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WH: Notion That Everyone Needs To Be Tested Is "Nonsensical"; U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Surpass 72,000, Cases Top 1.2 Million; Study: Blood Thinner May Help Severe Coronavirus Cases; Former CDC Director: As Bad As This Has Been, It's "Just The Beginning"; Study: Coronavirus Killing More African-Americans In U.S. Than Any Other Group; C.A. Gov: Some Retail Shops Can Begin To Reopen Friday; The New Normal: Masks; Distancing; No Handshakes. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired May 06, 2020 - 17:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[17:00:00]

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The threats of the coronavirus. There's a "New York Times" want to take back that fear of the virus may be spread -- spreading faster than the virus itself. Does NPR want to take back that the flu was a much bigger threat than the coronavirus. And finally, once again, the Washington Post would like to take back but the government should not respond aggressively to the coronavirus.

I'll leave you with those questions and maybe you'll have some answers and a few days.

(CROSSTALK)

MCENANY: Thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: All right, there she is. The new White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, answering reporters questions in the White House briefing. Good that there is a White House briefing.

I want to immediately bring in our Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta was about a half an hour of Q&A, a long opening statement on her part as well. What jumped out at you?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: All right a few things, Wolf, I mean, obviously she was prepared for that comment to be thrown at her during one of these briefings about how she once said on Fox Business, that the coronavirus would not come here. She was prepared with -- it looked like, you know, a few clips from articles where the press in the early days of the pandemic. We're saying that perhaps the coronavirus would not be that serious. But getting to the I guess the more substantive content of that briefing.

There was one point Wolf where she said that not every American needs to be tested, that that would be nonsensical, you would have to test people over and over again, if that were the situation in this country, we should point out over here at the White House, the President, the Vice President, are tested often. So our other aides close to both of those leaders. And so they do, do repeated testing over here at the White House.

She was also asked about whether or not the administration is recommending that Americans wear mask around the country and she basically stated at one point, Wolf that it essentially just that, just a recommendation because as we know, there are some people who wear masks around this country.

And there are some people who don't, I will tell you, Wolf, traveling with the President yesterday on that trip on Air Force One going out to Arizona, they were hardly any White House officials who wear mask from the President on down during any portion of that trip, and I found that to be interesting.

And then finally Wolf, another thing that jumped out at me was the fact that the White House is blocking Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying in front of the House Appropriations Committee next week, you heard the press secretary Kayleigh McEnany say that well, Dr. Fauci will be testing -- testifying in front of the Republican led Senate Committee on Health and Education next week, led by Lamar Alexander. But that's not exactly the same thing.

There's been a long tradition here in Washington of allowing top administration officials experts like Dr. Fauci to testify in front of both chambers up on Capitol Hill, and both Houses of Congress.

And this White House is testing that tradition and saying that he can't do it. But it is notable that that the White House is still looking to Dr. Fauci as one of its experts. As we were, you know, talking about over the last couple of days the White House has been going back and forth. President's been going back and forth, but whether or not he has he's going to hang on to this Coronavirus Task Force if he told reporters earlier today, he is indeed planning on keeping the Coronavirus Task Force going indefinitely. Wolf.

BLITZER: You know, she said the Nita Lowey the chair of that House Committee that was going to be questioning Fauci and other representatives from the White House Coronavirus Task Force. She said that they didn't come up with a subject matter, no specifics. I've spoken with members of that committee who said that it was a very broad discussion of what's going on right now in this battle against coronavirus. They wanted an update and that was as specific as they wanted to get. I don't know how much more specific they needed to be.

ACOSTA: And I think she was just dodging the question there. Well, I mean, obviously, the White House knows what the subject matter is for Dr. Fauci if he's going to be testifying in either the House or the Senate, and that is going to be on the coronavirus and this administration's response to the pandemic.

One of the things that this administration is keenly aware of and people inside the West Wing is that sometimes Dr. Fauci does contradict the President. And so they're probably well aware inside the White House, that if Dr. Fauci sits down in front of that House Appropriations Committee and the Democrat have the gavel, and they're controlling what is being said.

And what's being asked at times during that, that hearing, that he's going to be given opportunities to contradict the President on a whole range of issues. We know that that's gotten under the President's skin under the skin of other top aides inside the White House from time to time.

But the very same thing had happened over in the Senate of a democratic senator, on that committee, led by Lamar Alexander decides to ask a question that, you know, puts Dr. Fauci, on the opposite end of the President on a particular issue, whether it's hydroxychloroquine, or any other issue, you could end up with the same result. And so the White House is trying to test one of those boundaries.

We've seen a time and again here in Washington where they try to test these boundaries. And that is why you're seeing House Democrats take these kinds of issues into the courts. Because one of the issues that is going to be tested in the courts, Wolf is whether or not it administration, Democrat or Republican can block experts -- block top administration officials like Dr. Fauci from testifying on something as important as a global pandemic.

[17:05:08]

BLITZER: I want you to stand by. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with us. Our chief medical correspondent.

Sanjay, she echoed Kayleigh McEnany, what the President had said earlier in the day, reversing what seemed to be the case yesterday that the White House Coronavirus Task Force was going to be winding down its operation by Memorial Day by the end of this month. The President earlier in the day said he is going to keep it going, is going to bring in some new members to the Coronavirus Task Force because it's very popular and she basically said the same thing.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, I think popular is not really the point of this right now. I think it's necessary, Wolf. I mean, I think one of the big concerns yesterday the idea of disbanding that the task force, I think would incorrectly give people the impression that we're sort of done with this, you know, I mean, states reopening the task force being disbanded.

It subjectively I think a lot of people would look at that and say we got through this. And I think it's pretty clear that we have and then you're starting to hear that, you know, more and more, even from the White House in terms of this acknowledgement that there's still going to be a ways to go here. Well, you know, to get through this.

So, you know, I think that having the task force and I think even hearing from the taskforce, at least periodically, is still very important. We're still in the middle of, you know, one of the biggest health issues we faced in 100 years. So the task force is critically important.

BLITZER: You know, the President earlier today, and Kayleigh McEnany really didn't want to go beyond what the President said, she didn't want to repeat what the President said about Dr. Rick Bright, who was in charge of vaccines over at the Department of Health and Human Services that he was removed from that position and sent over to the National Institutes of Health even though he hasn't actually gone there yet.

You didn't want to get into it. But the President really earlier in the day during a Q&A session with reporters railed against Dr. Bright basically suggesting he was doing what the Democrats wanted. He was a disgruntled employee.

GUPTA: Well, you know, I think I'm going to be very interested to watch these hearings, you know, this inspector general sort of investigation, I've read a good chunk of this complaint. I mean, there's a lot of things in there that are, if they're true or pretty explosive, you know, a lot of it has to do with just, you know, the seriousness with which things were taken early on.

I mean, I think Kayleigh made a point that she was obviously making that point strongly at the end that there was a lot that was unknown at the beginning. And, and many people were saying, you know, are we going too far is this you know, is this an overreaction? I think that's what she was implying.

But clearly, there were people within the federal government who did not think it was an overreaction, that this was a real problem based on the intelligence that they were gathering. So I think it'd be interesting to see who knew what, when, and how they reacted to that information. Obviously, as well Wolf there was a whole -- there was a fair amount in the in the complaint about this medication hydroxychloroquine was that being pushed without evidence, you know, and that's a you know, that's a significant issue that Dr. Bright brought up as well.

BLITZER: All right, Sanjay standby because we have more to discuss. Just want to let our viewers know that as of this hour the coronavirus pandemic has now claimed the lives of more than 72,000 Americans with more than 1.2 million confirmed cases here in the United States. Yet tonight at least 43 states are moving ahead with reopening plans even as a new virus hotspot is emerging in many parts of the country.

Let's go to our national correspondent Athena Jones. She's in New York for us. Athena, all but seven states have either started reopening or the nonspecific plans to reopen in the coming days. What's the latest?

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi Wolf, that's exactly right. It's pretty remarkable given the numbers we're seeing every day. And that's the point this virus is like flogging a place with no high ground. It doesn't respect borders. It doesn't care about opinions or beliefs about how under control it is, how serious it is. The numbers we're seeing are bearing that out the rise in cases in many states every single day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (voice-over): States across the country rolling the dice as they begin to lift restrictions aimed at halting a virus. The data show is still spreading in many places. New infections rising in 20 states hotspots include Minnesota, Nebraska and Texas, or Dallas County has seen a jump in new cases.

In Tennessee, the governor last night announcing businesses like bowling alleys and miniature golf can reopen Friday, even as he continues to promote social distancing. By Sunday, at least 43 states will be partially reopened despite signs that not only have not all of them met federal guidelines suggesting a 14-day decline in new cases before we opening, but that some in fact are seeing cases rise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's really being driven by people getting out and about more, more mobility and most importantly, states relaxing social distancing mandates.

JONES (voice-over): These experts warn that given the virus is incubation period. We won't know the full effect of these moves for weeks, and that the gains states have made could swiftly be lost. The reopen is creating a confusing picture for Americans, as recent state and federal actions suggest the epidemic has abated. Even amid strong warnings of the risk.

[17:10:17]

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO, (D-NY): You are states that are opening where you still are in the incline. I think that's a mistake.

JONES (voice-over): In Atlanta startling video of people celebrating Cinco de Mayo, many not wearing masks. The mayor says they missed the message.

KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS, MAYOR ATLANTA: They didn't get to the part that said that this was still a deadly virus and that you needed to continue to socially distance and wear mask.

JONES (voice-over): In New York where we opening has yet to begin an unprecedented move to prepare for that day. New York City, shutting down the subway system overnight for deep cleaning.

Meanwhile, with researchers in Britain saying there's genetic evidence the virus was infecting people in Europe and the U.S. late last year. The Cook County Illinois medical examiner now plans to review previous deaths involving heart attacks and pneumonia for indications of COVID- 19 as far back as November.

A new study shows the virus is killing more African-Americans in the U.S. than any other group. And as far the Foundation for AIDS Research using data from mid-April finding that while blacks make up just 13 percent of the population, counties with higher black populations account for more than half of the coronavirus cases, and nearly 60 percent of deaths from COVID-19.

GREG MILLET, VICE PRESIDENT, AMFAR: We were hoping by releasing our study results early that it could help give some of these states pause so that they can understand that there is going to be disproportionately impact. JONES (voice-over): Also disproportionate police enforcement of social distancing say leaders like New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who worries officers are using excessive force in black and brown neighborhoods. And the virus continues to disrupt the food supply chain. While in Pittsburgh today long lines that have food giveaway highlighting the growing need.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: And right here in New York State another example of this virus is staying power, hospitalizations in new cases continue to decline. But Governor Andrew Cuomo said today there is a new hotspot upstate at a greenhouse in Oneida. It's another example of a dense work environment that allows this virus to spread. Wolf.

BLITZER: Certainly does. Athena Jones in New York for us, thank you.

Joining us now, the Governor of Delaware, John Carney.

Governor, thanks so much for joining us.

Delaware starting what's being described. Governor as a limited reopening this Friday, many businesses can open for curbside pickup, for example, you're allowing hair salons and barbershops to open to what are described as essential workers only. Why do you feel comfortable taking these initial steps?

GOV. JOHN CARNEY (D-DE): Well, first of all, on a number of our criteria indicators, a percent positive cases, so we're doing a lot more testing. So we have to take the percentage of those tests as positive or declining over a 14-day period of time. Hospitalizations declining over a 14- day period of time and new hospitalizations on a day to day basis with a five day rolling average on the decline. Are we ready with PPE to protect healthcare workers? Are we ready with our expanded testing and contact tracing.

And so what we're trying to do is have a little bit of a rolling reopening, interim steps between now and when we move to the stage one, which we're not ready for. We want to strike the right balance between protecting vulnerable populations and containing the spread across our state which seems to be working except for one hotspot in the lower part of our state, and allowing some accommodations, so businesses, businesses can go back to do limited, limited commerce, whatever they're doing.

BLITZER: Previously, you did want to see 28 days have declined in cases before reopened. Now you've gone down to 14, why the change?

CARNEY: Yes, no, nothing's changed there Wolf, it's a first interval 14 days to take it to stage one, and then another interval of 14 days with those declining indicators and with a green light on the other criteria on our dashboard, the PPE protections for vulnerable citizens and the testing and contact tracing. So it's the same -- it's still the same approach to intervals of 14 days, gradually moving to an opening.

BLITZER: Your stay-at-home order. I understand Governor is in effect until the end of next week. Do you plan to extend it past May 15?

CARNEY: Yes, it looks like we will extend the past to May 15 Wolf, just to be sure about these indicators that everything on those 14-day intervals are moving in the right direction and we're seeing that now. We still have an outbreak in the lower part of our state which we're really leaning into with additional testing of poultry workers with additional testing and folks that live in those communities and with outreach with public health workers to provide assistance to those families.

[17:15:18]

And so yes, we will still look at those two intervals and extend the stay-at-home. And by the way, that the new normal is not going to be like things used to be, you know, we still need to limit large gatherings, we still need to have social distancing in public and, and the challenge is, and somebody mentioned it in your interview is, you know, this idea of mixed messages, right.

You want to be sure that you're, you continue with the message to folks need to continue the practices of social distancing. While we're reopening sectors of the economy in a safe and sound way, not in a way that people were used to before. We'll be talking about mask wearing, we'll be talking about separation inside facilities, we'll still be talking about no large gatherings.

Dr. Birx kind of hit it the really on the head the other day when she said, when you think about it, it's just doing 50 percent less of the social interaction, going to the grocery store going to the pharmacy that you would normally do that will help us to keep that reproduction rate below one, which is where we need to be so that the virus doesn't spread in our state.

BLITZER: Very quickly Governor, I know you got to run, but very quickly. You have some very popular beautiful beaches in Delaware. I can personally testify to that. Are you going to open up those beaches?

CARNEY: Yes, so we're not ready to open the beaches yet. I have a meeting with the beach town mayor's tomorrow. They have a number of concerns. Already, they're opening open for walking and exercise as long as people observe social distancing, surfacing on the beaches but not open for sunbathing and swimming. And they won't be open for those activities for some time.

BLITZER: All right, Governor, thank you so much for joining us. Governor Carney of Delaware. Appreciate it very much. I know you're very, very busy. Thank you.

CARNEY: Thank you Wolf.

BLITZER: Up next, the new study suggests another possible treatment for people severely ill with coronavirus, standby we have new information.

We'll also take a closer look at the new study showing African- Americans are dying and very disproportionate numbers. Much more coming up right here in "The Situation Room".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:22:00]

BLITZER: An intriguing new study suggests blood thinning drugs may have helped save the lives of some patients severely ill with the coronavirus.

Let's bring in our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen along with the president of the American Medical Association, Dr. Patrice Harris.

Elizabeth, you've been doing some reporting on this. This new study from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York shows what blood thinners may help patients with coronavirus. Tell us about that. What are the doctors discovered?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right Wolf, this is actually not a surprise to doctors who are treating COVID patients. We've known now for several weeks or even longer, that these patients have a tendency to clot. Now people who are very, very sick in the intensive care unit often have a tendency to clot anyways, but doctors who are treating these patients tell me that COVID patients have even more of a tendency to clot.

So you might think well just give them you know, big, you know, healthy doses, good doses of blood thinners and that's all well and good, but you might make it too thin and that would be you might make their blood too thin and that's a problem because then they could bleed out.

So this study looks at well, we want to give blood thinners but we also want to be careful. That seems to be the route that doctors are going in.

BLITZER: Very interesting. Dr. Harris, the former CDC director, Dr. Tom Frieden. He testified up on Capitol Hill today. And he said, this may be just the beginning of this pandemic, his words, just the beginning. Do you agree with that assessment?

PATRICE HARRIS, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION: I do, Wolf, this virus is not going away. It's going to be with us for a while. We don't have a vaccine as of yet. We don't have effective treatment as of yet. And so for now, we need to use the tools that we have in our toolbox to mitigate the spread of this disease. And that is, as we talk about all the time, social distancing, hand washing and avoiding large gatherings.

BLITZER: You know, Elizabeth, what do you see right now, and as I say, you've been doing a lot of reporting on this as potentially the most promising advancement towards some sort of coronavirus treatment prevention? Is it antibodies, drug treatments like Remdesivir vaccine, which potentially could be down the road or something else entirely?

COHEN: You know, well vaccine is for sure what everyone's waiting for. But that could take a while in January, Tony Fauci said a year to 18 months and some people think that is even too ambitious. So while we wait, there are several things that are being looked at. Let's talk about one called monoclonal antibodies, because when I talk to experts, this is one that they seem particularly enthusiastic about, they really hope this works out.

So let's take a look at exactly what happens in this treatment. A patient who has recovered from COVID goes in and gives blood, the scientists then -- the -- I'm sorry, the researchers on the study, then go in and they take the most powerful antibodies out of their bloodstream, they can see the antibodies that they use to fight off the disease, and they take the most powerful ones and they turn it into a drug that then becomes a shot that they will give to patients who are currently sick.

[17:25:01]

So this is not just taking blood from someone who's recovered and giving it to someone who's sick, but you're taking out the most powerful antibodies and turning that into a drug. They're studying it now. They have not yet started human trials. But this, this sort of mechanism has been used for cancer and lupus and arthritis and all sorts of diseases. There is great hope that it could help here.

BLITZER: Yes, there's a lot of potential. We're all told about that. Dr. Harris, there's a new study from AMFAR which shows that coronavirus is killing more African-Americans in the U.S. than any other group. How concerning is it to see the disproportionate impact of this virus and what can be done to combat this really troubling discovery?

HARRIS: Well, Wolf, that was a very important study, particularly because it looked at the county level and looked at data from counties but that study actually supports what we already know what we learned early on, is that African-Americans are suffering a disproportionate burden particularly disproportionate number of deaths when infected with COVID-19. I think this study showed that in counties where there were at least 13 percent of African-Americans, they accounted for 60 percent of the deaths that is startling, not surprising, because of pre-existing conditions, because of being uninsured.

And by the way, I think this study really drilled down, it didn't matter if it was an urban county or a rural county. And there was also something very interesting in this study, and I look forward to seeing the results when published, that when they corrected for these pre- existing health conditions, they still African-Americans still had a higher number of deaths. So I really think that this is important work. We certainly have to continue to have a conversation but not just a conversation, but action around health inequities in this country.

BLITZER: We certainly do. And that's one of the important things we're all learning as a result of this disaster, this pandemic. Dr. Harris, the president of American Medical Association, thanks for joining us. Elizabeth Cohn as usual, thanks to you as well. Coming up, as the risk of contracting the coronavirus clearly is continuing, are masks now going to be the normal? We have our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta standing by to answer your questions about the virus. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:19]

BLITZER: California is one of more than 40 states moving ahead now with reopening even as new coronavirus hotspots are emerging across the U.S. CNN's Dan Simon is joining us. Dan, California's governor is opening up some retail shops on Friday. But Los Angeles, I understand, may take a slower approach. What's the latest?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. On Friday, we're going to begin seeing a gradual reopening of California's economy. What Governor Newsom is saying is that retail shops can open up with some modification. So what are we talking about? We're talking about anything that is a retail shop like a florist, a toy store, a bookstore, sporting goods stores, they can open up but this will not be the full shopping experience. Basically customers can order things and they can pick up their items at the curb.

What it does allow, Wolf, is for these companies to begin generating revenue once again and for some employees to go back to work and earn a paycheck. Now Los Angeles and San Francisco feel like Governor Newsom is going too far for them at the moment. So they're going to slow things down and not open right away. They haven't indicated exactly when they will allow these retail shops to reopen. But it certainly will not be on Friday, Wolf.

BLITZER: You know, what's also interesting, Dan, is that there's this new study out in California that reveals that people who can't work from home make up the bulk of the coronavirus infections. Tell us about that.

SIMON: Well, this was a study done by UCSF of the Mission District and what they found is that a majority of the people who were infected were, one, they were Latino, but they were also people who could not work from home. These were frontline workers who had to go out of the home to find some kind of work. So, it does reveal that obviously, the folks who are not impacted by the quarantine, the people who are out in the field as it were, these were the folks who are getting infected. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, very interesting. Dan Simon reporting from California.

Since more and more states are relaxing restrictions right now, CNN's Brian Todd has been consulting with health experts on what that so called new normal might eventually look like. Brian, what are you discovering?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, even with reopenings and some restrictions being lifted, top health experts are telling us why risk it. Why go back to taking no precautions. There are some measures, they say, that we really need to hold on to.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over) At a hair salon in Germany, customers and stylists wear masks. A stylist carefully clips around a man's mask strap. At a bakery in Houston, masks are worn on both sides of the counter. Hand sanitizer is right there by the touchscreen. America's top health experts are saying tonight, after the worst of this pandemic has passed, many of these practices may well stay with us.

[17:35:07]

DR. TOM FRIEDEN, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: When we go out, it's not going to be back to normal. It's going to be to a new normal with hand sanitizer and perhaps face masks where it's spreading widely and no touch doors and no touch elevator buttons and lots of ways to engineer risk out of our lives.

TODD (voice-over): Public health experts hope people keep wearing face masks in public after this and the next waves of coronavirus pass, at least for several months. Much like millions of people in Asia did for years after the SARS outbreak passed in the early 2000. And experts say, Americans can get used to them.

PROF. ALEXANDRA PHELAN, GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: It is possible that as people get more comfortable wearing masks here in the United States, that we will see that acceptance and that we'll see people feel more comfortable wearing masks -- mask in the future.

TODD (voice-over): Top physician say it's important to remember what masks are used for. Usually not to prevent you from getting COVID-19, but to prevent you from transmitting it to others if you're infected.

DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Just through the act of speaking, you're actually shedding virus into the environment. And that mask keeps those virus particles from spreading out -- spreading any appreciable distance. So you greatly reduce the likelihood that you're going to spread virus at your place of work, or if you're in a restaurant,

TODD (voice-over): Masks have become so critical that cottage industries have popped up to get them in circulation, and sports gear manufacturers and clothing lines like Brooks Brothers and Gap have pivoted to mask making. But many are still resisting mask wearing and flouting distancing guidelines. Like at this Cinco de Mayo gathering in Jacksonville.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, 6 feet mean is different things to many people.

TODD (voice-over): But health officials say distancing has to be part of the new normal. And as for handshakes, America's leading voice in this pandemic says, never again.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: As a society, just forget about shaking hands. We don't need to shake hands. We got to break that custom.

TODD (voice-over): And one expert says there are practices we haven't thought about during this pandemic that we should get ready to adopt.

HOTEZ: We're finding people who've been in places where there's a lot of virus around like in hospitals have significant amount of virus on their shoes, so possibly taking off our shoes when we walk in houses that may become kind of a new normal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: Dr. Peter Hotez says another part of the new normal may very well be that we get used to hearing from our top scientists more and more, maybe even looking to them more than our elected leaders. He says, for decades, scientists have been invisible but now and going forward, they're likely to become some of our most popular public voices on many, many issues, Wolf?

BLITZER: Brian Todd, very good report. Thank you very much. The new normal as they say.

Coming up, thanks to CNN's global resources. We're about to get an update on some of the topics coronavirus stories around the world, including China's latest very angry response to the scathing criticism it's getting from the Trump administration. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:42:44]

BLITZER: Let's quickly check in with our correspondents around the world for the latest pandemic headlines. In Russia right now, we're hearing very disturbing questions about whether doctors are actually being killed for complaining about their working conditions or criticizing the government's response. Police are investigating the death.

CNN's Matthew Chance is monitoring the situation from London. Matthew, what are you hearing?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, tonight more questions about why three Russian doctors critical of the country's coronavirus response had unexpected falls out of windows, leaving two of them dead and another with serious head injuries. Russia has a record, of course, of silencing critics.

But the head of a prominent doctors union in Russia tells CNN there's no conspiracy. It's psychological stress that she thinks may be to blame, as Russian medical workers struggle to cope with a massive upsurge in coronavirus infections.

Latest figures indicate the pandemic in Russia is not slowing down. Russian officials say they are seeing some stabilization. But there is still more than 10,500 new infections recorded just today. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a virus management meeting where it was announced that Moscow will now ease restrictions on industrial enterprises allowing factories and construction companies to be open starting on May the 12th. But self-isolation limits are to remain in place, Wolf.

BLITZER: Matthew Chance, thanks very much.

Germany, meanwhile, is pushing ahead with human trials of a potential coronavirus vaccine, even as it eases lockdown restriction to get this. It's also getting ready to let sports teams play again. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Berlin. Fred, tell us more.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Wolf. Yes, potentially some very good news as Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech now say that they've started clinical trials in the United States for a potential coronavirus vaccine. Now, I was able to speak to the CEO of the German company BioNTech and he tells me that he is very confident because they have gotten some very good results in the preclinical phase. But of course, he also acknowledges there is still a very long way to go.

Meanwhile, Angela Merkel now says that Germany is past the first phase of the coronavirus and can now start reopening this country's economy. Now what that means in the short-term is that larger stores are going to open, also cafes and restaurants will be able to reopen again of course under very strict hygiene measures.

[17:45:11]

And Germany's professional soccer league is also going to start playing probably in the middle of May and probably without any spectators on hand. Now Angela Merkel says that she's very pleased with the way things are going in Germany so far, but she also warns that the country shouldn't open up too fast or risk a new spike and infections, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Fred, thank you. China is hitting back at what it calls a smear campaign by the United States. CNN's David Culver is keeping track of all these late breaking developments, he's in Shanghai. David, tell us more.

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, China's foreign ministry demanding the U.S. stop spreading disinformation and misleading the international community. A spokesperson also criticizing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who's claimed in recent weeks to have evidence that the virus originated in a Wuhan lab.

However, CNN reported that intelligence from U.S. allies, while not ruling the lab origin theory out suggests it's highly unlikely. That has given China and its state run media an opening to push their own narrative, which says that the Trump administration is lying so as to save face among the American people during what is an election year.

The reality is, though, as our reporting highlighted early on, the U.S. had enough global support and its initial questioning of China's mishandling, covering up, under reporting and silencing of whistleblowers. But the now contested lab origin theory distracts from all of that, and it further politicizes those legitimate calls to investigate China.

All of this happening as life here in China is starting to resemble what it looked like before the outbreak. At the original epicenter in Wuhan, a phased reopening of schools began Wednesday. More than 57,000 students there headed back to class, Wolf

BLITZER: David Culver reporting for us, thank you.

Coming up, our own Dr. Sanjay Gupta, he's getting ready to answer your questions about the coronavirus.

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[17:51:58]

BLITZER: Time now for your questions about the coronavirus and the pandemic. Our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is back with us. He's got the answers. This question, Sanjay, from a viewer. "Has the virus mutated? Would a mutation make it more dangerous?"

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, so every time the virus spreads, you know, to some 3 million people now, there are these tiny mutations that happen. You know, that's normal. We also know that sometimes, I mean, the drift of the mutations can be bigger like that's why you get a flu shot that's different every year. The flu virus changes a bit.

The coronavirus seems largely pretty stable. So that's the good news. And these tiny mutations do give us some idea of timeline where the virus was, how much it was spreading in various places around the world. But overall, the mutation seemed pretty expected and relatively minor. They don't seem to be mutating in a way that causes it to become more deadly.

WOLF: Well, that's encouraging to hear that. Here's another question from a viewer. "My kids have not seen their grandparents for two months. At what point is it OK to start taking some measured risks in terms of visiting family?"

GUPTA: Well, that is the question I think in households all across America, including ours, Wolf. I mean, my kids, my wife's mother lives in town and they want to see her. Measured risk is an interesting way of framing the question. I mean, everyone's going to have to establish their own level of risk.

Here's what I would say is that this is part of the reason we talked about testing so much. I think it would be -- if it were me, I think it would be good to be in a place where you could get testing, and get the kids tested, get the grandparents tested ahead of time. And then I think they could see them, I think there is a slight false negative rate with the test are not perfect tests. So even if they go to see their grandparents, probably still maintain physical distance, still wear a mask.

We know elderly people are a vulnerable population. So get tested, maintain physical distance and a mask. But I think within certain reason -- certain reasonable precautions, it could happen.

BLITZER: Well, that's encouraging to hear that. Here's another question. "Can I catch coronavirus from my pet?"

GUPTA: Yes. Well, the answer appears to be no. So this might be some good news as well. I have to preface every answer it seems, Wolf, with what we know now, right? I think there was a period of time when we didn't think pets could even get the coronavirus even though this did come from animals, bats likely. The idea that it could then be transmitted from humans to pets, that was a relatively new finding.

But -- and pet seem to be able to split it amongst themselves, maybe pet to pet transmission. But pet to human transmission, there's been no documentation of that. I think the advice is you treat your pets like a member of your family which they are, so if they -- if, you know, keep them, you know, away from people who are symptomatic, if you are symptomatic, you know, stay away from other people in your family, including your pets.

BLITZER: Well, that's good advice too. All right, Sanjay, I know you're coming back with us shortly so don't go too far away.

GUPTA: OK.

BLITZER: There's more breaking news we're following here in "The Situation Room". The U.S. coronavirus death toll now top 72,000 people, as a vast majority of states are now moving to reopen.

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[17:59:41]

BLITZER: We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room". The breaking news this hour, more than 72,000 Americans have now died from the coronavirus and more than 1.2 million have tested positive. But the growth -- the growing death toll hasn't stopped more states from reopening parts of their economies. President Trump is cheering the move to reopen and telling the American people they have to be warriors.