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U.S. Supreme Court Allows Release Of Trump Tax Returns To N.Y. Prosecutor; U.S., Japan, South Korea Grounding 777's After Engine Explosion; Iran Reaches Deal With IAEA For Temporary Inspections. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired February 22, 2021 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:00:30]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mayday, mayday, aircraft just experience engine failure.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Tonight grounded and dozens of Boeing 777s now cannot fly after an explosion rain debris down from the sky
for a kilometer.
In crisis talks in Iran, the head of the world's nuclear watchdog on the ground there as America and Europe rolling in to save the Iran deal.
And then back to school and open for business. Well, that's the plan at least this hour. Boris Johnson will lay out his ideas to get the United
Kingdom going again.
Well, it's 8:00 a.m. in Denver, it's 3:00 p.m. in London, it's 9:30 at night in Yangon and it is is bound 7:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. We are
connecting you through all of these datelines tonight. Hello and welcome to the program. I'm Becky Anderson. First up though I do want to start with
breaking news from the United States. The country's Supreme Court allowing the release of Donald Trump's tax returns to the district attorney in New
York.
That ruling a bitter loss for the former president who has fought desperately to keep his returns secret. It is unclear just how much of
these returns, the rest of us the world will see the documents will be subject to Grand Jury secrecy rules that restrict their public release.
White House Correspondent John Harwood joining us now. And John, just how significant is this?
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Very significant, Becky. The President -- former President Trump, as you indicated, has tried for a long
time to keep his tax returns private. He's also tried to fend off the possibility of prosecution when you're president of United States in the
White House by Justice Department policy, you're tend to be not subject to federal prosecution.
And it's more difficult for local prosecutors to get records and pursue cases if there are cases. Now he's not president. The Supreme Court has let
stand a lower court ruling without comment allowing those tax records to go to the Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance. And now Cy Vance whose
investigation appears to be pretty well along is probing whether or not there were two different sets of books being kept by Donald Trump.
A rosier set of financial records for the purpose of obtaining loans from financial institutions. And a gloomier set for the purpose of keeping his
taxes low with respect to what he owed the state, local and federal government. So, that possibility of improprieties involving taxes is what
Cy Vance seems to be focusing on. He's going to get the information that he thinks he needs to make that case.
It's going to go to the grand jury. Won't be made public unless a case is brought, in which case it will be brought into evidence. We have in
addition to that, as you know, Becky, a -- an investigation at the local level in Fulton County, Georgia, into the possibility of President Trump
interfering with the tallying of the election results in Georgia. That phone call with the Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger where he
said I need to find 11,000 and some several hundred votes to try to overcome Joe Biden's lead.
So, there's a lot of potential criminal exposure for the President. And we'll find out I think first from Cy Vance whether he thinks he's got what
he needs to make a case because his case seems to be furthest long.
ANDERSON: John Harwood on the case for us. John, thank you. Well, disaster in the skies averted. But the fallout from the Boeing 777 engine explosion
over Colorado being felt today nearly all of the 777s that use the same engine type, now grounded in the U.S. in Japan and in South Korea. The
three countries that fly those planes, the engine blowing up shortly after takeoff from Denver, Colorado.
This is how it looked from the inside of the plane. Terrifying moments for the 241 people on board and this is how it sounded in the cockpit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:05:01]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mayday, mayday United Air28 -- 328 heavy Mayday, mayday aircraft --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 328 Heavy say again please -- repeat all that again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Denver, departure. United 328 Heavy Mayday aircraft just experienced engine failure. Need to turn immediately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All the pilots in the face of catastrophe turning that plane around and landing it safely back in Denver. Amazingly, nobody injured
either on the plane or on the ground. Pieces of the engine raining down into neighborhoods around Denver. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, the 128 777s around the world with that Pratt and Whitney engine 69 currently in service as of now all are grounded, except for six,
currently operating in the Korean Air fleet, which may follow suit soon. So why did this happen? And what can be done to prevent it from happening
again? Well, first up, Dan Simon, joining us now from Denver to connect us to the investigation into this near disaster. Dan?
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Becky. Well, first of all, can you imagine, you know, looking up in the sky and seeing those pieces of debris
fall to the ground? You know, it's very fortunate and quite lucky that nobody on the ground was injured. In the meantime, there does appear to be
a preliminary cause in terms of what happened that there appears to be a fractured family that triggered all this.
But investigators of course are going to know what caused that to happen. And what can be done to prevent anything like this from happening in the
future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON (voice-over): After United Airlines Flight 328 experienced engine failure shortly after takeoff Saturday, the company is temporarily removing
all 24 with Boeing 777 airplanes with Pratt and Whitney P.W. 4000 engines from service out of an abundance of caution.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Denver, United 328 heavy mayday aircraft just experience engine failure. Need to turn immediately.
SIMON (voice-over): A United pilot making a mayday call on the flight heading from Denver to Honolulu as passengers watch the right engine fire
off flames and pieces of the plane fall off in terror.
BRENDA DOHN, PASSENGER ON UNITED FLIGHT 328: I looked out and I could see some smoke coming and I just knew, you know like you just know something's
wrong. Something's not right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All sudden there's a big explosion out my window. My wife and I held hands and just wish out kids with see them again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hang on one second. We're getting blown up with 911 calls.
SIMON (voice-over) And on the ground, the engine malfunction sending a trail of debris raining down in the suburban Denver neighborhoods.
TYLER THAL, WITNESS: I looked out and as I'm looking at it, I actually see, you know, fire burst out of the plane and explosion. So, you know, kind of
in shock at first and then you start thinking oh my gosh, is this plane going to go down?
SIMON (voice-over): This gigantic piece of metal landing right into this front yard.
KIRBY KLEMENTS, WITNESS: We heard this big crash boom. And this big silver piece roll right in front of our pitcher window there. And I'm going like,
what the heck is that?
SIMON (voice-over): There were no injuries reported for the passengers and crew on the plane, or in the Broomfield, Colorado neighborhood where most
of the debris fell. Boeing now recommending that all 777 airplanes with that engine model should suspend operations, while the National
Transportation Safety Board investigates. This after the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order, saying it would step up
inspections of Boeing 777 aircraft with the same engine model that failed Saturday.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: The question is how do you properly inspect these fan blades. They're hollow, they're big. Each of them weighs
about 30 pounds, and they cracked from the inside out.
SIMON (voice-over): Now the NTSB is investigating why the United Aircraft experience what aviation experts are describing as an uncontained engine
failure.
MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: They're going to want to know if this was a flaw that was embedded for years sort of a smoking time bomb, if you
will, or if it was something that happened more recently and was it missed an inspection? So, the NTSB has a lot to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON: Now globally, there were nearly 70 of these particular 777 seven airplanes in service now as we know Boeing is recommending that all these
planes be grounded until they can be thoroughly inspected. Here in the United States, United Airlines, the only carrier that has these particular
airplanes, United voluntarily grounding these planes. The other two countries that have this particular type of airplane would be South Korea
and Japan. Becky?
ANDERSON: Dan Simon on the case for us. Thank you, Dan. Well, abject terror, that is what passengers on board that United Airlines flight
experienced after the engine exploded. You heard from some of them in Dan's report.
[10:10:03]
ANDERSON: Here's more of what Brenda Dohn't told us a bit earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENDA DOHN, PASSENGER ON UNITED FLIGHT 328: Initially, there was chaos. I mean, I did scream and my daughter said, mom, don't dream. And I grabbed
out my rosary. I was -- I was scared. I mean, there were people around kind of yelping a little bit of, you know, which is to be expected. And then we
kind of playing calm, everyone went calm to hear what the flight attendant -- the flight attendant was telling us, what's going on and, you know, to
remain seated.
And it was just a difficult time. It was terrifying. To me, it feels like it was probably about another 10 minutes before we were on the ground. I do
know at one point, the flight attendant came on and he said it would be another four minutes until we landed. And so -- and that time, I thought,
OK, in four minutes -- in my head I was like, in four minutes, I'll either be on the ground or what does four minutes mean for me and my family right
now.
These four minutes are crucial. And so, I held on to that four minutes and those four minutes felt like the longest four minutes of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Good news for the Dohn family. They did finally make it to their intended destination. It was in fact a vacation in Hawaii and boy, well,
they need that. And eerily similar scene, playing out the Netherlands over the weekend. Pieces of metal breaking off a Boeing 747 cargo plane and
falling with enough force to pierce the top of a car. Two people were injured. Dutch officials tell CNN the plane was bound for New York on
Saturday, when one of its engines caught fire shortly after takeoff.
Well, in addition, several homes were hit with debris in the small town of Meerssen. The plane landing safely at an airport in Belgium. Well, the best
person to get these incidence is my colleague Richard Quest. He's been CNNs aviation analyst for years. As long as I can remember flies constantly and
has authored a book on the disappearance of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane.
You've probably forgotten more about aviation and airlines and most of us will ever know, Richard.
RICHARD QUEST, CNNI HOST: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Let's start with a very basic question. There will be people asking this tonight. Are we safe to fly? Yes or no?
QUEST: Yes, for the simple reason. And the most basic reason that most 777s around the world are not using the Pratt and Whitney 4000 engine. They are
using the GE90s and they're using the Rolls-Royce Trent engines. So, you know, if you're -- if you're talking basics here, this is not -- excuse me.
This is not an issue with the aircraft. This is an issue with the engine. And the number of Pratt and Whitney 4000s as you've just heard have now
been the planes flying them have been grounded by United.
And I suspect every airline that's at them will ground them. Becky, look at this picture. I just want to talk you through the risk on the aircraft
here. Look at this picture, because what's happened here is the uncontained explosion of the engine, which has sent pieces of the engine down to the
ground. But keep looking closely. What's the risk here. The risk to the aircraft is that somehow those pieces puncture the wing, which is where the
fuel is stored and causes a much larger fire.
Or it actually punctures the fuselage or rips the wing off in the process. Now it is a testament to the way Boeing builds planes and the way Pratt and
Whitney puts them engines on, that that didn't happen. This was a phenomenally powerful explosion when that fan blade became loose and fell
off. The people on the ground however, just pure simple luck. It's pure luck that you weren't hit by that debris when it fell.
ANDERSON: It does seem absolutely remarkable, but thank you for the explanation. And clearly, you know, not only the engine doing what it was
supposed to do, where this to happen, but the pilots doing exactly what they are supposed to do. When something like this happens, Richard, how
unlikely is what happened over the weekend in that two engine failures on to Boeing jets on the same day. What is the probability of that? Have you
done the math on this?
QUEST: No, I haven't. It's because it's too astronomical for my brain. But, Becky, I'm going to add one more factor. And the Boeing jet is not
necessarily, that's the factor. That is it there. Both the 777 and 747-400 ounce of Maastricht. We're using variants of the Pratt and Whitney 4000
engine. Now the 777 is somewhat different to that. But they were both -- and if you want to connect to some extent, the fact that they happened on
the same day I think it's just pure unadulterated coincidence.
[10:15:00]
QUEST: But the fact that they're both Pratt and Whitney 4000 jet engines using some of the same technology in relation to the fan blade when we
know, Becky, there was an incident in 2018 on United 777 which is why United's being so cautious this time around. And there has been an incident
with a JAL playing Japanese airlines in December. So, there's your connection. That's why I'm following on from the 737 Max, where everybody -
- I mean, you know, horrifically, they waited and didn't ground the plane.
And then there was this other Ethiopian incident. No one's taking any risks, ground the planes, that's what they've done.
ANDERSON: Richard, as we look at these images, because they are extraordinary, one only has to imagine what people on that flight we're
going through. We don't have to imagine is actually we've heard from a number of passengers who quite clearly we're, you know, frightened for
their lives. So, we've just explained that, you know, the engine did what it was supposed to do. I, you know, this explosion contained.
And the pilot clearly, you know, an experienced pilot who got the plane down safely on the ground. Just -- we've heard from the -- from the
passengers. Just explained to us what the -- what the procedures would have been for those pilots in the cockpit. And what they
would have heard?
QUEST: Absolutely. They've heard the explosion, they would have seen immediately the dials registered, as we know, and they'd have heard the
alarms on the control panel, telling him that there would have been an engine failure. The first thing they would have done would have been
immediately to extinguish switch off the engine and extinguish the fire, pull the fire bottle. Well, they've done that, but as you can see, the
aircraft is still -- there's still residual fuel burning in the engine out of the combustion engine.
So, you need -- the fan blade is still spinning. But that's just when milling through that. But what I want you to look at, Becky, is look at the
-- look at that window, look at the back of the window, and look at the wing. Now it's shaking, because the -- that engine is no longer producing
thrust. And it's out of kilter with everything else on the aircraft but the plane is flying smoothly.
And that's because the aircraft is designed to fly on one engine, and the pilots are trained to fly it on one engine. Now I'm guessing and it is just
a guess, that once he established and we hear him say at one point, we need to do some checks. Once he realized he'd lost that engine, he was not going
to get power from it. So, we had asymmetric thrust and the autopilot was helping accommodate that.
Once that was accommodated, my guess is it was a fairly smooth-ish landing because they are trained to land on one engine. The -- that engine having
not destroyed the aircraft is now just a bit of leaden weight on the aircraft. And they will then have to land using the number one engine which
they're perfectly trained to do. The electronics, the automation of the aircraft perfectly designed to do that. My guess is, it would have been a
hard landing, but a relatively smooth one.
ANDERSON: Fascinating. Your insight is absolutely invaluable. Thank you, sir. My friend and colleague, Richard Quest.
QUEST: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Still ahead tonight. The head of NATO says Iran is a strategic concern, as the world closely watches to see if the U.S. will return to
that nuclear deal. We're going to hear from Jens Stoltenberg in the next hour of CONNECT THE WORLD.
Plus, voices of defiance in Myanmar after the military wants processes and could see, "Loss of life." Ahead our exclusive report on the first person
killed in the push for freedom there.
Plus, getting kids back into school and returning to some kind of normal. The British Prime Minister says he has got a plan and is about to tell U.K.
lawmakers all about it. We'll bring you that roadmap live when the U.K. Prime Minister starts speaking.
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[10:21:18]
ANDERSON: Last few hours, the International Atomic Energy Agency striking a temporary deal with Iran. Following his trip to Tehran, the IAEA Director
General Rafael Grossi says the two sides have struck a deal giving the watchdogs inspectors access to verify and monitor Iran's nuclear activity
for the next three months. Now the move being heralded as laying the groundwork for Washington and Tehran to kick start nuclear talks.
Last week, the Biden administration offered to return to negotiations with Iran on the nuclear -- international nuclear deal which the U.S. abandoned
in 2018. Lease developments come after any Iranian-backed militia group claimed responsibility for a deadly rocket attack on U.S.-led forces in
Iraq. Last week, one civilian contractor was killed and several other people were wounded in the incident.
That happened in Erbil. Iran has denied involvement. Well, that attack could complicate nuclear negotiations. Our next guest says President Joe
Biden can't negotiate with Iran, as its proxies try to attack U.S. troops. Josh Rogin writes in the Washington Post, if Iranian proxies feel they can
attack U.S. troops without consequence, it won't be long before the next then more deadly strike. That could spot the very escalation and conflict
that the Biden administration is rightly trying to avoid.
Well, Josh Rogin joining us now from Washington, D.C. He's a CNN political analyst and a Washington Post columnist. And I was interested in what you
wrote, Josh. Let's do the news part what's going on at the moment. The latest from the head of the AIEA. Just have a listen for our viewers
purposes, I don't think they'll have heard this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL GROSSI, IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL: He agreed that in view of the law, and in particular, the provision that establishes limitations, we reached a
temporary, bilateral, technical understanding whereby the agency is going to continue its necessary verification and monitoring activities for a
period of up to three months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Albeit with less access, we learn. Josh, that is technical. But there will be those who argue that this is a signal of good faith by Tehran
in its effort to work with the international community. Is that something you buy at this point as a -- as a narrative?
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: To an extent, yes, I think that both the Biden administration and the Iranian government are engaged in a diplomatic
dance. They are feeling each other out. They're circling each other in advance of what is sure to be the first direct face to face talks coming up
between Washington and Tehran, since the U.S. exited the nuclear deal. And what Iran is basically doing here in my view, is they're signaling a
willingness to negotiate and some flexibility without giving up too much now because why would they give up too much at this point.
And what the United States is saying is that they're going to need more from Iran if the talks are to begin in earnest. There's no way that Iran is
going to return to compliance unless America returns to compliance and vice versa. But the sequencing and the details of matter exactly what both sides
are thinking about right now.
[10:25:01]
ANDERSON: So, here's the deal. There's a who blinks first as far as, you know, who starts sort of showing their hand at this point. The U.S. and
international community's hawks will say that the Biden administration is giving Iran all the cards. And to a certain extent, there will be those who
argue that Iran -- for Tehran this is less about the nucleophile and more about ensuring that they get rid of these swindling sanctions that are so
crippling and there have been imposed to such a degree by the Trump administration.
The Iranian Foreign Minister arguing that all the sanctions have to be removed. The United States must gain reentry to the JCPOA. It is not
automatic, it is not a revolving door. And let me tell you something else. There is no snapback in JCPOA. We all saw that they withdrew their letter.
You've been talking to your sources. And look, there is a real divide when you -- when you get people to assess what they believe is going on.
I'm here in the Gulf. And there's quite a different perception of the way that these negotiations might go here, then there might be with the sort of
doves in Washington. What's your sense of what happens next at this point?
ROGIN: Sure. To be clear, there's no terms under which the Iran hawks in Washington will believe that returning to the deal is a great idea. But
what the Iranian government believes is that they have some leverage over the administration, because the Biden administration definitely wants to
return to negotiations as quickly as possible. But nobody knows exactly how much leverage they have.
So, what they're doing is they're signaling very sort of clear positions that they will then have to negotiate -- they'll end up meeting somewhere
in the middle. And I can tell you, from what my conversations with the Biden administration people is that they will find a way somehow to get the
(INAUDIBLE) with the Iranian. And right now this is just kind of like a lot of bluster before that happens to see on what terms they will sit down.
And when they sit down, that will be the beginning of the negotiations. Now what the Iran hawks are very clear about is that once we begin this long
series of negotiations which could last years, by the way, that can't be under a situation where Iranian proxies are threatening to kill American
troops. And that's what we saw last week. And that's what people in Washington are really concerned about.
It's not about the terms of the deal. It's about what goes on in the region with the IRGC while these long negotiations play out. It doesn't matter if
Iran was directly responsible for ordering the attack on U.S. troops. They're proxies, they have influence, they have a responsibility in the
view of Washington. Keep those proxies from threatening and killing Americans, especially in the region.
And if they don't do that the negotiations of the nuclear deal will be very much more difficult, if not --
ANDERSON: And of course, the Biden administration has been very clear about how it will run its foreign file through the prism of how that affects the
people back home. There are Iranian proxies, at present, not least the Houthis in Yemen, who are not rewarding Joe Biden's more diplomatic
approach with restraints to responding to outreach with new attacks not on U.S. troops but on civilians in Yemen which is a very big priority for Joe
Biden.
At this stage, I just want -- you rightly pointed out that these talks could take years. If Joe Biden were to be able to pull something off with
the Iranians, you know, very quickly, short term. Is there appetite in Congress for a new deal, Josh? out of interest.
ROGIN: Yes. There is appetite but not on any terms. There are very specific political boundaries in Washington and the Biden administration is aware of
them. And if the Houthis and the IRGC and the Iraqi militias are all showing to the United States that they intend to increase their violence,
increase their mischief during these negotiations, and that will make the space for a deal smaller.
And if the Iranians decide to rein in their proxies that will make this face to the deal larger. And the bottom line is that, you know, the one of
the vulnerabilities and failures of the last Iran nuclear deal was that it failed to address Iran and the IRGC regional mischief and regional
aggression and sponsoring of terrorism in Lebanon, Syria, you name it. And Washington is not going to sit by for another 10 years and just let those
problems fester.
So, if the Iranians wants sanctions relief, the message is clear from Washington that they have to rein in these proxies.
[10:30:04]
ROGIN: And that will also give the Biden administration more political room to maneuver to give the Iranians what they really want, which is sanctions.
Now, we haven't seen the Iranian or the IRGC do any of that. As you just pointed out, actually, it seems that the Houthis and the militias in Iraq
are responding to Biden's outstretched hand with a slap. And if that continues to be the pattern, I'm here to tell you that the administration
will have a much harder time selling the deal domestically. That's just the fact.
ANDERSON: Josh, it's a pleasure having you on set. Thank you very much indeed. Interestingly, we've got an interview coming up with Jens
Stoltenberg, the head of NATO who shares the concern about the proxies around the region, also has -- and voices concerns about the ballistic
missile program that Iran runs along with the issues of the nuclear file and we will run that interview a little later.
And we will talk to former IAEA head -- Hans Blix, let me say that again. We will be speaking to the former IAEA director general Hans Blix tomorrow.
That is coming up on CONNECT THE WORLD on Tuesday. Back with a lot more after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, it's the announcement all of England is waiting to hear how and when the country's third COVID lockdown will end. We are live in the
House of Commons for you where Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to unveil his much anticipated roadmap. We're hearing from a source working
directly for Mr. Johnson, that all schools in England will be open from March the 8th with more social contact allowed a few weeks later.
Well, while we await this announcement on this roadmap by Boris Johnson, CNN's Nic Robertson connecting us from Downing Street right now. And as I
understand it, we have been -- we've been told that it is data, not dates that will drive the content of this roadmap. Explain if you will, what do
we know at this point?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: We know it's going to be cautious that the Prime Minister doesn't want to go into another
lockdown in the future. So, his watchword is to take things slowly, take a phased approach and there are going to be sort of four key conditions. He
wants to be able to make sure that the vaccination rollout continues as planned.
[10:35:04]
ROBERTSON: And there's no pressure on the health service that there's no sudden surge in infections and there isn't a discovery of another variant
that might change the parameters of how all this is viewed. So, yet schools to open in two weeks' time, March the 8th, we're also expecting on that day
that two people will be able to meet and sit on a park bench, share some sandwiches, share a cup of coffee because that is off limits at the moment.
The most you can do at the moment, if you want to see somebody outside is to take a jog with them or walk a distance from them, you cannot stop even
for any refreshments. So, that will be a change on the -- on the 8th of March. And then later in March is expected, expected that the Prime
Minister will announce that there can be groups of six people or two households meeting together but outdoors only.
And also an element of sports being allowed back in as well. And that will be officially organized, properly organized sporting events for both adults
and for children. So, that's the beginning of the roadmap. But expect a lot more detail when we hear from the Prime Minister, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes. And he also addressed the nation in about 3-1/2 hours. And look, what people really want to know is when will life get back to, you
know, what people will consider a semblance of normality. And so, you've given us a sense of where you think the Prime Minister is likely to go with
this roadmap over the next sort of six, eight weeks. And as I understand it, is he standing up to speak? Yes, he is. Let's listen in.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Doing all we can to protect our people against COVID. Today's measures will apply in England, but we're
working closely with the devolved administrations, we're setting out similar plans. The threat remains substantial with the numbers in hospital
only now beginning to fall below the peak of the first wave in April. But we're able to take these steps because the resolve of the British public
and the extraordinary success of our NHS in vaccinating more than 17.5 million people across the U.K.
The data so far suggests both vaccines are effective against the dominant strains of COVID. Public Health England has found that one dose of the
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine reduces hospitalizations and deaths by at least 75 percent. An early data suggests that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine
provides a good level of protection. There since we only started deploying this vaccine last month at this stage, the size of its effect is less
certain.
But new vaccine can ever be 100 percent effective, not everyone will take them up. And like all viruses COVID-19 will mutate. So, as the modeling
released by Sage today's shows, we cannot escape the fact that lifting lockdown will result in more cases, more hospitalizations, and sadly, more
deaths. And this would happen whenever lockdown is lifted whether now or in six or nine months because there will always be some vulnerable people who
are not protected by the vaccines.
There is therefore no credible route to a zero COVID Britain or indeed a zero COVID world. And we cannot persist indefinitely, with restrictions
that debilitate our economy, our physical and mental well-being and the life chances of our children. And that is why it is so crucial that this
roadmap should be cautious but also irreversible. We're setting out on what I hope and believe is a one-way road to freedom.
And this journey is made possible by the pace of the vaccination program. In England, everyone in the top four priority groups were successfully
offered a vaccine by the middle of February. We now aim to offer a first dose to all those in groups five to nine by the 15th of April. And I'm
setting another stretching target to offer a first dose to every adult by the end of July. As more of us are inoculated, so the protection afforded
by the vaccines will gradually replace the restrictions.
And today's roadmap sets out the principles of that transition. The level of infection is broadly similar across England. So we will ease
restrictions in all areas at the same time. The sequence will be driven by the evidence, so outdoor activity will be prioritized as the best way to
restore freedoms while minimizing the risk.
[10:40:08]
JOHNSON: At every stage our decisions be led by data, not dates and subjected to four tests. First, that the vaccine deployment program
continues successfully. Second, that evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalizations, and deaths. Third,
that infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalizations, which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
And fourth, that our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants of COVID that cause concern. Before taking each step, we
will review the data against these tests. And because it takes at least four weeks for the data to reflect the impact of relaxations in
restrictions, and we want to give the country a weeks' notice before each change, there will be at least five weeks between each step.
The chief medical officer is clear that moving any faster would mean acting before we know the impact of each step, which would increase the risk of us
having to reverse course, and reimpose restrictions. I won't take that risk. Step one will happen from the 8th of March by which time those in the
top four priority groups will be benefiting from the increased protection they receive from their first dose of the vaccine.
Mr. Speaker, all the evidence shows the classrooms are the best places for our young people to be. And that's why I've always said that schools would
be the last to close and the first to reopen. And based on our assessment of the current data against the four tests, I can tell the house that two
weeks from today, pupils and students in all schools, and further education settings can safely return to face to face teaching.
Supported by twice weekly testing of secondary school and college pupils. Families and childcare bubbles will also be encouraged to get tested
regularly. Breakfast and after school clubs can also reopen and other children's activities including sport can restart when necessary to help
parents to work. Students on university courses requiring practical teaching, specialist facilities are on site, assessments will also return.
But all others will need to continue learning online, and we will review the options for when they can return by the end of the Easter holidays.
From the 8th of March, people will also be able to meet one person from outside their household for outdoor recreation, such as a coffee on a bench
or a picnic in a park in addition to exercise. But we're advising the clinically extremely vulnerable to shield at least until the end of March.
Every care home resident will be able to nominate a named visitor able to see them regularly provided they're tested and wear PPEA. And finally, we
will amend regulations to enable a broader range of COVID secure campaign activities for local elections on the 6th of May.
As part of step one, we will go further and make limited changes on 29th of March when schools go on Easter holidays.
It will become possible to meet unlimited numbers outdoors, where the risk is lower. So, the rule of six will return outdoors including in private
gardens, and outdoor meetings of two households will also be permitted on the same basis to the families in different circumstances can meet. Outdoor
sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts and open-air swimming pools will be able to reopen and formally organized outdoor sports
will resume subject to guidance.
From this point 29th of March, people will no longer be legally required to stay at home. But many lockdown restrictions will remain. People should
continue to work from home where they can and minimize all travel wherever possible. Step two will begin at least five weeks after the beginning of
step one and no earlier than the 12th of April with an announcement at least seven days in advance.
If analysis of the latest data against the four tests requires a delay In this and subsequent steps will also be delayed to maintain the five-week
gap.
[10:45:09]
JOHNSON: In step two, non-essential retail will reopen as well personal care including hairdressers, I'm glad to say and nail salons. Indoor
leisure facilities such as gyms will reopen as well holiday less but only for use by individuals or household groups. We will begin to reopen our
pubs and restaurants outdoors and honorable members will be relieved, there will be no curfew and the scotch egg debate will be over because there will
be no requirement for alcohol to be accompanied by a substantial meal.
Zoo's, theme parks and drive in cinemas will reopen as well public libraries and community centers. Step three will begin no earlier than the
17th of May. Provided the data satisfies the four tests, most restrictions on meetings outdoors will be lifted subject to a limit of 30. And this is
the point when you will be able to see your friends and family indoors subject to the rule six or the meeting of two households.
We will also reopen pubs and restaurants indoors, along with cinemas and children's play areas, hotels, hostels and B&Bs. Theaters and concert halls
will reopen their doors and the turnstiles of our sports stadia will once again rotate subject in all cases to capacity limits, depending on the size
of the venue. And we will pilot larger events using enhanced testing with the ambition of further easing of restrictions in the next step.
Step four will begin no earlier than the 21st of June. With appropriate mitigations we will aim to remove all legal limits on social contact and on
weddings and other life events. We will reopen everything up to an including nightclubs and enable large events such as theatre performances,
above the limits of step three, potentially using testing to reduce the risk of infection. Mr. Speaker, our journey back towards normality will be
subject to resolving a number of key questions.
And to do this, we will conduct four reviews. One, we'll assess how long we need to maintain social distancing and facemasks. This will also inform
guidance on working from home, which would continue wherever possible until this review is complete. And it will be critical in determining high
Parliament can safely return in a way that I know honorable members would wish.
A second review will consider the resumption of international travel, which is vital for many businesses, which have been hardest hit including retail
hospitality, tourism and aviation. A successor to the global travel task force will report by the 12th of April so that people can plan for the summer. The third review will
consider the potential role of COVID status certification, inhale in helping venues to open safely.
But mindful of the many concerns surrounding exclusion, discrimination and privacy. And the fourth review will look at the safe return of major
events. Mr. Speaker as we proceed through these steps, we will benefit from the combined protection of our vaccines. And the continued expansion of
rapid testing. We'll extend the provision of free test kits for workplaces until the end of June.
And families, small businesses and the self-employed can collect those tests from local testing sites. Mr. Speaker, in view of these cautious but
I hope irreversible changes. People may be concerned about what these changes mean for the various support packages for livelihoods for people
and for the economy. So, I want to reassure the house, we will not pull the rug out for the duration of the pandemic the government will continue to do
whatever it takes to protect jobs and livelihoods across the U.K.
And my Right Honorable friend, the Chancellor will set out further details in the budget next Wednesday. Finally, Mr. Speaker, we must remain alert to
the constant mutations of the virus. Next month we will publish an updated plan for responding to local outbreaks with a range of measures to address
variants of concern including Serge PCR testing and enhanced contact tracer.
[10:50:05]
JOHNSON: We can't, I'm afraid rule out reimposing restrictions or local or regional level if evidence suggests they are necessary to contain or
suppress a new variant, which escapes the vaccines. Mr. Speaker, I know, there'll be many people who will be worried that we are being too
ambitious, and that it is arrogance to impose any kind of plan upon a virus. And I agree that we must always be humble in the face of nature. And
we must be cautious.
But I really also believe that the vaccination program has dramatically changed the odds in our favor. And it is on that basis that we can now
proceed. And of course, Mr. Speaker, there will be others who believe that we could go faster on the basis of their vaccination program. And I
understand their feelings. And I sympathize very much with the exhaustion and the stress that people are experiencing and the businesses are
experiencing after so long in lockdown.
But to them, and for them all I say that today there really is -- the end really is insight, Mr. Speaker. And a wretched year will give way to a
spring and a summer that will be very different and incomparably better than the picture we see around us today. And in that spirit, Mr. Speaker, I
commend this statement to the that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I now call the leader of the opposition (INAUDIBLE) Keir Starmer.
KEIR STARMER, PARTY LEADER OF THE LABOUR PARTY: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I thank the Prime Minister for advance --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well, Boris Johnson in the House of Commons this hour spelling out how he plans to ease England out of what is its third COVID lockdown.
The big priority is reopening schools. The British Prime Minister says students will head back to classrooms two weeks from today. Then, at the
end of March, there will be more social contact and more outdoor sports but he says he is being cautious, saying there is no credible way to a zero
COVID world.
Cautious, but irreversible changes is what he is promising England. CNN's Nic Robertson connecting us to Downing Street right now. He closed his
statement, Nic, by saying the end really is in sight. So some optimism for those who felt so wretched about this -- the third lockdown. And some
detail on what had been telegraphed ahead of his speech. What's likely to be the response by the public?
ROBERTSON: Well, I'll just jump that for a second, Becky, because I think we're likely to get a pushback from some of his backbenchers. And I think
what we're going to see from the public is a mixed range. And I think the Prime Minister really tried to address that, he said, there's some that's
going to say we're going too fast, and some that say, we're going to slow. The end his insight, he said, there's a big political price if he gets this
wrong.
This calculation, this very cautious, step driven, data driven, let's make five weeks before each step, let's make sure we've looked at the four-
monthly -- for-weekly data, et cetera, et cetera. So, he's being very, very cautious. You know, I think there is a general -- there will be a general
sense of relief that a plan has been laid out. I have to say if you we've had good weather in the U.K. this past weekend or at least in the south of
the country.
And if you go in the parks over the weekend, it's almost as if there isn't a lockdown and some of the things the Prime Minister is talking about two
people setting a meeting for a coffee on a park bench. Well, the public is sort of already way beyond that in many cases. There are a lot of people
that are following and observing the lockdown by the lessor. A lot of elderly people still concerned about the possibility of infection as their
sort of vaccine immunity ramps up as they get their first and second dose.
So, you know, it's going to be a mixture back here, I have to say, but I think overall, the overall takeaway is here is a roadmap. And the Prime
Minister has said come the 21st of June, all those social controls that have been in place will go. But I think underlying all of that the
scientists and the Prime Minister himself will acknowledge this is not the end of COVID and I think he tried to lay that out as well. And that would
be a sobering message for a lot of people in the country as well, Becky.
ANDERSON: Nic Robertson is outside number 10 Downing Street. So, the residence of the British Prime Minister. Thank you, Nic. Well, the United
States approaching what is nearly an unfathomable number in its battle against the coronavirus.
[10:55:02]
ANDERSON: So close to half a million Americans dead from COVID-19. It is almost equivalent to the number of Americans who died during both World
Wars combined. President Joe Biden is said to participate in a candle lighting ceremony and a moment of silence at the White House in the coming
hours. It was just over a month ago, when he led a ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial. You see him here to commemorate 400,000 American lives loss.
Some of those who died were healthcare workers putting their lives on the line. Some were young people, parents, daughters, sons, sisters, brothers
and others were grandparents, beloved by their families. As we all know, as far as does not discriminate, it is impossible to find someone who has not
been affected or experienced a loss in this pandemic, a loss of soul. Well, Jacqueline Howard joins us now to connect this milestone to what action is
being taken so that we can avoid another 500,000 deaths.
It is a sobering statistic and one that I think when we think back and today, of course, pretty much the anniversary of the beginning of the kind
of European lockdown. It is such a sobering number half a million Americans dead when this time last year, this thing, you know, was so new, and nobody
really had any sense of where it would go. How do we prevent this from continuing at the pace it has run?
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: It is so sobering. And, you know, here in the United States and I believe, you know, in other parts of the
world, our hope really is in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, but in the interim, and the meantime, we really have to remain vigilant when it comes
to wearing masks and physical distancing. The reason why, while the rollout is happening, there still haven't been enough vaccinations to really make a
significant impact and the number of cases and hospitalizations and deaths that we're seeing.
Here in the United States, currently, only about 43.6 million people have received their first dose of vaccine. But there are 330 million people in
the United States total. That's our total population. So, 43 million is just a drop in a much larger bucket. So, in the meantime, we really have to
remain vigilant when it comes to wearing masks and physical distancing. And how we got to this point, it really makes you think about how the pandemic
has been politicized in the United States.
And even when it comes to wearing masks during the pandemic, that became a political issue. And it's interesting to reflect on this while also hearing
comments from our Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, he said that wearing masks can save lives. Becky?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANCIS COLLINS, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: A mask is nothing more than a lifesaving medical device. And yet it got categorized in all
sorts of other ways that were not factual, not scientific, and frankly, dangerous. And I think you could make a case that tens of 1000s of people
died as a result.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD: So you see here he makes the case about how masks can save lives. And that's really important at this time. Back to you, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely. Thank you for that. So, the vaccines are really important, but just one tool in the toolkit. Thank you for that. We will be
right back. Second hour of CONNECT THE WORLD after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:00]
END
