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Boris Johnson: It is Not the End, It Is a New Beginning; U.K. Days Away From Giving People a Second Coronavirus Vaccine; The Search For Survivors Continues in Croatia After Powerful Earthquake Yesterday. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired December 30, 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]
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: It is not the end, it is a new beginning. That is what Boris Johnson, the U.K. Prime Minister just had to
say about the E.U., U.K. deal that was agreed on Christmas Eve, a few days ago after the approval of E.U. countries.
The U.K. Prime Minister is now putting his signature to this deal. And it is not the end of course because this deal covers trade, it covers aspects
of trade, of goods and the movement of people between the E.U. and the United Kingdom. It does not cover services and essential and in fact a
bigger part of the U.K. economy than what this particular agreement addresses.
Let's go to Salma Abdelaziz, she is standing by in London with more. Talk to us and it's a big day here in the U.K. because the Prime Minister has
signed this deal and it's also the day that the U.K. has approved its second COVID vaccine. But let's start with the - with the agreement; this
treaty that the Prime Minister just signed, Salma.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All rushed through in a day, Hala, right. We just saw the debate in Parliament; a five hour debate
but it was a fore gone conclusion. Of course passed and now the Prime Minister is signing it into law. And this is, as you heard the Prime
Minister say, not the beginning but the end. The start of a new relationship with the E.U. which puts this Brexit debate to bed; in some
ways the war is over. The fight between leave or remain well now that's concluded. We've been talking about this as a theoretical idea for years
now.
Well now it goes into practice, it all kicks off 11:00 p.m. on Thursday local time here. So what's in the deal? Well you did point out that very
critical point that it doesn't cover the services industry which is 80 percent of the economy. But here's what we do know. No tariffs, no quotas;
so that means that they can trade freely between the E.U. and the U.K. without additional costs and with no limit on the number of goods.
But, of course, they will now be no longer any free movement for British citizens inside the E.U. If they want to work, live or study in E.U. They
need a visa. There will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland; that was a major sticking point. Something that almost caused
negotiations to fall apart at one point. There will still be of course cooperation on issues like climate change and security. And the U.K. will
continue to contribute to some programs for a few years.
But now comes the tough part. Now comes the part where you put it into action. And, Hala, this was a deal that was passed on Christmas Eve nearly
2,000 pages; so you could imagine for an average business, for an average family, for someone who needs to get their mind around this very quickly
that that's definitely going to be a challenge. So all kicking off on the 31st and now with this debate behind us; which is what you heard all sides
say, it's now time to see does the U.K. actually prosper mightily without the E.U.? That's what we're going to find out, Hala.
GORANI: Absolutely. Salma Abdelaziz, thank you, very much. Making the important point that, yes, there is this agreement. How is it put in
practice? Crucially how are disputes resolved, as well? If there are breeches and then there is services - financial services in particular so
important to the economies of European countries. Thanks, very much, Salma.
Now we mentioned also that today's an important day in the U.K. and an important day for the world, because the U.K. is just days away from giving
people a second coronavirus vaccine. The optimism we're hearing today from the government comes in stark contrast to the reality that the country is
experiencing right now. There are new daily record highs in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations this week.
Take a look, for instance, this is anecdotal but it is a scene we're seeing in this country, in other countries as well around the world, of just how
dire this situation is. Ambulances lined up, the county of Essex has declared a major incident to get desperately needed help to overwhelmed
hospitals. People are having to be treated in the ambulance that they're been transported to the hospital in. And if you're unlucky enough to have
another issue; a heart attack, a stroke, you broke a bone, whatever it is. You also have to wait your turn.
All that has prompted the U.K. Health Minister to announce new COVID-19 restrictions. With nearly all of England about to enter tier three or the
most restrictive tier four. But there is renewed hope today in the form of that second coronavirus vaccine authorized for emergency use. The Oxford
AstraZeneca vaccine will start going into the arms of Brits early next week. Unlike the previously authorized, BioNTech - Pfizer BioNTech vaccine,
this one can be stored in standard refrigerators. Obviously that makes distribution easier. And similar to that other vaccine; its doses can be
administered up to 12 weeks apart.
Phil Black has been following developments all day long for us here in London and joins us now. So we're talking about what's happening in the
U.K.
[11:05:00]
But it's important for all our viewers around the world to know that the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine that they've reserved doses as well for the rest
of the world. Talk to us about how the rollout will -- will go.
There's that first wave and then the second wave, but the idea is to vaccinate as many people as possible in the first wave, Phil.
BLACK: Yes, that's right. So, as you've touched on there Hala, this particular vaccine has logistical conveniences that, for example, the
Pfizer one doesn't. It doesn't have to be stored at those ultra-low temperatures, so you can move it around much more easily. And so, that
means it's going to get out to people in a -- in a much easier, much more direct and fast way it is hoped.
And with this has come a shift in tactics to try and maximize the potential of the vaccine to -- to instead of focus on getting people two doses of the
vaccine as quickly as possible, it requires two doses, they're going to delay the second, push it out to three months, but instead focus and make
it a priority to rollout that first dose to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as soon as the stock becomes available.
And the idea there is that you then more quickly begin to provide protection, build a level of immunity within the population that is
significant and enough to ward off enough of the severe infections that we're seeing.
And so, hopefully start to get ahead of the virus, ease pressure on the health system, that sort of thing. And then over time people would also get
their second doses and that would hopefully provide protection in the longer term.
That's the idea, but it has filled the government with a great deal of confidence I think.
Today the health secretary was making, I think, what seems under the circumstances any incredibly positive prediction. He says that this
vaccine, this method of rolling it out together, it could mean, he believes with a higher degree of confidence that come spring the coronavirus is
essentially in the rearview mirror. Britain will have punched through the worst of the pandemic.
So, that is indeed an incredibly hopeful idea. And as you touched on, this vaccine is also important globally because it is transportable. It is also
being produced at cost, no profit will be made by AstraZeenca in perpetuity, particularly in developing countries. So, there's a lot of hope
there as well.
But for Britain at the moment this is incredibly welcomed news, because the situation here is just so dyer. I think as you touched on, record numbers
of daily known cases, record numbers of patients in hospital for the entire pandemic.
We've got more people in hospital now than every before. And these daily antidotal heartbreaking stories of the strain that health workers and
hospitals are under. The pandemic comes at a time -- sorry, I should say the vaccine comes at a time when the pandemic is really threatening to
overwhelm the country's health system, Hala.
GORANI: Right. And it is overwhelming some hospitals. Thank you very much Phil Black.
The U.K. now has two vaccines, millions of people to deliver them to, time is of the essence.
Professor Anthony Harnden is Deputy Chair of the committee that's working on the rollout. Thanks very much for joining us Professor. First of all,
talk to us about how many -- I mean, what is the -- what is a reasonable expectation for the speed at which this vaccine can be rolled out?
ANTHONY HARNDEN, DEPUTY CHIEF UK JOINT CMTE ON VACCINATION & IMMUNOLOGY: Well, can I just say to start with, this is a really important moment in
our fight against coronavirus.
This vaccine is -- is much easier logistically to deliver to the committee and we thought long and hard for many months prior to the vaccines becoming
licensed about priority groups. And we decided on priority groups that include 99 percent of the hospitalizations and deaths with the U.K.
population.
So, as your previous commentator says, the situation is dyer in the United Kingdom. So, over the last few weeks we've been debating long and hard
about how best to administer this vaccine now it's been licensed and we've quite clearly, looking at the data, suggested that we prioritize one dose
for more people than two doses.
The vaccine will need to eventually be given in the second -- as a second dose to give long-term protection, but it's quite clear from data that
delivered -- both vaccines delivered good short-term protection with one dose.
And therefore, what we want to do is maximize the number of people within our priority groups, which as I say, include all 99 percent of
hospitalizations and deaths, to get this vaccine to ease pressure on the national health service in the U.K. and then to hopefully get in a better
position where we can roll out to other sectors of the population.
[11:10:00]
GORANI: And can you put a number, can you put a - can you establish some sort of timeline at this stage?
HARNDEN: Well I think the Secretary of State was rightfully optimistic about Easter, and I certainly hope that many, many millions of this vaccine
will have been delivered by Easter, but it is going to be a long process. It's going to be a bumpy road. It's not going to be immediate solution to
the escalating problems in the U.K., and immediate solution, but it will be a solution to the problems. And I think if people can just hold on in
there, socially distance, wash their hands, wear masks, be vigilant and hanker down, we will eventually conquer this coronavirus through this
vaccination program, but it is going to be - it is going to be a long journey.
GORANI: And I was speaking to Sarah Gilbert, who's the lead researcher of the Oxford Vaccine team, and eh said essentially that this first jab, the
first dose protects people enough so that they might catch the virus but that they don't become deathly ill or require hospitalization. I mean, is
that ultimately the goal not to overwhelm the healthcare system?
HARNDEN: Well that's the initial goal, and she's quite correct because, of course, she - it's her trial and there's really good evidence of 100
percent effectiveness actually against hospitalization and death after 14 days, so she is quite correct. The immediate problem is to relieve pressure
on the health service. The long-term problem is to prevent this virus from circulating and transmitting within the population.
What we don't know with these vaccines yet - I know there are studies at the moment ongoing to see how much they prevent transmission and infection,
so you could become infected but not become very ill with the vaccine or you could not become infected and not be able to transmit and not become
very ill. That we're not sure about yet, but we're hopeful that if the vaccine prevents transmission and prevents infection as well as
hospitalizations and death, then we're going to be in a much, much better position because providing we have immunize a large sector of the
population we can really hanker down on this virus. And if it carries on mutating we can be ahead of the game because these vaccines can be changed
and can be delivered potentially on an annual basis much like the flu immunization once we've got our control.
So priority one is to prevent hospitalizations and deaths, to relieve the health service. Priority two is then to get the country back and running
and to stop transmission and infection.
GORANI: All right, Professor Anthony Harnden, thanks very much. Deputy Chair of the Committee that is working on the rollout. A big, big job ahead
for the National Health Service in this country and a ray of hope against the very grim backdrop as we've been discussing there with hospitals in
many cases at capacity. We thank you for your time. Just a bit later I'll be joined by the U.K.'s Vaccine Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, so he will be
talking to us also about the rollout. And also I'd like to ask him, you know, what's - why are we seeing these record numbers of hospitalizations?
What needs to be done to try to limit that as we wait for these vaccines to take effect?
Ahead on the show, a variant of the coronavirus that we first observed in the U.K. has been discovered in the United States. We'll tell you what we
know about the people infected with it coming up. Also a historic vote legalizing abortion in Argentina will soon be law. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:15:00]
GORANI: A deadly attack targeting an airport in Yemen has killed more than 20 people and injured 65 others. Take a look at this dramatic video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MALE: (Speaking foreign language)
FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language)
MALE: (Speaking foreign language)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: What you're seeing there is a live report that was going out just as the reporter was speaking on-air live on AL HADAF TV an explosion was
heard and the anchor repeatedly asked the reporter, "Are you OK? Are you OK?" Then gunshots were heard. The incident happened at the same time that
a newly formed power sharing government arrived from Saudi Arabia to take power. Arwa Damon is reporting on this explosion.
Arwa, I understand currently 22 people killed in this attack. Do we know who is responsible?
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well this newly formed government, Hala, is blaming the Iranian backed Houthis although they are not making any sort of
claim of responsibility. But it's well worth noting that this hardly the first time that there have been efforts, by various different parties,
frankly, to try to prevent this government from arriving and fully establishing itself in Aden. It's worth noting a little bit of the history
here that just goes to show the underlying extraordinarily complex dynamics in Yemen.
And that is that this power sharing government was formed between the internationally recognized government and what's known as the Separatist
Southern Transitional Council. Now they both have been clashing over power and control; at times clashing violently. Both of them though are allied in
this battle against the Iranian backed Houthis. Now Saudi Arabia did manage to broker this power sharing government, it all came together last week.
Today was meant to be their big arrival into Aden. And it now, too, has been marred by this violence.
I mean Yemen has been struggling through war for years now. The people have been suffering extraordinarily and once again there is yet another reminded
of just how unstable the entire country really is.
GORANI: All right, Arwa, thanks, very much. An alarming new development in the U.S. on COVID-19. We've been talking about this new variant of the
coronavirus that was linked to the United Kingdom. Well it's been discovered in other countries including in the U.S. State of Colorado. The
man who has it appears to have no travel history. "CNN" has also learned a second case is being investigated and this comes as U.S. deaths and
hospitalizations are at all-time highs there. On Tuesday the virus killed 3,700 people plus in a single day.
The country also reported a record number of COVID hospitalizations. More than a 124,000. Stephanie Elam is in Colorado where health officials
believe they may have found that second case of the new variant. And Stephanie the first case did not travel or come from the U.K.; is that
right?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is what we understand. And which of course, Hala, makes us believe that there is more community spread than we
are aware of at this point. Because how did it end up here. And where I am is very rural. I am basically southeast of Denver and northwest - or I
should say northeast of Colorado Springs.
[11:20:00]
So for anyone who knows Colorado that -- basically I just told you I'm out in the plains. This is really remote, and what we do know now is this 28-
year-old man who is the first person that we know of in the United States to have this variant, he was working here at this skilled nursing facility
and that the suspected case of the variant was also working here.
We know it's another male as well. Neither of them live in this county and are both isolating elsewhere, but they were working here because they
needed more hands on deck here after a previous COVID-19 outbreak just about two and a half weeks ago, so that's why these two men were working
here.
That's -- that much we have learned. We have also learned that the county has said that the state sent in a group to come in and do some rapid
testing here to make sure that they could find out about these other 25 people that actually live here and then, of course, there's all the staff
that works here as well to see if they can pinpoint if any of them have become sick and if there's any of them that have the variant.
We know that in that two and a half week ago surge that they saw here in this one facility that there were two people that died, a man in his 90s
and a woman in her 80s. So they are looking to test all of this information and figure it out.
They found out about this Tuesday afternoon, so this is relatively new information, but the one thing that is clear here is that not all of the
testing has been done forward-looking for this variant, which is the exact reason why people are concerned that it's probably spreading higher and
more widely than we think.
Also, I spoke to an E.R. doctor in Los Angeles last night and he is saying because of the numbers we're seeing in California and you know, Hala,
that's where I spend most of my time and looking at the numbers there where it's just running rampant now, that there is a concern that part of the
reason why the numbers are so high maybe because this variant may have already been spreading here in the last couple of weeks.
So this is something that officials are looking at since we do know that it is more contagious than the one that we've known for these last ten months
or so.
GORANI: All right, and obviously they're testing the people at this facility to see maybe if they were -- obviously they were exposed, if they
caught it. But what's interesting is so far they don't know. It doesn't seem as though anybody knows how the two people who have been tested -- who
tested positive for this variant actually contracted the virus.
ELAM: Exactly, and -- that's, again, the whole point is pointing out that we do know that they both worked here, but we are in a very rural part of
Colorado. Driving out here is like -- it's about 100 miles away from the airport. So just to let you know of how far it took to get out here, how
did it get this U.K. variant, how did it travel through and this become the first case that we know of.
That leads us to believe that there's community spread and that there's others that have it. The issue is are we testing for it enough in the
states and that is the question that I think the answer right now is no.
GORANI: Right. Stephanie Elam, thanks very much.
The U.S. Congress has lost its first member or incoming member to COVID. Luke Letlow had won a House seat in a run-off election in Louisiana. He was
going to take office on Sunday. He was very young, by the way, 41 years old and he died from complications of COVID Tuesday. He one of nearly 1.8
million people who've died in the pandemic.
And according to reports, at 41, he had no underlying conditions, so this is a particularly tragic development there for -- for this 41-year-old
incoming House member and his family, as tragic as it is for the millions of people who are affected. Millions of families across America wait to see
if stimulus checks might be boosted.
The Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked an effort to increase payments and size quickly. That's despite demands from President
Trump and other top republican's. Let's get right to CNN Congressional Reporter Lauren Fox. So why did Mitch McConnell block this initiative? I
mean, in -- this is a bill that passed Congress. It's something that the president wants to increase the stimulus payment to $2,000. Why did Mitch
McConnell block it?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, there are a lot of moving parts as to why McConnell blocked this piece of legislation yesterday, a
few things happened. Essentially, what happened yesterday was the top democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, went down to the floor, he asked for
a unanimous consent agreement that any one senator could object to actually pass that bill that passed out of the House of Representatives.
Now, McConnell simply objected to it, but in addition to that he did not put anything on the calendar that would be a stand-alone check for those
$2,000 checks and those are two different things, essentially just having an unanimous consent agreement is one thing but then not even bringing it
up as something that all of his members would vote for is another, and there's a reason for that.
[11:25:00]
McConnell does not want to divide his Republican conference. They're very much on two different sides of this issue. You have some members who want
to support the president, who want to give him a standalone vote on these $2,000 checks.
You have other members, like Senator John Cornyn, a member of leadership, who articulated yesterday that essentially he doesn't think that these
checks are necessary and if they are for some unemployed Americans there needs to be more of a targeted approach. That's not what the House bill
did, he argued.
So essentially McConnell has a choice right now where he can put this on the floor, but it would reveal schisms within his actual conference and
that's not something that the Majority Leader wants to do. Hala.
GORANI: Lauren Fox on Capitol Hill, thanks very much.
A long battle over abortion rights in Argentina ended only a few hours ago. Cheers went up outside the Senate when the vote to make abortions legal was
announced. Millions of women should soon be able to safely end their pregnancies up to 14 weeks.
Diego Laje has more on the decision from Buenos Aires.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIEGO LAJE, JOURNALIST: As day breaks in Buenos Aires, the final activists, the final people left behind who support the expansion of
abortion rights are left here chatting, celebrating, but just a few minutes ago this same street broke into cheers and a big, big party and jubilation.
Abortion rights -- the Abortion Rights Bill passed the Senate after passing the lower chamber of the Congress, of the House of Congress here in Buenos
Aires and now it has to be signed into law by President Alberto Fernandez.
He was an open supporter of the bill and he is widely expected to make it a law with his signature very, very soon, making Argentina the first major
Latin American country to have abortion -- legal abortion rights for everybody.
For CNN, Diego Laje, Buenos Aires.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Thank Diego Laje. It's been three weeks since the U.K. started vaccinations and the first recipients are coming back for seconds. Now, a
second vaccine has been approved, meaning millions more can be vaccinated. Details ahead.
And a little bit later, the U.K.'s Vaccine Minister joins me with the latest on the rollout logistics. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
GORANI: Welcome back. More now on the multiple developments in the coronavirus pandemic in the U.K. starting with the authorization of a
second coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. The health secretary in this country says the first doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine will start
going into the arms of Brits next week. Matt Hancock says that it's just the beginning of the process.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
MATT HANCOCK, U.K. HEALTH SECRETARY: We have a total of 100 million doses on order, which combined with the Pfizer vaccine is enough to vaccinate
every adult in the U.K. with both doses, and we will of course vaccinate according to the JCVI priority, but today's news means that everyone who
wants one can get a vaccine.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
GORANI: Well Hancock also expanded COVID restrictions, putting almost all of England under tier 3 or the most restrictive tier 4. He referenced the
record daily highs in new cases and hospitalizations brought on in large part by the more contagious coronavirus variant spreading through the
country. Earlier on Connect the World, I spoke to the leader researcher on the Vaccine Development Team at the University of Oxford, Sarah Gilbert.
She explained how the process played out in getting this vaccine from the lab into the arms of people here and before long around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARAH GILBERT, OXFORD UNIVERSITY VACCINE DEVELOPMENT TEAM LEAD: (inaudible) this project at the very beginning of January almost a year
ago. I'm not involved in the rollout of the vaccine. I'm like the rest of the country waiting for that to happen with great interest. I do know that
this vaccine is going to be much easier to deploy than their vaccine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: OK, we're having a few audio issues there with that replay, but just to paraphrase what Sarah Gilbert told us that this first dose of the
vaccine protects people at least in trials it was shown against very serious illness and hospitalization so that the idea that the effort would
be to vaccinate as many people as possible in a first wave and then vaccinate them in a second wave a few months later is what could take some
of the pressure off of hospitals because as we've seen over the last several days here in the U.K. and, indeed, around the world many hospitals
are at capacity, even over capacity. We're seeing ambulances having to stand in line in the emergency outside of ICUs in hospitals around the
world because they just don't have enough beds to treat people. So the at is what the lead researcher of this new coronavirus vaccine, Sarah Gilbert
of Oxford University, was sharing with us just a few minutes ago.
Now we will get back to the U.K. in a moment, but authorities in China meantime are planning to vaccinate tens of millions of people in the first
weeks of 2021 as well, and now we have new information about one of the vaccines likely to be used. State-owned pharma giant Sinopharm says its
vaccine is over 79 percent effective. That's lower than the 86 percent efficacy that the UAE reported for the same vaccine. CNN's Selina Wang has
been following this story and she brings us the very latest from Tokyo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China's state-owned giant Sinopharm says its COVID-19 vaccine is 79 percent effective. That's according to interim
analysis from the vaccine's Phase 3 trial, but the announcement lacked key information, including details on the data. The trial population size and
any side effects. The companies chairman said that nearly 1 million people already received a Sinopharm vaccine by November. The company is seeking
formal approval from China's regulators to distribute the vaccine to the public.
Now China currently has five COVID-19 vaccines in Phase 3 clinical trials, but international health experts continued to question the transparency,
the efficacy, and the safety of China's vaccines. Sinopharm's vaccine is less effective than Pfizer's and Moderna's, which have an efficacy rate of
about 95 percent, but it is higher that Oxford AstraZeneca's, which ahs an average efficacy of 70 percent, but Sinopharm's announcement still paves a
wave for a wider rollout of China's vaccine both domestically and abroad. China is aiming to vaccinate 50 million people ahead of its February Lunar
New Year holiday is also ready to send hundreds of millions of doses to developing countries. Sinopharm's vaccines do not require freezing
temperatures for storage. That makes transport much easier, especially for developing countries that lack the cold storage capacity. Analysts say that
Beijing is using this vaccine rollout as an opportunity to shore up it's international influence and to help repair any damage that may have been
done by China's early mishandling of the pandemic. Selina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[11:35:00]
GORANI: All right, thanks Selina. Across Latin America multiple coronavirus vaccines are being administered. Argentina is rolling our
Russia's Sputnick vaccine, Peru is still in critical -- clinical trials with a vaccine developed in China and Mexico is using the Pfizer BioNTech
vaccine.
Rafael Romo has the latest on efforts across Latin America. Where do we stand in that region Rafael?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICA AFFAIRS EDITOR: Hala, how are you? Yes, it is very clear that each country is pursuing their own alternatives
and as sometimes you get the idea that it's not only medical reasons but also political reasons that are driving factors behind what country is
getting what.
And Argentina became the latest country in the region to start vaccinating people Tuesday. The first people who received the Russian produced Sputnik
V coronavirus vaccine were healthcare workers from 17 public and 20 private hospitals across Buenos Aires, the capital.
It was last week, Hala, that Argentina received a shipment of 300,000 doses of the Russian made vaccine. Argentina's Health Minister Gines Gonzalez
Garcia applauded the vaccine launch, calling it epic. And the largest vaccination campaign in Argentina's country.
The South American country now joins Mexico, Chile and Costa Rico to become the fourth country in Latin America to start vaccinating its citizens
against the virus. On Christmas Eve Mexico became the first country in the region to begin vaccination, followed by Chile and Costa Rico.
The hospital nurse Maria Irene Ramirez in Mexico was the first person to get the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine as part of the government's strategy to
focus on healthcare workers first before moving on to the elderly, who are considered most at risk. Up until Tuesday, Hala, 18,529 healthcare workers
had been vaccinated in Mexico.
Now, we also have to talk about Brazil, because this is a very peculiar case, this is the region's most populated country, people are still waiting
for the vaccine while Jair Bolsonaro has railed against vaccines in general, even going as far as saying the one developed by Pfizer can turn
people, listen to this Hala, into crocodiles or bearded ladies. And as you mentioned at the beginning, Peru has been in the last stage of trials for
the -- for the Chinese vaccine and hasn't started the effort to start vaccinating people just yet.
A very different combination of strategies across Latin America, Hala.
GORANI: All right, Rafael Romo, thanks very much.
The search for survivors continues in Croatia after that powerful 6.4 magnitude quake yesterday. Rescuers with dogs join the rescue efforts into
today. The Prime Minister there says that it was unclear how many people had died, but there were indications that number was higher than the seven
that we reported.
People are lining up to donate blood to help the injured. The epicenter near Petrinja has no electricity and no running water.
CNN's Cyril Vanier has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CYRIL VANIER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The moment the earth shook in central Croatia, the mayor of the town of Petrinja almost
knocked of his feet by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, the epicenter only three kilometers away.
After the tremor this is what Petrinja looked like. Roofs collapsed, buildings destroyed, the damage extensive in this rural town of around
25,000 residents, the mayor fearing the worst.
DARINKO DUMBOVIC, MAYOR OF PETRINJA (through translator): I don't know if people in houses are alive or dead. Half of the city has been demolished,
our kindergarten has been demolished, our court is demolished too. A lot of things were demolished. We are now struggling to organize with the new
strength that we must find ourselves, because this is a sadness, this is a torment. I call for help, anyone how can come.
VANIER (voice-over): First responders and emergency services are activated, so are soldiers from the nearby barracks. The priority, save
lives, search for possible victims trapped under the rubble and treat the injured. This one clutching a child as they're loaded into the ambulance.
This is the strongest earthquake to hit the country since the advent of modern seismic measuring tools according to the United States geological
survey. And it was felt across the area.
In neighboring Slovenia, where the parliament session was interrupted. And in Croatia's capital Zagreb, residents huddling outdoors, taking stock of
the damage.
[11:40:00]
Back near the epicenter several fatalities are confirmed and the number of injured is rising. The hospital at Patrinja barely able to function, itself
struck by the quake. The lights knocked out, patients in the dark waiting to be evacuated.
Cyril Vanier, "CNN" Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: The U.K.'s vaccine minister has a daunting job ahead. Nadhim Zahawi joins me next on this country's rollout plans as the Oxford AstraZeneca
vaccine joins the coronavirus arsenal. We'll be right back,
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GORANI: Well the U.K. is now facing the daunting challenge of distributing a second coronavirus vaccine. It's already started a massive campaign with
the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. And now it will begin next week to start vaccination with a drug developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.
It's a race against time; cases and hospitalizations are hitting new records in this country and in other parts of the world as well. Let's find
out more now about how the U.K. plans to rollout this new vaccine. The U.K.'s Vaccine Deployment Minister, Nadhim Zahawi joins me from London via
Skype. Thanks, Minister, for being with us.
Why are you waiting until January 4, if the approval has come today, to start vaccinating people?
NADHIM ZAHAWI, UK VACCINE DEPLOYMENT MINISTER: Thank you, Hala, and good afternoon from London. We are starting on Monday the 4th because obviously
as we get production through; this vaccine is not like a chemical that you produce, it is a biological product so the safety side of it and the batch
testing has to be done. And so as that is happening we will deploy on Monday and begin to increase the numbers throughout January and then of
course through February as well. As well as continuing to deliver the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine as well.
GORANI: Do you have an estimate on the timeline on how many people per day, per week will be vaccinated in the U.K. starting January 4?
ZAHAWI: So we've got 530,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine for week one. And we continue in week two and three and four increasing those
numbers. And so the only limitation currently, Hala, is the speed at which the manufacturers can deliver to us.
[11:45:00]
We've built an infrastructure thanks to our NHS, the National Health Service, that delivers the vaccine through hospitals, through GPs, this is
general practice, the doctors, the local doctors and, of course, through vaccination centers and ultimately through community pharmacies and
independent pharmacies as well.
So, we have an infrastructure deployed at much great numbers per week. Pascal Soriot talked about 2 million doses a week they can manufacture. If
they can deliver that to us we can deploy it. And so, the only limitation at the moment is the speed at which we can get deliveries.
GORANI: And this is the head of AtraZeneca whose saying that potentially that's the capacity that can be produced and delivered. This is a cheaper
vaccine than Pfizer BioNTech, correct?
What is the cost of each dose?
ZAHAWI: Well, so you're right. It is a -- it is a cheaper vaccine to acquire and each dose is around GBP3.50 in sterling terms, but the most
important thing is both vaccines as our chief medical officer has said today are incredibly effective at delivering protection and immunity as
well as protection from severe illness from COVID. So, it's important that we continue to vaccinate using both those vaccines.
We have others in the pipeline, Moderna we have optioned 7 million doses of Moderna and of course Novavax coming through next year and other vaccines,
Valneva is another vaccine that's in the works. And of course the Johnson & Johnson, these are all still going through their testing phases.
So, we've got a total of 357 million doses for the United Kingdom, between Pfizer and AstraZeneca every adult in the U.K. can have their vaccinations,
their two doses.
GORANI: But -- but by when? What's the estimate?
ZAHAWI: So, the reason I'm not putting a timeline on it, is quickly as possible Hala. And as I said to you, we've got the infrastructure to
deploy in the millions every week is because it depends on the manufacturing and the ability to deliver the vaccine and -- and deliver it
safely.
So, the more we can take in from the suppliers, the quicker we will obviously be able to get at the --
GORANI: But, I -- I guess, because -- you can understand people are -- you can understand people just -- that is really the primary question on their
mind. I mean, I get -- what's the best case scenario? Easter?
ZAHAWI: So the best case scenario is we think by -- by -- by early spring we should have done the nine cohorts or the categories that the Joint
Committee on Vaccination Immunizations have set as the critical nine categories.
So, beginning with the over 80s, the care home and then of course care home staff and then the healthcare workers and the social care workers and then
going through the ages. We think by spring we should be able to do all of that.
GORANI: Yes. And -- and -- and one of the issues with the U.K. is just how bad that this pandemic has -- has -- has become for the country. We
are record hospitalization numbers, ambulances backed up, record deaths as well. What -- I mean, what went so wrong in the U.K. that, for instance,
was handled better in a country like South Korea for instance? What -- where did it go wrong do you think?
ZAHAWI: Well, I think this new variant is clearly much more infectious, which is what is causing the pressure on the NHS at the moment. I think we
stood up our testing infrastructure, we could only conduct about 2,000 tests a day when the pandemic hit, because we didn't have a big diagnostics
industry in the U.K. That is now at -- we're doing about 500,000 tests a day with a much bigger capacity and that capacity will double again early
in the New Year.
So over a million tests a day, where we're the -- you know -- one of the sort of premier league nations in Europe in terms of testing now, when were
at a standing start back in March of this year.
So, that was one of the big challenges, if you're asking me what the challenges were that was certainly one of them for the United Kingdom, but
I think our NHS has been able to deal and cope with the -- with the pressure and I have, you know, great gratitude to the leadership in the NHS
who are doing the same thing with the vaccination now.
And -- and you saw we're the first country to be able to put jabs in arms on the 8th of December with the Pfizer vaccine.
[11:50:00]
GORANI: Yes, absolutely. And just last question; the idea here is - I mean correct me if I'm wrong, but unlike the Pfizer BioNTech here it's to
immunize - jab as many people as possible in a first wave so that - so that the vaccine provides some level of protection not just against the virus
itself but against severe illness and hospitalization. That's the strategy, right?
ZAHAWI: That's correct. I think - what you will see and the - our regulator today was very clear that for the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine the time
between the two doses is up to 12 weeks that we can go from first dose to second dose. And after the first dose being injected people get protection.
And that's really important. And they've done the same with the Pfizer as well in terms saying initially it had to be 21 days and it can say at least
21 days. So we can actually inject more people as of next week in terms of both those vaccines. And therefore deliver much greater protection to a
much greater number of people much sooner.
GORANI: All right, well it can't come soon enough. Nadhim Zahawi, the Vaccine's Deployment Minister, thank you, so much for taking the time. I
know you're very, very busy. And it's going to be a very busy time for you and the entire team overseeing this rollout in the U.K. Thanks, so much for
joining us.
ZAHAWI: Thank you.
GORANI: Up next, he spent decades in a U.S. prison for spying for Israel. Today, Jonathan Pollard says he's finally home. We'll bring you a live
report from Tel Aviv coming up.
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GORANI: We are ecstatic to be home at last after 35 years. The words of convicted U.S. spy, Jonathan Pollard, as he arrived in Israel just a few
hours ago today. He and his wife kissed the ground in Tel Aviv as they were welcomed by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Natanyahu. A former U.S.
Navy Analyst; Pollard served decades in a American prison after pleading guilty to selling military secrets to Israel in the 80's. Journalist
Elliott Gotkine is standing by for us in Tel Aviv with more on the release of Pollard and his arrival in Israel. Elliott.
ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hala, his arrival although greeted by Prime Minister Benjamin Natanyahu was done to kind of little fanfare, no
media organizations were given a heads up, there was no media circus. He arrived on a private jet owned by Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino
magnet and big of Prime Minister Natanyahu. And Pollard was then - came down with his wife, he was handed an Israeli I.D. card by the Prime
Minister.
[11:55:00]
They recited a prayer that you say when they have new experiences. And Prime Minister Netanyahu said to him that hopefully now you can start a new
life in freedom and in happiness.
GORANI: All right. So what -- what's -- what are his plans next going forward?
GOTKINE: Well, his immediate plans are to go into quarantine per the regulations for foreign visitors right now, given the pandemic that Israel
is under lockdown. So he's gone to a temporary location now for 14 days. In terms of what his future holds, I think most Israeli's and Americans were
hoping he just kind of lives out his final years quite quietly because he was a bit of a thorn in the side of relations between the U.S. and Israel.
Let's not forgot that it was -- he was selling these secrets to the Israeli's, according to Ronen Bergman's book "Rise and Kill First". The
initial plan was to get information about PLO headquarters in Tunisia and Libya and also information on their defenses there if the Israeli's chose
to launch an attack.
The U.S. didn't want to share that information with the Israeli's because it was worried about instability being caused by such an attack. So the
Israeli's got Jonathan Pollard to steal that information, essentially. So he's been a bit of a thorn in the side of relations.
Governments exist -- current governments, previous governments in Israel have tried to get the U.S. to release him first and then to allow him to
come back to Israel. And then finally last month, the U.S. Department of Justice, one assumes with the approval of President Trump, allowed his
parole to finish and Jonathan Pollard we saw in a pre-dawn arrival back here -- or arriving here in Israel.
GORANI: And briefly, because we have to wrap up the hour, why now?
GOTKINE: Well, we've seen a number of gifts given by President Trump to Prime Minister Netanyahu. We are in election mode right now, elections due
in March. These are the fourth elections in Israel in the space of two years. In the space of two years before the last elections, we had Trump's
Peace Plan, we've seen four deals with -- between Israel and Arab countries brokered by Donald Trump.
And when Netanyahu goes to the electorate next year, he will be able to say all of these achievement happened on my watch, you should vote for me. So I
think the most likely reason why this is happening now is in order to give Prime Minister Netanyahu a bit of a boost.
GORANI: Elliott Gotkine in Tel Aviv, thanks very much.
Quick break. I'll be with you on the other side of this commercial break. We're expecting to hear from the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
We'll be right back.
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