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Automakers And Fashion Houses Turn Their Attention To Manufacturing Medical Masks; A Trip To Georgian Capital Of Tbilisi
Aired April 02, 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: There are around 349,462,000 people living in the United States right now and about 80 percent of them have been told to stay
at home.
I`m Carl Azuz. Welcome to CNN 10.
Stay at home, shelter-in-place, self-isolation, social distancing -- these are all terms pretty suddenly being used worldwide, their defense measures
against the spread of coronavirus. Authorities from federal governments down to local ones are trying to encourage people to avoid others as much
as possible.
Many continue to ignore these orders and one reason why health officials are so angry about that is because of this, while some people who contract
COVID-19 have severe and deadly symptoms, others have absolutely none at all in.
Iceland, a country that has reported more than 1,200 cases, half of those who tested positive for corona virus say they`ve had no symptoms.
In the United States where there been over 200,000 cases government health officials estimate that 25 percent of them have no symptoms. So, it`s a
situation where tens of thousands of people are carrying the virus and possibly spreading it without even knowing it.
So, now, the U.S. government is considering a recommendation that the general public wear face masks as long as there are still enough for the
health care workers who need them. There are currently shortages in many American hospitals.
What`s interesting about this is that the World Health Organization, part of the United Nations, has said it doesn`t have evidence that masks will
protect the general public but a top American health official says something doesn`t have to be 100 percent effective to have some benefit.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the fashion accessory that could save lives. All around the world, masks are becoming mandatory
attire for health workers in a time of COVID-19, and where the economy`s halted and manufacturers otherwise shuttered, companies large and small are
kicking into overdrive, answering the call, trying to meet the incredible demand for more masks.
In the United States, the White House says there simply isn`t enough supply for everyone to wear a mask.
The nation`s top infectious disease doctor told CNN health care workers must come first.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: The one thing you don`t want to do, you don`t want to take masks away from the health care
providers who are in a real and present danger of getting infected. That would be the worst thing we do.
QUEST: And so, in an effort reminiscent of the Second World War, the likes of Gap, General Motors, and even Major League Baseball say they`re opening
their factories and getting to work.
When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo asked for help, calling on companies to be creative, the designer and "Project Runway" alumni Christian Siriano put
his sewing staff to the task.
CHRISTIAN SIRIANO, MEMBER, COUNCIL OF FASHION DESIGNERS OF AMERICA: We are up to almost 500 a day. So, we will have a couple thousand by the end of
the week, and we`re really excited. I mean, who knew that that was what we were going to be doing?
QUEST: Italy has been amongst the hardest hit by coronavirus. It`s also home to some of the world`s top fashion houses.
Prada says it will make 100,000 masks by next week. Gucci says it will make more than a million in total.
Throughout Europe, as leaders warn of shortages, the offers are rolling in. The owners of France`s Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Louis Vuitton and
Givenchy, Zara and Balenciaga in Spain, they`re all promising hundreds of thousands of masks.
In Greece, modern ingenuity is on full display. Start-ups there are using 3D printers to crank out face shields. These can go straight to doctors and
nurses on the frontlines, where having a mask is truly a matter of life and death.
Tunisian fashion designer (INAUDIBLE) has retooled her small workshop in Tunis into a mask powerhouse. She has 30 tailors and is making up to 1,500
reusable masks every day.
With so many people stuck inside, making a mask at home is turning into the perfect social distancing activity.
Jan from sewitonline.com put out this handy do-it-yourself guide.
JAN, INSTRUCTOR, SEW IT ONLINE: What the hospitals have asked us for in masks is they want one side and a different side on the other side.
QUEST: From mom-and-pop outfits to household names and multinationals that span the globe, companies are stepping up, churning out masks, and trying
to do their part in the fight against coronavirus.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ (voice-over): Ten-second trivia:
Which of these nations became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991?
Afghanistan, Albania, Georgia or Montenegro?
Georgia was the only one of these countries that was officially part of the USSR until it got its independence in 1991.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: More people staying at home means fewer people are traveling. So we`ve teamed up with CNN travel to take you on a series of virtual
vacations if the real thing could be months away.
Located in southwest Asia, you`ll find the nation of Georgia between Russia and Turkey with the Black Sea forming its western border. The name of its
capital Tbilisi means warm place in Georgian because there are hot springs nearby.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REPORTER: Georgia`s capital Tbilisi is a city best seen on foot.
NESTAN MAMATSASHVILI, FOUNDER, GEORGIA STARTS HERE: My name is Nestan and this is my Tbilisi.
REPORTER: Three years ago Nestan Mamatsashvili created a Web site and guidebook to give young travelers an insider`s view of the best places to
go in the city.
At street level, Tbilisi`s unique mix of influences come to life. From the sulfur mass stone on which the city was founded.
MAMATSASHVILI: This is one of the must-see place in Tbilisi born centuries ago.
REPORTER: To age-old churches and narrow alley ways from a bygone era, this is a city that displays its history, and nowhere more so than at one of
Tbilisi`s street markets, amongst its trinkets and knickknacks, lots of Soviet memorabilia.
MAMATSASHVILI: We are on Dry Bridge flea market, one of my favorite place in Tbilisi. Everything you see here reminds me about my country`s past.
REPORTER: Georgia was part of the Soviet Union for 70 years until 1991. Traces of Georgia`s communist past are laid out for all to see.
MAMATSASHVILI: This is a diploma certificate, 1984. Of course, it`s written everything inside in Russian, because we were in the USSR.
REPORTER: But Tbilisi isn`t a city that dwells on its past. Old, crumbling buildings are being re-imagined as trendy locations. Just like a Fabrika --
a former Soviet sewing factory transformed into one of Tbilisi`s hottest urban spaces.
It`s home to restaurants, one of the most popular hostels in the city, and Black Dog Shop -- a concept store putting Georgia on the map through its
unique alphabet.
MAMATSASHVILI: Hello.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.
MAMATSASHVILI: How are you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fine, thank you.
MAMATSASHVILI: These are workshops and all we are doing are for promoting Georgian alphabet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bravo!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me it`s so beautiful. It looks like a piece of art.
MAMATSASHVILI: What makes Tbilisi unique is that Tbilisi is keeping its past, but also is looking further, looking into the future.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AZUZ: In NBA news, it looks like the Dallas Mavericks have defeated the Phoenix Suns but, Carl, you may be saying, the NBA has suspended its season
because of coronavirus -- well, at least on Twitch, you can see from the score how things were looking in this recent virtual face-off between the
two teams or gamers playing on behalf of the two teams in NBA 2K20.
Yes, looks pretty realistic except for maybe the score and you can tell how the technology (ph) has made a magic fast break and become more elite since
the March Madness of `08, the shootout of `98, and the hoops of `88.
It`s all an example of how high-voltage Electronic Arts have come more than Midway in achieving Acclaim in video concepts.
I`m Carl Azuz, gaming with puns on CNN 10.
The American School of London has been commenting on our YouTube channel. We hope you`re well and we thank you for watching from the United Kingdom.
END
