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The Spread of Coronavirus May Be Slowing Down in New York; How Safe is Takeout Food?; What does Tokyo offer?
Aired April 01, 2020 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: A hopeful time for New York is our first topic today on CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz, obviously, not in our studio for the time
being. And I know many of you are not watching from the place where you normally see the show. So, thank you for taking the 10 minutes.
Here`s what`s going on in the Empire State. It`s the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in America. More than 75,000 cases have been confirmed in
New York. So, what`s hopeful about that?
Well, even though the disease is still spreading there and the number of deaths are increasing, the rate of infection might be slowing down. And
here`s what we mean: the state`s governor says the number of coronavirus cases was doubling every two days at one point. But then it seemed to slow
down, doubling every three days and then four days. Now, it`s every six days.
And a CNN count found that New York`s daily increase in coronavirus cases over the past week was less than a third of the daily increase in a week
beforehand.
So, what all this may indicate is that the spread of coronavirus in America`s hardest hit state may be significantly slowing down. This isn`t
proven yet, there`s a backlog in coronavirus testing there, so we don`t know the true number of cases right this moment. We also don`t know why
they`re slowing down, if they`re slowing down. New York has strict limits on who`s allowed to go to work and it`s banned parties and celebrations
entirely. It`s possible that could be having an impact, though the program has only been in place for a week.
New York alone has more than 40 percent of all the coronavirus cases in America and it`s looking for the all the help it can get.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Help arriving in New York with the Navy hospital ship Comfort. A thousand beds on board to help
ease overcrowding in the city`s hospitals.
In Central Park, a new field hospital reserved for those with the virus, as the governor pleads for more help.
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: If you don`t have a healthcare crisis in your community, please, come help us in New York now. We need relief. We
need relief for nurses who are working 12-hour shifts, one after the other after the other.
We need relief for doctors. We need relief for attendants. And we will return the favor.
HILL: Healthcare workers maybe welcome, yet from New England to Texas, officials increasingly wary of travelers, mandating self-quarantine for
those crossing state lines. Hot spots like Chicago, Detroit, and New Orleans continue to see a spike in cases and are sounding the alarm.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: COVID-19 is not considered a foodborne illness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it doesn`t know of any cases when someone`s caught
the disease through the food we eat. But some health officials are concerned there`s a small chance the virus could be transmitted through
packaging if someone who`s sick handles it. So, they`re suggesting that we throw away our take out containers, that we wipe down our groceries and
that we wash our hands after touching takeout boxes and containers.
Meanwhile, the restaurants that do the cooking for us are having to change the way they do business in order to stay in business.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REPORTER: This is what customers have come to expect when they go to Henry`s Louisiana Grill. It`s packed, it`s loud, and it`s full of life.
But this is what it looks like now, the hard impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
HENRY CHANDLER, HENRY`S LOUISIANA GRILL OWNER: I reckon this to giving blood. Every drop counts, every little drop, every penny.
REPORTER: Chef and owner Henry Chandler gets emotional when he talks about the future of his restaurant.
CHANDLER: We`re about 85 percent to 90 percent down on our regular sales and that`s tough. It`s tough, tough, tough.
REPORTER: And like many restaurants around the country, Chandler had to figure out how to reopen his restaurant as a pickup only establishment, and
make the place safer than ever before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I take your temperature?
REPORTER: This is their new normal now, staff checked for fever at the door.
CHANDLER: They do not enter the building until we checked them. They cannot report to work if they have any temperature, any of the signs of the
COVID.
REPORTER: But I`m sure unlike many of you, you missed your favorite restaurant, you want to support the local economy, but you`ve got a
question inside you, is it safe? Is it safe to get the takeout?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I actually see takeout food being a really good option for individuals who are trying to limit their exposure to people.
REPORTER: Food safety specialist Benjamin Chapman says that`s because even though a takeout package may carry the virus, the chances you`ll get
infected by that is really, really low.
And if you get food delivered, Dr. Sanjay Gupta says leave the food packaging on your front porch.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: And then when we come in, we sort of wipe any of the surfaces, that -- the remaining packaging is
on and obviously wash our hands, keeping in mind that it`s hand touching, then hands to face.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ (voice-over): Ten-second trivia:
Of these world cities, whose name means "eastern capital"?
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tokyo, Japan, Beijing, China, or Ottawa, Canada?
Originally named Edo, the Japanese city of Tokyo was renamed in 1868.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: People there are being told to avoid the city`s famous karaoke venues and nightclubs. As of Tuesday night, Tokyo is not under lockdown
like some other world capitals dealing with coronavirus. But an increasing number of businesses are shutting down and as we reported yesterday, the
Tokyo Summer Olympics that were supposed to start this July had been postponed until next July.
In normal times, it`s an amazing city to visit. So, we`re taking you on a virtual field trip now to give you a taste of Tokyo when there`s no threat
of COVID-19.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REPORTER: From the 54th floor of the Tokyo World Trace Center, the city looks like a scene from a sci-fi movie, skyscrapers as far as the eye can
see. But on the ground, visitors have plenty of new and old world experiences to choose from.
A great place to start is the fish market, one of the largest in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tsukiji fish market is an only in Tokyo experience and some of the freshest fish in the world, and most restaurants in Tokyo
serve fish from this market.
REPORTER: Tourists are allowed to wander the hustle and bustle of the inner market. Starting at 9:00 a.m., fish in all shapes and sizes are
prepped are ready for sale.
If looking at all that fish puts you in the mood for a meal, you can eat like a local and grab a bowl of noodles at the outer market.
Another fun and inexpensive option is kaiten sushi. You can choose what you want to eat as it rolls by on a conveyor belt.
And if you`ve ever wondered where restaurants get the life-like plastic food they display in their windows, you can head to Kappabashi. Here, a
wide range of kitchen and dining supplies can be found, but the big draw is the selection of plastic food and drinks. So, everyone can take a bit of
sushi home in their suitcase.
Tokyo is a perfect city to people watch, and Harajuku, a pedestrian only street, is the perfect place.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harajuku is the Tokyo way that you feel it is (ph) New York. It`s really the counter culture hub of the city.
REPORTER: Students head to the shopping district to see and be seen.
If you want to take a break from the chaos and find a little calming city, head to any one of the many Tokyo parks. This one Hama Rikyu Gardens in the
southern part of the city is a perfect place to picnic or rest a few minutes and enjoy a cup of tea. The tea house originally built in was used
by shoguns and imperial court nobles who enjoyed the view and the relaxed atmosphere. Mind you the view has changed quite a bit since the 18th
century.
Also on the quieter side --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Asakusa Shrine, it was one of the few structures in the complex to survive the bombings of World War II, and it`s just a
beautiful place to go and stroll.
REPORTER: This popular Buddhist temple built in 1649 is an odd mix of worshipers and tourists. The incense mixes with the smells of vendors
selling traditional snacks and sweets.
After dark, the place to be is the Shibuya district.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s packed, full of people all the time. And at night, the neon signs -- whoa, it`s really famous for what`s called a
scramble crossing. All of the lights at this intersection turn at the same time so all the traffic stops at once, and the crowds just swarm into the
middle of it fighting to get to the opposite side. It`s really quite a sight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
AZUZ: In a town of Northern Wales, United Kingdom, the wild goats that roam the hillsides don`t usually fan out along the streets. But because
people there are being told to stay home to avoid coronavirus, the streets are quieter than usual and these are now homes where Great Orme Kashmiri
goats roam.
One resident said he didn`t mind because he didn`t have to trim the hedges often, but if you wake up one morning to find they`ve eaten your garden,
well, it`s good to get your goat. It`d make anyone gruff at the idea even if they`re not named Billie. If the kids get out of hand, you`ll have to
call nanny. If that doesn`t work, ibex you`ll have to pass the buck.
But sooner or later, things will get back to normal and there`s just not going to be a room and a town (ph) for everyone.
I`m Carl Azuz.
Some of you attend Rutherford Early College High School, thank you for watching, from Spindale, North Carolina.
And thanks to our viewers all over the world for watching CNN 10.
END
