and Thailand for another round of anti-government protests. The tensions have
been building for weeks. Demonstrators are calling for a new constitution as well as reforms to the monarchy.
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: Well, Thailand's King who spends most of his time overseas returned to his country this week for a host of royal duties. He did not
get a warm welcome on his return. The King has been largely absent from public life. It's an unprecedented revolt in the country that calls for
revering the monarchy without question.
Let's bring in Journalist Jonathan Miller who is joining us now live from Bangkok. Just describe the situation where you are. How have these protests
played out, Jonathan?
JONATHAN MILLER, FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, CHANNEL 4 NEWS: Well, Becky, I'm standing just outside government headquarters. They have got a
government house here in old Bangkok, and behind me is the final destination of today's protest.
It was a march from Democracy Monument, a mile or two up to this point and within the last sort of half hour or so there was a bit of a standoff
because it was reported that the police wanted the demonstrators to disperse and go home but they want to dig in for the night.
They have got no intension of going home and as you can probably hear behind me it's all fairly lively out there with speeches still going on.
Now the demonstrations today started as I say from Democracy Monument, but unlike past demonstrations, and I've been to four of these over the past
couple of months, there was a real edginess today.
There was a sense of, you know, specter of violence not being that far away and reason for that was because large numbers of ultra royalists had been
brought into the capital. I say brought in because there were truckloads of them coming into the capital this morning, and they lined the roadside of
the route that the reformist protesters have wanted to take.
It didn't stop it going ahead and, you know, something happened. Suddenly I think an order must have been given for them to stand down because the
atmosphere was very, very tense at one stage. But the - but the demo went ahead.
They marched up here this evening, and what they want as you say is the government to go. They want a new constitution but crucially they also want
reforms to the monarchy, and for the royalists that is beyond the pale. The monarchy is a sacred institution in the country.
The King enshrined in the constitution that actually describes it as being enthroned in a position of revered worship. He's essentially a God King, so
you don't mess with the King. That's exactly what these protesters are doing. There's a lot of provocation going on, and while it hasn't erupted
in violence in remains volatile and there is no real indication of the direction this will head?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILLER: But the momentum has not been lost and this isn't going to go away. I did a small report on what we witnessed today, and here it is.
In the ancient kingdom in the throes of authoritarian regression they turned out in the thousands to march against dictatorship. For decades
Thailand's been locked in a cycle of coups and regular spasms of violence and now with the economy in trouble and millions out of work it seems like
the perfect monsoon storm.
Battle lines drawn, thousands of yellow-shirted ultra royalists trucked in to defend their unpopular King and his unpopular military-backed regime.
The reformist protesters want the government out, a new constitution, and there are growing demands to rein in the power of the monarchy.
At times it was volatile with protesters breaking through police lines as they marched on government house. So the crowd has been surging forward
here, and we're now just about 100, 200 meters from government house. This is very symbolic, because this is the seat of what these people regard as
the dictatorship, but, of course, it's not just a dictatorship that we're talking about here.
This is a military monarchy complex where these people are reins against exactly that. They want reform. They want democracy, and they want things
to change in Thailand, so it's old Thailand against new Thailand. These people represent the new.
The plan tonight is to make their way into the government house complex and to camp out for the night, but what they have done today is absolutely
remarkable and never before seen in Thailand.
I didn't see this with my own eyes because we've been battled in with the demonstrators, but we know that the King's motorcade was blocked at one
stage by demonstrators. We don't know if he was in it at the time, but he will have got the message, that there are people in this country who
desperately want change, and that change is something that he has the power to give them and hasn't yet.
Pictures of the Royal Convoy revealed a major security lapse, but it turned out the King wasn't in this car.
[11:40:00]
MILLER: It was the Queen and the Young Prince. Protesters hurled abuse. As we left scene this evening, hundreds of riot police were moving towards the
protests. They haven't gone in, but for a royalist regime feeling increasingly under siege, the use of force remains an option.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And that's Jonathan reporting. Coming up next, one of the world's biggest sports stars is now in isolation more on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, COVID-19 has infected some big names in the sports and entertainment industry. Now Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world's most
famous football stars, has tested positive for the virus. The 35-year-old Juventus forward will miss several upcoming matches as he heads to Italy.
Alex Thomas is with us with the details. Alex?
ALEX THOMAS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Becky, Ronaldo is one of those players that will probably go down as one of the greatest of all time when
he finally hangs up his football boots but his decision to fly from Portugal back to Italy knowing he's infected with the Coronavirus is
controversial, but both his country and his club say he's done nothing wrong.
You know what; it's not the only COVID drama Juve has had to deal with. Find out what else in "World Sport" in just a moment.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. That is, after this short break. It's a very good evening from us here on "Connect the World."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
THOMAS: Hello. Welcome to CNN "World Sport." I'm Alex Thomas in London. Juventus say Cristiano Ronaldo has followed the rules despite flying from
Portugal to Italy knowing he has COVID-19. Ronaldo has been self-isolating since testing positive on the eve of his country's international against
Sweden later on Wednesday.
In the last hour Portugal's Health Ministry says it is legal to fly if certain conditions are met, and Italy's authorities were notified and now
Juve say Ronaldo was on a medical flight and will continue his quarantine from his home in Turin that's where - base.
And Ronaldo is in a race against time to play in a blockbuster Champions League clash with Barcelona two weeks today. Ronaldo must record a negative
test at least seven days before that game to be eligible.
Another twist is that Juventus have also just announced that USA International Weston McKennie has also tested positive and the whole squad
has gone into isolation with Serie A due to resume this weekend.
Now we know that 2020 has been a year where so much has changed when we didn't want it, to but when it comes to football's fight against racism
sadly too much has stayed the same. Exactly a year ago some of England's players were subjected to horrific racist abuse during a European
Championship qualifier in Bulgaria.
It was labeled a seminal moment, one that would finally lead to real and lasting action. Instead as our CNN Contributor Darren Lewis explains, there
hasn't been much substance to back up the shock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: European football match is, again, plagued by racist taunts aimed at certain players. On Monday night the EURO 2020 qualifier
between England and Bulgaria had to be stopped twice after racist abuse from spectators.
DARREN LEWIS, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: The 12 months since these scenes in Bulgaria have seen a public awakening to racism like no other. Football has
been no different. The strong statements and powerful gestures have been made. Initiatives have been launched and tangible actions have failed to
match the words.
Taking the knee has become the game's most visible show of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement but for all the initial goodwill many like
English football team Queens Park Rangers feel the message has been diluted.
Social media has provided a platform for high-profile players to share their experiences of discrimination and to encourage others to speak out,
and yet, it, too, has quickly become a vehicle for racial abuse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILFRIED ZAHA, CRYSTAL PALACE AND IVORY COAST FORWARD: I remember that was yesterday when we - I went to play against Manchester United and someone
spoke about - he said black - black this and I hope you break your legs and go back to the slums.
CHRISTIAN KABASELE, WATFORD AND BELGIUM DEFENDER: When I was abused again on Instagram I report the message that I receive, and after their
investigation they find out that there were no violent message towards me, that the account didn't break the rules.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: Social media companies vow to clamp down but the figures show an alarming rise in cases reported. The biggest obstacle that continues is
visible representation on and off the pitch. The number of black, Asian and ethnic minority managers across England's top four divisions' remains in
the single digits. Coaching schemes and working groups have been set up to boost numbers, but the changes do not go far enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LES FERDINAND, QUEENS PARK RANGERS DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL: We talk about a problem in football, and racism is not a problem in football. It's a
problem in society. We don't want this tokenism so I don't want someone given a job just because they are black. I want someone to be given an
opportunity because they are qualified or good enough to begin to be given an opportunity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: Players have now taken matters into their own hands with coalition groups being formed on both sides of the Atlantic to force change. There is
no doubt that 2020 has marked a turning point in the fight against racism, but road ahead remains a long one with plenty of obstacles still to
overcome. Darren Lewis, CNN, London.
[11:50:00]
THOMAS: Obviously an issue that's hugely important, one that Darren has been looking into for years now, and you can read much more in it by going
to our website, cnn.com/sport. All those voices had much more to say.
While the world's number one ranked golfer announces he has Coronavirus, too, another top player gets set to defend the title in slightly unusual
circumstances.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
THOMAS: Hello. You're watching "World Sport" on CNN. I'm Alex Thomas in London. Welcome back. It's not only Cristiano Ronaldo who will be missing
the action this week because of a positive Coronavirus test. Dustin Johnson will, too.
The world number one this men's golf has been forced to withdraw from this week's PGA Tour events, the C.J. Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. He first
started experiencing symptoms on Sunday and was diagnosed after a test on Tuesday.
In a statement Johnson said obviously I'm very disappointed. I was really looking forward to competing this week but will do everything I can to
return as quickly as possible. Without Johnson there will be six of the top ten in action in the C.J. Cup including defending Champion Dustin Thomas as
he looks to win the tournament for the third time in four year.
Thomas one of the golf's hottest players since his breakthrough season in 2015 when he won five times on the PGA Tour including that Major, the PGA
Championship. He now has 13 PGA Tour victories to his name, and he's also a former world number one.
He's been speaking to my CNN "World Sport" colleague Patrick Snell about what the C.J. Cup, normally played in South Korea, means to him?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN THOMAS, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Very special. This year is quite a bit differently obviously in terms of not being in South Korea, but
this is about as good as it gets in terms of a backup plan, an alternative at Shadow Creek here in Las Vegas. It's a great tournament. C.J. does an
unbelievable job putting on a fantastic event with a great field so I know we're all excited.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Circumstances prevent the event taking place as you referenced in South Korea. How initially disappointing was
that for you?
J. THOMAS: Very. I mean, I've had a lot of success in Asia, and I've had a lot of success with the C.J. Cup in South Korea, but it's - you know, it is
what it is. I think that's something that we're all learning this year is that you have to make the best of the situation that you have, and - and
the PGA Tour has done an unbelievable job with that this entire year.
SNELL: What sort of tournament then should we be expecting now that it is indeed taking place on American soil?
J. THOMAS: Yes. I mean, it's going to be an unbelievable field. I know that's something that you always get. It somehow got even stronger I think
with being here, but in terms of the golf course I think you'll see a lot of birdies. It's very dependent on how the course will be set up if it's,
you know, if they set the pins soft.
If the greens are very severe and they can get very quirks so I think that's going to be something that they are going to have to do a little bit
to protect the course is make it a little bit firm and set some tough pins but at the end of the day it's a beautiful scenic golf course and one that
will be great to watch on TV for sure.
SNELL: Yes, looking forward to it a lot. What has been the most challenging when you reflect on it all about golf, Justin, in the era of COVID-19?
J. THOMAS: Just playing without fans is the hardest part. We're very lucky that we're so fortunate to get to do what we love to do. We're getting to
do our jobs still.
[11:55:00]
J. THOMAS: We're getting to play competitively. We have it so much better than a lot of people do. Myself and a lot of us, all of us, don't take that
for granted and the fact of not being able to play in front of fans although it's a bummer. Things could be, I mean, exponentially worse.
So we don't take it for granted. We're happy to be able to do what we love, and hopefully bring joy to people at home watching because that's - that's
something that I think we all can't get enough of this year.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS: Yes. Good to see Justin Thomas admitting that they definitely have it better than many during these Coronavirus times. He was speaking to
Patrick Snell before the news emerged about Dustin Johnson's positive COVID-19 test.
Now there have been plenty of questions asked about when Neymar ranks in the list of greatest footballers but some say the stats don't lie. And on
Thursday the 28-year-old overtook the other Ronaldo and move into second place in Brazil's all time goal scoring list second now only to the
legendary Pele.
The Paris St. Germain forward scoring a hat trick in Brazil's 4-2 victory over Peru in a world cup qualifier those three goals taking him to 64 in
total for his country, two more than the Brazilian Rolando. Neymar celebrating by holding up the number 9 with his hands in tribute to the
Former Barca, Real Madrid and Corinthian Striker.
As you can see here from these numbers, although Brazil's Coach Tite wouldn't be drawn on comparing Neymar with the others. You can see his two
goals clear Ronaldo 13 behind Pele. Interesting to see the goal ratio, Neymar scoring his 64 in 103 games Ronaldo only took 98 games. Pele only
needed an incredible 92 games to reach his tally.
That's all we've got time for on this edition of CNN "World Sport." Much more on the hours ahead but for international viewers you're going to join
CNN U.S. with John King. Thanks for watching. See again soon. Bye-bye.
END
